skyscape slowly revealed itself. Only then did the tension begin to ease from Abby’s shoulders, her breathing less like an exercise and more of a habit.
For the first time in a long time, Abby was looking forward to coming home.
The cab pulled up outside her block. The buildings’ outer façade still reflected the rough and ready heritage of an old workers quarters. Inside was anything but—gleaming white counters offset functional furnishings in various shades of white and gray. Abby had all the modern facilities without needing to care for any of it. A quick swipe of the surfaces and it was like she’d never been away.
Except for the light blinking on her answering machine.
A light that made Abby’s stomach clench into a tight ball as her muscles locked in place. It took several deep breaths before she managed to sidle past the table where the phone sat. She knew who it would be. Her mother. Or her sister, Nicky. They’d tracked her down again. It had to be them because Stacy was the only person who knew Abby’s home number and even then, she never used it. She always called Abby’s cell.
Abby dumped her bag in her bedroom at the end of the hall. Her next stop was the kitchen. She cracked the top on a water from the fridge and poured herself a glass, only realizing she was shaking when liquid sloshed over the rim.
Damn it. After three years of dodging her family, she thought she’d be immune to this shit. Their limp-wristed olive branches after Nathan and Nicky had come clean about their lurve . They hadn’t wanted to hurt her, they’d said. As if not telling her hurt any less when the truth came out.
Abby lifted the glass to her cheek and focused on the chill biting into her skin until she couldn’t feel anything through the numbing cold. Not the glass. Not her fingers. Nothing. Just like they’d done to her heart.
She laughed, the harsh sound echoing around the empty room and coming back to where she stood by the counter. It was funny, really. In Nathan, Abby had thought she’d found the one thing her sister didn’t have. Nicky had been overseas on a postgraduate scholarship, Abby finishing her degree at the local college. As odd as it seemed for an accountant, mathematics had never been Abby’s strong suit. Good Samaritan Nathan had offered to help with extra tutoring.
Try as she might, Abby never could remember who’d made the move resulting in her and Nathan naked in bed. It hadn’t seemed important at the time. They’d worked well enough together. Had fun times. The pregnancy scare fast-tracked their relationship—a relationship Abby was positive would’ve ended in engagement anyway.
Then Nicky came home from France.
Abby hadn’t noticed any change in her relationship with Nathan. She hadn’t been looking for the signs because it had never occurred to her that her sister or fiancé would betray her. She could never have guessed Nathan would take one look at Nicky and fall hard. Then, instead of being honest with Abby about his feelings and breaking off the engagement, he’d taken every opportunity to have her sister. In their home. In Abby’s bed. God, Abby had even left them on their own a couple of times when she’d raced away to study at night. She’d felt guilty for ditching them at the last minute.
How they must’ve laughed at her…
Water slopped over the bench and dribbled onto the floor as the glass tipped to the side, long forgotten. Fuck. She snatched up a cloth to mop at the spill. All the while her attention was pulled through the doorway to the silently blinking answering machine. If she stared hard enough, maybe the red light would disappear. The battery might run out, or the tape would self-destruct in ten seconds. There was only one way Abby knew how to deal with it. Death of the message.
Except something stilled her hand from automatically obliterating it.
“Abby, it’s Nicky. Look, I know you’re hurt still, but please, just stop…and listen. I’m
For the first time in a long time, Abby was looking forward to coming home.
The cab pulled up outside her block. The buildings’ outer façade still reflected the rough and ready heritage of an old workers quarters. Inside was anything but—gleaming white counters offset functional furnishings in various shades of white and gray. Abby had all the modern facilities without needing to care for any of it. A quick swipe of the surfaces and it was like she’d never been away.
Except for the light blinking on her answering machine.
A light that made Abby’s stomach clench into a tight ball as her muscles locked in place. It took several deep breaths before she managed to sidle past the table where the phone sat. She knew who it would be. Her mother. Or her sister, Nicky. They’d tracked her down again. It had to be them because Stacy was the only person who knew Abby’s home number and even then, she never used it. She always called Abby’s cell.
Abby dumped her bag in her bedroom at the end of the hall. Her next stop was the kitchen. She cracked the top on a water from the fridge and poured herself a glass, only realizing she was shaking when liquid sloshed over the rim.
Damn it. After three years of dodging her family, she thought she’d be immune to this shit. Their limp-wristed olive branches after Nathan and Nicky had come clean about their lurve . They hadn’t wanted to hurt her, they’d said. As if not telling her hurt any less when the truth came out.
Abby lifted the glass to her cheek and focused on the chill biting into her skin until she couldn’t feel anything through the numbing cold. Not the glass. Not her fingers. Nothing. Just like they’d done to her heart.
She laughed, the harsh sound echoing around the empty room and coming back to where she stood by the counter. It was funny, really. In Nathan, Abby had thought she’d found the one thing her sister didn’t have. Nicky had been overseas on a postgraduate scholarship, Abby finishing her degree at the local college. As odd as it seemed for an accountant, mathematics had never been Abby’s strong suit. Good Samaritan Nathan had offered to help with extra tutoring.
Try as she might, Abby never could remember who’d made the move resulting in her and Nathan naked in bed. It hadn’t seemed important at the time. They’d worked well enough together. Had fun times. The pregnancy scare fast-tracked their relationship—a relationship Abby was positive would’ve ended in engagement anyway.
Then Nicky came home from France.
Abby hadn’t noticed any change in her relationship with Nathan. She hadn’t been looking for the signs because it had never occurred to her that her sister or fiancé would betray her. She could never have guessed Nathan would take one look at Nicky and fall hard. Then, instead of being honest with Abby about his feelings and breaking off the engagement, he’d taken every opportunity to have her sister. In their home. In Abby’s bed. God, Abby had even left them on their own a couple of times when she’d raced away to study at night. She’d felt guilty for ditching them at the last minute.
How they must’ve laughed at her…
Water slopped over the bench and dribbled onto the floor as the glass tipped to the side, long forgotten. Fuck. She snatched up a cloth to mop at the spill. All the while her attention was pulled through the doorway to the silently blinking answering machine. If she stared hard enough, maybe the red light would disappear. The battery might run out, or the tape would self-destruct in ten seconds. There was only one way Abby knew how to deal with it. Death of the message.
Except something stilled her hand from automatically obliterating it.
“Abby, it’s Nicky. Look, I know you’re hurt still, but please, just stop…and listen. I’m
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