Best Woman

The rain was pouring down, lightening lit up the sky and the window howled. Annabelle stood in the centre of the paddock, sniffling as she cried her heart out.

He was never going to love her; she left like such an idiot for believing it. She was his best friend, and that’s all she’d ever be.

“Annabelle!” he screamed, she glanced over her shoulder, rain hitting her face, and saw his figure jumped over the fence, and bolt towards her.

“What are you doing?” he shouted, his arms moving around as he came towards her. She turned and face him, and felt her whole body shuddering.

Truth was, she didn’t know what she was doing. She felt like she was dying, her heart aching in almost physical pain. She didn’t understand it.

Loving a human being this much, loving him so damn much that he killed her every time he reminded her how much he adored their friendship. The desperate need to hate him and the need to make it all go away.

She was sobbing, and wanted to curl up and just die. She’d been quiet long enough, she’d been suffering in silence since she was sixteen years old.

“I can’t do this anymore, Evan!” she screamed at him, pushing her hair back, crying through her words. Evan ran a hand through his own hair, ignoring the wind and natural elements throwing themselves at him, almost in attack.

“Do what? We had an argument, so what?” he replied, loudly over the noise of the world.

“It’s not just the argument, I can’t do us anymore Evan – it hurts too much!” she told him, stepping closer, reaching to his face, droplets all over his skin. Her fingers numb, but she didn’t care as she held his face, stroking his cheek gently.

“I’ve never told you this because…I need you in my life Evan.” She said sincerely, trying to regain control of her emotions, and Evan searched her eyes, her soulful blue eyes looking at him, full of sorrow and regret.

“You’re scaring me…” he said quietly, his hands finding to her waist automatically, and brought her closer. Their anger was fading, and now it was this deep feeling of fear, fear of the unexpected.

“It was better to have you some way in my life than nothing at all…” she cried, and Evan cooed her gently, and wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. She clung to him, her whole body shaking with fear and coldness.

“Evan…” she whispered, pulling back, looking into his eyes, the eyes she had come to adore, the eyes she could describe without looking at.

“I’m – ” she faltered, and Evan glanced at her lips, suddenly wanting to kiss them. Annabelle never got to tell him, because their lips smashed together, their electricity between them pulling them roughly together.

The kiss was nothing like either of them had ever experienced, she clung to him, he held on to her tightly, afraid to let her go. The crack of thunder, and flash of lightening caused them to break apart.
Hand in hand, they ran down to the fencing, and he lifted her over, and they both ran to the nearest barn, the one furthest away from the house.

It was an empty stable, just full of hay – it was used in the summer for the horses which were boarded here during that time. Most importantly it was warm, Evan closed the door behind them as Annabelle sat on a block of hay, hugging herself for warm. Evan turned around slowly and looked at her, worry in his eyes. He went and kneeled down in front of her as she refused to look at him.

He touched her face gently, and stroked her soaking hair: “Annie…” he whispered breathlessly, and her eyes glanced at his, quickly looking away.

“Annie…” he cooed, that voice of his melted her heart every time, as well as stabbing it too.

“Evan…” she croaked, and blinked away some more rain drops which dripped from her hair. She wiped them away and sighed, she caught his eyes once more and they locked gazes.

“Evan –” she repeated, and he looked at her expectantly: “Do you love me?” she whispered, almost desperate.

His features softened: “Of course I do…” he responded like normal, it was the tone he used that told her, he didn’t understand what she meant.

“No.” she said firmly, and held his face again, forcing him to look at her, to understand what she meant:

“Do you love me?” she demanded this time, no more whispering and uncertainty. Evan’s face dropped, but he didn’t move.

He looked to her lips, remembering that insane tingling sensation he had when they kissed, he looked at her eyes and saw the adoration she had for him – how could he have missed it?

Evan didn’t know what he felt, as his heart pounded against his chest, his breath still laboured from running. His mind whirring around, and on instinct – on fear – he kissed her again.

This time they didn’t stop, Annabelle didn’t remind herself that he didn’t reply, and she didn’t care to think of what he felt. Right now, he was kissing her, and her skin was exploding with pleasure, her heart singing almost with joy. He kissed her so fiercely, as if he needed her just as much as he needed him.

“Evan –” she gasped, between kisses, and Evan didn’t stop, kissing her lips, her cheeks, her eyes, her forehead, her nose, all over her face, her neck.

“Show me you love me…” she whispered into his near, nibbling it slightly, and he groaned, picking her up, and she wrapped her legs and arms around him as their lips reconnected.

Burying themselves behind higher stacks of hay, and with hay on the ground, he lay her down and whispered her name repeatedly. He didn’t understand what was happening, but he didn’t want to stop.

“Oh god…” she gasped, as she realized what was happening. Their clothes soon came off, and the frantic kissing never stopped, and Evan did what Annabelle asked. He loved her, he showed he loved her and made love to her in that barn.

It wasn’t till she woke up, early that morning, Annabelle realised it wasn’t a dream.
--
When they had woken up in the early hours of the morning, Annabelle put Evan’s t-shirt, now dry on, and Evan put his jeans and boxers back on, back to Annabelle as she slipped her underwear back on, the crunching of the hay could be heard between them.

“Evan…” Annabelle began, and he quickly turned around, kneeling back down, then lying where he had just lied. Annabelle curled up beside him, head on his chest, and he stroked her half damp, and half dry hair softly, as if to reassure her, it was all okay.

It wasn’t okay.

She felt him kiss her hair and sigh: “What the hell just happened?” he whispered, and Annabelle shut her eyes tightly, waiting for the anger, or the regret from his voice.

“I don’t know…” she murmured faintly, in a daze still.

What they had done was wrongfully right, Evan was engaged, they were not in a relationship and they had done what couples do – their friendship barrier had been crossed.

Yet, it had felt perfectly right, so natural.