She stepped into the room, glancing at the walls. My corkboard and posters were still up. She used this as the sewing room now, but kept a twin bed in here just in case I needed a place to stay. “Why don’t you call Noah? You’re miserable without him.”
I closed my eyes, wishing she’d stop bugging me about him. I had made my decision. It was hard enough without her incessant pestering. “Mom, I told you why. I’ll get over it, okay? I just need some time.”
“All right honey, I’ll give you time, but if you don’t snap out of this depression soon”—she waved at the bed where I lay and the TV where I’d been focused since I got here—“I’m going to start up on you again.”
I had hoped with time I would feel better, forget Noah. Yes, he was everything I wanted in a man, but it just wasn’t meant to be. But a week at home, I actually felt worse. All I felt like doing was eat junk food and watch TV. I had no interest in going out when Debbie and Brenda stopped by, nagging me to go. I wasn’t in the mood.
Nick’s last words haunted me, even into my dreams. In them, Noah lay on the ground covered with blood, only in the dream he never woke up.
I jumped at the sound of the doorbell. I was sprawled on my bed, remote in hand, just flicking through the channels. I was alone in the house, so I ran down the stairs to answer it. I swung the door open and my heart soared. Noah stood on the porch, wearing the brown leather jacket I gave him, his hair blowing in the breeze and his clear blue eyes sparkling when he smiled. I winced at the sight of his right arm in a sling. He held his left hand up in surrender. “Don’t punch me, okay, I come in peace.”
I folded my arms in front of me and narrowed my eyes. “Are you ever going to let me live that down?”
He gave me a half smile as he shoved his hand in his pocket. “Are you going to give me a chance?”
Oh, how I wanted to. “Noah, I know you got my note, so why are you here?”
“Can I come in?”
I stretched my arms out, leaning against the doorjambs, blocking his way. “No. I said all I had to in the note.”
“Come on, I took a bullet for you, the least you can do is give me a Coke or something.”
His words were like a knife to my heart. I already felt guilty. Did he have to rub it in? “Fine.” I left him standing alone and stalked to the kitchen, not bothering to see if he had followed. I heard the door shut and his footsteps following me down the hall. I took a Coke out of the fridge and set it on the table. “What do you want?”
He raised a brow. “Now there’s that sunny personality I remember. I thought we were past that.”
“Why are you here?”
Without waiting for an offer he sat down at the table, lifting his foot up on the opposite chair, making himself at home. He was good at that. The memory of our second and third meeting popped in my mind. I fought the urge to smile. “Well, in your letter you said you didn’t love me enough to stay in Shimmer Lake. So I decided to move here. I do love you that much.” Oh shit, he couldn’t do that, Nick was in jail here.
“I just said that to soften the blow. I don’t love you at all.” My heart hurt just saying those words.
He smiled. An odd reaction to what I just said. “That’s not what I heard.”
“What did you hear?”
“I heard you left to protect me from Nick. Apparently he threatened me, and you didn’t tell anyone except your mother.” He popped the top of his soda with his good hand and slurped the brown liquid that gathered on the top of the can.
“My mother called you?”
“Yep, nice lady too, she says your miserable without me.”
My mother was interfering again, that was surprising. “She’s old, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
“So, it wouldn’t matter to you then if I told you Nick would be going away longer than you thought?”
I leaned my hands on the tops of my mother’s wooden chair. “How do you know?”
“Sam and I went to the police station to talk to Brian. His captain joined us. Captain Hennessey felt awful for not taking you seriously. They said with our testimonies, along with what Brian’s noticed lately since you left, they’re going to do whatever it takes to keep him in jail. They already have a restraining order out on you and me. And he’s been kicked off the force.”
“See, all of those things are going to piss him off. He’ll want to hurt you and me even more.”
“Who cares? We do what we can to protect ourselves and then the rest will happen, but we can’t stop living our lives because of it. You can’t let him manipulate you, which is exactly what he did. You’re letting him control you. You need to decide what you want and do it. Whatever makes you happy.”
I was torn. On the one hand, I’d always fear Nick, even behind bars. He threatened to kill Noah and every inch of my being was screaming to protect him. But on the other hand, as Noah pointed out, living in fear, without him, was miserable. It had only been a week, and I wasn’t handling it well. How would I be in a month, or a year? Would I be able to move on from him? In my heart I knew the answer—it was Noah and I couldn’t imagine life without him. I had lost who I was with Nick, and in Shimmer Lake and with Noah, I found myself again. Could I go back to who I was after all I’d been through? “I don’t know.”
“What don’t you know? Do you love me or not, honestly? Don’t lie to me, I want the truth.”
I couldn’t fight him anymore; just being near him made me feel better. “The truth is I was happy living here before Nick, and before you.” I moved over to the patio doors and leaned against them. His smile faded with my words. “But when I moved to Shimmer Lake, I came alive. I love it there, I love the scenery. I love horseback riding on Sundays, I love going to the diner with Kathy. I love skinny-dipping in the lake right outside my door. I love everything about it.” His smile was breathtaking as he stood up, closing the gap between us. “Except Cindy of course.”
He laughed. “Of course.”
“But do you want to know what I love the most?”
He nodded, his eyes filled with hope.
“I love waking up in your arms. I love how you make me feel. I love that you make me try new things. I never did that before, I’ve never been spontaneous. And I love how I felt when I watched you and your niece Christmas morning. I glimpsed my future and I was excited. And most of all, I love you. You’re arrogant, cocky, pushy, sweet, loving, and the best man I’ve ever met. How’s that for honesty?”
“Pretty good. Now it’s my turn.” He brushed his thumb against my cheek, my skinned buzzed with excitement. “When you didn’t show up to the hospital, I was worried. I had my dad go check on you. When he came back, he gave me the note. I was devastated, I wanted out that day to follow you here. They basically had to hold me down so I didn’t rip my stitches.”
Guilt stabbed my heart, making my eyes water. “I’m sorry.”
“But while I was in the hospital I had a chance to think. And the more I thought about it, the more pissed I was at you. I was so mad at everyone and everything—until your mother called—then everything made sense. Because I knew you loved me, there was no way I was wrong about that.”
“Because who wouldn’t love you?”
“Exactly.” His dimples peeked out of his cheeks as he grinned. “But after I got off of the phone with your mother, I made a decision. I want you in my life. And I’ll do whatever you want to make that happen.”
I could only blink. His words had left me speechless.
“I love everything about you too. I love that you’re a planner and not at all impulsive. That you wear tennis shoes instead of those spiky things that look like they hurt. That you punched me the first time we met. That you’re friends with Kathy. I love that you have no idea how beautiful you are, and I love how passionate you are with your writing. But there is one thing about you that I don’t love.”
I raised an eyebrow, wondering where this was going. “Oh really? What would that be?”
He knelt down on th
e floor in front of me, taking a box out of the pocket of his coat. He opened it, revealing a gorgeous white gold band with a large diamond in the center and two small light-colored pink ones on either side. “Your last name. Will you marry me?”
I gasped, it was so beautiful. He was everything I wanted. When I thought of the perfect man, his was the face that appeared. The life we had in Shimmer Lake was a dream come true, and all I had to do to make the dream a reality, was say, “Yes.”
He jumped up and wrapped me in his good arm.
The sun glistened off of the water as a rock plopped in creating ripples. Justin threw another rock, this time managing to skip it. Jamie, Jeremy, and Libby tried but most of the rocks were too large and just plopped into the water making larger ripples.
White chairs were lined in front of the water’s edge. Our loved ones milled around talking to each other. Jeff and Collin seemed to be deep in a conversation that most surely involved sports. Jen and her mother were trying to get the kids seated, but once they managed that, one child would get up, finding another rock to throw into the water.
I watched the scene outside from my perch on the window seat, happy and content. It had been a month since Noah proposed and all was right in my world. I hadn’t been in a hurry to marry, but Noah insisted we do it as soon as possible. He said he couldn’t wait to have me as his wife. Truth was, I couldn’t wait to have him either.
“Abby, come on, you have to get your shoes on, the music is about to start.” My mother’s voice was filled with nerves and impatience. I turned away from the window to watch the activity inside. Brenda was fighting with Haley who wouldn’t keep her crown of flowers on her head. Kathy and Debbie stood looking beautiful wearing pale lilac strapless dresses, flipping through a cookbook. “Brenda, where is Justin? We need our ring bearer if we’re going to get started.” Mom was searching around the room.
“I don’t know, he was just here.”
“He’s outside throwing rocks in the water,” I answered with a hint of laughter in my voice.
“I told him to stay inside.” Brenda ran out the door with lightning speed. Only a mother could manage to run after her child in spiked heels and not wobble once. I looked out the window to watch Brenda run after Justin as she grabbed him by the collar of his little suit jacket, dragging him away from the water.
“Abby, are you all right?” Sylvia asked, sitting on the armchair in front of me.
“I’m perfect.”
“You seem quiet.”
“I’m just happy. Thank you, by the way for the ring.” I glanced down at the ring Sylvia made Noah use to ask me to marry him.
“It was meant for you. He wanted to buy a new ring. But I knew this was the one. Just like I knew you two were meant for each other.”
“Yes, but it’s yours.”
“Honey, I’m done with it. Henry died, my marriage is over, and I wore it for a long time. When Noah told me he was going to propose, I knew it was time to pass it on.”
“Grandma, the minister wants everyone to take their seats,” Jen called from the door.
Sylvia kissed me gently on the cheek and followed her granddaughter out, leaving the scent of spearmint behind her.
My mother kissed me on the forehead. “Your father would love him,” she whispered before disappearing.
I smiled to myself knowing what she said was true as I watched her from the window. She walked down the aisle lined with lilacs, nodding and smiling at people she knew.
Kathy, who was my maid of honor, came over with my shoes. “Do I have to?” I whined.
“Yes,” Kathy and Debbie yelled at the same time. I placed my white pointy heels on my feet, sure I was going to trip down the aisle, and stood in front of the mirror. My hair was in curls piled at the back of my head, with a small crown of white roses above. A veil hung below the curls and fell to the floor. I was wearing my mother’s dress, just like I had always wanted. It was a perfect fit, like I was meant to wear it. The dress was a simple strapless, covered in white lace, with beading along the bodice.
“Come on, Abby,” Brenda hissed. They were all lined up outside the door waiting for me. I stood just inside the doorway watching Wade and Debbie start the march to the guitar gently playing in the back ground. After Brenda and Jeff, Kathy and Sam followed.
When I heard the guitar tune change to “Here Comes the Bride,” I started slowly down the path that led to the dock where Noah was waiting, wearing his charcoal-grey suit, thankfully without the sling. When he saw me his blue eyes widened with admiration and a lopsided grin appeared. Then he winked, making me laugh.
It was only right to start the rest of our lives together in the spot where we first met. Only this time instead of punching him, I would kiss him in front of everyone we loved, sealing our promise to love each other forever.
I walked to him, sure of what I wanted, no longer afraid of my past, only hopeful for the future. I was in love with the most wonderful man and he was in love with me, that was all I could ask for.
This was my first adult contemporary romance. Take a look at my first book, a young adult fantasy romance, Fated Dreams, Book One in the Affinity series:
Prologue
Brownridge, Vermont
Three years ago
“How did I get here?” I asked myself for the fourth time, although I already knew the answer. My voice was muffled inside the closed, confined space.
It was Saturday night, and instead of hanging out at a party with Derrick and Emma like I was supposed to be, where was I? In a closet, and not the proverbial kind either. I was literally in a closet, fluffy towels and all. Why? That’s a good question, and the only answer I could think of was my own stupidity.
Stephanie Brown, honey-blonde hair, vivid blue eyes, and a body every boy drooled over, had it out for me. And again the question was, why? Well, the obvious answer could only be Ryan Crenshaw, her ex-boyfriend.
Not that he wasn’t worthy of her attention—his wheat-colored hair and soul-deep blue eyes would make male underwear models envious—but he just wasn’t interested in her anymore.
He told me once that the only reason he liked her in the first place was because he was new to the school and didn’t know any better. But once he did, he dumped her right on her cashmere-covered ass. And when Ryan started eating lunch with me, she decided that I was her enemy. She even convinced the entire school to hate me, and the social-climbing drones of the student body listened to her. Ever since I started at Hadley Academy six months ago, the only friend I’d had was Ryan, and he was only a friend. As much as Stephanie, the self-proclaimed queen of the school, thought differently.
Not that I was desperately in need of extra friends. I had two of the best ones anyone could ask for, but since they attended a public school on the other side of town, my days were filled with cold stares and the occasional prank.
I thought my luck had changed a few days ago when the queen witch herself asked me over for a slumber party with her two best friends. At first I was skeptical, considering her obvious dislike for me. But since she had made the effort, I hoped it was the start of a normal life for me at school, so I agreed against my better judgment.
The evening started out okay. She showed me around her enormous mansion, making sure I noticed all the expensive-looking furniture, rich silks, and classic artwork that were displayed throughout the rooms.
After a gourmet dinner, I followed Stephanie up to her room. It was painted red and white, with photos placed perfectly along the walls. Above her bed was a portrait of the queen herself, which I thought was tacky.
The distinct scent of an expensive perfume filled the air; it was such a strong odor I figured she bathed in it or spilled the bottle. Either way, the smell was overpowering. I used to like that particular scent, but now I feared I could never use it without thinking of her.
She sat on her bed with her puppets, as I now called Trudy and Tara, while I took the plush, wine-colored armchair near the closet.
&
nbsp; “So Sarah, do you think you’re pretty?” Stephanie asked.
“Uh…I don’t know, why?”
She scowled. “I asked Ryan why he was talking to you all the time. And do you know what he said?”
I didn’t like where this was going. “No,” I answered quietly, afraid to look into her eyes.
“He said that you were sweet and pretty. And that he liked your dark eyes and your long brown hair.”
I glanced at Trudy and Tara, hoping for help, but their smirks told me I couldn’t count on them. This wasn’t good.
She didn’t wait for a response before continuing, and really, what was I going to say, she was obviously up to something. A knot of trepidation formed in the pit of my stomach. “I can’t do anything about your eyes, but I can do something about that hair.” She bent down and picked up something hidden under her bed.
I had a feeling I knew what was about to happen, and I hoped I was wrong.
She turned back around, holding a pair of industrial-size, shiny, silver scissors. Oh shit. Her smile was all steel as she glanced at me, and then at the shears.
Now I knew why they invited me here, and it wasn’t to become my friend.
God, I was so stupid. Why would I think that after months of her ignoring me, the frost queen would suddenly be nice to me? I should have known that a girl like her, rich, snobby, and just plain mean, was incapable of change.
Glaring at the scissors, I gulped, making the only decision I could think of. I took off out the door of her bedroom.
As I ran down the hall, I heard her yell, “Get her, girls.”
This was so cliché. I was living a horror flick, and I couldn’t believe I fell for it.
So now the question was, how did I get myself out of this odd situation I suddenly found myself in?
It was so dark in the closet I couldn’t see the hand I held out in front of my face. If there was a light bulb in here, I wasn’t going to turn it on for fear I’d give away my position. A floral scent wafted around the tiny cubby. I stretched out my hand and felt the soft towels that were folded neatly on a shelf beside me.
Finding Abigail Page 31