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 entire flight, but 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 once.
She could have gone for a run had she not gotten back so late in the evening. She decided to take a walk around her block to clear her mind. She grabbed her phone and keys, and left. She hadn’t gotten to the end of the block when the phone rang. It was Andrew. He had phoned when the driver was taking her bags to the car, so she didn’t take the call. He had also texted once 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. Yes he did hurt her feelings, but the truth was he was hurting himself more. He was hurting their future. She wanted to tell him, but felt it would be better to say it face to face when she saw him next.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
For some reason unknown to Abby herself, she choked up. “Nothing,” she whimpered. She brushed the tears off her face.
“Oh, God. Abby. Don’t cry. Please don’t cry. Not when I’m not 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. Alright,” 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.
As she walked in her front door, 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 over the Christmas break, but a phone call? This had to be something important, so she answered.
“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. I’m sorry. 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.”
Abby’s heart sank. It was about Andrew. “Please just tell me, Becky. What is it about Andrew?”
“Will you wait? I want to get something out first. I am sorry. For one more thing. For being the bearer of this kind of horrific news. I feel like the other other woman.”
“You’re dating Andrew?”
“No. Not the other woman. The other other woman. That second other was intentional.”
Oh for crying out loud. Becky was turning into another Trina, with some new terminology that she expected Abby to know.
“What are you talking about, Becky?”
“The other other woman, you know? It’s the woman that tells the main woman about the other woman. It’s the worst woman of all. Because no one ever makes movies about the other other woman. No one writes about her in romance books. The other other woman is always shitty. And now I’m that other other woman. Fuck.”
Abby’s patience was wearing thin, and the pit in her stomach was now the size of a baseball. “Is Andrew with someone, Becky?”
“No no. He’s not.”
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Becky. What do you want to tell me? Just spit it out. Scream it out if you have to.”
“Andrew is a widower. But not the ordinary kind of widower. According to the news clips I found when I googled him—”
“You googled him, Becky? Oh good God.”
“Yes. Because I knew you never would. And because I’m still your best friend, no matter how distant I’ve been. Anyhow, the man’s a murderer according to the news coverage. Well, not precisely a murderer; the charges were dropped. But the media painted it as though he got off because of his family’s money. I sent you an email with some of the articles I pulled. Read it. Read it tonight. And be careful with Andrew Carrington, okay, Abbs?”
Abby couldn’t muster any words.
“Abbs? Are you there?”
She hung up and walked to her bedroom. As she climbed into bed, her phone rang again. It was Andrew. This time, she didn’t answer.
To Be Continued
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Cabin Glow: A New Adult and College Romance (The Billionaire Romance Redemption Series Book 3) Page 10