Page 74 of Embers in Our Past

“Fuck, you know what? I forgot laundry in the machine. I have to go!”

He throws down the tools he was using and the instructions for the nursery furniture he was working on and waves a goodbye in our direction, then mumbles a faint apology at Abby. She crinkles her nose, not quite understanding what transpired while she was gone.

River has shifted to my side, looking at me, hoping I take his advice by not overreacting.

“Kennedy, Sam, let’s get out of here. I’ll drop you off at home, Samara,” he says in their direction. Before leaving, he squeezes my shoulder and gets in my line of sight. I give him a slight nod, and it’s enough to let him know I’ll be okay.

The girls rub at Abby’s shoulder but don’t say much else. I’m rooted in place, still trying to think of what to say. There are so many emotions rushing through me right now, but hurt is at the center of it all.

Once the front door closes, the silence is eerie. I finally find my voice.

“Why did you go to that bar that night, Abby?” The moment I say it, realization for my mood causes her shoulders to tense.

She takes in a breath. “It’s not what you think, Clay,” she whispers.

“I know the date meant nothing to Malloy. You said the same thing when you came to my place that night. I now realize Rios is a dick. But one thing doesn’t make sense to me.” I rub at the back of my neck as I walk a little closer to her. “Why did you go knowing I would be there? Did you want to hurt me that night?”

No matter how you look at this, I still don’t understand why she went, knowing I would be there.

“What? No!” she says, surprised I would suggest such a thing.

“So, you didn’t think it would be hurtful to show up on the arm of someone else? Because even if it was a friendly night out for you, it’s looking like anything but that for me,” I say, sort of dumbfounded she didn’t think this through. “Think about it, Abby. How do you think it would feel for me? Especially a firefighter, nonetheless!” I can’t help the emotion in my tone.

“I don’t know, Clay. Once I knew what Rios’s plan was, I’ll admit, a part of me was a bit curious,” she acknowledges, and even saying it aloud, she’s taken aback.

“Curious?” I repeat. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“I don’t know, okay? I guess I came back to Boston, and I was confused. I then heard this whole fucking plan Rios and Marissa had concocted, and when Malloy told me about the bar, I just thought to myself, ‘What if you started dating someone, and I saw you move on?’ So I let my insecurities take hold of the reins. I get it, okay? It was selfish. I was being an absolute brat. The minute I walked in there, I regretted it. That’s why I went to your apartment afterward. I felt awful. But I guess I just wanted to see if you would still care if you saw me.”

I laugh at that last statement. Is she fucking serious?

“I know, okay? I know I was dumb. But I’m human, Clay. I left you, and the reality that I returned to Boston and was now going to have to live in the city I loved without the man I still loved was setting in. So, I panicked.”

She chews on her bottom lip, and I admit it’s hard to stay mad at her. It was a bad decision on her part that night, but it’s not catastrophic. That night changed everything, and if it wasn’t for her curiosity of sorts, we might not be here right now.

I reach down and grab her hand, pull her to me, and bend down, bringing my lips to hers. Her soft lips meet mine, and as much as I was seeing red a moment ago, my world rights itself the instant I touch her.

I pull away and guide us along to the living room, sitting on the couch, then moving her to straddle me. I intertwine our hands.

“You’re not mad?” she asks, surprise in her voice.

“Oh no, I’m pretty pissed,” I say, a smile on my face. “But I’m choosing to see your side and understand you were also confused. Do me a favor though.” I look over at her. “Let’s not play these little games anymore. We’re about to have a baby. I think the sleep deprivation might play some tricks on us, and we don’t need to add to that, alright? I know we talked about this with the therapist, but I’m just reiterating it now. I don’t want you to think I don’t love you. I have always loved you.”

I lean over, first lifting her shirt to plant a kiss on her belly, then bringing my lips over her collarbone, this time dragging my tongue over her skin, pulling a moan from her. I trail my lips up until I’m at her mouth, locking my eyes with hers, those bright blues pulling me in much like they did years ago.

“You’ve captured me since day one, Abby. It’s only you,” I tell her, and she leans into me, kissing me, and I open to her. Our kiss starts soft and quickly turns into something more.

Abby hasn’t been shy about how much she wants sex as she has gotten closer to her due date. We are now a month away from meeting our daughter, and as much as most complain about the discomforts of those final weeks, Abby says she still feels all the hormones coursing through her veins.

“I need you, Clay.” She breathes into me as she moves to straddle me.

“Take what you need, baby,” I tell her, moving the strap down from her flimsy tank top. I have no problem showing my love through physical touch.

Her breast pops out on one side, and I knead it with my palm. She moans and throws her head back, gyrating her hips at a steady rhythm, trying to soothe that ache down below.

My cock is hard for her, and it’s doing a shit job of hiding behind the shorts I’m wearing. She’s in a long flowing skirt for the warm day, and it’s perfect for what she has planned. She doesn’t even attempt to remove it. She simply moves it up, desperate to get me inside her.

She shifts my shorts down enough to spring my cock free, and the moment she lines me up, she slides down. She moves achingly slow, watching my face and moaning the entire time until she’s fully seated.

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