Chapter 24 Sabrina
SAbrINA
I felt like a little kid waiting for her father to come home to dole out her punishment. Even though I was a grown woman and older than Abigail, the anxiety inside of me was at an all-time high as I sat at the dinner table, waiting for her.
My luggage was still sitting in the entryway of the apartment.
After I used the bathroom, I’d sneaked a look into my old room to see that Emery and Timothy had been sleeping in there while I was gone.
I tried not to take offense to that. After all, Emery had no idea what had transpired between Abigail and me.
And, truthfully, I’d been the one to leave.
Abigail was just using the resources she had to help Emery out.
If I wasn’t going to use the room anymore, then why shouldn’t someone else use it?
I sighed as I tapped my fingers on the table. Bash was in the living room, sitting on the couch with one arm draped over the back. I was grateful that he didn’t feel the need to engage me in conversation. That we could be okay just sitting in silence.
Samuel was passed out on Abigail’s bed. The trip had exhausted him. I was grateful that he wasn’t awake for this. I wasn’t sure what Abigail was going to say, but if she was going to yell at me, I wanted to protect his little ears.
I may be struggling with my relationship with my sister, but I didn’t want my son to have an antagonistic relationship with his aunt.
Abigail and I may be in a sticky situation right now, but that didn’t mean it would be that way forever.
We’d lived through so many trials together—this was just another one to put in the books.
I had faith that we would get through this and back to our normal relationship—whatever normal was for us now.
My entire body stiffened when I heard female voices grow louder and stop right outside the front door.
My heart started to pound and my cheeks warmed as the locks disengaged and the door was swung open.
I wasn’t sure where to look, so I kept my focus on the wood grain of the tabletop in front of me.
From the corner of my eye, I saw four figures enter.
Abigail led the way, and Emery followed behind while holding the hand of a less-than-enthused Timothy. A tall man I had never seen before took up the rear and shut the door behind him once they had all entered.
The conversation that had been so loud in the hallway had fallen silent. The only noise in the apartment came from the tablet that Timothy was holding.
I knew I couldn’t stare at the table any longer, so I slowly brought my gaze up to meet Abigail’s. She was standing a few feet off, her focus trained on me.
“Hey, Abi,” I said. The silence around us was deafening and I was desperate to get this interaction over with.
Abigail didn’t respond. She just tightened her lips and folded her arms as she continued to stare at me. Emery shifted her weight, drawing my attention.
“I think we’ll head out and get some ice cream,” she said as she wrapped her arm around Timothy’s shoulder and started steering him toward the door. The man who had come in with them moved to open the door so they could pass through.
“Have you guys gone to Gelato Grove?” Bash piped up. He was walking toward Emery and crew. He paused as he kissed Abigail on the cheek and whispered something before turning his attention back to Emery.
Emery shook her head. “Gelato Grove?” she asked.
He nodded. “It’s fantastic. I’ll drive.”
The sound of the front door shutting echoed in the otherwise silent apartment. The murmur of their voices slowly faded until it disappeared altogether. With them gone, I became acutely aware of Abigail’s presence. She was still standing there, as frozen as I was.
Not wanting to prolong this, I turned to face her fully. “I know—”
She closed the gap between us and threw her arms around me. I blinked, startled by her reaction. I’d come to this conversation ready for battle. I had not expected this response.
“I’m so glad you’re home,” Abigail whispered. Her words were followed by a soft sob.
Tears brimmed my eyes as I pulled back. When I saw Abigail was crying, it made more tears collect on my eyelids. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
Abigail shook her head. “I’m the sorry one. I should have never said those things to you.” She took in a shaky breath as she reached out and grabbed the nearby chair so she could sit down.
I slid the napkin holder closer to us. We both took a napkin and dabbed our cheeks.
“I guess I was just so terrified that I was going to lose you again. My protection became controlling.” She shook her head. “I never wanted you to leave.”
I nodded as I reached out and patted her hand. “I know that. You had good intentions.” I paused. “Plus, you’re living with what happened in the past.” I gave her a soft smile when her expression contorted into one of pain. “It was hard.”
Sure, it had taken us a while, but addressing what had happened during my postpartum depression had been part of my healing journey.
And we’d promised to move on, but I knew that one conversation couldn’t heal the wounds the situation had caused.
I knew that what Abigail went through was going to have lasting effects on my sister whether she wanted to admit that or not.
“I should have never reacted like that.” Abigail’s voice was barely a whisper now. Her shoulders were slumped and her lips downturned. A tear slipped down her cheek, so I found a dry spot on my napkin and caught it.
“You were doing what you thought was right. You were trying to protect me.”
She glanced up at me before she started to shake her head. “I was trying to protect myself. I just…” Her voice broke. She paused and then swallowed. “I didn’t want to see you slip away again, and yet, all that did was push you to leave.”
I shook my head. “You didn’t push me to leave. I would have gone with Liam either way.” My voice dropped below a whisper as I spoke his name. My heart squeezed at his memory.
I was never going to get over that man. I wanted my love for him to be replaced by anger. I wanted to hate him with every fiber of my being, but I was struggling. No matter how much he hurt me, I feared I was going to love him the rest of my life.
Liam Carmichael had changed me.
Forever.
“Liam?” Abigail asked, drawing my attention back to her. Then she paused and looked around as if she were expecting him to step out from the shadows. “Where is he—what happened?” She turned back to me with her eyebrows knit together.
Tears welled up once more. Ugh. I was over feeling this weak. I’d wanted to come back home, apologize to my sister, and move on with my life. The last person I wanted to talk about was Liam.
But I wasn’t going to leave my sister hanging. She deserved to know.
“He, um…” Emotions rose up in my throat, so I swallowed hard to push them down. “He fired me.”
Abigail frowned. “He what?”
I swallowed again. Why was she making me say it again?
“He fired me. I woke up this morning to find that he’d left without telling me.
When I called him, he had his manager tell me that he, quote, ‘won’t be needing my services anymore.
’ ” I forced a weak smile, but I knew Abigail saw right through it.
“Did something happen?” Her tears had dried up, and there was an angry spark in her gaze.
I needed to shift this conversation. This was not the direction that I wanted it to go in.
I didn’t want to dissect what happened between Liam and me because I knew, no matter what I said, Abigail was going to hate him.
And even though I was so desperately trying to hate him myself, I still wanted to protect him from my sister’s wrath. She didn’t know him like I did.
“Not really…” I started out, but from the intent way that Abigail was staring at me, I knew she wouldn’t be satisfied with that answer.
I took in a deep breath, and I told her everything.
I told her about how kind Liam had been to me.
How sweet he was with Samuel. I told her about Katie showing up and what she wanted.
I told her about how lost Liam seemed and how happy he’d made me.
The only thing I didn’t tell her was that he was Drifter.
That was a secret I would keep no matter how much he hurt me.
When I finished, Abigail just sat there with her back resting against the chair and her arms folded. Her eyes were wide, and I could see her digesting the story in real time. I wasn’t sure if I should keep talking, or let my words linger. I finally settled on just waiting until Abigail spoke first.
“Wow.” She paused. “Do you think he’s getting back with his ex?”
Her question startled me even though I knew it shouldn’t.
Deep down, I knew that was a possibility and the rational side of my brain told me that I should be happy if that were the case.
After all, Ana deserved to have her parents together.
Liam should do everything in his power to heal his little family.
But that didn’t mean it hurt any less to think about it.
“I hope so,” I lied.
Abigail glanced over at me. Her head was slightly tilted, and her lips were drawn into a flat line.
Her expression said, “liar.” Leave it to my sister to see right through me.
I was lying, but that was all I could do.
Liam was gone. My only option was to pick up the pieces of my life and move forward.
It was what Samuel deserved. It was what I needed.
Abigail didn’t change her expression, but thankfully, she didn’t say anything. Instead, she just pulled me into a hug once more and told me that she was thankful I was home.
Samuel’s wail sounded from the bedroom. We both jumped up and, within seconds, Liam and what had happened between us was a distant memory.
Abigail went into auntie mode as she hurried to her room and scooped him up.
She showered him with kisses, telling him how much she missed him.
Then she glared at me and made me swear on the spot that I would never take him away again.
She declared Liam dead to our family, and she promised never to speak his name again.
I smiled and nodded even though I was dying inside. I’d fallen in love with Liam, and I doubted he would ever be dead to me. No matter how hard I tried to forget him, I feared he was always going to be a part of me.
Forever.