Page 44 of Drawn To You

* * *

Abigail

Everything was fuzzy. What was the last thing I remembered? Joshua? Fear was keeping me from opening my eyes and I wanted to block everything out. Sterling, did he still have me? I could hear a faint beeping sound coming from somewhere. What was that? My eyes flung open. “Joshua.” I glanced down quickly and saw I was wearing a medical gown and then my attention was drawn to the door as someone walked in, coffee cup in hand. His surprised gasp crashed into my ears as he rushed over to me and pulled me into his arms. That’s when I started to shake and I wasn’t sure if it was from relief or from the traumas I’d just experienced.

“Thank God you’re awake! You’re OK now, baby,” My head was firmly pressed to Joshua’s chest, and my heart was pounding in my ears. “It’s okay now. Just breathe for me, baby.” “I’ll go get a nurse and let them know you are awake.” There was a slight hesitation in his eyes and I knew he didn’t want to leave my side even for a second. “I’ll be right back, I promise.” and just like he said, he was back in a flash. Pulling me right back into his arms.

“Joshua. Where am I?” Our eyes met, and relief fell over me, but I was too afraid to let myself feel it. I shut my eyes and buried my head into his chest again. Everything was fine. We were fine.

“We’re in the hospital, and I promise you that you are safe now. Damn, you’re shaking like a leaf babe. I need you to calm down, okay?” Joshua’s hands ran down my arms, and I shuddered as things started to come back faster.

Sterling had his hands around my throat. “Joshua, where is Sterling? His fingers brushed over my cheek, “He was taken into custody, he can’t get to you ever again baby. I’ll fill you in on all the details later, I promise. But for right now all that matters is that you’re OK and in my arms for the first time in weeks.”

“Weeks?” I asked. “You’ve been in a coma for the past few weeks, Abby,” he said as he gently brushed his thumb across my bottom lip as it started to tremble, and I had to keep myself from breaking. I could already feel the tears pooling in my eyes. “Stay with me baby,” he whispered. “I’m right here to wipe your tears. If you have nightmares, I’ll wake you and help replace them with your wildest dreams. If you fall apart, I will put you back together. I’m not ever leaving your side again, and you aren’t leaving mine.” A long shaky breath left me as he squeezed my hand, making sure I understood, and then he scooped me up and held me until the nurse finally came in and he scolded her for not coming sooner. “My girl finally wakes up, and no one is even here to check her vitals. Fucking unbelievable,” he grumbled angrily, glaring daggers at the medical staff and keeping a hold of me the entire time.

* * *

A police officer showed up later that day to get my statement regarding my kidnapping and attack. He introduced himself as Officer Davis before he started asking me his questions. I could feel Joshua rubbing slow circles over my palm comfortingly the entire time. My mind was a wreck and my heart felt like it had been torn apart, but at the same time, it felt like Joshua was now helping me stitch it back together.

It was broken, and I knew that there were likely some parts of me that would never fully heal. I knew that some wounds would forever stay, but there were enough parts of me that were still hanging on. There were parts of me that could be happy and love someone. I learned that from what I felt for Joshua. “Abby,” Officer Davis said and I realized that my mind had drifted from the conversation. “As I just said, this isn’t just your word against his. There are other victims who have come forward after the press release on the accusations of Sterling, other women who say he assaulted them in the past.” “In particular, a Miss Gina Rice, a past girlfriend of his. Anyway, Miss Rice claims that after she broke up with him, Sterling stalked and harassed her for months before ultimately assaulting her in her home sometime last July.” I was horrified at hearing this but not surprised I knew what Sterling was capable of. “With the amount of evidence against him, there is no way Sterling will walk free.

“What about Shannon?” That came from Joshua, somehow I’d completely forgotten the fact that his ex-wife even had a role in my abduction. Officer Davis gave him a look and said “Your ex-wife was also brought up on charges of conspiracy. Kidnapping is a Class A felony, and if convicted, she could face up to thirty years in prison.” I heard what he said but I couldn’t focus on it. I nodded in unison with him as I tried to wrap my head around everything.

I should have been grateful that I was alive and sitting here beside Joshua, but right now I just felt overwhelmed, like my body was starting to shut down because it was trying to process too much. “Alright. I think that’s enough questions for today.” Joshua said as if he could read my mind. I had sunk back onto his chest without even realizing I’d done so.

Officer Davis stood up to go, glancing over at me once more. “I assure you that you are safe now, Miss Erickson. Okay? Get some rest.” Then, he looked at Joshua once more and turned around, and walked out the door. Once the door shut behind him, Joshua’s hand was on my chin, and he tilted my head on his chest so that I was looking up at him.

His eyes bore into mine as his thumb trailed over my bottom lip again.”You are amazing. The strongest woman I know.” The tears started up again, making his features blurry for a second before I tried to blink them away. “I love you.” That fact was the only thing that I was sure of at the moment, and even though I still felt like I was free falling, I knew my love for Joshua was the sturdy foundation I could land on.

Then, his arms wrapped around me tightly. Mine wrapped around him as well, and we lay like that for so long I thought he had fallen asleep. “So what happens now,” I whispered, talking to myself more than anything. But he answered quickly. “Things are going to be messy for a bit. There will be trials. More statements. The whole circus. Sterling’s name is plastered everywhere right now, and the media is having a field day causing an uproar within the local community. “What about Zander and Ethan?” “They’re both okay, the courts granted me full custody, Abby. Lily is with them right now. She and Maddox have both been on babysitting duty whenever I’m here at the hospital with you.” I nodded, squeezing him tighter. The future looked even scarier than before, but at least the people I loved were okay.

“I’ll be here at your side no matter what. Okay? We will both find our footing together.” A small smile curved my lips as I tried to lighten the mood. “So, no more sneaking around at parties and pulling me into dark corners so you can reach up under my skirt where no one can see us?” Joshua’s laugh was loud, and my face shook against his chest as he continued to laugh. “Fuck all that sneaking around nonsense. I’ll have my hands all over you in front of the whole world if I want to. Ask me if I care.” I smiled at that, my cheeks feeling flushed, but then a thought suddenly occurred to me that pulled me away from this moment. Joshua must have sensed that something was bothering me, because the next thing I knew, he was pulling me closer to him and silencing my thoughts by sealing his lips to mine. If he was trying to distract me it was working like a charm because of the things I felt when he kissed me! The feelings he evoked within me canceled out any and all lingering questions and confusion plaguing me.

Epilogue

Joshua

“Go away, Joshua. Didn’t you get the memo that she’s mine? We are having some much-needed girl time before the party tonight.” Lily’s eyebrow hitched, and I could see they were sparking with an evil glint, which was her usual look when it came to me lately. “She’s my girlfriend, Lily. I can see her whenever I want, so scoot out of the way so I can come in.” “Oh my gosh, you two! Just let him in, Lily, you know he won’t go away.” The amusement in Abby’s voice made the last few minutes that I had stood in the doorway with Lily glaring daggers at me worth it.

“Arghhhh, fine.” Lily huffed and finally let me pass, silencing all the catty chatter happening on the outside. As soon as I walked in I caught sight of my girl. Abby stood there before me and she was a sight to behold.

Her cheeks were flushed what a hint of pink, and her beautifully expressive grey eyes seem to be sparkling brighter than ever before. Her bruises had almost completely faded, and it looked as if she had finally gotten some good sleep. Abby had insisted that she return to work as soon as the doctor had cleared her, despite my protests that I didn’t think she was ready.

Her name, along with Gina’s, Sterling’s ex-girlfriend, had both been withheld from the news, and they remained anonymous. Gina had reached out to Abby shortly after she had been released from the hospital and they seemed to be a comfort to each other, both having experienced trauma at Sterling’s hands. Abby decided that since the media had withheld her identity there were no reasons that would keep her from returning to her normal activities. If she wanted to go back to work, then she was going back to work!

Abby looked at me from the corner of her eye and I noticed she was chewing on her bottom lip. A tell-tale sign that she was nervous about something and I smiled because I knew the reason she was. Considering the way we had started out and the fact that we were never truly exclusive until now, I wanted to make a point to show everyone that we were. Abby was my girlfriend, and the whole fucking world would know it. Maybe I was a little possessive, but as far as I was concerned there was a big difference between being possessive and being controlling. She was mine for as long as she wanted to be.

“Are you ready for tonight?” I finally asked. I could see that Abby was still looking at me out of the corner of her eye, and I winked. “Joshua, you better not do what I think you are going to do tonight.” “Oh, But I’m going to, Abby.” I could see she was trying to fight a smile, but I saw the cute little way her lips pulled up at the corners. “He better not do what?” Lily asked. I wiggled my eyebrows at her and said, “I’m staking my claim.” “You’re what?” Lily asked confused.

Abby let out a mock frustrated sigh and walked closer to me, but not before shooting me a pointed look. “He said that he’s going to kiss me in front of everyone at the party so that they all know without a doubt that we are officially boyfriend and girlfriend.” I shook my finger at her. “Ah ah ah, that is not what I said I was going to do. I said I was going to plop your sweet little ass up on the pool table and kiss you senseless in front of everyone at the party because I can and I will.”

I could see Lily trying to hold back a laugh at that. “Abby, your face is beet red right now, you look like a tomato,” “Both of you shut up, and Lily don’t encourage him!” She turned back to me. “You know how much I hate being the center of attention.” “But you love me though, right?” I winked and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward me. “Besides the point, everyone already knows we are a thing anyway. It won’t be much of a surprise to anyone there so there’s no point.” she tried to argue. I just pulled her into my chest for a second, pecking her on the nose before we headed out the door.

When we arrived at the party Abby and Lily walked over to sit beside Lainey and Rain. She and I were here at the party and fuck, I just got a little nervous. Abby had no idea what I really had planned. Only Maddox knows about the engagement ring currently burning a hole in my pocket, or that this entire party was a ruse, something I had orchestrated for the sole purpose to propose to her tonight. Did I seriously just get fucking butterflies? Fuck!

A short time later, once I knew the party was in full swing I made my way over to Abby, and I dipped down and whispered into her ear, “Showtime, darling.” She paused, looking nervous and my lips curled. The thought of her hot little ass up on that pool table did all sorts of things to me. I dipped down to her ear again, seeing a flush creep up her cleavage. “I know damn well, that deep down, you want me to claim you in front of every person here. You know you like being bad with me, Abby. And I have to say, sitting on the pool table in the middle of a party, and letting me tongue-fuck you…is kind of bad.”

It took half a second for her lips to split into a naughty smile and one more for my hands to dip underneath her skirt, gripping her firm ass that was hardly covered by her panties and pick her up and carry her to the pool table plopping her down in front of everyone.

---