Page 41 of The Comeback

“Why? You joining the hockey team?”

“No, but… you know.” I grab her hands to stop her twisting them nervously in her lap.

“I don’t know.”

“Well, you know the girls you usually go out with are…” She trails off again and I see red.

“Not as perfect and gorgeous as you?”

She looks up startled.

“You’re beautiful, Fab. You always have been and you always will be. Inside and out, and I l…love that about you.” I trail off lamely. I can’t believe I almost let the L word slip out. She’s definitely not ready for that. I have to stick with the plan. The slow wooing. Don’t scare her away.

I’m halfway through my stuffed full quesadilla when my phone buzzes. All the happiness at finally getting some time with Abby rushes out leaving a slimy feeling of dread behind.

Abby must notice the sudden shift in my mood, because she looks up in concern. “What’s wrong, Bastian.” The use of my nickname tugs at my lips and is almost enough to pull me out of the funk.

“Nothing. Just my mom. Wants me to go there for dinner on Sunday.” We have home games this weekend, so we’ll be close enough that I can’t say no. Not that I’m even allowed to. I wouldn’t anyway even if I could afford to refuse the monetary help with room and board. I’ve still got my sister to think of.

A bright smile lights up Abby’s face. “I love your mom. It’s been so long since I saw her. And Bria. She’s still home right?”

“Yeah.” I stick to a one word answer hoping to shut down this line of conversation.

“Can I come? Would that be alright? I mean we were friends, so it doesn’t have to be like a dating thing.”

“No.” I regret the sharp way the word comes out, but there’s no way I’m letting her anywhere near him. He destroys things. Like my mom. Abby remembers the fun, loving mom she used to be when we were kids. The one that came to all my hockey practices and drove us everywhere. She has no idea what he has turned her into and I’m not risking putting her anywhere near his line of sight, That is why I pushed her away in high school after all. Keep her safe and away from that dysfunctional mess.

Her face falls and she pulls her hand out of mine. I miss the loss of her warmth as she retreats behind that wall that was starting to crumble. “Oh, okay.”

We both pick at our meals in the awkward silence that’s stretching between us.

She pushes up from the table, gathering her things together.

“I’ve gotta go. Class.”

I push up in a hurry. “It’s not you, Abby. I’d love to take you home with me, but it’s not like it used to be. I’m sure Bria would love to see you too. She can come out to a game one weekend and you two can hang out.”

She nods, but still pulls away when I lean in for a kiss.

Damnit. Does he have to ruin everything? Less than a year. That’s it. Bria will be under my protection and I’ll have my contract and my independence. I’ll pay back every cent he every spent on me and cut ties. For good.

Chapter 31

Abby

Ikeepswallowingina hopeless attempt to provide my mouth with some moisture, fiddling with the mic in the corner of All Capps.

Dax lays a hand on my shoulder with a reassuring smile. “You got this, Abby.”

I don’t got this, but I’m going to have to if we’re going to have any hope of winning the Hastings.

I didn’t tell Sebastian I was going to be performing tonight. After what happened at lunch, I’m pretty sure I’ve been fooling myself by thinking he’s changed since high school. What’s happening between us. It’s just casual. Like I told myself when I went home with him. Just a fling. Get him out of my system and be done with it. The problem is that it didn’t work. He’s not out of my system. In fact I think it’s worse. He’s crept his way into every part of my life. My music, my heart, my soul. I can’t seem to separate the physical stuff from the emotional like he seems to have.

Maybe I shouldn’t have invited myself to his family dinner, but I didn’t think it had to be weird. I’ve known them since I was a kid. They were like a second family to me. Apparently he doesn’t feel the same way. I was just another in a long line of girls to him. That’s probably for the best anyway. I can’t let him distract me from my goals. It would never work anyway. I’m off to LA next year and who knows where he’ll end up. Could be the other side of the country. It doesn’t make sense to start something we can’t finish.

“Abby?” Dax’s question drags me back to the reality of the small crowd that’s gathered to drink coffee and watch us play. We’re not singing our competition song tonight. Keeping a lid on that until the big day, but we’re singing a couple of songs we’ve written together as well as some covers. “You ready?”

I nod. I can do this. There’s like twenty people here tops. It was a good idea. The thought of an auditorium full of people is terrifying, but this crowd I can handle. Right?”

---