Just the Two of Us | Armin x Annie

Chapter 44

Annie's Point of View

"You've done well, Annie." All of the people who supported me throughout my years of hardships, comforted me even through my moment of freedom.

I stepped back and looked behind to see Yelena smiling at us. I walked towards her and did not hesitate to give her a tight hug. She chuckled and rubbed my back before pulling away. She always had a cold lifeless expression on her face but right now, her tears glimmered and fell down creating a path of water on her pale cheeks.

"Thank you, Yelena."

She nodded and smiled at me once more. She told me about the next steps. How she wanted to begin another trial, to thoroughly expose the wrongdoings of the mother and son.

I looked at the people in front of me. The people who looked down on me. The same people who inflicted pain upon me. The people who I once thought was powerful and invincible, were now being handcuffed by the police.

"Let go of me! You will pay for this!" Lara yelled and more photographers and reporters came to her, taking videos of her outrage. I want to speak to her but I then I thought, it would be better to speak to her behind the partition glass. So I would see how she would look in a place she put me in.

Yes, my grudge towards her is huge but not in a way I would want to kill her off. If I did kill her, then that would make me no different from her. Instead, I want her to suffer the same way I did. I want her to spend her whole life living behind bars, being treated 'fairly' by other inmates no matter who she is on the outside.

But right now, I have no time to think about her. Because this time, I'll be spending it with the people who I care about without thinking of any danger.

My friends suddenly told me they were leaving and so were my siblings. Yelena told me that she needed to finalize other documents, while the agents told me they had to go back to their corporation. It seemed suspicious that all of them, after being joyful with me, left immediately. I even thought I could spend time with them all but they left like nothing happened. Sasha looked back at me and winked before pouting her lips and pointed it towards Armin.

So this is what they're up to. I guess... I do appreciate them giving us time.

Walking hand in hand with our bare feet touching the sand, me and Armin decided to come here. It was peaceful and serene. We had all the time to talk to each other without interruption because it was just the two of us here.

He didn't talk much on our way here, he was silent. Even now, he wasn't looking at me and kept his gaze on the ocean. We were walking for five minutes now, but only silence wallowed us.

"Aren't you happy to be with me?" I asked him, gaining his attention and looking at me right away. His face wasn't happy unlike the face I saw at the court.

"I am." He answered shortly and smiled weakly at me. I gripped his hands tighter. Why is he starting to be cold now?

I kept on walking but stopped when my hands were tugged by him. He stopped walking and just stood there with his head down. He then looked up to me, his eyes glimmering, blue like the ocean waves.

"I-I'm sorry." His voice was now filled with sadness and his tears forming on his bottom lid. Hearing him apologize, when it should be me, makes me somehow guilty.

"What are you apologizing for, Armin? I'm the one who should be saying sorry...You know." I spoke but he shook his head and pulled me over to him before giving me a hug. His left hand on my lower back as his other hand held the back of my head.