Come Back to Me[Sequel to YME and Crossing Paths]

Chapter Eight: His Friends

Chapter Eight: His Friends

(The day after Thanksgiving)

Annabeth

"I met your friends," Ken said into the phone. "So now you get to meet my friends." I sighed.

"Are you sure they'll like me? What if they don't?"

"Hey, your friends don't exactly love me either."

"They just take a bit of warming up to...once you get to know them, they are amazing. Really."

"Okay...put on a party dress and I'll see you in an hour?"

"Fine."

"Bye, Babe." I cringed slightly. I'd never liked being called 'babe'.

I hung up and went up to my room. I found a black dress in my closet that had a deep v-neck and went down to about mid-thigh.

I waited outside, pulling a coat over my arms. I shivered as a cold wind ruffled my hair. The familiar black lexus pulled up in front of my house. I opened the door and got in, looking over to Ken.

"Hey." I smiled at him.

"Hey." he gave me a quick kiss before driving down the road.

•••

"So, you are the famous Annabeth Chase?" a man in a black suit gave me a once-over, making me extremely uncomfortable. Ken wrapped an arm around my waist.

"The one and only." I gave a forced smile.

"I'm Noah. Noah Johansen." Ken's hand slowly slid up my waist, stopping at my upper rib cage.

"Nice to meet you."

"So how did you and Ken meet?"

"On a plane. We sat next to each other, then we both ended up in New York." I said. Ken's hand slid up farther. I noticed Noah eyeing my boobs.

"I'm going to go get more...lemon water. Anyone else want some?" I asked, finally feeling like I needed to leave.

"Why don't you drink, babe?"

"I'm not in the mood tonight." I left, exhaling a breath I didn't even realize I was holding. I filled up my glass with lemon water.

"Are you Annabeth? You must be Annabeth!" a tall woman with straight blonde hair and a british accent smiled down at me. The smile looked almost fake.

"That's me. And you are...?"

"Oh, silly me! I'm Stacy Thorpe. Ken and I dated briefly a few months ago, but we're still good friends, though. How long have you been dating?" I was taken aback by the sudden question.

"Er–about two months. Nice meeting you, Stacey, but I've got to get back to Ken." I rushed away. So far, I was not enjoying this party or whatever it was.

"There you are. Did you get me a drink?" Ken asked as I walked up behind him.

"You didn't ask for one."

"Well can you get me one?"

"Dude, just get your own drink. Besides, I want to get to know Annie."

"Don't call me Annie." I muttered.

"What's that, sweetheart?"

"Nothing." I smiled at him, trying to contain my disgust. By now, Ken had gone to get another drink.

"So Annie...we need to chat. I'm thinking we go upstairs real quick, get it over with, then come back down." I'd been around enough douchebags to know what that meant.

"Actually, I was thinking we could stay right here where everyone can see us and we can have a normal conversation."

Noah must have taken it the wrong way, because he moved towards me, stroking my breasts. "If that's how you want it, babe." I smacked his hands away.

"If you touch me like that again I will kick your balls, and you will go to the ER then I will get you arrested for sexual harassment." I said, deadly serious.

"Jeez, woman. Ken's never going to know, anyway. He's too busy with Stacy." Noah gestured over to the corner, where Stacy was giggling, and Ken was flirting with her.
"I'm going to go get some air." I set my drink down on the nearest table and rushed out the door, stepping into the luxurious backyard of Ken's house. I sat on one of the lawn chairs, putting my head in my hands, stressed.

I couldn't believe this. Before this week, Ken had always been polite, respectful, and never touched me in ways I didn't want to be touched. Then tonight, it was almost as if he didn't care if Noah was trying to get me to have sex with him. I pulled out my phone after hearing a ding. It was a text from Ken.

Where are you? Can you get back in here?

I sighed. He didn't even look for me...just saw I was gone and texted me.

I stepped out to get some air. Coming back in now.

I walked back inside, and Ken immediately found him, putting his hand around my waist again. This time, he led me to a man with blonde hair swept back like Ken's. The man had bright blue eyes, kind of like Jason's.

"Hey, Ken. This your girlfriend? She's too hot for you." Ken laughed, and his hand moved up again, to just below my breast. I squirmed away from him.

"Annabeth. Annabeth Chase." I shook his hand.

"Jim Wood. Nice to meet you."

"You too." This guy didn't seem half bad.

"So, Jim. How are things going with Roxy?"
"Horrible! She won't have sex with me, no matter how hard I try!" I take back my previous statement.

"That sucks, bro. I'm supposed to be 'taking things slow' with this one." he gestured towards me. "It's torture. I just want to get her in bed already!" That was when I snapped.

"I've got to go." I said, turning on my heel. Ken grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

"How are you going to get to your house? I was your ride here."

"I'll find a way." I shook out of his grip, glaring at him and Jim before I left the house.

•••

After walking for nearly a mile in heels, I got frustrated and took them off, not even caring that it was twenty degrees and the ground was even more cold. After a while, I saw a taxi coming my way. I stood on the sidewalk, hailing the taxi.

"Pretty girl like you shouldn't be out this late dressed like this." said the man when I got in.
Ignoring his statement, I told him my address and we sped off. After paying, I stumbled into my house, changing into pajamas and getting into bed.

After what happened tonight, my views on Ken changed. Tonight he'd been almost forcefull, making me go to that party, not caring when his friends made comments about my appearance or even touching me too much.
After thinking on the subject for a while, I decided one thing; I was not happy with Ken, and I wanted to break things off, but how would I do it? If I was being completely honest with myself, I was scared. Scared of what Ken might do if I broke up with him.

•••