with her hand. Pure unadulterated
rage was reflected directly at her.
“You
know, Sophia, I came here trying to make amends. I told you everything, opened
my fucking soul to you. You’re the girl I love, the one I can’t see a future
without, but then you tell me you’re fucking knocked up and that I’m the
father.” A strangled sound left him. “How can someone so sweet be so cruel.” He
didn’t phrase it like a question. “I tell you I wish you’d carry my babies
someday and you go and tell me something like that.” His head dropped back into
his hands and he murmured, “Tell me, Sophia, how can I be the father when we’ve
never slept together?” When he lifted his head, tears freely ran down his
cheeks. Despite his anger, she wanted to brush the wetness away.
Sophia
had known this was going to happen, but she had never expected to see this kind
of sadness from him. Her mouth was dry and no words could make it past her
lips. “I’m sorry, Abe.” It was the best she could come up with at the moment.
He
turned and looked at her incredulously. “You’re sorry? What are you sorry for,
Sophia? My heart is broken and the life I dreamed about won’t ever happen.
You’ll run off and live happily ever after, and I’ll stay in the background
watching it all go down.” He stood and the chair scraped against the floor.
“I
could have lived with the fact you didn’t want me, could have even made it
through life watching you love someone else. But, Kid…” He turned tortured eyes
to her. “I’ve been in love with you for years, and what I can’t live with is
you pulling me in two different directions.”
He
started walking toward the front door and she went after him, unwilling to let
it end this way. “Please, Abe, please just listen to what I have to say.” He
gripped the handle but didn’t open the door right away. “My whole life I’ve
looked to you to be my rock. Our lives haven’t been the best, but we have
always been there for each other.” She dropped her voice and whispered, “I’ve
never lied to you. Never would. Now, please, if you’ve ever believed anything
I’ve said, trust me in this. The baby I carry is yours.” He didn’t move, just
held the door handle with his head downcast.
“I
don’t know how to process any of this, Sophia. I want to be there for you, for
your baby, but the pain I feel right now is sucking the very life out of me.
Please,” he said as he looked over his shoulder at her, “let me get my head
straight.” He threw open the door and she grabbed his arm, needing to tell him
all of it.
“I’m
not lying, Abe. For God’s sake it happened one night when you were dru—” Before
she could finish, he tore his arm out of her grasp and stalked toward his bike,
not even looking back at her.
Sophia
watched him climb on his bike and leave. Pain radiated from her chest and she
rubbed hard, fast circles over her heart. She knew what he thought, knew he was
under the impression that she was pregnant with Hunter’s baby and trying to
pass it off as Abe’s.
God, what a freaking
mess.
She
closed the door and leaned back against it. How she wished the world would just
swallow her up right now. She knew this was going to be hard for Abe to accept.
Hell, it would have been hard for anyone to accept. He needed time to come to
grips with this. She wouldn’t give up on him now that he loved her as more than
a friend. Maybe there was hope for them? Right now, though, she was alone in
more ways than one.
****
Sweat
poured from Abe’s body and he pumped his legs harder. He had been running for
over two hours now and he had no intention of stopping. Ever since leaving
Sophia’s house a week ago, he had been all kinds of fucked up. He’d completely
stopped drinking and hadn’t been with any women. He was cleansing his body of
all impurities, trying to clear his head in the process. He felt like a piece
of shit for shutting Sophia out, but everything she told him
rage was reflected directly at her.
“You
know, Sophia, I came here trying to make amends. I told you everything, opened
my fucking soul to you. You’re the girl I love, the one I can’t see a future
without, but then you tell me you’re fucking knocked up and that I’m the
father.” A strangled sound left him. “How can someone so sweet be so cruel.” He
didn’t phrase it like a question. “I tell you I wish you’d carry my babies
someday and you go and tell me something like that.” His head dropped back into
his hands and he murmured, “Tell me, Sophia, how can I be the father when we’ve
never slept together?” When he lifted his head, tears freely ran down his
cheeks. Despite his anger, she wanted to brush the wetness away.
Sophia
had known this was going to happen, but she had never expected to see this kind
of sadness from him. Her mouth was dry and no words could make it past her
lips. “I’m sorry, Abe.” It was the best she could come up with at the moment.
He
turned and looked at her incredulously. “You’re sorry? What are you sorry for,
Sophia? My heart is broken and the life I dreamed about won’t ever happen.
You’ll run off and live happily ever after, and I’ll stay in the background
watching it all go down.” He stood and the chair scraped against the floor.
“I
could have lived with the fact you didn’t want me, could have even made it
through life watching you love someone else. But, Kid…” He turned tortured eyes
to her. “I’ve been in love with you for years, and what I can’t live with is
you pulling me in two different directions.”
He
started walking toward the front door and she went after him, unwilling to let
it end this way. “Please, Abe, please just listen to what I have to say.” He
gripped the handle but didn’t open the door right away. “My whole life I’ve
looked to you to be my rock. Our lives haven’t been the best, but we have
always been there for each other.” She dropped her voice and whispered, “I’ve
never lied to you. Never would. Now, please, if you’ve ever believed anything
I’ve said, trust me in this. The baby I carry is yours.” He didn’t move, just
held the door handle with his head downcast.
“I
don’t know how to process any of this, Sophia. I want to be there for you, for
your baby, but the pain I feel right now is sucking the very life out of me.
Please,” he said as he looked over his shoulder at her, “let me get my head
straight.” He threw open the door and she grabbed his arm, needing to tell him
all of it.
“I’m
not lying, Abe. For God’s sake it happened one night when you were dru—” Before
she could finish, he tore his arm out of her grasp and stalked toward his bike,
not even looking back at her.
Sophia
watched him climb on his bike and leave. Pain radiated from her chest and she
rubbed hard, fast circles over her heart. She knew what he thought, knew he was
under the impression that she was pregnant with Hunter’s baby and trying to
pass it off as Abe’s.
God, what a freaking
mess.
She
closed the door and leaned back against it. How she wished the world would just
swallow her up right now. She knew this was going to be hard for Abe to accept.
Hell, it would have been hard for anyone to accept. He needed time to come to
grips with this. She wouldn’t give up on him now that he loved her as more than
a friend. Maybe there was hope for them? Right now, though, she was alone in
more ways than one.
****
Sweat
poured from Abe’s body and he pumped his legs harder. He had been running for
over two hours now and he had no intention of stopping. Ever since leaving
Sophia’s house a week ago, he had been all kinds of fucked up. He’d completely
stopped drinking and hadn’t been with any women. He was cleansing his body of
all impurities, trying to clear his head in the process. He felt like a piece
of shit for shutting Sophia out, but everything she told him
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