Running Bases With You

Chapter 41

*Annabeth's POV*

"Annabeth, please come out. Someone is here to see you."

I sit on my bed cross legged with a blanket wrapped around me. A mug of old, cold tea sits on a tray beside me beside a plate of stale biscuits. They've been sitting there since yesterday; I haven't eaten for three days.

"Annabeth, I'm serious. You need to come out and eat something. Please, Annabeth." Talia begs from the other side of the locked door.

I sit still, not making a sound. I know Talia is getting irritated with how I've been acting, especially since I've been mute this whole time. If she asks a question, I only nod or shake my head; and even that takes too much energy.

"Alright. That's it..."

I hear Talia walking away and I slightly relax when her footsteps fade away. I don't stay this way for long; her footsteps return and the doorknob starts wiggling.

"N-No. Stop." I try to say, but my voice comes out as a hopeless croak. Three days' worth of hopeless crying hasn't done anything except take my voice away.

Eventually, I hear the lock click and Talia walks in the room with a satisfied expression painted on her face.

"Finally. I never thought I'd be able to do that. Thank you Sam and Dean Winchester!" Talia shoves her ice pick and bobby pin in her pocket. "Took me a few tries, but hey; I did it."

I only give her a sad look, slightly irritated that she went through all the trouble just to get in my room. The thing I truly want right now is to be left alone.

"Your best friend is here to see you. He came here over his own best mate. I'd hate to leave him in the living room by himself after he came all this way." Talia takes a seat next to me, putting a hand over mine. "Annabeth, please. It'll help you if you talk to someone."

I swallow the forming lump in my throat as I struggle to speak. "The last time I talked to someone, he threw me under the bus."

"Oh, Annabeth..."

"Annabeth?"

I look up and see Niall standing in the doorway. His facial expression is grim, not in the least happy. The usual cheery lad I call my best friend is gone, replaced by a sad, pained man.

He steps into the room, walking over to join Talia and me on the bed. "How are you, love?"

I cringe at the pet name, tears almost pricking my eyes for the twentieth time in the past three days.

"I'm fine."

My voice cracks, totally ruining my facade that I've been trying to build. I see Niall and Talia exchange a worried glance.

"You don't have to lie to us, Annabeth. We only want to help you." Niall explains, squeezing my hand.

Tears pool in my eyes and I mentally curse myself for crying in front of them. Best friends or not, I hate crying in front of people.

I shake my head side to side, my body shaking. "It hurts, Ni. It hurts s-so much."

He immediately takes me in his arms, gently rubbing my back. He doesn't tell me it's gunna be okay, he doesn't feed me lies and say everything will be better with time. He only comforts me, like a good friend should.

When Louis walked away, he took half of me with him. He hasn't spoken to me since he walked out, and according to Harry, my secret insider, Louis hasn't been doing so well either. Louis is my heart and soul, and I love him. I had a small bit of hope in my heart that maybe, just maybe, he'd have a change of heart and at least text me; that he would let me know he is here for me, and that he would help me. But unfortunately, and much to my surprise, I haven't gotten so much as a message from the boys from him.