It Started With A Run

~35~ Happy Tears

Annabel POV
~Edited~ 

We had as great a time with the cookies and strawberries the second time as we did the first. We played the original game for a little while, but we realized that this time we were both getting all the questions right and no one was losing, so we changed it up. 

We had to get the questions right and also catch a piece of a cookie in our mouths that the other one threw. The game proved to be much harder after that and Cameron ended up winning.

Everything was going amazing, but then something odd happened. 

After the game was over and we were packing up Cameron started acting weird. He was acting extremely protective. I told him I wanted to go to the bathroom, but he told me to wait until we were done packing up the stuff so that he could wait outside for me. It wasn't like him to do that. He was being paranoid. 

"Are you okay Cameron?" I asked him while he picked up the last of our stuff.

"Yeah babe, I just-" He had my face cupped in his hand but saw something in the distance over my head and immediately dropped it, expression turning cold.

"What? What's wrong?" I turned around and I swear my heart stopped beating. "No. no. no. no. no. no! He can't be here! Cameron, you told me-"

"I told you nothing would happen to us and nothing will. Trust me. Just stay calm and act as though you aren't afraid of him. You have no reason to be, I'm here."

Tony was currently power walking towards us. When I first spotted him he was on the other side of the park, but now he was just a few feet away.

"Alright Cameron, as long as you promise to do whatever you can to make sure you don't get hurt. He stopped trying to hurt me when he met the guys but... just... be safe, please." Cameron nodded solemnly to me.

Tony had finally got to us and I turned around to face my biggest fear and problem in life. "So you thought that you were in the clear to run around with whoever you want now just because it's been three years? You still belong to me, Anna. You can't just act like I don't exist."

"Tony you hurt me! Physically and emotionally. You made me feel like absolute shit. You hurt the people I cared about and you did so much damage to my mental health. I don't belong to anyone and I certainly don't belong to you."

He stared at me with the coldest expression that was nowhere near loving or caring. "You're lucky you're friends with those guys or I would show you the true meaning of hurt. You've probably been in bed with all of them haven't you?"

"Hey! Don't talk to my girlfriend like that you piece of shit!" I loved him so much at that moment for defending me. It's something that many of my ex's never even dared to do.

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to? You know what Anna? You should be thanking me. All your boyfriends have been cowards and wimps. None of them tried to fight me off and the one that did wasn't even strong enough to hurt me. You need a real man Anna, someone who can fight for you."

"You know what? Cameron's right. You are a piece of shit."

"How fucking dare you, you little-"

"He's brain dead now Tony! Did you know that? He can't talk! He can't eat by himself! His whole family is depressed because of me! Because of you! And all you have to say is he isn't strong enough? You're the coward Tony! You're my worst ex and I wish so badly that I hadn't made the mistake of dating you."

"You didn't even deserve me you who-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because just then Cameron took a swing right at his face. It was so unexpected that Tony took a few steps backward clutching his nose. Cam's victory was short-lived though because less than a minute later he was getting ready to attack right back.

His punch didn't even get to reach Cameron's face because before I knew it Aaron showed up in front of Cameron blocking Tony's punch and kicking him in the stomach. Tyson also showed up to help Aaron and a few other guys were there too. So this was their plan.

I get it now.

I heard sirens off in the distance and knew this was it, this was when I got justice for the men who got hurt because of me. This is when the man that's been terrorizing me for years gets put behind bars. 

Tony seemed like he was about to get out of the headlock that Tyson and Aaron had him in, but it didn't matter if he did. There were a few more of our guys standing around plus there were police in the parking lot right on the other side of the park.   

I started crying. No, I started sobbing. Not sad tears, happy tears. This was it. This was me getting to be happy, to live my life freely.

"Anna, babe, why are you crying? What's wrong? What's happening to you? Are you alright?" Cameron grabbed my face in his hands and checked me to see if I was fine. "These are happy tears, Cameron. I'm happy. Thank you so much. You did it. No one else could do it but you did it."

He smiled down at me as the policemen came and took Tony into custody. Amidst all the chaos it honestly felt like it was just me and him. Just me and Cameron.

"Don't think they'll be able to keep me in there Anna! I'll come back for you! You know you don't belong with anyone else! Anna are you listening to me?!" Tony had to be dragged away because he refused to move by himself.

I glanced over at him with a slight smile on my face and whispered, "You can't hurt me anymore Tony. I have him, I have Cameron, he will protect me and I love him for it."

"And I love you."

And then his lips were on mine and it was magical. You would think that it would be hard for me to enjoy kissing my boyfriend while my ex was screaming about how he was going to find me and kill me after he got out of jail, but that somehow made me want to live in this moment for even longer.

I was happy knowing that Tony can't bother me anymore and that I was free to do what I wanted.

"Are you guys going to be doing this all the time now?"

Cameron and I pulled away to see a very tired Aaron and Tyson sitting in the grass on the ground staring up at us with disgusted faces. Damien, as always was chuckling in the background like this was the funniest thing ever while it dawned on me that I made out with my boyfriend in front of my brother and a guy that's like a brother to me.

"I'm never going to live this down, am I?"

"Nope." The four of them said in sync. Yeah, even Cameron joined in. "Oh shut up Cam!" I slapped him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me?" A police officer had come over to where we were standing and told us we needed to come down to the station to answer some questions.

"Second time in what? Two, three months?" Cameron smiled down at me as we walked over to the police car, hand in hand.

"It seems the police station just loves us doesn't it?"

"I hope you all know that today is Halloween and I'm missing out on the coolest party to hang out with you losers."

"I'm sure you'll live Aaron." Tyson slung his arm over Aaron's shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess..." Aaron feigned annoyance, but I could see the playfulness in his eyes.

"We can try to get you kids out before 9 so you can go to that Halloween party of yours." We all looked absolutely flabbergasted at what the police officer told us. 

"Hey, I was young once too. I mean, as long as the lady here isn't too shaken up over what happened we can move the process right along."

"I'm fine, officer. Actually, I would love to go to a Halloween party. It would make me feel a lot better about this whole thing."

Cameron opened the police car door for me and we got in. Making yet another trip to the police station. But this time was different, this time we had each other and I knew we were going to be alright.

A/N
Hey Guys!

There's only one chapter after this and then the epilogue :( It's bittersweet, but I'll be able to focus on my new story. I'm really excited about the whole thing and I hope you all like it. 

I'm going to be double updating today with the last chapter and then I'm posting the epilogue tomorrow. If anyone wants a bonus or an alternate POV type thing let me know and I'd be happy to do it :) 

Thanks for all the amazing feedback on this story :) I love everyone on here this app is so great. I was honestly coming on here expecting like 10 reads so the fact that I have 1k makes me extremely happy.

Thank you so much for reading and if you enjoyed this chapter please comment and vote :) 

Bye loves~
Syd.