^^Above is a picture of Hunter Haywood as a reminder.

I know I said I wouldn't post any warnings but my fiance urged me to post one for this chapter. As the story goes, it is going to get more and more mature (not every chapter will be mature but the parts that are mature are going to be mature mature, if you know what I mean). Lol Anyway, this is my final warning.

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AnnaMae's POV

I pull up in the bumpy gravel driveway and the brown taped-up boxes stacked in the back of his truck show the reality of his situation.

The trailer homes, packed close together, sit on patches of gravel and grass, each one of them needing paint and possibly new windows. In the distance I hear echoes of faint yelling and barking dogs.

I cannot imagine having to leave my childhood home where all my cherished memories remain, to live on the outskirts of town, closer to the edge of not belonging at all.

I shake the sentimental thoughts out of my head and remind myself why I'm here. My mother is right, if I continue to stay with him, there's only going to be more drama and stress and I can't handle much more. This could finally be the open door I've been waiting for. I just need to make the idea seem like his.

I climb up the rotting makeshift stairs and lightly knock on the door, terrified at what I'm about to endure.

"Hunter?" I call out as I enter his new home.

Wallpaper fills the trailer, with one faux wood paneling wall in the livingroom, dining room combination. On the floor lies three different types of flooring and the smell of mothballs tells me this place has been vacant for quite some time.

He pokes his head out from the bedroom, surprised to see me. "What are you doing here?"

"I-uh," My voice quivers. "I wanted to talk to you. I've noticed you've been stressed lately, and I uh, thought maybe if I took a step back, it would relieve some stress. You wouldn't have to worry about me or take time out of your busy schedule anymore." I shift my weight, biting my lip, praying he buys my excuse.

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"I, uh, I don't want to. I just uh, thought you wanted to and without me you would be happier." A line I practiced over and over again in the mirror last night.

Hunter's face darkens, revealing the sinister side I always try to avoid and I take a step back, showing my submission to him but it's no use, within seconds he has me pinned against the wood paneling, probably original to the trailer when it was built, and digging into my shoulders with the palms of his hands. That's another bruise I will have to conceal.

"You think you can use me then leave me?" he hisses into my ear and I know I'll have to talk myself out of this hostage situation. Why did I think ending our relationship would work?

"No, baby, that's not it. I just thought you wanted that. I'm sorry. I misunderstood. I don't want to break up!" I squeal under his death grip.

"Liar," He slaps me across the face and the blunt force knocks me onto my knees. Another bruise I have cover up.

Stars fly across the room but I refuse to get up, because that will only make the alpha angrier.

"Tell me, you love me," he growls.

"I love you" I whisper.

"Louder," his boot kicks me in my rib cage, adding yet another bruise for me to hide and sending me into a fetal position on the green carpet, also original to the trailer home and I wonder how many others before me have lied here covered in bruises.

I look around the one bedroom deteriorating mobile home and the disgusting aesthetic is nothing compared to the man standing over me.

"I love you," I groan, but the words that escape my mouth lost meaning a long time ago, if they ever existed in the first place. My physical state throbs in agony but my mind has yet to succumb.

"Tell me you only like me."

"I only like you!"

"Tell me you want me."

"I want you!"

Hunter starts to unbuckle his belt and I close my eyes weighing my options, but I've done this so many times to know how it ends. What happened to us?

"Come closer, you idiot," he growls just as his phone goes off and I say a thank you prayer to whoever is on the other end.

With Hunter still on his phone, talking to his dad, I pull out mine, and pretend my mother is calling me, mouthing, I have to go, and bolting out the door.

Not looking behind me, I dart down the rotting steps toward my Hummer. Tears fill the brims of my eyelids but I refuse to let them fall. I made a promise that my last tear fell when Jack and I died together. I'm not breaking it now. Not over Hunter Haywood.

Across the gravel road I see Jackson exiting a neighboring trailer and for a split second I wonder why he's on this side of town, but the fear inside of me quickly pushes those thoughts to the back of my head. I don't have time for distractions with a raging boyfriend just feet away.

"Hey Annie!" Jackson waves, his red curls bouncing, and I admire his optimism but I ignore his smile and continue toward the car.

"Hey wait up," He jogs over noticing the anxiety written all over my face and stands before me, arms crossed.

"What's wrong?" he asks, but what he doesn't realize is, if I open my mouth, the real me will be exposed.

"Nothing!" I hiss. Hunter may storm out looking for me any minute now and I can't be caught seen with Jackson, otherwise we're both dead. I try walking past him, but he steps back in front of me. "Meet me under the bleachers in fifteen minutes."

"I don't have time," I grunt, shoulder checking him on my way to the car.

"I better see you there," he threatens.

++++++++

I exhale, my lungs unleashing the wispy smoke into the air, and I watch as it thins out, disappearing from existence. Something I want to experience.

"You know, I'm not good at this stuff but you want to talk about it?" he asks, and I know he hasn't taken his eyes off me since I pulled up. I hadn't planned on showing up, but Jackson's drug is the only thing that keeps me sane these days, and how can I turn down an offer like that?

"No," I say curtly, staring up between the gaps of the bleachers.

"Fine, but you know I won't tell anyone, Annie," he assures, looking up at what I'm staring at which is the blue sky just on the other side of the shadows we hide in.

"You know I hate it when you call me Annie," I grumble.

"Annie, Annie-Bear, Annie-Boo, Annie-Bunny, Annie-"

"Stop!" I playfully shove his shoulder and let out a chuckle.

"There's a smile! You never smile anymore," he remarks and I wonder how he knows or if I make it that obvious.

"What do you mean?"

"You're always so uptight. That's why I sell you weed because you need to loosen up. Relax some."

"It's not because you make a lot of money off me?"

"That too, but you do need to relax."

"It's hard to relax when your boyfriend is an asshole," I mutter under my breath and take another hit.

"Did he do that to you?" He asks, pointing to the fresh bruise forming on my shoulder.

"No, that's from cheerleading," I lie, exhaling again, the smoke dancing in the air, free from the lungs I once imprisoned it in, and I wonder if it's possible for me to escape my prison.

"Cheerleading does that to you?"

"Yes, cheerleading is hard."

"Then why don't you quit?"

"Because it's never that easy."

"Why can't it be?"

"Because I'm in too deep."

"Well, with an injury like that, I would tell someone,"

I laugh, and then sigh, "Maybe one day, I will."

"If you don't, someone may notice it and report it,"

"Then that person can deal with cheerleading," I huff.

Jackson doesn't reply and I'm glad because I can only skirt around the topic for so long before the gig is up and I'm starting to learn he isn't as dense as his reputation makes him out to be.

The ringer on my phone starts playing and when I glance down, Hunter's picture appears on the screen. I suck in my breath, weighing my options, but deep down I know it will be worse if I ignore him.

"Are you going to answer that?" Jackson asks and now I have no choice.

"Of course I am. It's my boyfriend," I roll my eyes and answer the phone.

"Hi sweetheart." I keep my sentence short to hide the shakiness in my voice.

Hunter blurts out, "I am so sorry, baby. You caught me at a bad time and I was so stressed from moving and when you showed up wanting to break up, it threw me off because I can't lose you. I already lost my mom, Jack, the house and I need you. You are the one person who is stable in my life. If I lose you, I don't know what I would do with myself. I would probably die."

"I know, sweetheart. It's okay," I assure him, and he's right. The struggles he's faced are far worse than mine, and it's not his fault that he's troubled.

"Let me make it up to you," he says.

"You don't have to, love. It's okay, seriously. I'm just glad we're together," I say, trying to keep my conversation vague from Jackson.

"Alright, I'm so glad we are still together. I have to go. My dad's home, but I'll call later, okay?"

"Sounds good. I love you," I say, but he hangs up before saying it back. It's a word we both struggle with.

I slide my phone back into my pocket and stare up at the gap between the bleachers. How did I enter such a complicated relationship with such a complicated man?

Bailey's POV

With my head tilted sideways and a pound of gel sitting too close to my ear for comfort, Denver combs my hair, practically gluing it to my head. Once the gel is firmly packed in there, she switches to the other side. I stare at Georgia in the doorway, observing us.

"You know I'm mad that you are taking Levi instead of me to the dinner," she says.

"I know you're mad. You only told me a bazillion times! I already told you I would make it up to you," I assure her.

Denver presses down on my head and pours a pile of gel right next to my left ear.

"You say that but when?" She pouts.

"How about this weekend? We can go see a horror movie." I reply.

"I don't want to see a horror movie," She admits.

"Alright, whatever you want to do, we will do it," I reply.

Georgia exits the room giving me no answer and when I lift my head to see where she went, Denver applies more pressure, "stop moving."

After she finishes combing every single strand of hair that sits on my head, Denver pulls my hair back into a ballerina bun taking half of my face with it.

"What is Georgia's problem, anyway?" I ask her.

"Pay her no attention, she's just jealous," Denver says.

There's a soft knock on the door and when I look up, I'm half-disappointed to see it's not Georgia, but instead Dakota enters the room carrying a box beautifully wrapped in red paper with a bow that sits on top and two ribbons falling off the side.

"Hey Bailey, can you hand this to Levi when you see him?" He asks as he hands over the present.

"What is it?" I ask.

"He'll know what it is-" Dakota fades out and I tuck the gift into my backpack just as Denver marches back into the room, holding the one board game I despise over her head.

"Saturday, you are spending the night and we are all playing Settlers of Catan with the Cities & Knights expansion pack!" She announces.

Last year, I would have been excited to sit around drink coke, eat popcorn and build cities but now the thought of spending hours upon hours connecting fake roads and bargaining resources with each other does not sound like a fun weekend.

"Before you say no, you said we could do whatever I wanted. It's either this or we play..."

"Don't say it," I shake my head.

"Then that settles it! Settlers it is." Georgia plops on her bed and distracts herself on her phone.

Denver turns my chair so I face the dresser mirror, revealing my new look.

"What do you think?" she asks.

With my hair pulled back and my full-face makeup, I look older, almost unrecognizable. I move my head side to side and It's unbelievable that the person in the mirror is me. It's refreshing. I'm going to walk into that party not as Jack's little sister, but as Bailey Moretti.

Jackson pops his head in the room, "Hey Bailey, Levi is waiting for you in the driveway." Then tosses the car keys to Dakota, "Mom said you wanted the car tonight."

Dakota catches the keys. "Thanks. Why do you smell like perfume?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jackson says, turning on his heel and disappearing down the hallway.

Dakota, ignores the answer and instead turns his attention on me, "You look fucking amazing. You are going to waltz into that party and show them that you aren't the same kid-Bailey they are so used to."

I can't help but smile because it's so damn true. After putting on a simple black dress Denver lets me borrow, I say my goodbyes and head to the truck.

I see Levi sitting in the driver seat with his hair gelled back and wearing a dress shirt, just like I advised him to. I also see a head sitting behind him, but from this distance I can only tell it's a girl.

It's not until I climb into the passenger seat that I see my mother, dressed in her usual flannel and black jeans, sitting behind Levi.

"What's she doing here?" I growl.

"She asked me to give her a ride. Put your seat belt on." Levi says.

I do what he says, then I turn around and start going after my mom, "What is your truck not working? Why is Levi giving you a ride?"

"I had a few beers before the party to calm me down and figured it would be safer to get a ride. Stop acting like a brat. You're too old for that."

"Too old for that? Too old to be mad over the fact that my mom only comes around when she feels obligated?"

"Sorry for taking time for myself to grieve over my son's death. You will never understand what it's like to lose a child, and I pray that you never have to."

"You may have lost a son, but I lost a brother, father and a mother. Imagine how that feels! The only people who have taken the time to check in on me and take care of me are Levi and the Webers."

Levi's POV

"Leave me out of this," I mumble, trying to focus on driving but man, their yelling is making it hard.

I knew picking up Sally would piss Bailey off, but I didn't expect for them to fight right in front of me before such an important event.

"Oh, here we go again with the Webers. Why don't you go dye your hair red and live with them as their adopted tenth child if you are so damn miserable? I bet you wouldn't last a month in their house, sharing a bed, bathroom and food with the Weasleys and their livestock," she spits.

Clearly there's some unaddressed jealousy there. We are still four blocks away from Sal's house and I don't know how much more I can take of this.

"You know what's sad, MOM, is that every time I am there, I never go unnoticed, unlike our family who only has ONE kid to look after! Even when there were two of us, I went unnoticed," Bailey says.

Three blocks.

"We've always noticed you but no matter what we did you were never satisfied. Even now I'm noticing you and you're still unhappy," she argues.

Two blocks.

"Now, it's too late mom! I needed you when I was excelling at gymnastics, when I was learning how to ride a bike, when I got my period, when Jack died, but you weren't there! I've always relied on other families to take care of me, and now I don't need you anymore. I don't want you. I have my own family and I'm not going to be your replacement child because your favorite child died," Bailey screams, drowning out the music.

And we've arrived at our destination. Just in time too, because it was about to get very ugly in here.

"Hey everyone, how about we put this argument on hold until the dinner is over, then you two can continue this discussion on the car ride home," I say as I pull into the massive, mile-long driveway.

Before I can manage to turn off the truck, Sally is already halfway up the driveway. I reluctantly look over at Bailey and see the flames igniting in her eyes. Exactly what I was expecting.

Great, this is going to be a long night.

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We enter the garden, which sits in front of the vineyard where the dinner is being held and right away I notice kids from the Baraboo middle school orchestra playing Ode to Joy next to the water fountain.

The entire Moretti family mingles with each other, except Sally, who already made her way to the outdoor bar. Students from school pass out hors d'oeuvre and fill empty wine glasses. They must spend a lot of money hiring entertainment and staff for their party.

Near the edge of the garden, between two fountains, is a patio with one very long table decorated with black linens, tall candlesticks and roses scattered throughout the middle of it.

Bailey grabs onto my hand assuring me that she's ready to enter and I mumble, "It's like little Italy."

She nods.

The first to greet us is Lori as she walks up to both Bailey and I, with a glass of wine in her hand. Her leopard print dress does not compliment her aging face, and neither does the blonde highlights that sit near her cheeks.

"Bailey, Levi, so glad you could make it and you both dress up so nice. I must admit I was a bit surprised to learn of your relationship. I'm not sure if you were aware, Levi, but my sweet Clair has such a big crush in you. She was heartbroken to learn that you were already seeing someone. And no offense Bailey, but I was a bit heartbroken too. When you see Clair tonight, try not to rub in her face."

"I had no intention of stealing Levi away from Clair. After the passing of Jack, we used each other for comfort and our feelings just sort of happened," she lies and man is Bailey a good liar. The words roll off her tongue naturally without skipping a beat, and I wonder if she lies to me.

"We have no intention of rubbing our relationship in anyone's faces tonight," I add.

Lori smiles at my comment, but the expression holds no sincerity but luckily our conversation is saved by the tapping of the glass. "It's time for dinner!"

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Bailey's POV

The entire Moretti family is here today to celebrate Great Grandpa Marco's 90th birthday. It's been tradition in our family since great grandpa and great grandma started having kids. It's also a party, the entire town gossips about. It's hard to get an invitation to the party because there are rules.

Part of the tradition is that everyone wears something elegant, but my mother always breaks that rule and she wonders why the family disapproves of her.

It is mandatory you attend unless granted permission from grandpa. My dad is the first family member I know to miss this dinner. That's how seriously this dinner is taken.

All the non-married family members are allowed to bring a friend when they turn thirteen. The past two years I invited Georgia as my plus one, but this year I decided it would be best to bring Levi.

Lastly, all new guests must answer questions from the family. It's sort of like an initiation, but instead of proving yourself through various activities, you prove yourself by how well spoken you are. The older you are, the harder the questions. When Georgia went through it, everyone thought it was so cute how she talked about her farm animals.

I have no idea what questions they will ask Levi, but inside, I'm praying he does not bring up partying, drinking, or how our relationship is fake.

The waiters bring out the first course, Vegetarian Chopped salad with aunt Sistine's famous Italian vinaigrette.

Once everyone receives their plate, we grab each other's hands and Grandpa Carl says grace.

He mentions my father being in rehab and my brother no longer with us and how more than ever we need God to bring us together. Once we say amen, Aunt Sistine is the first to speak up.

"Dinner looks a lot different this year without Sergio and Jack Daniels eating with us."

"And AnnaMae. Jack always brought her as his date," Vera, my baby cousin, says.

Aunt Lori shakes her head, "It's a shame. She is dating that low-life boy, Hunter. And so quickly after Jack's death."

"She's just grieving and using him for comfort. There's no love there. Everyone knows she was meant to be with Jack. They were soulmates," Clair admits.

Everyone nods in agreement and the conversation falls silent.

One of the waiters brings out the main dish and sets down Stuffed Shells with Spinach in front of me. The choices this year were Stuffed Shells, Chicken Parmesan, and Penne noodles in Vodka Sauce. Levi chose the Chicken Parmesan, but honestly, there's no wrong choice when it comes to Moretti's dishes.

"Well, I guess we should get started. Looks like we have a couple of new guests this year, Vera, who did you bring?" Grandpa Carl asks.

"This year, I brought my girlfriend, Taya Smith." Vera announces and points at a small, skinny, freckled face girl with wavy brown hair.

Oh my God, that must be my counselor's daughter. I had no idea he had children, and a lesbian child at that.

Grandma Delores chokes on her food at the word, girlfriend and Uncle Sal runs over and starts patting her back. The older generation are conservative and do not approve of homosexual relationships. They aren't against them in general, just not when they are in a relationship. Father once explained it was because their generation werr taught that the bible was law and the bible says marriages are between man and woman, but it makes no sense to me because what if they don't believe in God?

Sistine defends her daughter, "She means girlfriend as in a friend that's a girl."

"No, I don't. Taya and I are dating," Vera, says.

"Just last month you liked that red-head boy, Phoenix Weber!" Aunt Sistine hisses.

"Yeah, and this month, I like this brown-haired girl, Taya Smith," Vera argues.

"How about we get started with the question portion? Anyone have a question for Taya Smith?" Grandpa Carl asks the family.

Four or Five hands immediately shoot up in the air and I can't help but be relieved for Levi. There's no way his questions will be as harsh as Taya's are going to be.

Levi watches in horror as the family asks about Taya's grades, background, family and of course her lesbian status. I'm not worried at all. Levi could say he grew up in a dumpster behind Sears and the family would approve of him over Taya. That is how badly this poor girl is answering her questions.

After about thirty minutes of questions and two desserts later, we finally move on to Levi.

"I have a question for Levi", Clair bats her eyes innocently as I roll mine.

"Were the two times we made out not enough for you to fall for me?" Clair asks.

And now I'm the one choking on my food. Did this bitch just say two times?

~~~~~7/16/20 • 3968 words~~~~~

🌸Thank you for reading. Please vote/comment if you enjoyed the chapter!🌸

Sorry for such a heavy chapter. The deeper we dive into these relationships the more we are going to learn that the grass isn't greener on the other side.