her eyes roaming over him. He hadn’t really changed all that much—his hair was still just as untamed as it had been before. There was a bit of scruff on his face—she couldn’t tell if was intentional, or if he too had simply had a long night. Abby was careful to avoid his eyes, though—careful not to lose herself as she’d already done once.
But he looked tired. She could tell, even with just a simple glance. “You should get some rest too.”
“I probably should.” But she could tell he wasn’t going to. “ You staying at the Moonlight?” he asked. It was the only motel in the area, so she really didn’t have much of a choice. Abby nodded. “I guess I’ll just follow you up there then, if you don’t mind.”
“Well, we’re both going to the same place, I’m assuming. It’d be kind of hard for one of us not to follow the other.” His grin was quick—there one minute and gone the next. But it was enough to remind her of the sensation she used to feel whenever he donned that simple little grin at her.
“You make an excellent point.”
“I try,” she responded, wishing she could smile. But as soon as she began to, a wave of pain rushed through her and she looked away, swallowing hard. She took one more moment before she eased away from the railing and stepped off the porch, making her way to her rental car. She discovered that she had parked in front of Logan and as he climbed into the driver’s seat of the truck behind her, he waved. She watched in the rearview mirror, waving in return.
The Moonlight Motel was only five minutes down the road. She pulled in and parked randomly in the lot, taking another deep breath before turning off the ignition and walking into the office. An older man sat at the desk, taking reservations. He handed over a key, telling her that her room was on the second floor. Back outside, she found Logan standing by her car.
“Thought I’d offer to help with your bags.”
“It’s okay—I can get them.” She’d forgotten how old-fashioned he could be.
“No, I insist.” She popped the trunk and watched as he took the bags out. “Where’re we going?”
“207,” she replied.
“Well, isn’t that handy. I’m just down the way—203,”
“Whenever you’re ready to go—just let me know. I’m probably not going to get much sleep anyway.” She told him. In fact, she was certain she wouldn’t get any. She just needed a few minutes to herself—a few minutes to put herself back together.
“Okay—so I’ll see you in a bit then?” They were standing just outside her doorway now.
“See you in a bit,” Abby replied, dying to slip out from beneath his gaze. She turned and unlocked the door, taking her bags from him and stepping inside. “Thanks, Logan.”
“Try and get some rest, Abby.” And with that, he turned and walked away.
She had just finished unpacking the few things she’d brought when she became aware of her cell phone vibrating loudly in the quiet of the room. She sighed, crossing over to her purse and digging through it until she found the small piece of technology. As soon as she unlocked it, she groaned. She already had nine missed calls, and Ingrid had only been in the office two hours.
She pressed the button that allowed her to ignore all of the messages and settled down on the bed, deciding it was time to call her dad. It was going to be a difficult conversation because—even though he respected Hayley’s parents, he knew how much Abby loved Hayley.
The phone rang a few times before he finally picked up. “Hello?”
“Hey, Dad.” Her voice was so quiet, no matter how hard she tried to act normal.
“Abby? What’s wrong dear?” She recalled him saying the same words the day she’d come back from Hawaii.
“I have some—some bad news,” she started, unsure of how to continue. How could she break the
But he looked tired. She could tell, even with just a simple glance. “You should get some rest too.”
“I probably should.” But she could tell he wasn’t going to. “ You staying at the Moonlight?” he asked. It was the only motel in the area, so she really didn’t have much of a choice. Abby nodded. “I guess I’ll just follow you up there then, if you don’t mind.”
“Well, we’re both going to the same place, I’m assuming. It’d be kind of hard for one of us not to follow the other.” His grin was quick—there one minute and gone the next. But it was enough to remind her of the sensation she used to feel whenever he donned that simple little grin at her.
“You make an excellent point.”
“I try,” she responded, wishing she could smile. But as soon as she began to, a wave of pain rushed through her and she looked away, swallowing hard. She took one more moment before she eased away from the railing and stepped off the porch, making her way to her rental car. She discovered that she had parked in front of Logan and as he climbed into the driver’s seat of the truck behind her, he waved. She watched in the rearview mirror, waving in return.
The Moonlight Motel was only five minutes down the road. She pulled in and parked randomly in the lot, taking another deep breath before turning off the ignition and walking into the office. An older man sat at the desk, taking reservations. He handed over a key, telling her that her room was on the second floor. Back outside, she found Logan standing by her car.
“Thought I’d offer to help with your bags.”
“It’s okay—I can get them.” She’d forgotten how old-fashioned he could be.
“No, I insist.” She popped the trunk and watched as he took the bags out. “Where’re we going?”
“207,” she replied.
“Well, isn’t that handy. I’m just down the way—203,”
“Whenever you’re ready to go—just let me know. I’m probably not going to get much sleep anyway.” She told him. In fact, she was certain she wouldn’t get any. She just needed a few minutes to herself—a few minutes to put herself back together.
“Okay—so I’ll see you in a bit then?” They were standing just outside her doorway now.
“See you in a bit,” Abby replied, dying to slip out from beneath his gaze. She turned and unlocked the door, taking her bags from him and stepping inside. “Thanks, Logan.”
“Try and get some rest, Abby.” And with that, he turned and walked away.
She had just finished unpacking the few things she’d brought when she became aware of her cell phone vibrating loudly in the quiet of the room. She sighed, crossing over to her purse and digging through it until she found the small piece of technology. As soon as she unlocked it, she groaned. She already had nine missed calls, and Ingrid had only been in the office two hours.
She pressed the button that allowed her to ignore all of the messages and settled down on the bed, deciding it was time to call her dad. It was going to be a difficult conversation because—even though he respected Hayley’s parents, he knew how much Abby loved Hayley.
The phone rang a few times before he finally picked up. “Hello?”
“Hey, Dad.” Her voice was so quiet, no matter how hard she tried to act normal.
“Abby? What’s wrong dear?” She recalled him saying the same words the day she’d come back from Hawaii.
“I have some—some bad news,” she started, unsure of how to continue. How could she break the
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