“It’s okay, Soph. Everything will be okay.” He pushed her back and looked down at her. His thumbs brushed away the stray tears that made tracks down her cheeks. “Whoever this guy is…” The way he said it made her believe he knew she was talking about Abe. His smile was soft and small. “One look in your eyes and he’ll know you’re telling the truth.” He kissed her on the cheek, and she closed her eyes and savored it. Would she ever have a man who treated her so gently?
He gave her one last squeeze and turned to leave, only stopping once he got to his Jeep to look at her. “Get some rest, Soph. Everything always looks better in the morning.” With that, he got in and drove off. She stood there a moment just staring at the place where his car had been.
When she did finally go inside, she let the tears fall without the embarrassment of someone seeing her.20Abe sat on his bike for several long minutes after he watched Hunter leave. He had shown up about half an hour ago, needing to talk to Kid. This shit with them had gone on too long, and since he seemed to be the one prolonging it, he was going to be the one to end it.
He hadn’t tried hard enough to tell her what she meant to him. Abe thought about her every fucking minute of every fucking day. He would sit her down and just tell her, and if she didn’t feel the same way, then that was fine, because at least he wouldn’t be holding how he felt inside any longer.
When he saw Sophia start to cry, the urge to climb off his bike and beat Hunter’s ass was strong. There was so much pent-up anger inside that needed to come out, but he was turning over a new fucking leaf, so he stopped himself.
He had to explain that he was being a selfish bastard, that even though he didn’t deserve her, if she just gave him a chance, he would spend the rest of his life proving to her that he was worthy.
After climbing off his bike, he made his way to her front door and raised his hand to knock. For a few seconds, his hand was suspended in the air. Before he could bring it down, the door swung open, and the object of his affection stood in front of him.
“Hi.” That lone word was breathy and filled with longing. At least that’s what he liked to think. There were drying tracks of wetness on her cheeks from her earlier tears, and without thinking, he reached out and brushed her skin. Her breath caught, and it made his heart race.
“Can I come in?”
She nodded and stepped aside. The kitchen light was on, but that was all, and the shadows seemed to wrap around the corners like a dark cloak. He heard the door shut behind him and turned around to see her leaning against it, her arms wrapped around her middle almost protectively.
“How are you doing, Kid?” Her hair was up, and tumbles of dark curls cascaded around her face. She was so damn beautiful.
“G-Good, Abe. You?” The way she said it almost led him to believe that she wasn’t good at all. He nodded, because he didn’t trust his voice at the moment. Just being here with her, actually seeing her, had everything inside him shifting. She tilted her chin and pushed off the door. “I was about to make some tea. Want some?”
“Yeah, sure.” He followed her into the kitchen where he saw the kettle on the stove. She grabbed two cups out of the cupboard and set them on the table.
“You want flavored or just green?”
“Green’s good.” He held her gaze and smiled, thankful that she reciprocated. He sat at the table and watched her grab the tea bags out of the cupboard and the kettle off the stove. Once the tea was set and steeping, she sat in the chair in front of him and rested her chin on her hands.
He said the first thing that crossed his mind. “I’ve missed you.” The fact that she shifted in her seat and didn’t respond right away didn’t sit well with him. Abe grabbed his tea and brought it to his mouth. Didn’t matter that it was hot as hell and burnt off his taste buds, he needed the distraction. He watched her over the rim of his mug and saw her cheeks become pink.
“I missed you too, Abe.”
The tea scalded his tongue again, and he set the mug aside and cleared his throat.
“Sophia?” Eyes on him, she didn’t answer. “I don’t like where we are right now. I want my best friend back.” Dropping his head, he ran a hand through his hair. “I love you, Soph.” When he brought his eyes back to hers, he prayed she could hear the sincerity in his words. “I’m an asshole, Kid. I am selfish and have a tendency to fuck up… a lot. I did a lot of shit back in the day, most of it not too long ago. I don’t want to be that man anymore. I don’t want to lose the best thing that has ever happened to me… you.”