Page 93 of Reaper's Rival

“Reaper.”

I spun around, and Abby was standing there with a basket full of washing.

“What do you want?” She moved into the room and dropped the basket on the bed and started packing the washing into the bags.

“We need to talk.” I closed the door.

“You know everything, so there isn’t much to say.” She kept her back to me.

Why was she being so cold? And distant. How was I going to get her to surface again? The last thing I needed was her pushing me away.

“Abby, we need to talk.” My hands went on her shoulders and she froze. I could hear her rapid breathing. She was scared.

“Please don’t make me see it.” Her voice waved in emotion, like she was seconds away from crying. “Just leave.”

“See what?”

“The disgust. The anger. The disappointment. I don’t want to see it on your face. I get it, ok? I fucked up. Again. Ok? I get that you changed your mind. That you don’t really love me. Hell, I hate myself for what I’ve done, so I understand. You said don’t come to you when things turn to shit. And I promised you I wouldn’t. But I can’t see that look on your face. I can’t handle it, ok? Just let me leave in peace.”

Why was she so certain I’d let her leave to begin with? “Abby, turn around.”

“No.”

I gripped her shoulders tighter and forced her to turn around, but her eyes were on the ground. It frustrated me that she wouldn’t look me in the eye. Didn’t she know by now there was nothing she could do to scare me away?

Hell, I was pissed off she hadn’t come to me. I would have stepped in earlier to end it. Even Blake had known not to fuck with me. Maybe if he knew she was with me, he wouldn’t have gone for her to begin with. I guess that was my fault. I had kept our relationship quiet.

“Abby. I’m not disgusted, angry, or disappointed. But you are starting to piss me off by not looking at me.”

She slowly lifted her head and even though I had said I wasn’t upset with her, she didn’t believe it. Tears were in her eyelids, ready to fall.

“I know you wish I wasn’t the mother to your child right now,” she whispered up at me. “I get it. I’m not angry with you about it. Now you understand why it is better if I give him or her up. You can move onto your new charter and well, I’m heading back north with Drake.”

“You’re leaving with Drake?” I don’t know what pissed me off more, the fact she was willingly running away with my brother or the fact she was so settled on the idea of giving my child up.

“As soon as I’m packed, I’m out of here.”

“You aren’t going anywhere.”

“I’m not your problem now. I ended us months ago. Your responsibility of me ended then.”

I shook my head. “You couldn’t end us because my feelings for you don’t just go away. So stop pushing me away.”

“But….” She looked up at me as if I was crazy. And I was crazy. Crazy in love with her that it was laughable. “I don’t get it, why the hell do you want to be with me? I’m not the same girl you liked. I’m…” She shook her head. “Lost. Hollow. A cold, hard bitch. You said that one yourself.”

“I’m sorry about that.” I was so terribly sorry for ever yelling at her. For all the things I had said to her when she was just doing what she had to do. “But I told you once before Abby, I love you. And I meant it. Nothing you can do will stop me loving you. So the question is, do you still love me?”

That’s what it came down to, didn’t it? Did she still want to be with me? I loved her to pieces but if she didn’t love me back, then it was a pointless battle.

Tears ran down her cheeks and she just looked at me, stunned.

“Abby, it’s a simple question.”

Yes or no. That’s all I was after.

Tears kept falling down her cheeks and as much as I wanted to wipe them away, I needed to know that she wanted me to be there for her like that.

“I told you.” She inhaled quickly and exhaled slowly. “I love you unconditionally.”