Chapter 13
Rhett
David: I know you’re busy with school, but you’re dropping the ball here, Rhett.
David: Here’s the link to the restaurant. I’ve booked the rooftop.
David: Consider this a gift. I’ve hired a florist to cover the entire floor in rose petals. The owner of the restaurant said they’d light a bunch of candles too.
David: I’ve told Angela to meet me and her mother up there for dinner at 7. You should get there earlier to make sure everything looks the way you want it. I’ve hired a photographer to take photos.
David: The time is now, Son.
Isit up in bed this morning, drenched in a cold sweat as I read the texts from Angela’s dad. I’ve dicked around long enough he’s planned the damn proposal himself. This should bring me relief, but dread consumes me.
I can’t do this.
It’s not too late to put a stop to it all.
That’s not true, though. David’s already booked a restaurant and a photographer and a florist. I have a huge-ass engagement ring rolling around in the backseat of my car. I’ve fucked around for too long, made my bed, and now I have to lie in it.
I’m suddenly feeling way out of my depth and nauseous. There’s one person I want to confide in. To draw comfort in. And it’s not the girl I’m supposed to marry.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck!
I’m numb as I drive to Smoke & Sugar. I’ve puked six times since I got David’s texts this morning. As much as I wanted to go see Abby, I had to force myself to dress and drive to the restaurant instead.
This stupid plan was supposed to be the right one. The path I was destined to take. Now that I’m barreling down it, full speed ahead, I want nothing more than to jump tracks. Everything about it feels like I’m going the wrong way.
Where would I rather be?
All thoughts lead to Abby and Buck.
My secret family.
A painful ache tears through my chest and my eyes burn as I pull into the parking lot. Sweat trickles down my back. Acid eviscerates my gut.
Leave, man. Just leave.
A text jolts me from my daze. I snatch my phone up, eager to hear from Abby, but it’s not her.
David: Are you there yet?
Me: Yes.
Not a lie.
David: How does the rooftop look? I’m paying these people enough that it should look perfect.
Me: Looks perfect.
Definitely a lie.
I remain rooted in my seat, car engine shut off, staring up at the building for an eternity. I’m supposed to be inside, up on the roof waiting, but I can’t make myself move.
A Porsche pulls up next to me. With my stomach churning with unease, I watch David and Vivian exit the expensive vehicle. They must assume my car is empty because they don’t even look over at me. Both of them are smiling eagerly as they enter the restaurant.
It’s not too late. I can go in and stay the course on this life I’ve been working toward.
Another car pulls up on the other side of me. My girlfriend climbs out of her car, not a single silky strand of hair out of place. There’s an arrogance about her that turns me off. I’d never noticed it until I started playing house with Abby.
Angela is beautiful and turns heads wherever she goes, but it doesn’t work for me anymore.
I’m not sure it ever truly did. As if able to sense my presence, Angela turns before opening the restaurant door.
Her eyes burn into me through my windshield.
The determined look on her face melts away to one of confusion.
I can’t do this.
I don’t love her.
I never have.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter.
And then I turn on the engine. She releases the door and starts for me, but I’ve already thrown the car into reverse. I’m pretty sure she shouts at me, but I drown it out as I gas the engine.
I fly through town, each mile shedding more weights of unease and dread. By the time I reach Moonlit Gables, I’m lighter, happier, freer.
“Abs,” I call out as I burst into the townhouse. “Honey, where are you?”
I find her in the kitchen making a grilled cheese sandwich. She whirls around, hand to her chest and a spatula in the other.
“You scared the hell out of me, Rhett.” She frowns hard. “What’s wrong?”
“I…needed to see…you…”
My words are raspy and soft as I stalk over to her. She whimpers when I pull her to me, hugging her tight and kissing her hair. I love her smell. It’s one that soothes my soul every damn time. Her hands thread together behind my neck as mine settle on her plump ass.
God, I love everything about her.
“Let me finish this for you,” I murmur as I lift her and set her on the countertop.
She laughs when I kiss her neck and then kiss her belly. Once I’ve finished her sandwich, I cut it and add a few pickles to her plate. I bring it over to her and then proceed to feed her the sandwich while staring deeply into her pretty eyes.
This is what I want.
Her. The baby. Our easy routine.
Nothing feels forced. It’s real. I fucking love it.
Once she’s eaten, I carry her to the living room and sit down. She straddles my waist and then tentatively kisses my lips. She tastes like salty grilled cheese and pickles. I want to devour her.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’ve been shitty and I’m sorry.”
“When will it be just us?” she asks, eyebrows furling together. “I don’t want to share you, Rhett. Not with her.”
I spear my hands into her hair and pull her to me, kissing her deeply. Maybe she can feel just how much I care about her in this kiss. I’ve never felt remotely close to Angela how I feel toward Abby.
Abby has half my soul.
A creaking sound and then two alarmed cats bolting has me freezing. Abby pulls away from my kiss and turns toward the sound. We both stiffen.
Angela, still pretty like before, but filled with fire and disgust, glowers at us, arms crossed over her chest. It’s the calm before the storm. The deafening silence before the bomb is detonated. There’s stark relief in knowing my dual lives are about to be destroyed.
“You fucking whore!” Angela screams, jabbing a finger at her sister. “You disgusting piece of trash!”
I grip Abby by the hips and set her down on the sofa beside me. I’ll need to get Angela the hell out of here. I can’t do that with Abby in my lap.
Angela’s gaze falls to Abby’s huge belly, and her eyes nearly bug out of her head. When she snaps her eyes my way, there must be truth in them.
The baby is mine.
“Angela,” I start, voice tight. “We can discuss this outside.”
“We?” she hisses. “This involves that pregnant slut, too!”
Abby, to her credit, bites her tongue and cradles her belly protectively, choosing not to defend herself to her sister. However, it only makes me want to protect her all the more. I rise to my feet and hold a hand up toward Angela.
“Stop with the names, dammit,” I growl. “She wasn’t alone in this.”
“No shit,” Angela says, seething. “How long have you been fucking my sister behind my back? Her entire pregnancy? Before that? Were the two of you fucking all the way back to the beginning?” She stabs another finger at Abby.
“This is what she does, Rhett. She whores herself around to anyone and everyone, using them for all she can. With Beau, it was for his money. With you, it was revenge for always being second to me.”
“Oh, fuck off,” Abby snaps at her. “Fuck all the way off, Angie.”
Angela, in her anger, storms over to the stroller I recently put together, and heaves it at the television. The screen splinters and the candles on the table below careen into the floor.
“Stop it right now,” I bellow, making sure to keep myself between the two sisters. “You need to leave, Angela. Now.”
Angela’s face is bright red and twisted into one of fury. Not a tear in sight. Abby cries quietly behind me. I’m afraid her distress might be bad for Buck. My anxiety skyrockets. This is all my fucking fault. I should have manned up and ended this months ago.
I’m pretty sure I see Riko peek his head in, but then he’s gone.
“You’ve always been a stain on our family,” Angela screams, vibrating with rage toward her sister. “I hate you! We all hate you!”
I’ll never put my hands on a woman, but if she even thinks about touching Abby, I will manhandle her out of here without a second thought.
“Dammit, Angela,” I growl. “Get the fuck out. This isn’t her fault.”
“It’s her fault for being alive! I should have been an only child! She ruins everything!”
Abby scoffs and snarls back at her. “I ruin everything? You took the boy I wanted! It was because of you Beau swooped in and took advantage of me.”
Angela launches herself toward the couch, freshly manicured claws bared, and hissing like a pissed-off cat. I hook an arm around her waist before she can get to Abby. It’s then a man comes bursting into the room.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he bellows. “Hands off the woman, sir.”
Shit. It’s a uniformed cop.
I let go of her, but not before giving her a gentle shove toward him, once again keeping myself between the two sisters.
“She’s trying to attack my…” I trail off.
“His whore,” Angela supplies, venom dripping from her lips. “He’s been cheating on me with my own sister, officer. Arrest her!”
The cop, whom I now recognize as Cole, who lives with Savvy, frowns at Angela. She’s eyeing the gun on his belt and he instinctively grabs it. This is spiraling fast.
“I’ll get her out of here,” I say quickly to Cole. “Please. I don’t want this to escalate any further.”
Cole nods and then steps aside. Angela hisses at me when I point out the door, but she obeys. I shoot an apologetic look over my shoulder at Abby and then get her sister out of here before someone gets shot.
“I’ll follow you to your house,” I tell Angela. “Go. Now.”
Seconds later and she’s peeling out of the parking lot.
I’m strangely calm as I follow her back to her house.
She’s driving like a lunatic running red lights and swerving.
I owe it to her and her family to make sure she gets home safely.
Eventually, she’ll cool down, but until then, I don’t want her to get herself or someone else killed.
By the time we reach her house and exit our cars, she bolts for the front door, hysterically crying.
I sigh heavily with resignation and find her in her mother’s arms in the living room when I enter.
They must have seen her leave the restaurant, assumed the whole engagement was off, and come back home.
“David,” I say, voice gritty with regret. “I’m sorry.”
His features are murderous. “Angela called us on the way home. You knocked-up her sister?”
Gulping, I nod. “I’m going to do right by Abby and the baby.”
David cracks his neck and then snarls, “You chose the wrong sister, you foolish fucking man.”
They’re pissed. Justifiably so. However, it doesn’t change the fact that I no longer want to be with Angela. I love Abby.
“I’m sorry for unnecessarily hurting you all,” I croak out. “Truly. But I’m not sorry about loving Abby and the baby.”
This has Angela turning up the hysteria. David’s nostrils flare.
“I hope she cools off and realizes this is for the best,” I say to David. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to check on Abby.”
As I’m leaving, David shouts, “You’ll never work for my company!”
That’s the least of my worries.
“And everyone at the country club will despise you for what you’ve done!” he continues to yell. “Your reputation is ruined! It’s only fitting you’re shacking up with a woman of your caliber!”
I don’t say another word and head back to my real future.
The happy one.
Abby.