Young Annabelle Series: Young Annabelle, the Truth About James, What My Heart Wants (30 page)

Annabelle:
We need to talk, now!

“Did you just text him?” Jenna whispered. I nodded, taking a drink of my water.

“Is he checking his phone?” I asked her. “Don’t be obvious about it.”

Jenna nodded and nonchalantly looked over my shoulder. “No - wait a minute - yes, he’s checking it now.”

“What did you text him?” She asked me, still looking over my shoulder.

“That we needed to talk.”  I told her.

She dropped her gaze back to me. “Right now?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I need to get to the bottom of things. Right now.”

“Be strong and please this time, don’t let him back in, not if he’s playing with you.” Jenna pleaded.

I couldn’t look her in the eyes. “I know, I’m sorry.” My phone beeped, startling me.

“Well it’s about time!” Jenna exclaimed.

I checked my phone and was relieved that I got a message from him.

Tiger:
Now?

“Well?” Jenna pressed, clearly impatient.

“He didn’t answer me.” I told her as I texted him back.

Annabelle:
Yes, now!

I sent the text and got up.

“Where are you going?” Jenna asked, wide eyed.

“Hallway. If I’m not back in ten minutes, find me in the bathroom beside our lockers okay?” I told her.

She nodded and I exited the cafeteria, hoping he’d follow me. The hallway was quiet, classes were still going on. I waited for him beside the doors. After a minute, he came trudging through the doors, looking annoyed.

How can he be annoyed at me? What the hell did I do to him?
I thought, offended at his behavior. He was the one who kept ruining things. Not me. 

“What is it?” He asked, stopping in front of me, glancing around the hallway. Not the same guy as last night.

How was he angry at me?

Asshole!

“I just checked Facebook.” I told him. “I saw a picture.”

“And?” He shrugged, looking bored.

“And, it was of you and Donna.”

“So.” He shrugged again.

“So, it was right after you dropped me off on Sunday.” I informed him, desperate to control my growing emotions.

“I’m not getting what you’re talking about.” He looked at me confused, as if I were annoying him.

“Stop it, she was sitting on your lap, you said nothing happened.” I snapped, quietly.

“Look, I don’t feel like doing this
right now.” He groaned, looking away and adjusting his backwards Baseball cap.

“Doing this?” I asked, slowly. He had no problem doing what we did last night. “You had no problem doing
this
last night.”

He just shrugged again, looking anywhere but my eyes.

“Fine,” I gulped, feeling my eyes grow wet. “Go back inside, back to your friends. Forget this ever happened, and forget about me too.”

“You’re so dramatic!” James exclaimed. “What’s wrong with you, every second you have a problem.”

“Well don’t worry about it anymore, you don’t have to. Go on, go back to your friends, go back to Donna, she’s probably waiting for you, bet she needs a seat.” I informed him, and then turned the corner speed walking away. I headed straight for the bathroom near my locker, going for my stall at the end. Once the stall door slammed shut, I held my face as tears exploded down.

He’s such an asshole!

CHAPTER 24

My phone beeped. I checked it and saw that James texted me.

Tiger:
Where did you go?

I texted him back.

Annabelle:
Why do you care?

Tiger:
Tell me!

Annabelle:
The bathroom beside my locker.

Tiger:
I’m coming there, come out now!

I exited the stall and quickly washed my face. I freed my hair of its ponytail and scanned my outfit. I had worn a black short sleeved t-shirt that went past my hips and my black skinny jeans.

I thought I looked okay.

I exited the bathroom and saw him rushing down the hall towards me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hallway, silently. We exited the building and entered the parking lot. He took me to his car and locked us inside.

“Why do you keep doing this?” He asked, quietly.

“She was sitting on your lap.” I stared at the ground, taking deep breaths. My hair fell in front of my face, shielding me from him.

“She caught me off guard.” James explained, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, his finger trailing alongside my ear down to my cheek, caressing it soothingly. It shot electricity into every nerve in my body.

My heart began beating faster, my breathing becoming hoarse. Why could he do this to me? His touch alone completely obliterated everything inside of me that had anything to do with my will power. I had no will power when it came to him.

I was clearly crazy about him and he probably knew it.

“Really?” I murmured, hopeful, pulling my cheek down, smoothing it voluntarily against his hand.

He leaned in tucking more loose strands behind my ear with his other hand. Not leaving my space, he clasped the back of my neck and pulled me closer to him, staring deep into my eyes.

“Really. You’re the only one I want sitting on my lap.” He confessed smoothly, his voice dripping with desire as a flaming sheen transformed his gentle expression. “Damn Fireball, can’t you see?”

“See what?” I asked as my face rested in both his hands, gazing at him with a matching fire. I could feel it in my bones. He inched closer and closer, until he was a breath away from my lips.

“That I’m crazy about you.” He declared softly with a grin. His lips collided on top of mine, kissing me softly, sweetly, slowly. His hands trailed to the back of my head, pulling my head further into him, making the kiss more forceful.

Not that I was complaining. I grabbed his wrists pulling myself closer, trying to melt myself any way I could, even with the space in between our seats separating us making ‘this’ a little hard to do, but still accomplishable. James’s kiss turned more rapid, moving more fiercely. His tongue jerked my lips open, entering inside my mouth, making me feel things in places that were already doing miles a second.

His tongue in my mouth was about to disarm me violently, shattering me into pieces. And we’ve only just begun.

I wanted more!

James pulled back, breathing hard. He glanced over my shoulder at the packed parking lot his car was in, then back at me with a new determination. “You want to go to the back seat?”

I inhaled deep inside my nostrils and nodded.

I wanted this.

Badly!

James squeezed through the seats into the back, sitting down. I followed quickly behind. He grabbed my waist and pulled me down so that I was straddling him.

Again!

“Fireball.” James groaned against my lips as we kissed hungrily. “Baby.”

The term of endearment only fueled my desire, making every worry inside me vanish. I melted against him covering every inch of his body, pushing my breasts into his hard muscled chest, which made him groan louder.

“These babies are going to kill me.” He murmured into my lips, his hands trailing down to the bottom of my shirt, lifting it up as his fingers caressed my skin.

“James.” I murmured deliriously as his fingers massaged into my skin on their way towards my bra. His hand snuck underneath the wire and cupped my breasts, squeezing them delicately. I plunged deeper into his lips, pressing my body against his, grinding hard.

He pulled back, bewilderment in his eyes as he breathed hard. “Fireball, be careful.”

I giggled. “Why?”

“Because, if you keep doing that, I won’t last baby.” He breathed, chuckling. He lowered his hands from inside my shirt and grabbed my neck pulling me forward, back to his beautiful lips.

*~*~*

“Where were you?” Jenna hissed once the bell rang at the end of History class. My face automatically felt heated as the memories of the moment I had with James in his car resurfaced. Lunch was about to end and I reluctantly peeled myself away from James’s heated embrace, with our clothing sticking to our skin.

It was very hot in his car and it wasn’t just the Florida heat. I didn’t know how I was going to tell her what I did. She wouldn’t take it very well. But I couldn’t lie to her again, she was my best friend.

“Talking with James.” I told her, getting up with my backpack.

Her eyes bulged, still sitting. “What!”

“We went to his car.” I confessed.

Her jaw dropped, clasping her desk tightly. “Really?”

“Yeah.” I murmured timidly, a little embarrassed.

“What did you guys do?” She whispered getting up from her seat, hurling her backpack onto her shoulder. She grabbed my arm and pushed me out the door.

“Talked.” I answered.

“And?” She pressed.

“Other stuff.” I answered, barely audible.

“What exactly do you mean?” She asked in astonishment.

“Stuff.” I shrugged. I didn’t know how to explain it to her without cringing. It was fun doing it, but having to explain it wasn’t as fun.

“You didn’t do
that
did you?” Jenna squeezed my arm, shaking her head.

My eyes widened, facing her as she dragged me down the hallway. “No!”

Almost though….

She let out a loud breath, indicating ‘That was a close one!’

“Thank God, I don’t know how I’d deal with you if you lost your virginity in a car, it is
so
cliché!”

*~*~*

Later that night after a nutritious yet surprisingly delicious dinner of gluten free pasta and no salt added pasta sauce (Can I get a whoop-whoop, spaghetti for dinner!) I lay on my bed relaxing against the soft R&B jam of a local radio station.

My phone alerted me loudly, breaking the trance of the soothing music that was casted over me for the last thirty minutes.

James!
I smiled, glancing at my phone overjoyed at the text he just sent. I haven’t spoken to him since our little moment in his car at lunch. Which was for the best, we needed time to cool off.

I opened his message eagerly.

Tiger:
Baby, you know it’s only you…..

My smile grew as I answered him in my head.
I know now…

*~*~*

The next day I woke up to my phone beeping. I reached over groggily with one eye still closed and brought my phone to my face.

James had just texted me.

This early?
I thought confused, checking the time. It was barely seven in the morning.

Tiger:
Baby, you awake?

I texted him back

Annabelle:
Yeah, just woke up.

Tiger:
Let me give you a ride to school, we can talk a little.

Talk? Why?
I thought we’d hashed everything out yesterday?

Annabelle:
Okay, I’ll be ready in fifteen minutes.

Tiger:
Cool.

I threw my covers off and jumped out of bed, heading straight for the bathroom. I quickly fixed my hair, washed my face and applied some mascara. I rushed back inside my room, as a result slamming my door a little too hard on my way in. It slammed against the wall roughly, making a huge noise.

“Annabelle?” Mom called from my open doorway. I was in the middle of picking a shirt from my closet.

“Yeah?” I called out, grabbing a dark blue shirt that went past my hips. I threw it on my bed where my black flared jeans were resting.

“Is everything okay, why are you in such a rush?” Mom asked walking into my room, uninvited. 

“Um, I’m meeting Jenna at school, we’re going to share notes for History. I forgot I made plans with her yesterday. I’m going to be a little late.” I explained. I was becoming a good liar.

“Oh, okay. Well if you’re going to be late meeting her, your father or I can give you a ride.” Mom offered, surprisingly.

Really?
I stared at her confused. This was the first ride in a long while that I’d been offered by them. Until now they’ve wanted me to walk or ride my bike, getting as much exercise as possible.

“That’s okay, I’m only a little bit late and it counts as my morning exercise.” I explained as mom’s face brightened, happily.

“I am so proud of you Anna banana!” Mom rejoiced, clapping her hands excitedly. “You’re taking responsibility and all your hard work is paying off.”

“Yeah, I’m responsible now.” I told her. She needed to leave so I could get ready. James was going to be here soon. “Well, I have to change now, so was there anything else you needed?”

“Actually yes, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about logging your weight each week. I spoke on the phone with your nutritionist yesterday and she said that from now one we should just log your weight once a month.” Mom explained.

“So no more weekly weigh ins?” I asked.

“Yes no more, from now one we’ll do it the first week of every month.” Mom continued.

“So
we won’t weigh me until October?” I asked.

Mom sighed sadly. “Yes, that’s right.”

“Cool, alright then.”

“Alright, I’ll let you get ready.” Mom walked out of my room, but quickly turned around and came back inside. “You’ll be buying lunch again today?”

“Yes.” I told her.

“Please, make good choices.” She pleaded.

“Don’t worry.” I assured her.

“I know, I know. I can trust you now.” Mom said, and then left my room.

Trust me now?

What does that mean?

She didn’t trust me before?

Shaking it off, I changed into my jeans and t-shirt. My phone beeped as I reached for my back pack.

James, he’s here!

I rushed out, running down the stairs, sliding into my black converse.

“Bye!” I yelled before slamming the door shut. I turned towards the curb and smiled. James’s SUV was running beside the curb in front of my neighbor’s house. I ran to the SUV.

“Hey!” I opened the passenger side door and got in. James had his black Ray Bans on with his signature backwards Miami Marlins
Baseball cap, a red shirt and black jeans on.

He looked drool worthy and he belonged to me!

That’s right, this gorgeous man right here, he was my man, my boyfriend.

My boyfriend!
I gushed inside as I smiled warmly at him. But he didn’t smile back, instead he pouted.

What’s his problem?

And why was this so familiar?

All of a sudden a rush of memories flooded in and I remembered the first time he picked me up and the little problem we had in the beginning.

“What’s your problem?” I grinned at him.

He tilted his head to the side, his lips tightening playfully. “My problem, how about you guess.”

“Let me guess then.” I pretended to think, and then leaned over the gap between our seats stopping an inch away from his face. “Your hello kiss?’

“That’s right!” James shouted playfully then leaned forward and kissed me on the lips firmly. He grabbed the sides of my face and pulled me closer. He kissed me hungrily, passionately and I didn’t even have breakfast. My stomach didn’t care that it was void of food. It was too busy controlling the wild butterflies swirling about.

James pulled back, staring deep into my eyes. “Good morning baby.”

*~*~*

We sat inside his car fifteen minutes later in the parking lot at school. He grabbed my hand, pulling it into his lap. “Baby?”