Abel (5th Street 4)

The only reason Nellie had even brought up Rick was because of Abel’s question. She had every intention of sparing Abel the details. She certainly wouldn’t be telling him about how her loathsome ex had had the gall to call her recently and ask if there was any way she could get him an exclusive with Abel. He was now working for a small cable sports show, but an exclusive with Abel just before what was being billed as one of the most anticipated fights of the decade would do wonders to get his career back on track—a career he insinuated might still be intact if she hadn’t given that interview right after they separated, letting the world know just what a bastard he really was.

Of course, that call had ended with her hanging up as he started trying to despicably lay the guilt on her, as if somehow he’d been the victim.

“Thinking about him still upsets you.”

Abel squeezed her hand. His comment was more of an observation than a question. Nellie hadn’t even realized her expression must’ve gone taut, but Abel was staring at her with a knowing look, brow raised. “I’d say still disgusts me is a better way to phrase it.”

That seemed to ease his expression, and then he smirked. “That bad, huh?”

Nellie shrugged and glanced out the window. “I try not to think about him at all, but every now and again, I remember.”

“Sorry I trudged up hurtful memories.”

She turned back to him. “Not hurtful,” she smiled weakly. “I haven’t hurt in a long time. In fact, I don’t remember ever crying for him really. It was . . .” She shook her head, remembering that she was supposed to spare him the details. “Never mind, you don’t wanna hear about all that.”

This conversation was veering into the off limits. It was personal—way too personal—Abel certainly didn’t need to hear all this.

Just as their flight took off, Abel leaned into her. “If you’d rather not talk about it, that’s cool, but I don’t mind hearing about it. We do have over an hour to kill, and I don’t know about you,” he glanced around, “but I’m too wired to sleep like everyone else on this flight seems to be doing.”

Hesitating for a moment, she finally smiled. She supposed she could give him the short version. Since he likely read the sports section, he may’ve heard about it anyway. “I don’t know if Noah told you, but my ex got my sister pregnant while we were still married.” By the widening of his eyes, she could tell that this did surprise him. She nodded. “They’d been having an affair off and on for years, and supposedly they were going to get married as soon as our divorce was over. That’s what hurt most. That she would do that to me. The fact that Rick cheated wasn’t a surprise at all. I’d suspected for some time but was in denial. I’d gotten so comfortable in my established little cocoon of a life I was afraid of what the truth would do to it. But deep inside, I knew I was never enough for him—”

“Did he tell you that you weren’t?” Abel’s brows pinched now as he searched her eyes.

“No,” she admitted. “But from the very beginning, I got the distinct feeling that I wasn’t the only one.” She lifted and dropped a shoulder. “Woman’s intuition, I guess.”

“Just because the guy was an ass**le who didn’t appreciate what he had doesn’t mean you weren’t good enough for him, Nell.” Nellie’s attention was brought to his moving Adam’s apple as he swallowed hard. “He sounds like a f**king prick. That alone tells me he was never good enough for you. I’m sorry for what he put you through, but I’m glad he’s in your past. He does not deserve to spend his life with a woman like you.”

As Nellie’s insides began to warm and her heart began to swell from hearing the conviction in Abel’s voice, she had to remind herself of something. The story of what Rick and her sister had done to her had been enough to have so many people up in arms that Rick had lost his job over it. Abel was one of the most intense persons she’d ever met. Of course, the story would piss him off as well.

“Well, thank you,” she said, rubbing her hand over his hand, the one that was squeezing hers a bit tighter now. “Overall, the whole experience made me a much stronger person. That’s for sure.”

“What about your sister? Have you talked to her since then?”

The flight attendant came around and asked if they wanted anything to drink. Nellie asked for iced tea while Abel asked for water.

“Believe it or not,” Nellie said, shaking her head. “I offered to let Courtney move in with me.” Apparently this surprised Abel more than her husband cheating on her with her sister because he looked stunned. Nellie sighed, nodding. “She’d already sold her condo and was making arrangements to move in with Rick when he left her hanging out to dry. Not only had he changed his mind about the marriage but he also decided that since he was divorced now he wanted to stay single and out of any relationship for a while.” A short scoff escaped her just as the flight attendant came over with their drinks. They took their drinks, and Nellie waited for the flight attendant to walk away before continuing. “His no-relationship crap lasted about a month before he moved with another woman in Seattle. Courtney had been staying with our parents and apparently had high hopes that once the baby was born Rick would change his mind. But he moved in with this woman just a few months after my nephew was born.”

“So let me get this straight.” Abel said, closing the cap on the water he’d just poured into his cup of ice and sliding his hand back into hers. “You offered to not only let your sister, who got knocked up by your ex and had been having an affair with him for years, move in but also her son—you’re ex’s kid.”