“That’s great. You can support each other. It must be hard on you too, Trina. Not that you were hurt, but the uncertainty and worry can take its toll.”
“A bit.” Trina looked up at John briefly. “We’ll be there for each other.”
Abby noticed Trina doing her usual. She was staring, looking intently at her, then over to Andrew. She was assessing, evaluating, as though she saw more than what was on the surface.
“Hey, are you two going to hang around for a while?”
“Not exactly,” Abby answered, guessing this would be a short visit. “Why? Do you need anything?”
“No, we’re good. After our card game, the nurse will be here to change John’s dressing. Not pretty at all, although you and Andrew are probably used to it.” She looked up at John. “No offense, honey.”
John kissed her hair and smiled. “None taken, dear.”
Andrew spoke up. “We should actually be going. I’ll pop by during the week or next weekend to check in again.”
“Actually,” Trina said, pulling gently from John’s hold to stand up. “Do you fine men mind if I have a private chat with Abby for a minute? We’ll just be at the vending machine. I won’t keep her for long.”
Andrew nodded. “Sure. I have to make a call, but I’ll be at the main floor entrance. Take care, you two.” He shook Trina’s hand and nodded at John before leaving.
Trina took Abby’s hand and left the room in the opposite direction. “So what’s going on? I thought you went back to Frisco?”
“I did. Andrew was out there on some business, and to see me. I flew back with him for the weekend.”
“Very nice. So how has it been? Not that I want to be nosy, but something’s different. I figured I’d check to see if you felt like talking about it. Girl talk is good sometimes, you know?”
They sat in a corner of the reception area at the end of the hall. “It’s been great. A whirlwind. He’s a great guy.”
“Good. And?”
“And what?”
“And what’s wrong?”
“Seriously, Trina. It’s all going well.”
“You know, you couldn’t fool me with the kiss-blush. You think you can fool me with this? Look, I know we’re not close friends, but you can talk to me. I can see you two together. I just see something different this time.”
“Something like what?”
“You tell me. I can’t read minds.” She laughed.
Abby was hesitant at first, but she could trust Trina. “I’m not sure either, to be honest. He’s amazing, you know? I enjoy being with him. I think everything’s just happening so fast. There’s something he’s not telling me. Something big. I think he’ll tell me eventually, but you’re right. It’s a little wall I can’t seem to get him to climb over.”
“Do you love him?”
“It’s barely been a week, Trina.”
“So what? Love isn’t one of those time-dependent things. Sometimes you just know.”
“True, I guess.”
“So?”
“So what?”
“So do you just know?”
Abby held her breath. “Yes. I love him.”
Trina hugged her. “Then hold on to that. Give him time. I read Andrew like a book the first night we met him.”
“And?”
“He’s kind and good. A little shy. Awfully tormented, but a great catch.”
“Okay.” Abby stood up. “Well, I’d better not keep that awesome catch waiting downstairs. I’ll probably be back again in a few weeks. I’ll pop by again, okay?”
“Sounds good,” Trina answered.
She walked with Abby to the elevator and waved goodbye when the doors closed. Abby had not intended to share as much as she did, but sharing left her more at ease. The big picture was she cared about Andrew. They could figure the rest out in time.
Chapter Fourteen
ANDREW knew he had to talk to her. As warm and kind as Abby was, he felt a subtle difference since the nightmare. Her behaviors and actions—and how she spoke to him after that—were muted, somehow. If he didn’t do something fast, he was certain he’d lose her.
He left his office to look for her. She was in the library, working on her laptop.
“Hey.”
“Hi Andrew,” she said, looking up from her screen.
“Got a second?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
He stretched his arm out and took her hand. “We should talk. Let’s go in the living room out front.”
“Okay.” She closed the laptop and got up to follow him down the hall.
In the living room, he motioned for her to sit, and sat beside her on the sofa.
“So what’s up?” she asked, peering up at him curiously.
He paused and turned to her, gathering his thoughts. “I’m sorry about last night.”
“Sorry? About what?”
“That nightmare I had. I didn’t want to alarm you. I’m certain I did.”
“You don’t have to apologize.”
“Yes I do.”
“No. You don’t. People have dreams. Some are good; others, not so good.”
“True, but I think it was worse because I’m not sharing certain details with you.”
“What kind of details?”
“Things about my past.”
“We all have a past, Andrew.”
“I know. I’ve wanted to be more forthcoming, believe me, I have. I’m just not sure where to start, really.”
“Start from the beginning, or the end. Or wherever is easiest.”
“There’s no easy part of this.”
“Then share when you feel you can trust me.”
“I do trust you.”
“You think you do, Andrew. But deep down, you don’t. I’m not upset that you don’t. I’m not mad, or disappointed, or upset at all. We need time. It’s not something we’ve had. I’ll admit, I want to know everything about you. I want to share everything about myself with you. It can’t all happen overnight. It’s been seven days. We’ve got to give it time.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.” She looked pensive for a moment, and then continued. “Just promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“That’s dangerous, Andrew. Don’t promise me that. It’s too big. And no one can keep a promise of something as big as anything.”
“Okay. What then?”
“Promise me that if part of your dark past happens to come up in natural conversation, you won’t avoid sharing.”
“How do you mean?”
“I mean, just let it flow when it feels right, or when it comes up. I promise I won’t intentionally ask, but if it happens in conversation—and I won’t know because I still don’t know what it is—promise that you won’t shut me out, and that I won’t have to always watch what I say. Deal?”
He took a breath. He wasn’t sure he could keep that promise. But this conversation was a gateway to open the door. “Deal. Yes. I will do everything I can to be open.”
“Great.”
“Hey, when you have time, can you show me that shifter community online that you were telling me about?”
“Sure. Do you want to check it out now?”
“No. Later or tomorrow is fine. I’ll let you get back to your studies.”
***
ANDREW was sweating bullets. It was time for her to fly back for the week, and although they had already made plans to see each other the following weekend, he didn’t think he could bear waiting a week before seeing her. The helicopter was waiting for her outside. He had decided to say his goodbye now so he wouldn’t have to fly back after she made it to San Francisco. Now, he wasn’t so sure. He straightened up when he saw her come to the front door with her bags.
“All set?” he asked, taking her luggage from her hands and reaching in for a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his waist. She clung to him, and he loved it.
“Yes,” she answered. “Well, no. I wish I
could stay, but duty calls.”
“Let me get this to the chopper. I’ll be right back.” He took her things out to the waiting helicopter, nodded at the pilot, and placed them in the space behind her seat. He hurried back. He was not ready to let her go, but understood she had commitments.
“Okay. Your bags are all good.” He took her in his arms again, soaking in her scent and her warmth one last time before she left. “You know you’re always welcome to come and stay with me, right?”
“Yes. I do.” She looked up to him with a soft smile and saddened eyes.
“I’ll see you next weekend, right?”
“Definitely. And Andrew?”
“Yes?” He sensed she had questions—probably the question—but with her departure just minutes away, it was not something he could handle. Not now. It was like the wound had re-opened after his most recent nightmare, and everything was twice as painful. He looked at her, doing his best to just enjoy this last moment before they saw each other again. The thought of being grilled cast a shadow over it.
“Can I ask you something?” she asked.
There it is. The beginning of the inquisition.
Maybe it was not, but to Andrew, it felt that way.
“Sure,” he said politely, hoping he was formal enough that she would keep it light and to a minimum. It was not the right time.
“Have you ever been in love, Andrew?”
“Can we…can we save this one?” He answered. “That’s a big one, Abby. You’re leaving any minute now. I will sit with you and find a way to tell you everything, top to bottom, beginning to end, the next time I see you. I promise. For now, as you’re leaving so soon, why don’t we just not talk about it. Let’s enjoy the silence. I really enjoyed being with you.”
He felt like an idiot for saying the last couple of sentences the second it came out.
“Come on, Andrew.”
Oh no. She’s putting on the pressure. This is not good.
“I promise I’ll just be an ear. I won’t judge you. You can tell me.”
“Abby, please don’t,” he pleaded.
Her wide eyes and upturned curves of an approaching smile just about undid him. He wished he had made enough progress to share, but knew he had not. The pit that was forming in his stomach made him certain this conversation was not going to end well. He was not helping, either.
“You know what I think?” she continued. “I think yes. You have been in love.”
“Um, yes, Abby,” he answered, hoping if he conceded to this, he could maneuver out of the lion’s den. “I loved her, but then it ended. She’s not with us anymore. She died.”
“Are you uncomfortable telling me what happened to her?” she asked.
“Yes.”
Abby was snuggled up so close and feeling so warm, it killed him to cut her off. He knew it was just her curiosity and not any intentional torture, but it still felt like torture to him.
“Does it have anything to do with your mark?”
“Stop it. Please, stop it okay?” his voice now boomed and reverberated around the hallway.
She recoiled, taking a step backward, and had the most confused expression on her face. It wasn’t a tone he ever wanted to use with anyone this special to him, but could not control it. He had to get her to stop. He stepped back slowly. He was on edge. Maybe some distance would be best. He wasn’t ready.
“Look. I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m so sorry, Abby. I think you should get going so you don’t miss you flight from Reno. Get home, and I’ll phone you tonight to see how you made it, okay?”
“It’s clear this is bothering you, Andrew,” she answered. “I’ll go now, but think about this. What if I have questions tomorrow? Or next week? We’ve all been through stuff. I would never judge your past. I just feel you may need to talk about it.”
“I do, but not now. Please try to understand.”
“I’m trying, but there’s a wall you won’t ever let down for me to get closer.”
His patience waned as his irritability grew. “If you’re so sure of that wall that’s up, how can’t you tell I’m not ready, Abby?”
She took another step back and turned to the door. That was it. He probably just lost her.
Shit!
“You’re right,” she answered, reaching for the front door handle. “I can’t possibly know what you’ve been through or what exactly you’re feeling, especially if you don’t tell me. Good night.”
She slid outside with a determination that spoke more than words. Her farewell was so firm; so final to him.
“Abby, wait,” he called to her as she made it down the steps.
Andrew bounded down and chased after her, hoping he hadn’t done too much damage. She turned slowly and faced him when he pulled her arm to stop her. The joy and excitement in her eyes were replaced with confusion and disappointment. That look clamped up Andrew’s chest even more.
He stood staring into her eyes, struggling for words which never came to him. He was at a loss, pleading with his eyes for her to give him some time. Abby took his hand, and lowered her head to kiss it.
“Good night, Andrew,” she repeated. With that, she turned and stepped up into the chopper.
Chapter Fifteen
ABBY felt uneasy for the ride in the chopper, the flight, and the limo ride home. Once she walked into her apartment, relief flooded over her. She was home. She locked the door and set down her bags.
Ice cream.
That’s what she needed. Or caramel. It wasn’t the solution, but it would do for now.
A run would have helped, had she not gotten back so late in the evening. She decided to take a walk around her block to clear her mind. Grabbing her phone and keys, she left. She had barely made it to the end of the block when the phone rang. It was Andrew. He had phoned earlier at the airport, when the driver was taking her bags to the car, but she had missed the call. He had also texted once before, and she replied that she would talk to him later. This time, she wanted to hear his voice. She stopped and took the call.
“Hi.”
“Hi Abby. Look. I’m so sorry. I was wrong. My tone was unacceptable.”
“It’s okay. You’ve been through a lot.”
“Don’t make excuses for me. How I acted was inexcusable. I wish…I wish I could look you in the eye for this apology. I wish I could take your hands in mine and show you how horrible I feel about hurting you.”
Abby couldn’t answer. He did hurt her feelings, but he was hurting himself more. He was hurting their future. She wanted to tell him, when she saw him next.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
For some reason unknown to Abby herself, she choked up. “Nothing,” she whimpered, brushing tears from her face.
“Oh, God. Abby. Don’t cry. Please don’t cry. Not when I can’t be there to stop your tears. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”
She sniffled, wiping the back of her hand under her nose. “I’ll be fine. I promise. It’s just a little emotion. Nothing to be afraid of.”
She heard her own small, quiet voice, so devoid of emotion. This was completely out of character. Now she was seriously concerned about where her reaction was coming from.
“Abby, it’s not little, and I’m not afraid of it. I’ve been wrong all along, and you’ve been right. I should have told you. I could have told you. I was just…I was afraid I’d lose you. I see it now. I am ready to talk. I can fix this.”
“Not on the phone, Andrew. I can’t do this on the phone. Are you going to be in town this week?”
“Yes. I’ll come now if you want.”
“No,” she said quickly. Probably too quickly, but it had already come out so she couldn’t take it back. “It’s already late. Let’s have a few days. My placement starts tomorrow and I want to be able to focus in the morning. Let’s try for Wednesday after my seminar. Or Saturday. I can wait.”
“Well. All right,” he conceded. “Abby, do you think you can forgive me? God, I’m so sorry. I
was stupid.”
“Yes. It was just a misunderstanding, There’s nothing to forgive.”
“I wish I could see you right now.”
“Me too,” she answered. “Hey, I’ve got to go, okay? I’m taking a walk and I’ve got to head back.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow. Have a good night, Andrew.”
“Good night, Abby.”
She pressed the end call button and turned to head back home. Their call wasn’t perfect, but she felt better. It might have been her tears too. She could use a good cry, and this was not a bad start. She walked in her front door and her phone rang again. She fished it out from the side pocket of her windbreaker.
Becky?
She hadn’t had a phone call from Becky in over a year. They had seen each other a few times when they were both home for the Christmas break, but a phone call? This had to be something important.
“Becky?”
“Hi Abby. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“It’s not great, but I haven’t heard your voice over the phone for so long! What’s up? Everything okay out in DC?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Everything is great. I didn’t call about me.”
Abby’s stomach churned with worry. “What? Wait, is it Rob? Your parents? Is it my dad?”
“No, nothing like that, Abbs. Will you let me tell you or are you gonna keep guessing?”
Becky’s tone was friendly but impatient. Abby knew better. If she kept up the questions, her best friend Becky was liable to scream it out with zero censorship.
“Okay. Sorry. I’m a little on edge. I’m listening now.”
“First, I’m going to say I’m sorry, but keep listening. First, for not staying in touch. I miss our friendship. Second, I’m sorry for being the one to have to tell you this. When Rob mentioned where you all stayed during the blizzard, and then told me the name of the man you stayed with, his name didn’t sink in until later.”
Cabin Bear Heat Box Set: A Paranormal Fantasy Bear Shifter Romance (A Bear Shifter Romance Retelling of the Billionaire Redemption Series Book 2) Page 31
