Page 91 of Puck with Karma
Heiress Abigail Bennett is engaged to be married…
That’s where the text stops. I swallow hard, unable to look away. I continue staring and blinking, hoping that what I just saw is not reality. But it’s there. It’s definitely there.
“That’s her then?” I hate the pity in Noah’s voice or how soft it sounds when he asks that. “I’m sorry, man. No kidding.”
I nod and finally look away. I can’t deal with any of this right now. I don’t want to. I am so sick of everyone playing with my life like I don’t matter. It’s weird how in an instant, Abby has become yet another person to betray me.
I press a hand to my chest. This one hurts worse than my father trying to rule my life.
Everyone is quiet on the bus as we drive to the hotel. I am grateful for it. I don’t think I could have a conversation right now if my life depended on it. My head is pounding, my hands are shaking and my heart is beating out of my chest. In short, I am a fucking mess.
Noah leans against me, trying to speak low enough where no one would hear him.
“I’m sure there’s an explanation for all this,” he whispers. “You need to talk to her, man.”
I ignore him, and just stare out the window. Nothing registers out there, not the crazy city traffic or the bright lights. The people bustling about only make me think of Abby. This looks more like her scene. She would fit in perfectly.
“Maybe she’s not in love,” Noah continues talking in my ear, completely oblivious to the fact that I want nothing to do with him. But what he says finally gets to me.
I whip my head around to look at him, and he leans back, a look of concern on his face.
“What the fuck did you just say?”
Noah takes a moment to recover, and most likely debate in his head what’s the best thing he could say now without me beating the shit out of him.
“Maybe she’s not in love with that guy.” He swallows hard. “Her fiancé.”
I feel sick to my stomach. I might just throw up in his lap since he’s the one giving me all the bad news tonight.
“Fuck off.”
I turn my head to look out the window again. This time, I don’t see anything at all. I’m not even sure when we pull up at the hotel. All I do know is that when Noah taps me on the shoulder to move, I do just that.
My head is bent down as I step off the bus, trying to avoid any cameras that may be lurking in the streets. We somehow make it to our room, and I am grateful that I’m rooming with him.
“Don’t talk to me,” I warn when I can tell he wants to start yacking again.
I’m not sure how or why he became my keeper, but he sure seems to be watching out for me at every corner.
I drop my bag to the floor and march to the bathroom. I slam the door behind me and the walls rattle.
“Fuck!” I yell into the empty space, forgetting that anyone can hear me.
I walk to the sink and lean against it, staring at it, scared to see my face in the mirror. How was I this stupid?
I can’t wrap my head around the fact that Abby, the woman I fell for and who I almost confessed my feelings to, is engaged to be married. All the time we spent together, and she made me out to be the other man.
How ironic. The other man.
I want to laugh at it all. Bang my head against the mirror and laugh.
Without a backward glance, I walk away from the sink only to lean against the wall next to it. I slide all the way to the floor, then rest my head back.
I hate this life. I’ve been hating it for a while now. This most recent information about Abby is the last nail in the proverbial coffin.
My entire existence has always been controlled by someone else. My father became obsessed with seeing me a professional hockey player after he signed me up for skating lessons when I was two. I don’t even remember a time that did not involve me skating.
My mother just followed along, a kind smile permanently etched onto her face. But she ended up hurting me in theprocess. Later, after Janie was born, they thought of her as a small nuisance. It was harder to travel with a smaller child in tow. Mallory and her parents moving into the house next door to us was the blessing they’d been praying for.
