The world stopped. Time stood still. The earth swallowed her whole.
Her throat closed, and she held in her tears. Before she knew what she was doing, she had her arms wrapped around his body as she held him, as the tears of happiness claimed her. She brought her lips to his ear and whispered, “It is yours, Abe.” His body went rigid a second before he jerked back, his eyebrows pulled low, the shock on his face clear.
Sophia knew there would be disbelief, but she had hoped for happiness. Of course, that’s not what she got.
“That night,” she whispered, “that night we were together—” Her words were cut off when he moved away from her so suddenly the air was sucked from her lungs.
His breathing was hard and fast, and when he turned his gaze on her, she covered her throat with her hand. She’d never see Abe look at her like that before.
“I just sat here and told you everything, opened my fucking soul to you.” God, he sounded like he hurt so damn badly. “You’re the girl I love, the one I can’t see a future without, but then you tell me this?” A strangled sound left him. “You’re telling me I was with the girl I’m in love with and what, I don’t even remember sleeping with you?” He placed his hand over his heart, and another deep, pained sound left him. “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 could I ever forget being with you… making love to you?” When he lifted his head, tears freely ran down his cheeks.
She’d never seen this side of Abe before. He’d always been so strong and masculine, so alpha.
Her mouth was dry. “I’m sorry, Abe.” It was the best she could come up with at the moment. “I should have told you everything the next morning.”
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. Try to remember what we did, what we shared. Please.” He gripped the handle but didn’t open the door right away, and so she pressed forward. “I know this is a shock. I know it’s hard to remember. But think, feel… know me, Abe. I’d never make this up, never lie.” She held back her tears. “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 continued to hold 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….”
Your baby.
God, that fucking hurt. He still didn’t believe her.
“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 stop him.
“I love you, Abe. For God’s sake, it happened one night when you were dru—” Before she could finish, he moved his arm out of her grasp. She was frozen in place while she stared after Abe as he walked toward his bike. Sophia watched him climb on his bike and leave. The pain radiated from her chest, and she rubbed hard, fast circles over her heart.
Although his reaction cut her deep, she couldn’t blame him. This was a shock. It had been when she first found out about the baby, hell, after they’d been together.
God, what a freaking mess.
Did he actually think she was lying? Did he think the baby was Hunter’s and she was just trying to place it on him? How could he even think that about her?
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 she knew he was in love with her. Maybe there was hope for them.
Right now, though, she was alone in more ways than one.22Sweat 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.