Page 65 of The Knight

When she stepped out, Abbie gave a little squeal. “Oh, my God. Where have you been hiding yourself?”

Freya stared at her toes. Compliments, especially ones so unscientific, made her uneasy. She needed to remember why she was doing this. It wasn’t about impressing Abe. “I’m not sure if it matters how I look?—”

Abbie’s expression shifted, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Oh,it matters. Have you seen the way he looks at you? Like you’re the first sunny day after a month of rain. And let me tell you, guys like Abe don’t look at just anyone like that.” She arched an eyebrow. “And last night, you two shared the same room?”

Freya’s face warmed. “Well, yes, but I’m not sure what’s happening between us. It might just be adrenaline, making everything feel more intense. It’s all very confusing.” She bit her lip. She was so out of her depth.

Abbie grabbed her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Sweetie, take your time with Abe. See what he’s about. Don’t go throwing in the towel just because your brain’s in overdrive.” Her smile lit up her hazel eyes. “Your heart might know something you don’t. Now enough with the overthinking! Joelle’s coming at three to work her magic on your hair, and you still haven’t picked a dress.”

Freya headed back into the dressing room.Joelle. Hair at three.She glimpsed herself in the mirror—her freshly washed hair had frizzed up into a close approximation of a dandelion puff. Maybe a hair appointment wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

She picked up another dress from the pile, this one a deep red. The satin felt thick and butter-soft between her fingers. She carefully hung the green one back up, then pulled on the red dress, the fabric gliding over her skin.

When she stepped back, her eyes wandered over Abbie’s impressive collection of heels. She spotted a pair of nude satin pumps.Size five. Perfect.She slipped them on, and instantly the dress fell into place, the hem lifting elegantly off the floor.

She caught sight of herself in the mirror and, for a moment, felt like a child playing dress-up. Soon, this would all be over and Abe would return to his work, while she would return to her work at the University in Reykjavik. Their lives were worlds apart. Where was the middle ground?

Abbie called out, “You okay in there, sweetie?”

“Sure,” Freya replied, straightening up. She took a deep breath and pressed the heels of her hands over her eyes. A moment of solitude in the darkness to collect herself.

She wasn’t the same woman she’d been only a few days ago. She’d changed, right? Felt things she never would have thought in a million years. She wanted things she’d never thought she would want. A man in her life. A rugged, caring, over-protectivealpha-bear of a man. Could she and Abe ever be as happy as Fox and Abbie?

She took hold of the dressing room doors and pushed them open. “Can you help me with the zip?”

Abbie clamped a hand over her mouth. “You realize you’re a literal bombshell in that dress? He’s going to lose his mind when he sees you.” She tugged the zip closed.

“Um. Thank you.”Another compliment. Freya bounced a knuckle against her mouth, nervous. “You seem very happy here. I know you and Mia went through some difficult times before you met Fox.” Abe had spoken a little about Abbie and her daughter during the long submarine dive.

“There have been some difficult times.” A cloud flitted across Abbie’s gaze. She straightened, her eyes sharp once more. “But I’m a lucky woman and now I have Thom. He means the world to me and Mia.”

“How does it work for you? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

Abbie pulled open a velvet lined drawer and lifted out a diamond bracelet. She held it up to the light. “I don’t mind at all.” Her smile was genuine, and for a moment, Freya ached for her lab, for the quiet comfort of working alongside Tinna. She missed her assistant.

“We make it work.” Abbie looked thoughtful. “We split our time between here and Norway. It’s not always easy, but we prioritize each other.”

Freya shook her head as Abbie slid the bracelet around her wrist. “Wow. This is too much.”

“No. it’s not. Trust me, the dress needs it.” Abbie clasped Freya’s hands. “If you want it to work, you’ll find a way. Iceland and Norway are not so far apart.”

“Oh.” Freya blinked. “I didn’t mean the distance.”

“No?” Abbie draped a matching necklace around her throat. It blazed white fire under the lights as Freya breathed.

“It’s more than that. We’re just so different as people. I’m not sure I can give Abe what he deserves.”

Abbie fastened the necklace. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being with Thom, it’s that love doesn’t ask permission. It happens. You don’tchooseit and it doesn’t always show up when or where you expect. It crashes in, uninvited, makes itself at home, and rearranges your furniture.”

Freya laughed. “You make it sound so disorganized. I’m not sure I’m cut out for that.”

“Sometimes it’s good to shake things up a little.” Abbie winked. “Sometimes your sofa needs to be in the kitchen. Keeps things interesting.”

“You might be right.” She had spent so much of her life in control—calculating, planning, making sure every detail was in order.Maybe a little chaos wasn’t such a bad thing.

Abe was different. Unpredictable. But there was freedom in how he lived his life. A spontaneity that, if she let herself admit it, was exciting. Could they make this work? She didn’t have all the answers, but maybe that was the point. Maybe, for once, she didn’t need to.

Maybe love wasn’t something to be figured out—just lived.

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