by Lexy Timms
For now, it was enough to just hold her and know that she was going to be all right. Even better that now I had the tacit acceptance of her brother and her best friend for us to continue whatever sort of relationship this was.
Abby was out of there early on Sunday morning, claiming that she wanted to go make sure Leanne and the kids were all right and to help out as she could. She told me I could stay at her place, but instead, I headed straight over to the hotel to get her things for her, remembering her mentioning the night before that she hadn’t meant to forget her phone charger in her bag. I’d rescue that for her, as well as the rest of her things.
But I didn’t want to linger around the hospital that day. I was glad that I’d been able to help out some, but at the same time, this was their family time, and I respected that. I didn’t want them to think I was overstepping or anything.
Instead, I called up Austin and asked if he wanted to grab lunch with me.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw you in the daylight,” he joked as we sat down at a sandwich place near his apartment building.
I rolled my eyes. “Come on, it hasn’t been that long,” I said. “We get drinks all the time.”
“Daylight,” Austin repeated. He paused, cocking his head to the side. “Not that I’m complaining or anything. Just, I normally expect you to be working on the weekends. What’s up?”
“I finished up all the work I would have done this weekend,” I admitted. “On Friday evening.”
Austin raised an eyebrow at me. “Just so that you could get lunch with me today?” he asked.
I snorted. “You wish,” I told him. I shrugged. “I had some plans for the weekend. But they changed.”
“Oh yeah?” Austin asked, immediately alert. “You all right?” I could see the sympathy already there in his eyes. I knew he was probably remembering all the plans that had changed when I had found out that Ivy was cheating on me. But this was nothing like that. To be honest, I felt like this weekend might have turned out even better than it would have if Abby and I had just gotten the romantic, relaxing getaway I had planned for us.
“Things are good,” I told Austin. “Things are really good. Just, I had planned to whisk Abby away for the whole weekend. But that didn’t exactly work out.”
Austin grimaced sympathetically. “The media find you guys?” he asked. “You should have told me in advance. I could have run interference for you.”
“Nah, it was nothing like that,” I told him. “Actually, I’m surprised that they haven’t bothered me at all. It’s like they don’t even care to look for me anymore. Maybe my company is obsolete and I don’t even know it.” I gave half a laugh, and Austin rolled his eyes.
“Says the guy who just did an interview on Friday morning,” he reminded me. “They’re probably just all still working through the sound clips from that. But come on, what happened? Start at the beginning.”
I shrugged. “I took Abby to Wisteria for the weekend, right after I had that interview on Friday. But on Saturday, yesterday I guess, her brother was in a car accident. Abby’s sister-in-law called her with the news, and Abby needed to get to the hospital. He’s going to be all right, though. Out of surgery and everything.”
“Yikes, that must be scary for Abby,” Austin said. “What are you doing getting lunch with me? I bet she could use a little support from you.”
I smiled at him. “I was there all day yesterday,” I told him. “Except for when I did the food run for her and the kids.”
“The kids?” Austin asked in surprise.
“Yeah, her niece and nephew were there at the hospital too,” I explained.
“Huh,” Austin said, looking like he didn’t know what to say to that. Finally, he shook his head. “And Abby was okay with you being there with her family like that?”
“She actually asked me not to leave,” I told him. I paused, looking down at my sandwich. “To be honest, I think I’m in love with her. And yes, I know how cheesy that sounds. But I was just there helping out yesterday, and I realized that I would do whatever it took to make sure she was okay. Anything that she asked, I was there.”
“Oh wow,” Austin said, shaking his head before grinning at me. “She’s got you wrapped around her little finger, I guess. You’d do anything for her?”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help grinning in response. “Yeah, to be honest,” I told him, shrugging easily. “I can’t help it, though. She’s just different from anyone I’ve ever met. I really care about her.”
“I’m happy for you,” Austin said seriously. “Abby seemed like a great girl when I met her. And I could tell that she genuinely cares about you.”
“Yeah.” I sighed, poking at my food. “The trouble is just this whole media thing. I understand why she doesn’t want to be in the papers all the time. Especially not for the kind of things that they write about me. But at the same time, I’m not sure how much longer we’re going to be able to keep our relationship a secret like this.”
“Have you tried talking about it?” Austin asked. “Maybe she would feel differently about it now that you guys are actually in a serious relationship with each other. You know, if she knows that you stand beside her no matter what?”
“That’s just it, though,” I said, shaking my head. “She knows that I’m not the guy in those tabloids. She has to have known all along that I wasn’t going to let her reputation in the business world tank just because she was seen out with me. But it’s like she doesn’t trust me to keep her safe. I just don’t know if anything is different now.”
Austin chewed on his lower lip. “I’m guessing,” he said slowly, “that it’s not just her business reputation she’s worried about. Maybe if you make it clear that you’re there for her, and for her not just for her reputation in the boardroom, then she would feel like it was more of a fair bargain?”
“I know you’re right,” I said. “I’m just afraid that if I so much as bring up anything to do with the media, she’s going to think that I want to go around flaunting our relationship at every chance I get. Which to be honest, I do. She’s beautiful and charming, and I want everyone to get to know her. I want to take her to events with me, and I want to dance with her again. But I’m not looking to do anything she would be uncomfortable with.”
“All things that you probably need to be telling her, instead of me,” Austin pointed out, looking amused. He paused. “Look, if she cares about you as much as I’m sure she does, and if she cares about you half as much as you seem to care about her, then she’s going to at least give you the chance to say what you want to say. I wouldn’t be worried.”
“You’re right,” I said. Then, I shrugged and gave him half a smile. “But I guess there’s no sense worrying about any of it right now. With the whole thing with Abby’s brother, it’s not like I can have a conversation like that with her anytime soon. I don’t want to stress her out any more than I have to.”
“Probably a good call,” Austin said, nodding. “But don’t wait too long.” He paused. “I don’t want to see you get hurt again. And even though I don’t think that Abby wants to hurt you, there’s definitely that possibility there.”
I nodded slowly in response to that. “Yeah, I know.” I sighed. “I already feel like I’m in over my head.”
“You know I’m here for you no matter what,” Austin said, leaning across the table to clap me on the shoulder. “Now do you want to hear all the stupid things that have been posted in the wake of your interview the other day? I’ve saved a folder full of screenshots for you.” There was unmistakable glee in his voice; Austin delighted in telling me some of the stupider things that the tabloids had to say about me. It was one of the only things that kept the press manageable most days.
I rolled my eyes. “All right, let me have it,” I told him, already grinning at the change of subject.
My phone started buzzing when he was halfway through his folder of screenshots. I glanced down at the screen and then gave Austin
a somewhat guilty look when I saw that it was Abby. Austin waved a hand at me. “Go ahead and answer it, lover boy,” he said, grinning at me.
I snorted and picked up the phone. “Hey, is everything all right?” I asked immediately.
“Yeah,” Abby said, actually sounding pretty cheerful. “The doctor came in a little while ago and told us that in light of everything, Matt’s looking really good. Leanne and the kids are there with him now. Layla’s already covered the place with about ten thousand pictures of hearts and stars and whatever else she could think of.”
I could hear the fondness in her voice, and I had to smile at it. “Glad to hear it,” I told her. “So where are you if you’re not there?”
“Back at my place,” Abby said. “I wanted to take a shower and probably take a nap as well, plus charge my phone. Thanks again for bringing all my stuff back for me.”
“No problem, seriously,” I told her. “You doing okay?”
She sounded like she was, but it never hurt to ask.
“Yeah, I’m doing better, thanks to you,” Abby said. She paused. “I was kind of hoping you’d still be here, though.” She laughed, and I could tell she was embarrassed at having confessed that. “I mean, I know you have a life as well, so it’s not like I can keep you here held hostage forever. But I was just used to the idea of having the whole weekend with you.”
“I’m at lunch with Austin right now, but why don’t I come over afterward?” I offered immediately.
“I’d like that,” Abby said, and I could hear the relief in her voice.
Austin was grinning at me when I got off the phone. “Go on,” he said, flapping his hands at me. “Get out of here.”
“I can at least stay to finish up lunch,” I protested. “Remember what you said earlier, about how it’s been so long since you’ve seen me out in the daylight? I don’t want you to feel like I can’t make time for you.”
Austin rolled his eyes, but his amusement was even more pronounced than when he’d been reading off some of the tabloid headlines. “Go on. I know you’re always going to be my best friend, even if you’ve got a girlfriend now. Besides, I like Abby. And we both know that she’s been through a lot this weekend. If she needs you, she needs you.”
I grinned at him, grateful for his understanding. “Thanks, man,” I told him. “Let’s definitely grab drinks sometime this week, okay?”
“You know where to find me,” Austin said. “Now get out of here so I can eat the rest of your sandwich. I’ve been having order envy this entire time.”
I laughed and shook my head, deciding not to argue with that. I headed straight over to Abby’s and was knocking at her door in a matter of minutes. When she opened it, she immediately stepped into my arms. I automatically pulled her closer to me, resting my cheek against the top of her head. “Hey,” I said quietly.
“Hey,” she said, her voice muffled by my shirt. She took a deep breath and then pulled away. “Daniel, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
I felt ice settle in the pit of my stomach as I looked down at her serious face. Anxiety gnawed at me. Was there something more to the tabloids, something that Austin hadn’t seen? Or had Matt and Leanne decided to have another talk with Abby about our relationship? There were so many possibilities, but whatever it was that was making Abby look so worried right now, I wasn’t sure that I really wanted to have this conversation.
I was too afraid that what had started out as a great weekend was going to take yet another dramatic turn, this one for the worse. But all I could do was nod at Abby. “Yeah, sure,” I told her. “Ask away.”
I remembered what Austin had said, about how Abby and I should have the difficult conversations sooner, rather than later. And I remembered what I had replied, about how I thought I was already in over my head. That had never felt more true than it did at that second. But what else could I do? There was no backing out now.
Chapter 22
Abby
EVEN THOUGH I WAS PRETTY sure I knew what Daniel was going to say, I felt nervous asking him about this. There just didn’t seem to be any tactful way to bring it up. On the one hand, I was sure that if Daniel really wanted me to know, he would have told me about it before. But at the same time, I couldn’t handle not knowing. This could change things in our relationship, I was sure. I didn’t want there to be any secrets between the two of us.
I took a deep breath, fiddling with the buttons on Daniel’s shirt for a moment while I collected myself. Then, I looked up at him. “Did you pay for Matt’s hospital bill?” I asked.
Daniel stared blankly down at me for a second, and then his expression smoothed into one of relief. “Is that all?” he asked. “I thought you were breaking up with me or something.”
I quickly shook my head. “No, of course not,” I hurried to say. “I was just surprised. We asked about the bill, and the doctors said that it was all taken care of. By an anonymous person. And I was wondering if that might, in fact, be you.” I paused, trying to make a joke out of it. “It’s not like I know that many rich people who would go out of their way to make sure my family was okay.”
Daniel looked embarrassed. “Yeah, it was me,” he admitted, scratching the back of his head. “Sorry I didn’t tell you. It just occurred to me this morning after I picked up all our things from the hotel. But I didn’t want to bother you guys at the hospital; I was sure you were enjoying some much needed family time.”
“Aww,” I said, shaking my head. “You wouldn’t have bothered me. Seriously. You should have stopped in.”
Daniel shrugged. “Well, I’m here now,” he pointed out.
“That you are,” I agreed, nodding seriously at him. “And I guess I’m going to have to come up with some way to thank you for being so generous and helping out my family in a time of need.”
Daniel shook his head. “You don’t need to thank me for that,” he told me. “I just didn’t want you to have to worry about it. I have the means to help.” He paused, frowning. “You’re not mad that I did it, are you?”
“Of course not!” I said. “I am kind of confused about why you felt like you had to do it anonymously. Did you think Leanne and Matt wouldn’t take the money if they knew it was coming from you?” I paused. “You realize they probably figured who it’s from just as easily as I did, right?”
Daniel looked surprised and then shook his head. “That wasn’t it at all,” he said, looking amused. “I did it anonymously so that if the press or anyone managed to get a hold of those hospital records, they wouldn’t see I had been the one to pay. That might lead to some awkward questions, you know?”
“Of course,” I said, feeling silly for not having thought of that. I shook my head. “Well, I’m definitely not upset about any of it. It would have taken our family forever to pay off that bill, what with the ambulance ride and the surgery and everything else. Matt’s got insurance, but it isn’t that good. And it would have affected the kids. They probably would have had to dip into their college funds to pay it off.”
Daniel was smiling at me, but it seemed like there was some lingering uncertainty in his eyes. “I’m glad you’re not mad,” he said. “And that’s all that you wanted to talk about?”
“That’s all,” I told him, although for a brief moment, my thoughts were drawn back to what I’d been thinking in the hospital. There was so much we needed to talk about if I was in love with him, if this was the kind of relationship that didn’t just fizzle out.
Right now, though, I couldn’t help feeling totally in tune with the relief that was coursing through my body. Matt was going to be okay, and Daniel had helped take care of the medical bill. I was sure that I was falling in love with this man, and he seemed to genuinely care about me as well. Why not put off the tricky conversations for a later time? This weekend was supposed to be about just the two of us, spoiling each other. It had turned into a very different sort of weekend, but there was still time left to get things back on track with what I had wanted from t
he start of it.
I leaned up on my toes, my lips easily finding Daniel’s as he lowered his head toward mine. His arms tightened around my body as though he would never let me go. But all too quickly, he was pulling away from me again, resting his forehead against mine, his hands loosely gripping my ass.
“Unless you want me to fuck you right here in the middle of the hallway, you need to make a decision,” he said, his voice husky. “Either tell me to leave right now, or else give me a tour of the place, preferably one that starts in your bedroom.”
I giggled and grabbed his hands, leading him through my apartment and back toward my bedroom.
I hadn’t really intended for this to happen when I had called Daniel over there, I reflected as we walked. I had meant to just ask him about the money, and to ask if we could relax and watch a movie or something. I was still just feeling a little lost in my own feelings after such a hectic, emotional roller coaster of a weekend.
But it was Daniel, after all. Just seeing him made me feel a thousand times better than I had when I had first gotten home from the hospital. He somehow managed to make me laugh in spite of it all. And not only that, but my body was remembering what we had been up to before Leanne had called with news of the accident.
It remembered that promise of a shower together, the promise of Daniel’s hands against my skin, all the foreplay of Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. Now, my body absolutely ached to have him inside of me, to hold him close, to know that everything really was going to be all right, even if that “all right” was short-lived, even if there was so much that he and I still needed to discuss.
Daniel frowned at me and dragged me to a stop just before we crossed the threshold into his bedroom. “You know, we don’t have to do this right now,” he said.