AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And why did it make him clam up after he promised to keep opening up to me? The faith and the trust we’ve nurtured between us seemed to evaporate in the space of a single phone call.
Does he not trust me? Does he not believe the things he told me after all? The fact that he’s pulling back stings. I don’t know what it means for us. Is this just a bump in the road? Or is it a sign of a more serious problem?
I don’t know, and that’s what scares me most of all. So much so I couldn’t sit still, which is why I came to the beach with the dogs. But I wanted to give Abel the space he requested, and I know he and my brother usually like to surf on East Beach, so the girls and I headed for South Beach.
The sun is hot, but the water is still cold. Not like Cher and Tai mind. Once they get over the fact that I can’t throw a frisbee to save my life, they leap into the water, splashing around while merrily biting each other’s faces.
Slipping my phone out of my pocket, I try calling Mollie. I frown when she doesn’t pick up. Not like her to miss a call, even on a Friday morning.
Sighing again, I tilt my face up to the sun. Pray like hell everything’s going to be okay. Because when things are good with Abel, they’regood. Extraordinary.
Please, God, don’t give me a glimpse of my dreams coming true before you take them away from me.
Please, please don’t take him away.
“Jenny!”
I jump at the shout. Glancing over my shoulder, I see a distant figure holding up an arm.
A huge, handsome figure with broad shoulders and wild curly hair that sticks up in the breeze. He’s waving at me as he kicks up sand, hustling toward us down the beach. “Jenny, wait!”
Everything inside me leaps.Proceed with caution. I should gird myself for a disappointing conversation. Possibly a devastating one.
Even if Abel’s not here to break up with me, he did a less than stellar thing by chucking his phone and walking outwithout any real explanation. I shouldn’t be jumping with excitement to see him again.
But I am. On the inside, at least. Him coming back, coming to find me, means something. It’s more than any other guy’s ever done. And that feeling of being pursued, beingchasedinstead of doing the chasing, is kind of the best thing ever.
My vision blurs. Happy tears, sad ones. Who knows? I’m just relieved he’s willing to talk.
I wait for him a few steps from the water. The sand is cooler here, dotted with grey-black and pale pink seashells.
I really, really hope I don’t have to leave Bald Head.
The girls look up from their playing and see him approach. They immediately take off toward him, running like the little lunatics they are. Cher barks. Tai trips over her feet, rolling onto her back.
“Aw, honey, be careful!” Abel scoops her up into his arms. “You all right?”
Tai licks his mouth in reply. Abel laughs. Something about the sound—it’s too big to be faked, too happy to be the harbinger of bad news—makes my heart soar.
He meets my gaze. He’s not wearing sunglasses, so he has to squint. But I can still see how red his eyes are.
How full.
“Areyouall right?” he asks softly.
Sniffing, I cross my arms. “I mean, no. You?”
“Of course I’m not okay. You’re hurting, and it’s because of me.” He steps forward and loops an arm around my neck, pulling me to him. Tai is trapped between us, but she doesn’t seem to mind because she goes still, resting her head in the crook of Abel’s opposite elbow. He kisses the top of my head. “I’m really fucking sorry, baby. Will you let me explain?”
“Of course.” Wiping my eyes, I curl my arm underneath his, gripping the ball of his shoulder in my hand. “I just—I understand why you needed space. Take all the space youneed, Abel. But you throwing stuff like that, and walking out...”
“Awful. I’m going to work on it. I am working on it. I went to talk to your dad about everything, as a matter of fact.”
“You did?”
“I did. I have to make this right, and I knew he’d be the guy to help me figure it out.”
I sniffle. “And?”
