Page 45 of Something that Could Last

“Wait a second.” His eyes narrow with suspicion. “You haven't fucked her yet, have you?”

I shoot him a warning look, but it doesn't stop him. “Oh my God, you haven't!” he exclaims and bursts into laughter.

“Luke,” I warn. I will kick his ass if he says one cross word about her.

“What the hell are you waiting for, you big pussy? She one of those goody-two-shoes who won't put out? Or is she just surfing the crimson wave and you're riding it out until you can get some?” he bellows with amusement.

“Not another word, fucker,” I bite out through gritted teeth. This is his final warning.

Luke sobers when he sees the dangerous look on my face and notices my fists balled at my sides. This wouldn't be the first time Luke and I have rolled, but I know he doesn't want to go there with me. He knows I'll wear him out.

“Jeez, dude. Chill. I'm just busting your balls.” He holds his hands up in surrender. Or to block the punch he knows is coming if he doesn't shut his trap.

“Come on, bro. Let's just relax and do some fishing.” Luke throws his arm around my shoulders to lead me outside. He's trying to lighten the mood so I don't wreck his face. I elbow his side and shove him through the door.

“I don't know if I'd call what you do ‘fishing,’” I taunt.

AFTER ONLY THREEand a half hours on the water, Luke and I come away with four trout and one catfish. I can't rag on him too much since he did catch two of the trout. I plan on grilling some of them for dinner one night when we have Abby and Tiff over.

I'm thankful for the time my father spent teaching me how to clean and cook fish. Our little weekend fishing trips are some of the fondest memories I have of my childhood. As busy as he was, and still is, he always made time for his family. We got at least two or three of these long weekends a year with him.

Lately, mine and Logan's schedules haven't permitted these trips, and I feel guilty about that. Dad always made time for us; we should make time for him. Maybe we can come back before the end of summer and I can introduce him to Abby. That is if she wants to continue this thing we're doing once I leave. I find myself hoping more and more that she does. This can't be over when I go home. I'm not sure I'll be ready to give her up.

I'm not sure I'll ever want to give her up.

I'm running a little late to pick up Abby, so I leave the fish in the cooler, checking to make sure there's plenty of ice to keep them from spoiling while I'm gone. Once I drop Luke off with the day's catch, I head to New River Adventures. I enjoyed my fishing trip and spending time relaxing with Luke, but I’ve thought about Abby all day and can’t wait to see her. Even while Luke was rambling on about Tiff and her “huge rack” and “tight little ass”- his words, not mine - I was thinking of ways to show Abby what she means to me. Our time is so limited, it'll have to be something we can do in a few short hours. Plus, she's not like most girls. A dozen roses and a fancy dinner won’t impress her. She's more interested in the experience, something more visceral. I have something special in mind for her, but I'm gonna have to make a few phone calls first to see if I can pull it off.

I pull into the parking lot at ten past five. I don't see her anywhere, so I decide to get out and lean against the passenger side door. I want to be the first thing she sees when she walks through those gates. After a few more minutes with no sign of her, I start to get worried, wondering if she got tired of waiting on me and caught a ride home with someone else. Surely, she would've called to let me know. Besides, I was only ten minutes late.

Finally, I see her small frame scurry around the edge of the gate and I'm filled with relief. Until I see the guy trailing closely behind her, following her out. He's average-sized, with an average build and short brown hair. Nothing special, nothing impressive. It’s Abby’s expression that alarms me. She looks upset, but there's another emotion playing on her face. She seems uncomfortable and maybe even a little bit scared. The way this douche is leering at her pisses me off. He must have done something to upset her.

The more I scrutinize him, the more I realize there's something familiar about his face. I know I've seen him before. Then I remember… He's the asshole from my first day here, the one who was eye-fucking Abby right in front of me, and the one who I was worried wouldn’t secure my harness properly because he was mad Abby was checking me out instead of him. I wanted to deck himthen;now, I want to make him choke on his teeth.

What did he do to my girl?

I push off the side of my car and start towards him, seething with rage. When Abby lifts her gaze to meet mine, she holds her hands up, begging me with her eyes not to go after him. She can tell that I know something’s up, and she rushes towards me, flattening her palms on my chest.

“Please, Jacob. Let’s just go,” she pleads.

“What the fuck did he do to you?” I scan my eyes over her body and settle on her face, searching for any physical signs that she’s hurt, praying I don’t find any. When I look back up, that piece of shit has the nerve to smirk at me as he gets into his car and fires up the engine.

“He didn't do anything to me. He's just a creep.” She grips my biceps, forcibly trying to keep me in place. He peels out of the parking lot, sending gravel flying out behind him. The tail lights of his candy apple red Mustang taunt me like a matador luring an angry bull to his demise.

“Abby,” I start, trying to calm myself down and slow my rapid breathing. “I'm going after him right now unless you tell me what happened. Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?”I’ll kill him with my bare hands if he did.

“No.” She shakes her head. “Well, yes. He touched me. But not like that,” she adds hurriedly. “He grabbed my arm.” Anger burns inside of me and my nostrils flare as I try to pull in air. “I'm not hurt, though. I'm okay.”

She sure didn't look okay walking out here with him stalking behind her. I pull out of her grasp and get in the driver's seat. “Get in the car,” I instruct through the rolled-down window, staring straight ahead with my jaw clenched so tight, it might snap in half. She complies and climbs in as I punch the ignition button to start the engine. When I grab the gear shift to put the car in reverse, she covers my hand with hers to stop me from backing out of the parking lot and following him.

“Look at me.”

I can't look at her. I'm about to blow my lid, and I'm afraid for her to see me lose control.

“Jacob,” she whispers, and I feel her soft hand cup my cheek. She coaxes my face towards hers, forcing me to look into her eyes. “He's not worth it. I'm okay. He didn't hurt me,” she reassures me. “Please calm down. If you go after him and something happens,thatwill hurt me. I don't want to see you hauled off to jail.”

I know she's right, but all I can think about is bashing in that little fucker's brains. I've worked really hard to keep my anger under control, and I’ll be damned if I let this little cocksucker negate all the progress I've made.

Being with Abby brings out emotions I've never felt before, and my instinctual need to protect her makes me a little crazy at times. I truly care about her, and can't stand the thought of someone hurting her. Just thinking about him putting his hands on her makes my blood boil and my instincts kick into high gear. I will protect what’s mine at any cost. But Abby's soft eyes and gentle touch are enough to pull me back from the brink. I could never do anything to hurt her, and seeing me arrested for assault would do just that. I try to clear my head and just focus on her.

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