Page 55 of Love in Pieces

“Shit. This is bad. I have to go find her.” I frantically run to my room to get dressed.

“Why? What’s wrong with blowing off some steam? Did something happen last night?” He looks at me curiously. “What did you do?” He cocks his head, disappointment lacing his words.

“No, nothing like that. I didn’tdoanything. Sam comes back today.” I step into my shoes, forcing the backs over my heels, not bothering to untie and retie them. I take note of her motorcycle key missing from the hook.

“Her ex?” Logan asks, starting to match my agitation.

“Yes, now are you going to help me or not?” I stop with a hand on the door handle, waiting impatiently for Logan’s response.

He sighs. “All right, give me a second to throw some actual clothes on.” He leaves me standing at the door, tapping my foot. When he returns, he’s pulling his sweatshirt over his head. “Okay. Where are we going?”

As we fire up our bikes, my nerves flair. Where would she have gone, especially knowing he was coming back today?Think, Dallas.Where would she be? What roads would she ride? I head in the direction of the park I showed her a few nights ago, hoping my instincts are correct. Logan rides behind me while I lead the way. I keep an eye out for her black Ninja as we pass through town but have no luck. I force myself to breathe as minutes pass too slowly. Time feels like it takes twice as long.

My nerves ease a bit when her bike sits empty inside the park entrance. Unfortunately, Abby is nowhere to be seen. My pulse doesn't slow as I start toward the hidden path in the trees, barely giving myself enough time to hit the kill switch and put my kickstand down.

“Dude, slow down. She’s here. You found her.” Logan’s voice grows distant as I move farther from him.

“I don’tseeher, Logan. I need to see her.” I push the brush out of my way and eventually see the trees open, revealing the abandoned shed. As I make my way around it, I breathe a heavy sigh of relief when I see Abby sitting alone on the bench. She has her earbuds in, lightly nodding her head to whatever music she listens to. I stop, lean against a tree, and watch her head tip back, eyes closed, as she stretches her arms above her head. Logan joins me after a short moment, picking a leaf out of his hair.

“See? Told you she’s here.” He stands next to me, arms folded. When he looks over at me, he looks impatient. “So ... what are we waiting for?”

“Just chill, man. She looks peaceful. I don’t want to ruin the rare alone time she has.” We watch for a minute before Logan gets impatient again.

“Okay. I’ll be at the bikes. If you’re not back in five, I’m going home.” He leaves me standing against the tree, the crunching of sticks dying out as he moves farther away.

She stands and moves to the edge of the water. She squats down, placing a hand in the pond, swishing it back and forth slowly. When she stands up, she grips a handful of rocks. She throws one, skipping it across the water before it disappears. Another one bounces a few more times than the last. She observes the last two in her hands before chucking them as far out as she can. She has a good arm; I have to admit.

But my amusement is quickly halted when she starts talking.

“Why.” A flat statement. “Why?” A question this time. And louder. “Why me?” Her voice trembles. She lays down in the grass, eyes closed.

I’m not sure what she’s referring to. It could be any number of things. Sam. Family. Me. God, I hope it’s not me.

I force myself closer to Abby but carve a large circle around her, hoping to not scare her. Unfortunately, she still startles when she opens her eyes. “Holy shit, Dallas!” She grips fistfuls of grass in both hands like she’s holding on for dear life. “What are you doing here?” She sits up and crosses her legs.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” I take a seat next to her, mimicking her position. “I got worried about Sam coming home today. I panicked.”

She takes a deep breath before speaking as if choosing her words carefully. “I know he’s coming home today. I was hoping to enjoy my last bit of peace before all hell broke loose. I don’t know what’s going to happen, and I don’t know how I’ll deal with whatever shit he tries to pull. I just ... needed some time to prepare myself.”

I bow my head, staring at the mix of unkept weeds and grass at my feet. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to take that away from you. I can leave you here if you want, but I’m staying in the parking lot until you’re ready to come home.”

“I was about to head back anyway,” she says, sounding defeated. She quickly stands, shoves her earbuds into her pocket, and heads toward the trees.

“Abby,” I start. She pauses next to the same tree I was previously leaning on, slowly turning to face me.

“I’m not mad you came to find me. I appreciate it. It’s just ... Reality is starting to set in again and I’m terrified.”

“I get it,” I say, approaching where she stands. Tipping her chin up, I search her face for any hint of pain or regret of last night but find none. Only hatred and fear for what might be waiting, like an animal stalking its prey. “I’ll keep you safe, you know. I won’t let him hurt you.”

“I want to believe that. I really do. But you don’t know Sam, don’t know what he’s capable of. When he wants something, he gets it. No amount of protection is going to keep him away. It’s just a matter of time at this point.”

I wish I knew what to say to make this easier, but I don’t. With a heavy breath, I pull her into a hug, tucking her head under my chin. Her arms wrap around me lightly, but she pulls away after a few seconds.

“Let’s go home.” She leaves me standing here, a hand dangling at my side, the other running through my hair. The woods seem to engulf her small figure, and the only thing that lifts my spirits a bit is the flash of a smile before she turns the corner and disappears from sight.

Abby tagged along during practice this afternoon. She buried herself in her work at the top of the bleachers, barely watching the game. I had difficulty focusing during our scrimmage, letting too many pitches get past my glove, my mind in an entirely different place.

When we got home, we watched TV in silence. She laid her head on my lap while I lazily brushed through her hair with my fingers. No word from Sam. Thank God. She’s blocked him in every capacity she can think of though I’m sure he’ll slip in somewhere. When I notice she’s fallen asleep, I wake her up to see if she’s ready to climb into bed. But what I wasn’t expecting was where she decided to sleep.

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