Page 9 of Coming Up Roses

Abigail stares up at me, her eyes wide and shocked. And teary. Really, really teary.

As I stand staring at her, a tear slips down her cheek.

“You gave me such a fright,” she says, gasping down a breath.

I almost ask her if she’s okay. I manage to stop myself before I let the words out. Of course she’s not okay, you idiot. She’s crying on the side of the road.

“What’s wrong?” I manage to ask instead.

“Nothing.”

“Let me guess, you’re fine?” I arch an eyebrow at her.

“Yes.”

“You’re crying in your car.”

She sniffles, then wipes at her face, smudging mascara along her cheek. “They’re happy tears.”

“Happy tears?”

“Yeah, you know when something’s amazing and you can’t help but cry?”

“Can’t say I understand the feeling actually,” I say, running a hand through my hair, before reaching it towards her. “You’ve got a little …” I pause, my hand lingering in the air between us.

She doesn’t move, doesn’t tell me to stop, so I touch my fingers to her skin and swipe away the smudged makeup. She exhales at my touch and I feel her breath ghost over my skin.

I pull my hand back and she blinks a few times.

“You’ve never happy cried?”

“Nope. But I take it that means things went well with Sadie?”

Abigail nods, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders with the movement. Her smile dims though when she looks back at me. “Did you tell anyone about earlier?”

The panic attack. “No.”

“Are you going to?” She bites down on her bottom lip. I try to focus on her eyes, not her mouth.

“Is Sadie at risk?”

“Never.”

I let out a long exhale, thinking. “Then no. I won’t tell anyone. Not unless I have to, for Sadie’s sake.”

“Thank you,” she whispers. “I should go.”

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Then she pulls back out onto the road and drives away, leaving me standing there with the biggest, stupidest, most embarrassing crush to ever exist.

5

ABI

CouldI time my breakdowns any worse?

First the panic attack that Flynn walked in on, then him finding me parked on the side of the road bawling my eyes out.

---