Chapter 9 Phone Conversations

Annika slumped on the couch as she returned home. She was exhausted from work. Today had been quite awkward at the office. Ashton had asked her out for lunch, and she had declined. She never thought that she had the guts to do that. Thinking that Ashton would fire her just for that made her embarrassed now. She was aware of the fact now that Ashton was interested in her, but the feeling wasn't mutual. All she wanted to do was work. Was that too much to ask? Annika was certain that this wasn't going to be the last time that was going to happen.

Ashton was going to put pressure on her, and she hoped that she would be able to resist him each time.

Annika knew what he wanted. She was used to his type. She had been there before, and there was no way she would fall for that again. Ever. Men like him always felt that they would get anything they wanted. She knew what they were; selfish, narcissistic, egocentric, and insensitive. Having left a toxic relationship, there was no way she was going to go back into one. Ashton Maverick was bad for her, and she was glad that she had seen that from the first day. Annika reached for the remote control and turned on the TV. She was too tired to get up and take a shower. Her thought was to lie down on the couch for a couple of minutes before heading upstairs.

Moving out of her mother's house was something she still hadn't gotten used to. This was the first time she was staying without her mother, and she was twenty-five. That was one of the reasons she had moved to California. She had to stand on her feet and struggle, even though she knew that she was one flight away from being in her mother's arms. The TV turned on and a program came on. It was a rom-com. Annika leaned back on the couch and fixed her eyes on the TV.

A few minutes later, her stomach grumbled. It was then she realized that she hadn't eaten since breakfast. She had spent the whole of her lunch break on calls from clients trying to make an appointment with Ashton. Most of the appointments, Ashton had declined coldly. She rose from the couch lazily and ambled her way to the kitchen. She swung her fridge open and poked her head in. Her fridge was half empty. She had forgotten to restock. Annika shook her head and reached for the jug of lemonade, closing the fridge afterward.

She reached for one of the cupboards and pulled out a bag of chips. After pouring it into a bowl, she returned to the couch with a glass of lemonade and a bowl of chips. The phone rang immediately she took her to sit and she groaned out in frustration. Annika rushed to the wireless telephone and picked up the receiver placing it in her ear.

"Hello?" She greeted.

"My baby," a female voice sounded.

Annika smiled as she recognized the voice. It was her mother, Kristen.

"Mom," she said excitedly. "I was just thinking about you."

Her mother chuckled on the other end of the line. Annika walked with the receiver and sat back on the couch, folding her legs and placing the bowl of chips on them.

"How is California, sweetie?" Her mother asked.

"Well...it's going better than I expected," she replied.

Her mother was silent for some moments. Annika crunched the chips as she stared at the TV. The romcom seemed to be getting better with each scene. Realizing that her mother had been silent for a while, she paused.

"Is everything okay, mom?" She asked.

Her mother sighed on the other end of the line. This had her worried. Kristen was always exuberant when talking on the phone. Today seemed very different. She was quieter than Annika had expected.

"It's Terrace," Kristen replied.

Annika's heart squeezed in her chest as she heard that name. She stared at the bowl of chips below her and realized that she had lost her appetite. Terrace-her ex-boyfriend. He was the major reason she had left California. She couldn't handle him any longer and so she had left in search of happiness and peace. Leaving Terrace was one of the best decisions she had made. And one of the only positive ones she had made. Terrace had been abusive towards her. He was a cheater and a liar. Annika had seen the signs several times but had chosen to ignore them because she was in love with him. But there was a time she could no longer take it. She had to leave him, and the only way she could forget him was to leave.

Annika reached for the glass of lemonade and took a sip from it. When she let the glass back down, she realized that she was trembling. Perhaps leaving her mother behind was a mistake. There was no way she could predict what Terrace could do.

"What about him, Mom?" She asked.

Her mother was silent. Annika could feel her heart racing now.

"Mom. What did he do?" Annika asked.

"T...Terrace," Kristen stuttered. "He came around looking for you."

Annika sighed. Of course, he would. Terrace couldn't get over her as well. He was always finding a way to get back into her life, and each time, Annika had declined. Terrace had been such a persistent prick that she couldn't take it any longer. Thinking of him visiting her mother, and demanding to know where she was made her sick. She could feel her blood boil as she thought of that.

"Did he hurt you?" Annika asked furiously.

Kristen laughed nervously.

"No. He didn't. He just came by to know where you had gone," she replied.

Annika licked her lips and sighed in relief.

"And what did you tell him?" She asked.

"I told him you went away for a while," her mother replied.

Annika nodded and her eyes fell to the bowl. Her appetite had returned and she ate her chips as she gazed at the TV.

"That's better," she said. "Mom. I think you should get a restraining order."

Her mother laughed at the other end of the line. Annika felt increasingly embarrassed with each passing second her mother kept on laughing. It sounded better when she thought about it. Annika knew her mother was trying to act tough. Just like her.

"There's no need for that, sweetie. I'll be fine," she assured Annika.

"Mom. You don't have to act tough every time," Annika pointed out.

"Enough about me already," her mother said in an attempt to divert the topic. "Now tell me, how's work? Have you met anybody?"

Her mind quickly went to Ashton. Ashton was the most reckless person she had met, and it was only the third day. He was carefree, narcissistic, and irritating. It amazed her how he never got mad at her.

"Well...there's this..." she began.

"What's his name?" Kristen jumped in before she could finish her sentence.

Annika rolled her eyes.

"He's my boss, Ashton Maverick," she replied.

"Annika! That is so sweet!" Her mother exclaimed in excitement.

"Mom. Nothing is going on between us," she quickly said. "And besides he's not my type."

Her mother chuckled and this made her confused.

"What?" She questioned.

"Annika sweetie, I think you like him," her mother sang annoyingly.

Annika scoffed and rolled her eyes. She reached into the bowl of chips only to realize that it was empty. It surprised her that she hadn't noticed this.

"He's a playboy," she said. "And besides, I told you that I'm here strictly for business."

"You may never know when you fall in love," her mother explained. "Just like me and your dad."

Annika rolled her eyes at that. Her mother always brought up her dad at every chance she took. Even after his death, she was still in love with him. Annika hoped that she would one day find someone who would love her the same way her parents loved each other. Annika had lost her father when she was twelve. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and breathed his last six months later. It had been painful for the first couple of years, especially for her mother who was never able to love someone else. It had been thirteen years since his death, and she was still in love with him.

"You can't compare this with what you had with Dad, Mom," Annika said.

"I'm just saying," she said. "Has he asked you out yet?"

Annika's heart skipped a beat as she heard that. She was quickly reminded of what had happened at the office earlier today. She wasn't sure it was the right thing to tell her mother, but Kristen wasn't the type of person you could keep anything from. She would always find a way to get it out of your mouth.

"Well. He did," she replied stiffly. "Twice."

"And?"

Annika could hear the excitement and anticipation in her mother's tone.

"I rejected him," she confessed. "Twice."

"What?!" Her mother screamed.

Annika chuckled at that.

"I told you, mom. I'm just not ready for any of that right now," she explained.

She could hear her mother sigh on the other end of the line.

"It's best you find someone now. The earlier, the better," Kristen advised.

Annika chuckled again. Her eyes went down to the empty bowl of chips again.

"I will, mom. When I'm ready," she assured her. "And I'm sure it won't be Ashton."

"You can't tell," her mother teased.

"Goodbye Mom," she said, rising from the couch. "I need to have a shower."

"Okay, sweetie. Take good care of yourself," she said. "And if Ashton asks you out again, give it a shot."

Annika chuckled.

"Bye Mom," she said as she walked into the kitchen.

The last thing she heard was her mother laughing as she placed the receiver back. She dumped the empty bowl in the sink and rushed upstairs. She felt so tired and decided to have a warm bath. She let the water run in the tub as she undressed herself. Her mother's words came back into her mind as she faced her dresser and Annika let out a laugh.

There's no way it's going to be Ashton, she said to herself as she wrapped a towel.

Annika stepped into the tub and sighed in relief as the warm water coated her. She could feel her tensed muscles relax slowly. She closed her eyes and sank deeper into the top. Only her face was outside now. Her mind went to Terrace. Why would he look for her at home? After everything he had done to her, why wouldn't he just let her go? Love was a sacrifice, and she had sacrificed her happiness for him only to be treated like trash. She had learned her lesson from love, and she couldn't see herself going back to it anytime soon. She hoped her mother would understand with time. Love had her traumatized.

Never again, she thought to herself.

An hour seemed to have passed since she got into the tub. She could hear the phone ring from the kitchen and this prompted her to open her eyes.

Who could that be? Was it her mother?

It couldn't be. She didn't know anyone else in California. She was still new and didn't have the time to make friends yet. Thinking about this, she rose out of the water and reached for the towel, wrapping it around her waist. The phone kept on ringing as she made her way to the kitchen, and each ring made her more annoyed. Finally, she reached for the phone and placed the receiver on her ear, completely infuriated.

"Hello?" She greeted me coldly.

"Annika," a familiar voice sounded.

Annika froze as she recognized the voice. It couldn't be possible. There was no way. Water dripped on her shoulders from her wet hair as her lips quivered. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears as she tried to pronounce the familiar name. The words were stuck in her throat and burnt like hot iron. She tried to believe it as she finally spoke.

"Terrace."