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“She never applied for it,” Wyatt stated.
“I made my own choices, as always,” Gabby said letting her fingers fly across the keyboard until the screen went blank. “Well thanks for the use of the computer Wyatt. I’m meeting Mom and Caroline for dinner to let them help with the final choices for our party. Three weeks honey.”
“I know,” he told her. “Wait, what about the present for me?”
“Check your accounts,” she said with a wink before strolling out. Dinner was great, her mother behaved not spilling her secret despite her excitement, and when she got home, it was to find a trail of rose petals and candles leading the way to the bedroom where Wyatt was lounging on the bed.
“What’s all this?” she asked.
“This is for a beautiful woman who just gave me the first indication that she’s regretting her choices,” he replied coming over to her and helping her off with her clothes.
“Ah, so you found my gift?”
“I did, and quite generous of you, maybe I should let you on my system a bit more,” he teased nipping at her shoulder.
“Mmm, maybe you should,” she agreed.
“I’m surprised though, aren’t you worried Morris will figure out where the transfer came from?”
“Not at all…I mean look how long it took him to discover the trail was faked in the first place? You really should have gone with an outside firm Wyatt.”
“Maybe I’ve just been biding my time until I could make you fall under my spell and simply give the money back?”
“Interesting idea,” she stated, “but I think you wanted me too much to bother trying to put me in jail. It wasn’t about the company going public, was it? You found out I was the one who took the money and you jumped on the chance to get me into your bed.”
“Absolutely,” he agreed picking her up, “want to kick me out of it?”
“Only if you don’t shut up and make love to me,” she admitted as he followed her down.
“I can handle that,” he said showing her exactly how well he could.
The weeks slipped by dragging Gabby deeper into a depression that not even seeing Donald Graves in handcuffs on his way to prison could alleviate. She was tired of lying, tired of the secrets, and just good old-fashioned tired. ‘Normal’ her doctor had described it but she was sure it wasn’t. She loved life, even when she had never truly fitted she’d loved it, but now…now she was just puttering about, oh, she continued to go to thecenter and help out, go and visit her mom and dad, and spend time with her siblings but it wasn’t the same.
She had to force herself not to cry whenever she and Wyatt were together and each time he held her she wanted to tell him the truth but she knew that if she did she’d lose him completely, so she stayed quiet and pretended that things were fine. She had so many stories floating around inside her head about them that occasionally she’d wake up in the middle of one and not remember where they really were until he brought up the money.
She wished she could go back to their wedding day and feel that all-consuming hatred and resentment but it was impossible. She’d fallen for him so easily, and now, well now, she’d finally learnt what it felt like to love someone so much but not be able to have that love returned.
Her phone beeped at her as she sat in the waiting room for her doctor’s appointment. She’d passed the three-month mark a few days ago and she was confident that things were going fine, for the baby. She was another story entirely, and the story was suddenly getting deeper she discovered glancing at the phone.
It was a text from Rick, asking if she’d heard from Haley lately, she had talked to her the day before but apparently, she hadn’t been answering her father. She replied that she had spoken with her and would let him know if she did again. She felt odd talking to him through text when they’d never met, but she knew Haley had given him her backup number in case something happened and he couldn’t get through to her.
The doctor was running behind and she took the opportunity to call her sister but she didn’t answer, and that scared her. Haley always answered her, even when she was sitting in the hospital with Jess she’d answer. She left her a message and tried the number for her apartment, again no answer and her concern grew further. She sent her a text, called again, and then as a lastditch effort she dialed the number to the manager’s office at the apartment complex.
“Hi this is Haley Wilson’s sister, I’ve been trying to reach her all day…I was wondering if you’d seen her,” she said fidgeting with the gown’s edges.
“She turned in her keys yesterday after giving me the required two month’s payment. Her lease was up and she said she was moving onto somewhere new, somewhere warm, her little girl said.”
“Thanks,” Gabby stated hanging up. “Hales where’d you go?”
She couldn’t begin to come up with a list of possible places she’d escape to or why she’d leave without telling her. Their conversation yesterday hadn’t held any signs of worry or concern and she knew Haley loved the area they were living. This was the last thing she needed today of all days and as the doctor entered the room she pushed the nagging fear into the recess of her mind and focused on what she was telling her.
“How are you feeling today, Gabby? Has the nausea subsided any?”
“Mostly, the last few days have been good, as long as I don’t try and run a marathon when I get up I’m set for the day it seems.”
“Your blood pressure seems to be a bit elevated,” Nora said after taking the reading. “Is everything alright?”
“My anniversary party’s tonight stress from it and all I suppose. Wyatt and I are planning on telling the others about the baby.”
