Page 106 of Coming Up Roses

Dallas,Katie and Sadie leave when Sadie next wakes up.

Dallas has a quiet word with Abi before they go, reassuring her that he has no issues with her being around Sadie. We watch from the front porch as Dallas backs out of the driveway, Sadie giving us a tired wave as they drive away.

Abi turns to me as they turn at the end of the street and disappear. “Apparently we have things to discuss. That’s what Dallas said as his reason to take Sadie home anyway.”

“He’s right, and it’s probably better we do it without her around.”

Abi nods, then plays with the end of her ponytail. She looks exhausted, completely and utterly wrung out. I want to take her inside and look after her, like she did for me on the anniversary of my parent’s accident.

But we have to clear up whatever is going on between us first. Katie and Dallas both seem to think we’re together. It’s time to find out for sure.

“Why did you want to end it?” she asks.

I sigh and lean against the porch railing. “Because I freaked out and then I broke your single rule. I should have talked to you about it, but I was in too deep. I was scared I’d lose you completely and I figured if you were going to leave me anyway, that I’d get in first and we could just go back to being friends.”

“It didn’t work out, huh?” Abi asks, a tiny smile playing at her lips.

“Nope,” I say. “I’m in love with you.” The words tumble out of my mouth. Wow. Smooth. I wanted to word it right, to ease into the declaration, to explain all the reasons why, and the second she’s standing in front of me I throw that at her. We haven’t even got off the front porch.

Abi blinks, mouth falling open into a soft ‘o’.

“Fuck,” I mutter and run a hand through my hair. “Well, that just came out.”

Abi giggles. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I think you’re fucking incredible. You’re generous and loyal, loving, gorgeous and so, so strong. I want to be with you all the time. Like I actually can’t stop wanting to be around you all the damn time. It’s a miracle I’ve actually got any workdone since you moved here.” I take a deep breath and step towards her, lifting her hands in mine. “I’m in love with you.”

Abi twists her hands and for a second I think she’s going to pull away, but before my heart can shatter at my feet, she links her fingers through mine.

“Good. Because I love you, too. You’re my perfect balance. You can handle my anxiety without making it feel like a burden and you always make me laugh, no matter what we’re doing. Being with you steadies me in a way I can barely explain, but all I know is I want to be with you all the time too.”

I’m speechless, because while I was optimistic about Abi wanting to build some kind of relationship with me, after both Dallas and Katie’s comments, I wasn’t expecting her to love me back. That’s taken me by surprise.

I drop her hands and eliminate the space between us, wrapping my arms around her waist and hoisting her up so I can rest her ass against the porch railing. Abi lets out a tiny yelp as I lift her, but settles against me. She tucks her ankles behind me and tugs me closer with her heels, then slips her fingers into my hair, dragging my lips towards hers.

She touches our mouths together, once, twice, three times and just as I’m about to fully lose myself in her a catcall comes from the street.

We glance up to see Dallas driving slowly by, a shit eating grin on his face as Katie screeches out her window at us.

She lets out a wild wolf-whistle and blows us a kiss while Sadie grins and waves out the back window.

Abi bursts out laughing, burying her face in my shoulderwhile I hold her in place on the railing, my arms tight around her waist.

“How about we relocate this?” I whisper.

“Sounds great to me. Does the coffee table work?” She pushes me back with a hand on my chest and I groan as memories of the last time we used the coffee table flash through my mind. It’s a really fucking excellent thing Sadie isn’t here right now. I’m going to thank her dad later.

I take Abi’s hand and lead her inside, making sure I lock the door behind me, because as much as I love Katie, I don’t trust her right now and I do not want this interrupted.

She follows me down the hall without question and when she tries to turn into her bedroom, I tug her in the opposite direction, into the bathroom.

I reach into the shower and turn the water on before turning back to Abi and taking in the loose t-shirt and sinfully tight leggings she’s wearing.

“Off with these I think,” I murmur, tugging the hem of the t-shirt up over her head. She raises her arms and lets the garment fall to the floor.

“This isn’t what I was expecting,” she says, hooking her thumbs into the waistband of her leggings, then pausing.

I nod and she slowly works them down until she’s standing in front of me in only a soft bra and panties.

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