Summer Ever After

“Ugh. Forget it.”

“Just say it.”

“Never! Liar!”

“Prove it!” I kiss her neck and she pushes her hips up to move me, but I’m much stronger just laying over her.

“Fine, Roman Winters has the biggest boat in the bay.” Ah, there’s my girl.

“Just the bay?” I admit I’m hurt. After all, she hasn’t seen all of my boats, just the ones at the marina.

“Yes, just the fucking bay, you torturer!” Abby lifts her hips up again and rolls them into mine. My dick is aching to be inside her as we roll over again; this time I’m on the bottom.

“That’s quite a potty mouth you have there, Hollywood.”

“So punish me, sailor,” she is taunts me. I let my head fall back on the pillow and take a deep breath. She’s crawled her way over on top of me, kissing and licking. I don’t want to have to do this, but if I don’t, I fear we’ll be cocooned forever with this elephant in the room.

“Abby. Abby…” She gently bites my nipple, and even though that doesn’t really do it for me, something about my girl’s mouth anywhere on my body is exciting. “Abigail, please, one sec.” God, she’ll make me beg as much as I make her beg. I take hold of her arms and keep her steady. Her eyes are heavy-lidded with passion and something else I can’t describe.

“What is it?” She bites her bottom lip and chews it nervously. I set her astride me, holding her hips in place so she can’t wiggle out of the conversation.

“The elephant, Abby,” I say, not precisely articulate. Her eyes widen with surprise.

“Uh, Roman, I’m not calling your co—” I put my hand over her beautiful dirty mouth.

“No, Abby. I mean… what we’re not talking about.” I keep my hand over her mouth until she licks my palm. “Bad, Hollywood.” Shaking my head no, distracted by her outright teasing. God love this woman.

“I know. The phone calls.” I let Abby go and she slides off me to sit next to me, crossing her legs.

“Yeah, Abby, what do you want to do?” I watch her grab a long lock of hair, twisting it over her fingers. I take it from her hand to pull it gently and get her attention back on me. Nothing this delicate and beautiful should be twisted and knotted.

“Honestly, I’m not really sure. My whole life is there, in LA, but…”

“But?” We stay silent a moment, looking into each other’s eyes. Just then, her phone rings lowly from somewhere inside the bedroom. We both look in the direction of the sound. “Answer it, Abby.”

“I… I don’t know if I want to.”

“Abby, it’s not a question of wanting to. It’s a matter of doing it, and then we’ll figure things out.”

“Roman.” A single tear slips down her cheek and I brush it away with my finger.

“Whatever it is, we’ll do it together.” Her tears are like precious diamonds, made from pressure and pains in her life not yet fixed. I desperately want to be the one to fix them, for no girl this gentle and loving should ever have to cry. “Answer it. I’m not going anywhere.” She takes a deep breath and gets up from the bed. Reaching into her bag, she picks up the call on the third ring.

“Hey, Dad, what’s going on?” I get up from the bed and head out to the deck to give her some privacy because it seems like the right thing to do. I can’t hear her conversation from out here, so I just stand at the railing, taking in the beauty of the ocean as my boat skips along the waves. I close my eyes and breathe deep, seeking peace. I’m about to take a walk to the upper deck when a cry from inside the suite filters out, pain radiating from its source.

“Abby, sweetheart, what is it?” She is on the floor curled into a fetal position, crying loudly, and I can’t make out any words. She’s making me worried, unsure what’s happening. Her phone is laying on the carpet, the call no longer ongoing. Is it her dad? The douche canoe Lucas? I don’t know how to help her if I don’t know what’s going on.

“Roman, it’s my sister. Leah. She has cancer.” Shaking, her words tumble forth like word vomit. “It’s just like my mom all over again.” Helpless, the words set me back as I fall into autopilot and pick Abby up in my arms. I sit with her on the bed and rock her carefully. I’m afraid I’ll make it worse no matter what I say. I sure as hell can’t make it better several nautical miles from shore.

“Then let’s get you home, sweetheart,” I whisper in her ear and squeeze my eyes shut. I’m afraid I’m going to lose Abby over this, because now I have to send her home, and I don’t know if she even wants me with her.

Chapter Fourteen

ABIGAIL

I answer the phone with apprehension and Dad jumps right into it. “Abigail, it’s Leah, she’s sick.” Dad isn’t one to mince words, and the way he says things leads me to believe this is pretty serious. Roman nods to me with a reassuring smile and walks out on to the deck, shutting the door behind him. I watch him go and coldness settles over me, goose bumps prickling my skin.

“What do you mean sick, Dad? She was fine weeks ago, tearing me a new one for leaving LA so she could shack up with my boyfriend.” I don’t know what else to say. She did purposefully steal my boyfriend… well, Lucas left me for her on his own, but still… Leah and I have never been close, and this just floors me. I don’t know why she isn’t calling me. Does she actually need me? My older, overbearing, bitchy sister needing anyone just sounds crazy to me.