“What the fuck?” I glared at him.
“Abby, no––”
“Hello?” I said answering his call.
“Abs?”
“Yep. What can I do for you, Kylie?”
“I’d like to speak with Stephan, please.”
“Stephan and I are in the middle of something right now. Can he call you back?”
“Actually I’ve been trying to get to him all day. I’d really appreciate it if you could just hand him his phone and let me speak with him.”
I could tell by her tone that she wasn’t happy with the way I greeted her, which suited me fine because I was beyond pissed off at her anyway. “How’s New York treating you, Ky? Any good news circulating at the consulate? Have you been promoted yet? Oh, maybe you found yourself another new job and now have big cases with high end customers that you’d like to brag about? Do you have all the friends you need supporting you in the Big A?
“Abby.”
“Oh no, that’s right. You don’t have time for friends anymore…you have a career.”
“Abbygail, please.” Her voice wavered. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“Save it.” I snapped. “Keep those apologies for someone who actually cares. Besides, you and I both know they’re meaningless anyway.” I tossed the phone back to Stephan who was staring at me dumbfounded. “Take the call, and when you’re done, tell her to stop calling you. Otherwise, I will.”
Stephan stood from his chair and threw his napkin on the table. “Couldn’t you for once, just mind your damn business?”
“I could, but I didn’t want to.”
He narrowed his eyes at me in response and walked away.
“Is something going on between Stephan, you, and Kylie, that I don’t know about?” Oliver asked.
“Kylie left about a little over five months ago,” I answered. “She moved to New York.”
“I guess you didn’t take the news all that well?”
I pursed my lips. “Do you know how many times that girl broke Stephan’s heart?”
“That girl, being your friend,” he pointed out.
“Kylie isn’t my friend, Oliver. Not anymore, anyway. She fucked up one time too many. I knew this was going to happen,” I said to myself. I looked up and saw Oliver trying to understand what I was saying. “She promised me she wouldn’t hurt him because she loved him. Three months later she picks up and leaves again. I’m done with her and her lies.”
“I just don’t understand your role in all this.”
“She’s using him.”
“And? What are you going to do? Start controlling his relationships from now on? I’m pretty sure Stephan is capable of taking care of himself, Abs.”
I shot him an angry glare, and from the corner of my eye I saw my best friend walking back in with slumped shoulders.
“Whatever you think you know, you don’t. Now if you’ll excuse me…” I got up, leaving Laney and Oliver together at the table while I went to see what was going on with my best friend. “We need to talk.”
“Abby, seriously, I don’t want to talk about this right now. I just want to finish dessert and go home.”
I pulled on his arm and dragged him outside with me. In any other circumstance Stephan would have at least tried to resist my pull, but he hadn’t. That gesture alone made me realize that something was wrong. Once we got far enough from the restaurant I pulled him into a hug.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” I whispered. I could feel his entire body tremble. I tried to pull away and look at him, but he just hugged me tighter. I didn’t like his silence.
We took a walk down the sidewalk and sat down on the bench we spotted near Oliver’s truck. Every time I glanced at him, he was staring blankly at nothing.
“Stephan, why is Kylie calling you?” It was my hope that he’d finally drop his guard and let me in. He rolled his tongue inside his mouth, chewing on his words. “Steph?”
I pulled my hand out from his and caressed his warm wet cheek.
Finally getting his attention, his sad eyes fixated on mine. “Kylie’s pregnant.”
My jaw hit the floor.
“And she says it’s mine.”
“What?”
“She called me when she found out about two weeks ago, the day you were at the hospital with Laney.”
“And she’s sure you’re the father?”
He nodded.
“How far along is she?” I asked confused.
“According to her doctor’s appointment today she’s already two months along.”
“Wha––how? How can this baby possibly be yours if she left over five months ago?”
“Because I went to see her.”
What the hell?
“When?” I scowled.
“Remember that bartending thing a few months ago?”
I nodded, but what I really wanted to do was to kick his ass.
“I lied to you. She was the one that called me. She needed a friend. One thing led to another and well––I just––fuck. I can’t believe this is happening again.”
Words burned the tip of my tongue. Keeping my temper in check was proving to be a lot more difficult than I expected.
God, I’m going to kill you…
He looked at the empty street, surely waiting for me to say something, but when he realized that I wasn’t going to say anything he turned his attention back at me. “Abby, when I left her in New York, I told her it was going to be the last time. I told her I was done. I just––I don’t know what to do.”
“You aren’t in love with her anymore, are you?”
He shook his head and looked back into the darkness. “Is it wrong that I don’t want to be with her?”
“No.”
“Then why does it feel like it is?” he asked. “Do you know what the worst part is? I don’t think I was even in love with her when she came back in November. I think I was just in love with the idea of being in love…if that makes any sense.”
I nodded in silence and took his hand. “So what now?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know? You need to go to New York and figure this out, Stephan. Otherwise she’s going to do exactly the same thing she did last time.”
He looked sadly at me. “What about you? What about Lyvia? What if I don’t care?”
“Don’t throw that bullshit at me Stephan, or I’m going to kick your ass all the way to New York myself. You are going to go there and talk with Kylie. The two of you can’t just make decisions over the phone. Talk it out and you’ll see. Whatever happens, Lyvia and I will be here when you come back.”
Laney and Oliver’s teasing each other behind us had our attention diffused. I had no idea how long Stephan and I had been out, but it must have been a while if they decided it was time to leave. Oliver had his arm around her shoulder and she was trying to push him away.
“What will you do about Laney?” I asked Stephan.
He shrugged.
“You like her don’t you?”
“Whether I like her or not doesn’t make much of a difference now, does it?”
I frowned. “Don’t be too quick on judging her, Steph. I think Laney can deal with a lot more than we give her credit for.”
“That’s big,” he scorned. “Especially coming from the girl that up to a few months ago, hated her guts.”
“Don’t mock me,” I retorted. “I thought she and Oliver had a thing.”
“And if they did?”
“Then they could live happily ever after,” I answered in a clipped tone.
“You’re so full of shit.”
“Is everything okay?” Oliver asked, interrupting Stephan’s annoying tactics to get me to admit to my feelings. He kissed the top of my head and fearing what he may have overheard, I froze.
“Yeah, everything is fine.” I replied. I peered at my best friend, but all he did was answer me with his smug smile. “Sorry we missed out on dessert.”
“Don�
�t worry about it, beautiful. Here,” he said putting a small box on my lap.
“What is it?”
“Triple chocolate mousse with chocolate chunks.”
I opened the box smiling and saw the biggest piece of cake I could have ever imagined.
“And before you ask, yes, I’m expecting you to share.”
Oliver
“So, do you want to tell me what that was about?” I asked Abby after we rolled away from the restaurant. I waited for an answer but I didn’t get one. She looked pensive, completely lost in her thoughts and not paying attention to me at all. “Abs?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, why?”
“Because you haven’t said a word since we left Stephan and Laney, and you’ve just been staring at nothing for the past two blocks.”
She winced. “Sorry. I was just thinking about Stephan.”
“I figured that. Care to share what’s on your mind?”
She wrinkled her nose in that cute way she always did.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to. I won’t take it personally. I know you and Steph have this––”
“Kylie’s pregnant.” she interrupted. “She says it’s his.”
Okay…I wasn’t expecting that.
She went back to being silent and I left her with her thoughts.
“Do you think Laney knows?” she asked me suddenly.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Why?”
“Because I’ve watched her all evening, and I think she really likes him.”
“Would it bother you if she did?” I questioned.
She shook her head thoughtfully. “I like Laney. She’s blunt and honest, and she seems very keen on protecting you and your interests.”
“I’m lucky to have her.”
She smiled. “I just want Stephan to be happy.”
“Understandable. So what’s he going to do now?”
“He’s going to go to New York like I told him to and talk to Kylie like two adults should.” I could tell the idea bothered her a lot more than she was willing to admit.
“Would you be angry if she asked him to stay in New York?”
“He won’t stay,” she answered confidently.
“How do you know? Love makes us do stupid things.”
“First off, everyone she knows lives here. He’ll make a point of telling her. Kylie is adventurous and selfish, but she isn’t stupid. Secondly, he doesn’t love her.”
“So what are you worried about then?”
“I just don’t want her to force him into something she wants because it’s supposed to be the right thing to do.”
“You mean like a relationship?”
She nodded. “She’s from a traditional family. They’ll have expectations. What bugs me is he might do it even though it will make him miserable.”
I rolled into her driveway and parked the car. It was close to eleven and I really needed to go if I wanted to get something that could remotely resemble a restful night.
“Abby, I know Stephan and trust me, although he’s a stand-up guy, he won’t do anything he doesn’t want to do. He will take the time to figure things out, that I can guarantee, but I know he’ll make the right choice for himself. Besides,” I looked at her, “a guy can be a great father even though he isn’t in a relationship with the mother of his child.”
She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes at me. “What time is your class tomorrow?”
“Eight-fifteen.”
“I have an ultrasound appointment tomorrow morning at ten. Do you think you can make it?”
Even if I couldn’t, I would…
“I get to actually see her?” I asked overly excited.
She nodded, grinning at my reaction.
“Also, do you want to sleep over? It would be pretty ridiculous to have you drive home now and then come back here tomorrow morning.”
I took my hand off the wheel.
“You can use the room downstairs if you want,” she rushed.
“If it’s what you want.”
I don’t want to sleep in the spare room. I want to sleep with you in my arms, but whatever…
Chapter 23
Oliver
“Oliver?” There was a light knock and I opened my eyes to see Abbygail dressed in a pair of boy shorts and tank top standing in the doorway of my parent’s old room. “Are you sleeping?”
I wasn’t. I couldn’t sleep knowing she was up there within reach, but that I couldn’t be with her. I shook my head and smiled, but she didn’t return it. It was close to two o’clock in the morning, she looked exhausted and on the verge of tears.
“Can’t sleep?”
“No.”
“Abs?” A teardrop rolled down her cheek and I got off from the bed to hug her. “Freckle face, what’s wrong?”
“She won’t sleep. I feel like she’s running a freaking marathon.” She was a blubbering mess and now that I knew what was going on, all I could do was laugh at her.
“Maybe it’s all that chocolate you ingested before going to bed,” I teased. “I did tell you it wasn’t a good idea.”
“Shut-up,” she replied finally letting her tears fall and smiling at the same time. “I’m tired, Ol. Stop teasing me.”
“Okay, beautiful.” I kissed the top of her head and combed my fingers through her long brown hair. “How about I climb up there and come to bed with you?”
She nodded silently against my shoulder and I carried her up to her room.
***
I watched Abbygail sleeping through her bedroom window for a while before stepping inside without an invitation. It wasn’t the first time I’d watched her sleep. I did that a bunch of times when I slept over. It was however, the first time I snuck inside the Evens’ house in the middle of the night. There was something appeasing about her while she was sound asleep…or maybe it was just the fact that she was quiet more than five minutes at the time that had me mesmerized, one could confuse both.
I climbed in and took a seat at her desk. Even in the faint lighting of the moon I could tell that she’d been crying, and it sucked because I knew very well it was my fault.
I didn’t mean to though, I wasn’t even aware that she’d been listening to our conversation. All I really wanted was for the guys to get off my back. I was so sick and tired of their constant teasing. And that thing I said about her freckles being ugly and her not being pretty…it wasn’t true at all. I loved her freckles, and Abbygail was beautiful. She had the most amazing eyes and cutest pouty face. She was freaking adorable.
What does it matter that I’m a guy and that she’s a girl? She’s my best friend…
My fist hit the desk and I woke her up, making her jump in fear. Her eyes opened up in alarm and she pushed herself against the headboard of her bed.
“Oliver?” she questioned.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered, removing my hoodie. I took a good look at her, and sure enough her eyes were all puffy and red.
She turned on her bedside lamp and rubbed her eyes at the sudden harsh light. “You just scared the crap out of me.”
“Yeah I know, I’m sorry.”
“What do you want?” she snapped. It took less time than I thought it would for her to come to her senses and realize that she was still mad at me.
“I can’t sleep.”
“And that’s my problem because?”
“It’s not. I just––I’m sorry okay. I know you’re mad at me because you overheard what I told the guys at the party. I didn’t mean it.”
“I don’t care about that,” she lied.
“I know you don’t.” I sat on her bed and pretended to play along with her lies. “I just wanted to tell you that’s all. Abs, I think you’re the prettiest girl in school.”
“If you really thought I was the prettiest girl in school, you wouldn’t have said that my freckles were ugly.”
“But I didn’t mean it,” I fired back a litt
le too loudly. I stepped away from her bed and tried to walk off my anger. “I just wanted them off my back. They keep teasing me––all the time. It’s like they don’t understand why we’re friends. You mean the world to me, you’re my best friend, and I swear I would never exchange you for anything in the world.”
“Then why does it matter to you what they think?”
My right hand unconsciously ran through my hair as I tried to figure out what I could say to make her understand. There were no right answers. I growled at my stupidity. “It doesn’t…I mean not really. Abby, I’m sorry okay?”
“Fine.”
“Fine? What’s fine?”
“This.” She waved her hands in the air. “Whatever we’re arguing about.”
“So that’s it? No screaming? No shouting? No calling me an idiot or a jackass?”
“I guess not,” she replied.
“Thank you?” I answered warily, though it sounded more like a question. I had a feeling that sooner or later, it would all end up biting me in the ass.
“So…” she yawned.
“Sooo?”
“I don’t know, are you just going to stand in my room and watch me sleep until morning or what?”
I looked out the window contemplating the idea of walking back to my house, and then looked back at her. I didn’t want to go home, but normally when I slept over Aunt Jenna would put a mattress beside Abby’s bed for me to sleep on, and since neither was expecting me, it was in the basement. Getting it without being caught would be more than difficult.
“Would you consider sharing your bed with me?”
She pulled her covers to the side, inviting me in.
“Are you sure?”
“If I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t have offered.”
While I took off my shoes and jeans, Abby shut off the light and turned her back to me. When I slipped in she relaxed and I cuddled up against her, molding my body to hers in a tight embrace.
“Night, beautiful.” I whispered.
She snorted. “Don’t push your luck, jackass.”
Transcending Regrets (No Regrets book 3) Page 14
