Abel (5th Street 4)

Abel stared at her, his expression as terrified as she felt. The second hit she took and held in did more to expand her lungs, bringing some instant relief.

“What do you need?” Abel asked, back on his knees in front of her, staring at her, the horror still in his eyes. “Tell me what to do, babe.”

She reached her hand out to his and shook her head. “I’m okay now,” she managed to say. “It’s just my asthma.”

Her worked and worn-out lungs heaved up and down, but the oxygen was flowing in smoothly now. Suddenly completely exhausted, she began to lie down on the floor, but in seconds, she was in Abel’s arms as he lifted her, cradling her in his arms. He walked her over to the bed. “Do you need to go to the hospital?” he asked, lifting the sheet over her.

“No,” she shook her head, smiling weakly. “No, I’m fine really. This just happens sometimes. But I’m fine now.” She touched the side of his worried face and smiled. “I promise. I’m good now. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just panicked.”

He crawled in next to her, spooning her from behind. “Don’t be sorry, Nellie,” he said, kissing the side of her face then breathed in deeply, holding her tight. “Just tell me. How often does this happen?”

“Not often. I swear,” she said, turning to look at him.

He kissed her softly and frowned. “It wouldn’t matter to me if it happens often, sweetheart. I just wanna be prepared and not feel so helpless. Is it always this spontaneous? Or is there anything specific that triggers it.”

She turned her head back and laid it down against the pillow, glad that he hadn’t picked up on the fact that the text from Emily had triggered it. Her mind raced and she remembered the text from Logan earlier that morning. She wouldn’t dare read it now in front of Abel, but she would definitely be reading it as soon as she got the chance.

Explaining briefly that she’d suffered her whole life from asthma but for the most part it was under control, she made sure he knew it hadn’t been an issue in years. Glad she wasn’t facing him, she squeezed her eyes shut, praying that whatever they were saying about her and Sam wouldn’t get back to Abel at least until after the fight.

If it were really that bad, Roni would’ve called already, right? Maybe Emily was just being her dramatic self. She did tend to get overly excited about everything.

Nellie waited until she knew Abel was asleep. After their lunch and extra-long lovemaking session, she normally would’ve been sound asleep right there next to him, but there was no way she was sleeping now. Inching her way off the bed, careful not to wake him, she tiptoed to her purse’s spilled contents still on the floor. She gathered them up quietly, including her phone that was now flashing with another text. This one was from Sam and she braced herself.

“You okay?”

The sound of Abel’s voice startled her, and she nearly dropped her phone. “Yes,” she said, looking up at him. He was sitting up on the bed now, his face once again full of concern. “I was just picking up the mess I made,” she assured him. “But I’m fine.”

“Don’t worry about that, babe.” He stretched his arm. “Come back to bed.”

“I will,” she smiled. “I just need to use the bathroom first.”

He nodded, watching as she threw a few more things in her purse, including her phone. Slowly she got back on her feet and headed to the bathroom, clutching her purse tightly. Almost terrified to read Sam’s text, she forced herself.

I know you must hate me right now, but I swear to you I did everything I could to stop it. I admit I was all for it in the beginning, and I feel like an ass**le about that now. But like I told you Thursday, my feelings for you now are real. I’m so sorry about all this. I truly am.

Hearing movement outside the bathroom door, Nellie knew Abel was up and she had to hurry. She wouldn’t have time to listen to Logan’s voicemail still sitting in her inbox, but with her heart at her throat now, she clicked quickly to read his text from earlier this morning.

If I’d had any idea that this is what they were planning, I swear to you I never would’ve had anything to do with it. Forgive me!

“They?” she whispered, bringing her hand to her mouth.

Sam and someone else planned something, and Logan had something to do with it? Nellie grabbed her inhaler and took a hit as her mind sped back to the night she met Sam. Had Logan’s sudden departure that night and his ex-girlfriend being in the hospital leaving her alone with Sam all been a ploy?

Feeling her chest tighten, she breathed in deeply, trying to calm herself. She felt as if she were going to have another full-blown asthma attack that would very likely have her in the emergency room. Her heart was going a mile a minute now, but she still didn’t understand it. Not just that but if something was going on that warranted this much remorse and apologies from both Logan and Sam and was apparently all over the news, why in the world had Worry Wart Roni not called her yet to check on her? Both her and Abel’s phones might as well be turned off for as much as they were ringing. She assumed after Abel’s reaction yesterday at the conference that Noah and the rest of the guys would be worried about Abel’s reaction to whatever it was going on now. And whatever it was, it sounded bad.

There was a knock on the door and then Abel’s voice. “You still good, babe?”

“Yes,” she responded in as calm a voice as she could manage, but her insides were a hot mess now. “I’m fine. I’ll be out in a sec.”