Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Abby

Emmy: Abby, please text me back. Or call me. Call any of us.

Katie: That asshole is going down, Abby. Nolan has people who can dig up everything. His secrets will come out.

Nolan: I already have one possible secret. Trust me, no matter what, this asshole will eventually be alone, jobless, and humiliated.

Amber: That will take too long. But I have a plan to make him disappear. And we’ll never get caught. Say the word, and I’ll put it into motion.

Aunt Lori: Abby, dear, are you all right? Of course you aren’t. But I have lots of hugs waiting for you. Come home and let us stand with you, love.

Beck: Anyone who so much as breathes a word of that video will be kicked out of the winery and banned for life. I don’t care how much business we lose. We have your back, Abby.

Sabrina: Same for anyone coming to my office. I’m sure most of Starry Hills would ban them, too. A lot of people love you here, Abby. More than just us.

Zach: Zane knows people. Former SEALs and green berets who can take care of your ex-asshole problem. Ones who’ll let us beat his ass first, before they make him disappear. Just say the word.

Zane: They won’t kill him, but there are worse things. And he deserves it.

West: I would’ve gone after him already, but Emmy says you need to decide what to do. But I’m up for helping Zane’s friends.

Emmy: Or even just ask Rafe for help, Abby. Please don’t face this alone. We love you. heart emoji

A s I walked the grounds of Lyme Park, I took in the big house in the distance and wished I could enjoy the view. And yet, I kept readjusting my sunglasses and looking over my shoulder, afraid someone would rush toward me and say, “You’re the woman from that CGN video!”

I still hadn’t been able to watch the rest of it. At some point, yes, I needed to know what Travis had said. But right now, I just wanted to forget about everything but the surrounding nature and historical buildings. Oh, and walking briskly to keep warm.

March in Northern England wasn’t exactly balmy.

Zipping my coat up to the very top, I put my hands in my coat pockets and walked toward the building known as the Cage. It was a tall, square building with turret-type towers at each of the corners. There were supposed to be breathtaking views from near the building.

Once I reached it and removed my sunglasses, I looked over the rolling hills of the Peak District. My eyes stopped on the sprawl of Manchester in the distance.

How many people were there watching that video and thinking the worst of me?

The worst of Rafe?

Was he even still there? Or had he rushed home to try and mitigate the worst of the damage? Damage I’d caused.

I’d known this would happen. I’d warned him, too. And yet, I’d wanted so badly to see if Rafe the man was anything like the boy I’d loved.

And now? Because of me, his training facility was in jeopardy, he’d be humiliated, and my ex would win in the end.

If only I could go back in time and warn myself about Travis and his charm.

I had no idea how long I stood there, staring at the city in the distance, before I heard something faint in the wind.

“Abby!”

I frowned, but turned around. A man rushed toward me, slightly limping. He wore sunglasses, but I’d recognize him anywhere.

It was Rafe.

My first instinct was to run away again. And yet, when he removed his glasses and I watched him struggle to reach me, I just couldn’t. Instead, my feet moved, and I walked toward him. When I was close enough, Rafe pulled me into a hug and said, “Thank fuck I found you.”

I should push him away, tell him to leave me alone. And yet, he was warm and comforting and before I could stop it, I clung to him and started crying.

The cries turned into sobs and soon Rafe was holding me close, murmuring words I didn’t hear, and rubbing my back, my arms, my side.

Eventually, I quieted, and embarrassment rushed through me. Why was I always crying around this man?

I tried to pull away, but Rafe only held me tighter. “No. You’re not running away again, Abigail. We need to talk.”

He was right. After raising my head, I steeled myself for Rafe’s rejection and his ending our marriage.

But when he cupped my cheek, I blinked. His voice was soft as he said, “I can tell from your face that you expected me to toss you aside and abandon you. But no, I’m not going anywhere, Abby. You’re my wife. And we’re going to face this together.”

“What? Why?”

His thumb stroked my cheek. “Did you really think I’d abandon you because of some bastard’s lies?”

Hurt flashed in his gaze, and my stomach dropped. “You’re honorable, Rafe, as well as kind and caring. I know you’re nothing like him, I do. But staying by my side will destroy your dream and ruin everything.”

“I wouldn’t be the first person to have my dream change.”

“What are you talking about?”

He shook his head. “We’ll get to that later. Right now, I need you to do something extremely difficult, Abby. I need you to trust me. Trust me to stay at your side and to help fight back. Trust me not to run away and abandon you. Can you do that?”

I nearly blurted no just to protect him. However, searching his gaze, all I saw was sincerity. He wanted to help me.

But could I trust my judgment? After all, it’d gotten me into this mess in the first place.

And yet, I was so tired of it all. Tired of worrying about what Travis would say or do. Tired of giving up my dreams out of fear. Tired of protecting myself from possible pain and abandonment by hiding away and keeping new people at arm’s length.

Yes, my parents had died, but neither would’ve done so by choice. And my siblings had probably been so overwhelmed with grief that they hadn’t realized how their leaving would affect anyone else.

Plus, all the messages from the group chat proved they wanted to stand with me.

Travis’s shitstorm could hurt the winery, Emmy’s wedding business, West’s new cattle ranch, Amber’s bakery, Sabrina’s PR firm, or even Nolan’s acting career.

And yet, they still all offered to do whatever they could to squash my ex and help me fight his lies.

Lies they hadn’t even needed me to deny.

Because they knew me, trusted me. It was time for me to put my faith in others in return. Because if I couldn’t even believe in my friends and family a little, then I’d never be able to trust anyone.

And I wanted to trust. Not just them, but Rafe as well.

The question was whether I was strong enough to risk getting hurt again?

Yes rushed through my head. It was time to stop walling off my heart.

Tears threatened to fall again, but I cleared my throat and pushed down my emotions to reply, “I’m going to try and trust you. I can’t promise I won’t try to run again, or if things get worse, try to fight things on my own. I’ve been doing it a long time, Rafe. So long that I almost forgot what it was like not to handle this huge secret on my own. And yet, I’m so damn tired of it all.” I raised a hand and traced his jaw. “Just promise me you won’t resent me later if things get worse. This thing with Travis could affect the opening and reputation of your training facility, your image, the new start you’ve been working so hard on.”

He continued to stroke my cheek. “The training facility will survive, one way or the other. And if it struggles at first, I’ll make sure Mark and his wife don’t suffer because of my actions. Nor will any of the staff.” He raised his other hand to cup my cheek before laying his forehead against mine. “Let me help you, Abby. Please.”

As I stared into his dark brown eyes, seeing how much he yearned for me to say yes, I leaned forward and kissed him gently. “Yes, you can help me. Thank you, Rafe. For not thinking the worst of me.”

“You’re my wife, Abigail. I told you I’d protect you, and I meant it.”

The word “wife” kept repeating inside my head. What would it be like to truly be his wife, in more than name only?

Don’t hope for the stars. Take his friendship and deal with Travis. Then think about the future.

Wanting to lighten the mood a little, I said, “Too bad it’s so windy and cold. I would’ve loved to see you come up the hill shirtless, like this was some sort of movie.”

“Is that what you were doing up here? Imagining me shirtless?”

I smiled, loving how he knew I needed some lightness right now. Oh, shit would hit the fan and the world might come crashing down, eventually. But right here, right now, I wanted to be a little ridiculous before facing reality.

“Well, wouldn’t you like to know?”

In one quick motion, Rafe scooped me into his arms and held me close.

“Rafe! Your knee!”

“I can hold you for a few minutes. Just don’t ask me to walk down that hill. Or slay a dragon. That kind of thing.”

Laughing, I looped my arms around his neck. “At least I know you won’t be able to carry me off to your evil lair and have your way with me.”

“I may just have to try that. Having my way with you sounds more like fun than evil, though.”

“Are we really getting into the semantics?”

“Have you met your family?”

I rolled my eyes. “Are you going to start flinging peas at the dinner table now?”

“Peas aren’t the best choice. I’d go for mini-potatoes. Or rolls. Maybe I could use napkins to make my own projectiles. Now, there’s an idea…”

He winked at me, and I snorted. “Who are you and what have you done with Rafael Mendoza?”

“He’s right here, being himself. With you.”

“Oh, Rafe.” I kissed him gently, and said, “I like real Rafe better than the fake playboy. Even more than the teenager I couldn’t stop staring at.”

“Do you, now?”

His gaze turned heated, and my belly flipped. “I always had a thing for hot yet silly guys.”

“Silly, huh?” He cleared his throat. “What should we do now, my lady? Shall I serenade you? Maybe summon a unicorn to take us on a ride? Or how about if I use rocks to spell out your name on the hillside?”

I snorted. “None of that.” I sobered a fraction. “Put me down and just hold me as we look at the scenery. I want to remember this moment forever.”

He slowly put me back on the ground, spun me away from him, and pulled my back against his front. Once he wrapped his arms around my waist, he laid his cheek against mine and whispered, “I want to remember it forever, too, Abigail. To remember this perfect moment with my wife.”

As he tightened his hold around me and the wind whipped around us, I simply lived in the moment, needing happy memories to help ground me for what was to come.