More hurt spread over her face. “I’m not with anyone, and I haven’t been with anyone since you.”
Her unexpected confession caused me to stagger back a few steps. I tried to speak, but it felt like someone had punched me in the throat, the chest, and the stomach all at the same fucking time. I couldn’t breathe; my heart felt like someone had reached in and pulled it out, and I suddenly wanted to throw up.
“You…you haven’t dated anyone?” I asked, sounding as confused as I felt.
She swallowed hard. “I tried a couple times to go out on a date, but it never amounted to a second one or anything else.”
My curiosity got the better of me. “Why not?”
Those hazel eyes of hers looked like warmed honey mixed with the soft shades of spring. I could almost see the gold flecks from where I stood as I waited for her answer.
With her gaze never once leaving mine, she whispered, “Because I’m in love with you. I never stopped loving you.”
I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to breathe.
“Bishop, I, um…I wanted to talk to you…I mean, tell you why I left and how I wasn’t—”
“No,” I said with as much disdain as I could muster.
Abby looked confused. “No?”
I stared directly into her eyes. “I can’t do this thing—” I motioned between us. “Whatever it is. If you’re back in Boggy Creek to make amends so you can move on with your life…”
“Bishop, I’m not—”
“I’ve got work to do, Abby. You know how busy this time of year gets.” I was done with this conversation.
She nodded. “O-okay. Maybe we could meet for dinner tonight?”
The words were out of my mouth before I could even stop them. “I’m having dinner with Jax tonight at her place.”
The look of hurt that crossed over Abby’s face nearly brought me to my fucking knees. My words were meant to hurt her, and I had succeeded. In doing so, I felt like the biggest asshole on Earth.
With a slow nod, Abby looked around the house and rubbed her fingers over her lips. When she finally looked back at me, I could see tears building again in those beautiful eyes I’d once gotten so lost in.
If I wasn’t careful, I’d lose myself in them again.
She cleared her throat quietly. “I’m sorry to have bothered you, Bishop. And…just so you know…I’ve moved back to Boggy Creek for good.”
When I didn’t say anything, she turned and headed out of the kitchen and through the house. I balled my fists up tightly as I forced myself to stay exactly where I was, letting her walk away from me.
The click of the front door drifted softly through the house, and I finally let out a breath.
I picked up my beer bottle and threw it down against the floor. I stumbled back and hit a wall, slowly sliding down until my ass hit the ground.
I wasn’t sure how long I sat there, staring at nothing. My mind replayed everything that had happened moments ago. Or had it been hours ago? It felt like I had been on the floor for an eternity.
Dropping my head back against the wall, I took in a long, deep breath and then slowly let it out. The only thing I kept seeing was that look on Abby’s face. I’d wanted so desperately to hurt her like she had hurt me. In my mind, I’d always thought I’d feel better if I ever got the chance to make her feel a little of what I’d felt for the past two years. How fucking wrong I’d been.
I closed my eyes and ignored the tears that fell freely down my face.
Abby
I watched as the river meandered along Boggy Creek Valley like it was answering a call in the distance. I felt like that river. Running to—yet away—from something I had never truly been able to pinpoint.
With my knees pulled up to my chest, I rested my chin on them and closed my eyes, taking in the sounds of the rushing water, the birds singing, and the wind blowing gently through the trees. I wasn’t even sure how long I’d been sitting there. Two, maybe three hours. I had left Bishop’s house and couldn’t think of anywhere else to go.
I also wasn’t sure what I’d expected earlier when I saw him. I knew he’d be angry and hurt. I had expected that. When he’d admitted to being with Jax, it had been a blow, but one I knew was coming. One I deserved. But nonetheless, the pain felt like someone had stabbed my heart with a knife. And the worse thing was, it kept coming. Over and over again until I wanted to scream for it to go away.
“What did you expect would happen, Abby?” I asked out loud.
“I thought I might find you here, but I hadn’t planned on you talking to yourself.”
Looking over my shoulder, I gasped and jumped up. “Aiden!”
I ran to him, and he caught me up in his arms and hugged me. “Hey, Abby.”
“How did you know I was here? In town, I mean?”
He smiled, then motioned for us to sit back down.
“I got a call from Arabella when she wasn’t able to get ahold of you. She said you went to talk to Bishop this morning, and she was worried about you.”
I let out a soft laugh and sat down again. “She’s always had such a kind heart.”
He nodded, looking out over the river.
Facing him, I asked, “What made you come here?”
Aiden met my gaze. “Our senior year of high school. You and Bishop had gotten in that huge fight—I don’t even remember what it was about, to be honest with you. You drove off upset. Arabella asked Hunter and me to follow you. We did, and you came here. We must have sat in that group of trees for hours, while you sat here and just stared at the river. Hunter thought you’d do something stupid, so we stayed until you left.”
Smiling, I shook my head. “I never knew you guys followed me. That was sweet of you both.”
He shrugged. “It was Hunter who drove us. I complained the entire time that you were old enough to take care of yourself, and it should have been Bishop, not us, making sure you were okay. But Hunter would have jumped over the moon if Arabella had asked him to.”
My smile faded, and I looked back over the river. Sighing, I couldn’t help but wonder why life was so fucked up.
“Want to talk about it?” Aiden asked. “I hope you’re not upset with Arabella, but…she told me about the baby.”
I felt that familiar pang in my chest, but noticed it seemed to be easing up some.
“I don’t know if you know this, Abby, but when I came back home after the Navy, I was in a pretty bad place. I suffered from PTSD, had some pretty wicked nightmares, and was in complete denial. If it hadn’t been for Willa…”
His voice trailed off, and I turned to look at him. “I can’t believe you two are married and expecting a baby. The girls filled me in last night.”
A brilliant smile lit up Aiden’s face. “She saved me, Abby. When I didn’t want to fight, she fought for me.”
Drawing my knees back up to my chest, I rested my chin on them again. “I’m so glad you found happiness, and Willa too. You both deserve it.”
He grinned like a man who was completely and utterly in love. “I started a business with one of the police officers in town.”
“Really? Who?”