Chapter 55
FIFTY-FIVE
Abby was working herself into the ground, and I wanted to help ease some of her stress.
Every time I saw her, the dark circles under her eyes seemed to deepen.
She was constantly checking her watch, rushing between classes, her internship, tutoring, and now dealing with her grandmother’s estate and getting everything in order for Mason’s guardianship hearing.
It was too much for one person to handle.
Her biggest concern was about the guardianship case and having a stable house for Mason.
The courts would be looking at her living situation, her income, and her ability to provide a suitable home environment for a teenage boy.
But I knew the commute from Gram’s house to campus for her classes and her internship was too long.
The thirty-plus minute drive each way was eating into her already limited time, not to mention the gas money she was burning through.
When I went home the next day after spending the night with Abby, I decided to talk to Gordy about it.
He was sitting at our kitchen table, reading through a sports psychology textbook and taking meticulous notes.
Unlike Drew and Liam who were more likely to shoot from the hip, Gordy always thought things through carefully.
“Hey,” I said, sliding into the chair across from him. “Got a minute?”
He looked up. “Sure, what’s up?”
“It’s about Abby. I’m worried about her.”
Gordy closed his textbook. “Yeah, she’s got a lot on her plate. How’s she holding up?”
“Not great,” I admitted. “She’s trying to be strong for Mason, but she’s exhausted all the time. And this commute situation isn’t helping.”
“Why can’t she live at her apartment?” he asked, tapping his pen against the table.
“Because it’s only a two-bedroom apartment and Sam has the other room.”
I’d had an idea bouncing around in my head for the past couple of days, but I was worried Abby might think it was moving too fast, too soon.
We’d only been officially dating for a few months, though it felt like so much longer given everything we’d been through together, and the fact we’d known each other for nearly a year as our online personas.
But Gordy was usually able to look at things objectively, so I ran it by him. “What if Sam and I swapped places? She could take my room here with the en suite bath so she wouldn’t have to share with you guys. You all know each other and get along.”
Gordy leaned back in his chair, considering the idea. His expression remained neutral, which I took as a good sign. If he thought it was a terrible plan, he would have said so immediately.
“Have you talked to Sam about this?” he asked after a moment.
“Not yet. I didn’t want to bring it up if you guys weren’t comfortable with it.
But if you are, then I could move in with Abby into her apartment.
Abby and I can share a room and Mason can have Sam’s room.
” I leaned forward, warming to the idea as I laid it out.
“That way, no one has to break their lease, and Abby’s commute goes from over thirty minutes to five. ”
“You’ve really thought this through,” Gordy said, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
I grabbed the back of my neck, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “Is it crazy? I can’t stand to see Abby working herself to the bone and stressing so much. If she’s closer to campus, we can all pitch in to help.”
Gordy studied me for a long moment, his gray eyes thoughtful. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
I gave him a smile. “As if I stood a chance.”
He chuckled. “I’m cool with it,” he said finally. “You’d need to check with Drew and Liam, but I don’t see why they’d have a problem with it. And I agree about her being closer so we can all help. Abby and Mason are part of our family now.”
That last part hit me right in the chest. After everything that had happened with my own family, hearing Gordy say that Abby was part of our chosen family meant more than he probably realized.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”
After talking to Drew and Liam and getting their approval for the potential plan—Drew had immediately said, “Hell, yeah, Sam’s cool,” while Liam had shrugged and said, “As long as she doesn’t mind our mess”—I texted Sam.
Me
Hey, can you meet me at The Grindhouse this afternoon? I was hoping we could talk about an idea I have to make things easier for Abby.
Sam
100% What time?
Me
My afternoon’s wide open. What time works for you?
Sam
Meet me at 3.
Me
See you then.
I arrived at the coffee shop fifteen minutes early, ordering a black coffee with two sugars and grabbing a table in the corner where we could talk privately. My knee bounced nervously under the table as I waited. I knew my plan made logical sense, but I was still asking a lot of everyone involved.
At exactly three o’clock, Sam walked through the door and scanned the room. When she spotted me, she waved and headed to the counter to order before joining me.
“Hey, hockey boy,” Sam said as she sat at my table, setting down her drink.
“Hey, thanks for meeting me.”
“Of course. I hate seeing how stressed Abby is. It’s not healthy.” She stirred her drink, concern evident in her expression. “So what’s this idea you had?”
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table. “It’s kind of wild.”
She mirrored my pose, her brow arched. “I’m all ears.”
I took a deep breath and laid out my plan, watching her face carefully for any signs of reluctance or discomfort. To my relief, she nodded thoughtfully as I explained.
“It definitely makes the most sense without her having to find a new apartment, and yeah, I don’t mind living with the guys for the rest of the year,” she said when I finished.
“I can find my own place once the lease is up, and they can have another hockey player take that room again, so it firmly remains the hockey house.”
“That would be phenomenal, and like I said, you’d have your own bathroom and—”
She cut me off with a wave of her hand. “I’m not worried about that. Abby’s my best friend, and she’s always looking out for other people. She deserves a break, and I’m glad she has you looking out for her.”
Her approval meant more to me than I expected. Sam had been there for Abby during her darkest days over the past couple of years, and I knew how protective she was of her friend.
“You really care about her, don’t you?” Sam asked, studying me with a thoughtful expression.
“I love her,” I said simply. There was no point in dancing around it.
A slow smile spread across Sam’s face. “Good. Because if you hurt her, I’ll have to destroy you, and I’d rather not. I’m starting to like you, Kane.”
I laughed, though I didn’t doubt for a second that she meant it. “Noted.”
“So when are you going to tell Abby about this master plan of yours?” she asked, sipping her latte.
“Tonight, if possible. I want to give her some good news for once.”
“Are the guys free tonight?”
“I think so. Why?”
She set her coffee down. “Because if I know Abby at all, she’s going to think she’s putting people out with this move. It might be better to run the idea by her with us all there to reassure her that it’s not an imposition.”
I wasn’t so sure about that. “What if she feels ganged up on?”
Sam was already shaking her head. “Trust me. Abby can say no—and totally will if she doesn’t want to do this.
She doesn’t have issues setting boundaries.
But I definitely think this might go over better and she might be more receptive to considering the idea if she talks to everyone who will be impacted by it. ”
She made a good point. “I’ll text the guys now and call a house meeting. Think you can get Abby there before her tutoring session?”
She smiled. “Yep. She’s at our apartment now between classes and tutoring, so I’ll head home and pick her up. We’ll meet you at the hockey house in half an hour.”
“That would be great,” I said, feeling a surge of nervous anticipation. “Thanks, Sam.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” She stood up, gathering her things. “She might think you’re crazy for suggesting this.”
I grimaced. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“For what it’s worth,” Sam said, pausing before she left, “I think it’s a good plan. And I think she’ll see that too, once she gets past the initial shock.”
Now I just needed to get Abby on board with the plan.
As I headed back to the hockey house, I rehearsed what I wanted to say, trying to find the right words to convince her that this wasn’t just a rash decision but a practical solution to her current problems. But more than that, I wanted to live with her—to wake up and go to sleep with her and be there when she needed me.
I only hoped she wouldn’t think I was pushing too hard or moving too fast.
The truth was, I’d move mountains for Abby if I could. Moving apartments seemed like the least I could do.