Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

A s the plane took off, Abby closed her eyes.

Her head pounded, her heart ached, and she craved a comforting hug like nothing else. Her best friend would be good for that…and the instant the thought popped into her head, she almost cried.

Judd was her best friend yet everything had changed, and she couldn't imagine telling him her deepest secrets anymore let alone touching him.

The best she could hope for was to bury herself in work, considering the promotion was ninety-nine-point-nine percent hers anyway, and try to maintain some semblance of normality in her dealings with him at the office.

There's more to life than chasing some crazy dream job and not getting attached to anything or anyone for fear of losing it.

Abby sat bolt upright, having one of those blinding flashes of clarity that made her want to smack herself in the head. She'd said those very words to Judd when he'd run out on her the first time around, when he'd been young and dumb and filled with macho ideals.

So what was her excuse now?

She was doing the same thing she'd accused him of. There was more to life than work and if she shut him out of her life because of her stupidity at falling in love with him, she'd never forgive herself.

She'd been so cold towards him the last time they'd spoken, not in the least surprised he'd changed his flight and taken an earlier one to avoid her.

Friends didn't act like that: pretending they didn't care, deliberately sabotaging their relationship, withholding the truth.

She'd done it all and wasn't proud. She'd blown off Judd, the guy who meant everything to her, and if she wasn't careful she'd lose him completely.

Sighing, she pressed her fingers against her eyes, willing the tears to vanish. She'd never felt so alone, had never felt such a strong need to confide in someone.

But that someone was Sydney bound and probably didn't want to have anything to do with her.

She'd have to move past this and learn to get along with him again, if not for the sake of her job, for her sanity.

If being best buddies with Judd had been the best thing to ever happen to her, losing her heart to him could be the worst.