Chapter 3 Part 2 [Annie]

As soon as the call with Ace ended, Annie felt a sharp pang of regret. The whole situation had spiraled out of control faster than she could comprehend. What started as a harmless prank had somehow turned into something far more serious, and now, she could hardly think straight.

She paced around her room, biting her lip, her hands shaking. She hadn’t meant for any of this to happen. Why did I let it go this far? she thought, frustrated with herself. She grabbed her phone, her finger hovering over Dav’s contact. With a deep breath, she pressed the call button, hoping for some clarity, some sense of direction.

The phone rang twice before Dav picked up, sounding slightly confused. “Hello?”

“Dav... I— I messed up,” Annie’s voice trembled, and the words stumbled out of her mouth in a frantic rush. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Wait, what do you mean? What happened?” Dav’s voice shifted, becoming more alert as he realized something was wrong.

“I... I was just playing around with Ace, but I didn’t think he’d take it so seriously. I—I messed with his feelings. He probably thinks I was joking about everything... but I wasn’t! I didn’t mean for him to believe it was real—oh God, what have I done?” Her breath caught in her throat, panic creeping into her voice.

Dav paused for a moment, letting Annie’s words sink in. He could hear the distress in her tone, and it was clear that she wasn’t just caught up in a minor misunderstanding—this was something much bigger. “Okay, okay. Just breathe for a second,” he said, his voice gentle but firm. “Tell me everything. How did it all go down?”

For the next few minutes, Annie recounted everything: from the initial idea of calling Ace as part of a prank to how it had taken on a life of its own, ending in a confession she wasn’t ready for. She felt so small and exposed, as if her entire world was unraveling because of her own impulsiveness.

When she finished, Dav was silent for a moment, as if processing everything she’d said. Then, in his usual calm way, he spoke.

“I see,” Dav said slowly, “I understand now. But first of all, you need to calm down. You’re freaking out for no reason, Annie. Ace isn’t some fragile person. He’s mature enough to handle things like this.”

Annie took a shaky breath, though it didn’t fully settle her nerves. “But what do I do now? How can I fix this? I didn’t mean to hurt him... I didn’t mean any of it, I swear! I was just messing around, and now I feel like I’ve ruined everything.”

Dav’s voice softened, yet carried an air of confidence. “You need to talk to him. Apologize, explain the whole situation. Trust me, he’s a good guy. He’ll understand, especially if you’re upfront with him.”

Annie nodded, though her stomach churned with uncertainty. “Alright... I’ll do that. I’ll talk to him, apologize. Thanks, Dav.”

Both of them hung up, and as soon as the call ended, Annie’s hands went cold again. She sat down on her bed, her heart pounding. How did things get so complicated? The guilt weighed heavily on her chest, but she knew Dav was right. She couldn’t keep avoiding the truth.

Annie spent the next few hours wrestling with her thoughts. She knew she had to apologize, but her nerves were eating her alive. What if Ace didn’t understand? What if he thought she was playing with him all along? I have to make this right.