by Rachel Lenna
***
“Byron it’s almost midnight.” Bill says with a yawn just a beep on my phone makes me jump ten feet in the air. “Time for bed.”
“But we’re even!” He whines through a yawn. “I have to beat her!”
“Three games each I think is more than enough.” Betsy says patting his hand. “Bed time.”
“But…”
“Byron we can play the grand finale tomorrow if you like?” I say cutting him off. I ignore the flashing from my phone reminding me I have a text message. “When we both are refreshed and on the ball.”
“Promise?” He yawns, rubbing his eyes.
“Absolutely.” I say patting his arm. My phone flashes again and I growl at it.
“Maybe you should check it dear.” Bill says. “It could be Hugo.”
“I know it’s Hugo.” I agree. “I don’t want to talk to him.”
“At least read the messages.” Bill insists. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of keys. “Here.” He hands me a key on a small key ring. “This is the back door key, you know just in case…”
“Sir I cannot take this” I exclaim holding the key away from me as if it were diseased. “I don’t want to be more of a burden then not.”
“Just keep it.” Bill insists, pushing my hand back to me. “You don’t have to use it.”
“Are you sure?” I panic.
“Yes little miss.” Bill smiles at me as Betsy takes a practically sleeping Byron to his room. “It is bed time for me so night night.”
“Thank you.” I smile at him, nervous. My phone flashes again and I angrily pick it up, reading the first message.
Anna pls forgive me!
I roll my eyes as I read the second one.
Anna I have been thinking, I just saw the most awesome thing and it got me thinking… I was being a dick
I roll my eyes at the message again. No shit. I think as I go to message number three.
I really wanna see you, apologise, explain. Something! Anything! Please?
As I am reading the message it vibrates in my hand and my phone tells me I have a new message. Of course I open it.
Anna are you awake? Can I call?
I sigh. What do I reply back with?
I look at my phone for quite a while not knowing what I want. I am tired but I also know I won’t be able to sleep feeling the way I do. So I write back;
OK fine.
It’s not even five seconds later and my phone starts ringing. “Hello?” I whisper.
“Anna?” Hugo sounds relieved. “Anna?”
“Yes Hugo.”
“I’m so sorry I was being a royal dick.”
“Yes you were.”
“You’re not meant to agree with me!” He laughs through the phone.
“Well you were.” I respond.
“I know, I’m sorry. Please forgive me?”
“Okay.”
“Really?”
“Nah Hugo.” I say sarcastically. “I’m just jerking your chain.”
“Oh.” He sounds instantly deflated and I feel instantly bad.
“Kidding!” I add quickly. “I was just playing. I do forgive you.”
“Oh.”
We sit there is really awkward silence. “So…” I say when I can’t take anymore. “I’m gonna go then…”
“Can I come see you?” He blurts out.
“When?”
“Now?”
“Hugo it’s like 12.30am?”
“I know. I should leave you to sleep, you would probably need it but I just feel that we left things in an ugly way and I would really like to see you and make sure that there is no bad anything between us.”
“Oh okay.”
“So can I come see you?”
“Hugo it’s really late. I dunno…”
“Please?” He sounds desperate. “Anna please?”
He sounds like he really wants to work things out now? I reason. And he sounds… lost. “Okay.” I agree and I hear him release a breath in relief through the phone. “I will text you the address.”
“Oh Anna thank you.” Hugo says happily. “I will be there soon.”
“Okay.” I agree, nodding before realising he can’t actually see me.
Ten minutes later I see a giant SUV moving slowly down my street. I use the key Bill had given me and sneak out the back, moving as quietly as one can with twins on board to the front. I stand near a big bushy tree to wait for Hugo so we would make as little noise as possible. It comes to a stop just in front of me and Hugo winds the window down.
“Could you possibly have gotten a bigger car?” I laugh feeling tiny standing next to it.
“I wanted you to be comfortable.” He says and sticks a single white rose out the window at me. “For you.”
“Hugo.” I gasp, instantly plucking it from his hands. “You remembered.”
“Of course I remembered Anna.” He says getting out of the car. “How could I not? Even though you don’t think so that week was special to me too.”
“But…” He reaches me and gets really close.
“I have never connected with any woman like that ever.” He looks me straight in my eyes and I get really nervous. “It scared me so I said that it would only be for the week. I figured that if I had the week with you and that was all that I would be safe. I wouldn’t get hurt.”
“Okay?”
“But I did get hurt.” He moves a stray piece of my hair out of the way. “I realised after I left that I missed you. That I should have at least got your phone number or an email or something.”
“Okay?”
“I actually harassed the hotel people trying to get them to cough your details up to me but they said forget it.” He grabs both my hands. “I know I’m rambling and you’re probably thinking that I am on crazy juice or something but tonight I saw my brother finally get the girl of his dreams… and she's an awesome chick.”
“Jaydan finally got her?” I grin.
“Yes.” Hugo frowns. “How do you know?”
“Jaydan told me about it.” I smile. “Good for him.”
“So you’re the little voice of encouragement he was talking about then?” Hugo looks puzzled.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah you do.”
“No I don’t.”
“Yeah well just so you know that thing you didn’t give him? Has made him super happy.”
“I didn’t do much.” I smile, genuinely happy for him. “Just a gentle nudge.”
“Oh Anna-Beth!” Hugo sighs and brings my hands up to his to kiss. “Your special, and I knew it from the moment I saw you. That’s why you scare me!”
“Ow!” I squeak jumping back and grabbing my stomach.
“Anna?” Hugo says panicking. “What happened? Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”
“Yes. No.” I say through a deep breath. “God that hurt.”