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"Then perhaps those opportunities are not for me."
He half smiles. "It’s late; you’re tired. Sleep on it and see what you make of it tomorrow, huh?"
"But—"
"Trust me on this. Don’t make any decisions when you’re exhausted. Wait until you’ve mulled it over, okay?"
I nod slowly, then grab my bag and leave.
By the time I reach home, I’m both pissed off and upset. That didn’t go the way I wanted it to at all. I'm sure Declan’s housekeeper left me food in the fridge, but the thought of another dinner on my own? Nope, not what I want right now. I head up to my room, pull out my phone and call the person I’ve been meaning to speak to for a few days. The call is answered on the first ring.
"Hello?"
"Abby, it’s me."
"Solene?" She accepts the video call, and her familiar features fill the screen. I swallow down the ball of emotion that clogs my throat. Gosh, I’ve missed her. It's great to have a sister like Olivia who's so concerned about me, but she's Declan’s friend. Not that she’d empathize with him more, but I'm uncomfortable about keeping Declan and my previous association secret from her. I appreciate her and Karma putting me in touch with Isla, and I do intend to connect with her, but Abby? She's not only an old friend, but also neutral territory. If there’s anyone I can unburden myself to, it's her.
"Abby," my voice cracks. I clear my throat. "It’s so good to hear your voice."
"Girl, don’t go disappearing on me like that again." She looks around herself and says, "I’m at work. Let me find a room where I can talk to you." She rises from her seat and walks across the floor and into what looks like a conference room. She shuts the door behind her, then looks into the phone screen. "Are you okay? Where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you."
I wince. "I’m sorry, there’s so much I want to tell you."
"Wait, let me guess. Did you get married?"
"Umm, no."
"But you’ve met someone?"
I hesitate.
"I knew it. Is he the same man who appeared in your room and then got beat up by your brother?" Her face falls a little when she says, "Also, sorry about your brother."
"Me, too." I begin to pace. "You know how Diego was forever shooting his mouth off. He had no restraint. And in his line of work, that doesn’t bode well. It was only a matter of time before he overstepped the line."
"It must still hurt; he was your brother."
I bite the inside of my cheek. "Would it be terrible if I said I'm relieved he is gone? It makes me feel like a free woman."
She nods slowly. "I understand. It’s how I felt when I finally shored up the courage to leave home."
"It’s why you’re my role model. When I grow up, I want to be just like you."
She laughs. "My life is far from perfect. When I turned down my father’s help, I didn’t realize it meant living in a small one-bedroom place, scraping by from paycheck to paycheck."
"But you’re happy."
"Very," she says softly. "I was lucky my father didn’t stop me when I turned eighteen and made my bid for freedom. I was so worried that you wouldn’t get that chance."
"I almost didn’t. If it hadn’t been for Declan, I might never have had the courage to leave, either."
"Declan huh?" Her eyes sparkle. "So that’s his name? And you’re with him now?"
I laugh. "Yes, and yes. I’m in LA—"
"LA huh?” She blinks rapidly, “So, he became an actor after all?"
"Quite a famous one, actually." I bite down on my lower lip and say, "His full name is—"
