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Slowly, her mother stood and walked gracefully toward her. Abbie’s hand tightened around the doorknob as she got closer. She held her breath, anticipating more words to be spat at her, but her mother simply walked by, her chin lifted high. She slammed the door after her, finally letting the tears she’d tried to keep in flow freely.
Her mother’s perfume lingered in the air long after she’d disappeared, and Abbie pressed her back to the door as she sank to the floor.
It was insulting to know her parents saw her independence as an act of rebellion. That’s not what it was. It’s freedom. It’s her life. She’d worked hard for everything she’d done, everything she owned, and she only had herself to thank for it.
But it stung knowing she was little more than a joke to them.
thirteen
Jett tried not to check his phone for the millionth time, but worry was coiled tightly in his gut. He hadn’t heard from Abbie since they spent the day together…two days ago.
It hadn’t been from a lack of trying. He’d texted her a few times Saturday night, but when he hadn’t heard back, he assumed she needed a breather. So he gave it to her. But by mid-morning on Sunday, he broke and texted again. Five times. Then called.
Nothing.
Every time he tried to reach out, he was left with a bigger knot in his stomach than he’d had before.
Now it was Monday afternoon, and he still hadn’t heard from her. He should’ve gone to her apartment when she invited him Saturday, at least then he could show up and demand to know she was alright.
Or maybe she met him and didn’t feel the same connection he’d felt. Which he couldn’t blame her for. She was a sweet, gorgeous girl. And he was…well, he was him. Too big. Too rough.
He knew those were Mandy’s words, but it was hard not to constantly hear her voice when things went wrong.
“Hey, man. Someone’s here. Can you go inside while Livy helps them?”
Jett’s head lifted as Abel made his way to him, wiping his hand on his navy blue uniform shirt. He glanced at the office window, finding Livy standing at the counter helping some guy, and he sighed. It was a rule to never let her be alone with male customers knowing how big of assholes they could be to women in this industry.
“On it,” he sighed as he pushed to his feet. Abel caught his arm as he passed, his dark brows bunched.
“You good?”
“Fine.”
He looked like he didn’t believe him, which didn’t surprise him. Abel saw everything, especially things no one wanted him to.
“You’d tell me if something was wrong?” he asked, and Jett snorted.
“Course not.” Abel let out a long sigh, his dirty hand falling to his side.
“Didn’t think so. Go.”
He jerked his chin at the office, and Jett didn’t waste any time as he stepped inside. The man at the counter’s head briefly lifted, a smile on his face. It fell when he did a double take, fully taking Jett in as he stormed to the front.
Livy’s face was bright red, her blonde hair tucked behind her ears as she fidgeted. The guy straightened to his full height, his gaze flicking between them.
“What do you want?” Jett asked, and Livy’s head snapped to him.
“What do I want?” he repeated incredulously.
“He means?—”
“Yeah, why are you here? What do you need? What do you want?” Jett sank onto the rolling chair as he stared at the man. Even if he was sitting, everyone in the room knew he still had the upper hand.
“Oil change,” he said tightly, trying to keep his voice light as he glanced at Livy.
“I was just ringing him up,” she said, and Jett nodded, not taking his eyes off the guy.
He knew he was being an asshole, but not hearing from Abbie was making him cranky. Was making him worried. But mostly he didn’t know what to do, and that pissed him off more than anything else. There was a problem, and he didn’t know how to fix it.
