by Lexy Timms
But he had already made his way to my couch and was patting the cushion next to him. I could feel his pull and sense his desperation. I had no idea why he was here, but my curiosity was piqued. Part of me wanted to excuse myself and go call Colin, and part of me wanted to resolve this right here and now. When he walked out of this apartment, I wanted him to know where I stood, who I loved, and where my life was going. I wanted to look him straight in the eye and tell him he was no longer wanted.
So, against my better judgment, I sat down beside him.
“Listen, Abby.”
He reached for my hand, but I quickly pulled it away. I could see his eyes fall to my engagement ring. It flashed up at him as he sighed heavily, and a defeated look crossed his face. He lifted his face back up to me and his eyes were full of sadness. A sadness that punched me right in my gut as I wrapped my hands around my warm coffee.
My coffee would keep me rooted in reality.
My coffee wouldn’t allow me to fly away in this man’s eyes.
“I really fucked up,” Derek said.
“I know you did. I was there.”
“I came here in the hopes that we could work things out.”
“A bit too late, as you can see,” I said.
“Abby, the way I treated you was disgusting. Cheating on you and draining your accounts. I didn’t know what the fuck I was thinking. Listening to her over you was messed up.”
“What?” I asked.
“Yeah. Draining your accounts was Britney’s idea. I told her I couldn’t do something like that to you and that I didn’t even know if I wanted to be with her.”
“She moved in with you, Derek. How does it not get any clearer than that?”
“I admit, I was scared of the commitment. Merging our phone lines. Cosigning that car. Putting my name on your bank account. You supported me when I lost my job. Had it not been for you, I would’ve been starving and on the street.”
“And you repaid me with your actions,” I said, sarcastically.
“I was scared of the commitment, but I was manipulated by Britney. I have no idea how I’m going to get you your money back, but I’m trying. She ran off with it all and left me on the street for weeks before I found my way again.”
“She what?” I asked.
“Abby, I don’t—I don’t know what to say,” he said. “I didn’t come here for pity or to try and guilt you or—”
“Rest assured, I feel no guilt,” I said.
“I’m so sorry for the way I treated you.”
His eyes hooked onto mine as tears welled in his eyes. Mindlessly, I reached up and wiped a falling tear away, and he nuzzled into my touch. In a flash, memories resurfaced. Memories of us walking hand in hand in the park and talking about our perfect home. Memories of him holding my hair back when Britney and I got too drunk. Late night phone calls that resulted in shitty morning work shifts and passionate weekends spent tangled up in each other in bed.
We had all the time in the world for each other.
We knew each other, inside and out.
“Why?” I asked.
“What?”
“It’s been nine solid months, Derek. I’m engaged, for fuck’s sake. Why are you suddenly now wanting me back?” I asked.
“What makes you think this was sudden?” he asked. “The moment I stepped out of that apartment with Britney, I knew I’d made the biggest mistake of my life. And for months, I’ve been scrambling to get back on my feet, right my wrongs, and track you down.”
“Track me down,” I said. “I thought you called my mother?”
“That’s tracking you down,” he said.
“Uh-huh.”
I pulled my hand back from his cheek quickly before I fiddled with my engagement ring.
“I’m sorry, but I’m engaged, Derek.”
“Abby, please. Just have lunch with me today. All I’m asking is for you to—”
A knock on the door interrupted his train of thought and I knew who it was. There was only one other person in all of L.A. who would come knocking on my door on a Sunday morning. I felt my stomach flip with joy as I scrambled off the couch. I rushed for the door and whipped it open, relief flooding my veins as I saw Colin standing there.
But his eyes weren’t on me.
They were over my head and staring at Derek.
The two men were glaring at one another as I stood off to the side. Colin came in and shut the door, then promptly slid his arm around my waist. He pulled me tightly into his side, like he was trying to protect me from something, and I looked up into his eyes to see if I could pull his gaze down to me.
But they were trained on Derek. Like an attack dog lying in wait.
“Colin, this is Derek. My ex. Derek, this is Colin. My fiancé.”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” Colin asked.
The tone of his voice shook me to my core as my eyes widened.
“Just coming to explain some things to Abby,” Derek said.
“You have nothing to explain,” Colin said. “Except for why you broke her heart.”
“That’s what I was explaining. I was letting her know that her best friend was manipulating us both to her advantage.”
“I find that incredibly hard to believe,” Colin said.
“Colin. What in the world has gotten into you?” I asked.
“It’s okay. He’s just being protective of you. Any man worthy of you would do the same,” Derek said.
“An interesting statement coming from you. I think you should leave,” Colin said.
“Now wait a second. This is my home, I’m the one that let him in, and I’ll be the one to kick him out,” I said.
“She’s always been feisty and independent,” Derek said. “I’ve missed that about her.”
I watched Colin physically bristle before he lunged at Derek.
“The only reason you’re here is to pull more money from her. You stole from her. You tore her life apart. You left her high and dry when you proclaimed to love her, and now you’re back for more. But let me tell you something, you piece of shit. I see right through you. I know your endgame, and I want you to know that I’ll be watching you every step of the fucking way.”
“Colin! That’s enough,” I said.
I grabbed his coat and pulled him back while Derek stood there with a smirk on his face.
“Wipe that pathetic grin off your face, Derek. It’s unbecoming of you,” I said. “I’ve given you my answer. I’m engaged, and happily so. So whatever your plan was today, change it to going home.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Colin asked. “What the fuck did you ask her?”
“Colin, tuck it in or you’ll be the one I’m kicking out,” I said.
“All I asked her was to give me a second chance to prove that I loved her. That’s all,” Derek said.
I felt Colin’s entire body shaking underneath my grip on him as his eyes widened. He looked like a wild animal. A rabid animal who was looking into the eyes of its prey. And all Derek did was stand there, grinning at him as I held my fiancé back.
What the fuck was his actual game?
“I will slap a restraining order on you before you get a chance to talk to her again,” Colin said.
“And yet, you’re the one that looks more threatening.”
“That’s enough!” I said with a roar. “Both of you, out!”
Colin whipped his gaze down to mine as Derek turned his smirk onto me.
“Colin, I don’t know what the hell’s gotten into you, but I can fight my own battles. Derek, I don’t know how the fuck you found me, but you better not come back here. Now both of you, get the hell out.”
“Abby, I think I should stay until I know he’s gone,” Colin said.
“And I think you should listen to the only person in this room that matters.”
I looked up into Colin’s heated eyes before he pulled away from me. He straightened out his coat before he bent his lips to mine, placing a c
haste kiss onto my skin. I saw Derek falter, his confident smirk twitching as he saw the affection Colin poured over me in that moment. The way Colin’s arms slipped around me and the way his eyes gazed into mine. I allowed myself to be swept up into my fiancé before I opened the door at his side.
“I can’t deal with this stress and drama right now. I don’t care what the two of you do to each other once you leave, but you won’t do it here,” I said.
“Abby, if he ever approaches you again, I want you to call me,” Colin said.
“No worries. I’ll only seek her out again if she calls me,” Derek said.
“Did he give you his number?” Colin asked
“Nope,” Derek said, grinning. “But she’s always had it memorized. I had her memorize it in case she ever got into trouble back in San Diego. It’s the same number as always.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as Colin kissed my forehead one last time.
“I’m sorry,” I said, with a whisper.
“It’s not your fault,” Colin said.
Then, the two men left and I was reduced to a shaking, crying mess in the middle of my apartment.
Chapter 7
Colin
I spoke with Abby on the phone last night after I had calmed down from seeing Derek in her fucking apartment. I apologized for putting her in such a precarious position with the pissing contest I was having with Derek. The illustration made her giggle, a sound I missed now that she had moved out. I was thankful she picked up the phone for me, but I couldn’t persuade her to have dinner with me last night. She said she was tired and just wanted to sleep, and I told I understood.
But deep down, I was irate at Derek.
I was still shaking with anger, but I wasn’t going to let her on to that fact. I wanted to make sure she was okay. I wanted to make sure he hadn’t popped back up. My P.I. had called me that morning and told me what was going on. That Derek was now in L.A. and that all signs pointed to him knowing where Abby lived. I had rushed over to her place hoping to get her to come home with me. Just to stay for the night until things could settle down with whatever the hell Arthur was talking about.
But when I showed up at Abby’s apartment and saw him standing there, I could no longer contain myself.
He knew where she lived. He had tracked her down and tried to corner her. The idea still shook me to my core, and I knew I had to speed things up. I had to get him out of this town and out of her life for good. So long as he was here, Abby and I would never be peaceful. Abby would never be able to look towards her future if someone from her past was always pulling her back.
Now, I was waiting in my office for the lawyer to show up. I had two large piping hot coffees on my desk as I watched the clock edge closer to seven. I figured a good night’s rest would help me calm down for this meeting, but I didn’t sleep a wink. I had Arthur working overtime for double the pay to figure out where the fuck this asshole was staying and how the hell he figured out where Abby lived.
“Knock-knock.”
The sultry voice of Deidra Prowler penetrated my office. She walked over to the chair in front of my desk and sat down, making herself at home as if she’d been here before. She crossed one leg over her knee and reached for her coffee, and I could see why people called her a shark. Every movement she made was fluid. Like she was floating underwater and had all the time in the world.
But her eyes were cold and black. An endless abyss of darkness, devoid of any emotion that would have been deemed as genuine.
“I hear you had a fun little encounter with the ex yesterday,” she said.
“Then you’re up to speed,” I said.
“I have to say, the display of manhood is alluring. But you need to be careful. It can easily be misconstrued as aggression in court.”
“He’s trying to come at this from a common law marriage perspective.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve read your case file and taken plenty of notes from Arthur. A nice man, by the way.”
“That he is,” I said.
“It’ll be easy to squash without anyone ever knowing about it. The State of California only recognizes common law marriages when it’s convenient for them. They aren’t a thing until monetary values are exchanged and the state can benefit from it.”
“That’s what he’s trying to do,” I said.
“No, this Derek character is trying to sue her for everything. There is no monetary value specified and no detailed means of obtaining it. He’s greedy and his lawyer is an idiot.”
“His lawyer, from what I’ve heard, is a seedy bastard.”
“Who’s very greedy and will rob his client blind. He knows what he’s doing. Trust me, this ex of your fiancé’s will get what’s coming to him, both from us and from his lawyer.”
“The first piece of good news I’ve heard in days,” I said.
“The truth of the matter is that this man took everything from your fiancé and ruined her life. His actions cost her everything. No judge in their right mind will take the common law route and award him half of anything that is or ever could be hers. Just because they had some of their finances tangled up doesn’t mean anything. The big thing is whether or not they filed taxes together, and I pulled some strings. Turns out, they didn’t.”
“Thank fuck.”
“Indeed. Had they, this case would look very different,” she said. “California law is complicated, but not heartless. No judge will rule in his favor.”
“So what are we going to do about squashing this quietly?” I asked.
“We’ve got two options. We could wait until he serves her and counter-sue his life from his lungs, or you could strike a deal.”
“You mean pay him off,” I said.
“If it’s money he’s looking for, you can leverage that. Give him a slice of whatever pie he believes Abby has, and in exchange you can obtain a written agreement that says, well—whatever you want, really.”
“Signed, sealed, and delivered?” I asked.
“Just that simple.”
“And how much will this cost me in regards to you?”
“Does it matter when you are getting your fiancé out of harm’s way?”
Oh, yeah, she was a shark all right. But she was a shark that came bearing answers and I was willing to take whatever road I needed to fix this right now.
“Can you get in touch with Derek’s lawyer?” I asked.
“Already did. Paid him a little call at four this morning just to stick it to him,” Deidra said.
“And he’s agreed to this?”
“He’s getting money immediately. He’ll make his client agree to anything, just to get his hands on it.”
“Done. Draw up the paperwork that says something akin to ‘leave us the fuck alone forever’ and cut him a check for fifty grand. Bill me personally for whatever it is I owe you alongside that fifty grand and send it to my residence.”
“Done, done, and done,” she said. “It was a pleasure doing business with you.”
“Oh, and Miss Prowler?”
“Yes, Mr. Murphy?”
“Call me when everything has been signed and delivered.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said.
The rest of my day was stacked with meetings. I saw Abby come in at a little past nine. I wanted to go over and hug her, to stop and take the time to shower her with a bit of affection, but I already had to work through lunch as it was. We had finally gotten the kinks ironed out with the language barriers in the European marketplace, so now we were within forty eight hours of launching the podcast platform.
And if that went smoothly, I could cue the website development team to begin working on the discussion forum.
I caught Abby coming out of the bathroom and I slid my arms around her. She squealed as I turned her around, her smile radiant upon her cheeks. I enveloped her lips with mine, feeling her hands slide up my chest. The heat of her body was unmistakable, and I could feel her hips pressing wantonly into mi
ne.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t break for lunch,” I said.
“Busy day, I get it,” she said. “Are you okay?”
“I’m much better now. Do you have plans for tonight?”
“None that I can think of. What did you have in mind?”
“Dinner? At my place? Me cooking?” I asked.
“Mmmm—a home-cooked meal with the handsome boss. Will you be naked?” she asked.
“Depends. Will you get naked with me?”
She brought her lips up to mine and I could taste the coffee on her tongue. Her perfume permeated my nostrils and sent shivers down my spine. Everything about Abby was perfect. She fit into my life like a glove. Never could I have imagined someone fitting me as well as she did.
I didn’t care when the hell we got married, so long as I could call her mine.
“Why don’t I leave that as a surprise?” Abby asked.
“See you around seven?”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
As soon as the clock hit five, I dashed out of my office. I had two hours to clean up and piece together dinner before Abby showed up. I wanted things to be perfect. I raced home and started pulling everything out, then brought it all to room temperature so I could grab a shower.
Right on schedule, I heard the elevator door open into my apartment. Heels clicked across the floor as I pulled the chicken from the oven, and I looked up to see the most gorgeous woman my eyes had ever seen. Abby was standing there in a pair of pink peep-toe heels with a matching pink dress that accented the color of her eyes. Her tan skin shimmered in the lighting of my kitchen as my lips parted in shock, taking in every curve her body teasing me from underneath the fabric of that dress.
“Abby,” I said. “You look phenomenal.”
“Oh, this old thing? Thanks,” she said, winking.
“Come here.”
She draped herself over my body and pressed her lips to mine. They tasted like cherries and vanilla, a combination that drew a groan from my throat. My hands slowly met her ass, cupping her perfect cheeks as she giggled into me. I peppered kisses all the way down to her neck before I buried myself in it.
I couldn’t get enough of her, and I missed her more than I could stand when we were apart.
