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"Travis, stop I love you," she said, using her thin fingers to smooth lines around iving, but"
"Waitwhat?" I interrupted, leaning back
"I was fully prepared to give in on Thanksgiving, but you said you were done trying to make me happy, and I was too proud to tell you that I wanted you back"
"Are you fucking kiddingto make it easier on you! Do you kno miserable I’ve been?"
Abby frowned "You looked just fine after break"
"That was for you! I was afraid I’d lose you if I didn’t pretend to be okay with being friends I could have been with you this whole tieon?"
"II’m sorry"
"You’re sorry? I daet out of bed, I shattered my phone into ayouand you’re sorry?"
Abby bit her bottom lip and nodded, ashaiven," I said without hesitation "Don’t ever do it again"
"I won’t I pro like an idiot "I fucking love you"
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Panic
LIFE HAD RETURNED TO NORMAL--MAYBE MORE FOR Abby than for me On the surface ere happy, but I could feel a wall of caution building around ranted If I looked over at her and wanted to touch her, I did If she wasn’t at the apartan If ere at the apart to school as a couple for the first time since the fall had the expected effect As alked around together, holding hands, laughing, and occasionally kissing--okay, h As always at this school, whispers and tabloid-worthy stories continued until another scandal rocked the campus
On top of the unrest I already felt about ly irritable about the last fight of the year I wasn’t far behind We both depended on the winnings fro expenses for the summer, not to ht of the year was alsobreak inched closer, but still no word frohlow after the arrests following the ht
On the Friday before break, the cahter, even with the fresh batch of snow that had been duht On our way to the cafeteria for lunch, Abby and I had barely escaped a public snowball fight; Ahed, waiting in line for trays of God-knohat, and then sat at our regular seats Shepley comforted America while I amused Brazil with the story of how Abby hustled ister until Abby pointed it out
"Trav?" she said
I turned, tuning everything out the second she said et that"
I looked down at the cell phone and sighed "Or not" Part of ht, but part of me kneould be time spent away from Abby After she was attacked at the last one, there was no way I could concentrate if she came to this one without protection--and I couldn’t concentrate fully if she wasn’t there, either The last fight of the year was always the biggest, and I couldn’t afford to have my head somewhere else
"It could be important," Abby said
I held the phone to onna love this It’s done I got John fucking Savage! He’s planning to go pro next year! Chance of a goddaures You’ll be set for a while"
"This is ht, Adam"
The other end of the line was quiet I could i under the skin More than once he’d accused Abby of threatening his cash flow, and I was sure he would bla her?"
"I’m not sure yet"
"You should probably leave her at hoht, I need you all in"
"I won’t go without her, and Shep’s leaving town"
"No fucking around this time I mean it"
"I know I heard you"
Ada her at home, maybe you could call Trent That would probably set your mind at ease, and then you could concentrate"
"Hmmmthat’s not a bad idea, actually," I said
"Think about it Letup the phone
Abby stared at h to pay rent for the next eight o pro"
"I haven’t seen hi forward
"Just once in Springfield He’s good"
"Not good enough," Abby said I leaned in and kissed her forehead "I can stay ho et hit like you did last tie"
"I’ll wait up for you" She sto ask Trent to come He’s the only one I’d trust so I can concentrate on the fight"
"Thanks a lot, asshole," Shepley grumbled
"Hey, you had your chance," I said, only half teasing
Shepley’s , but he dropped the ball at Hellerton, letting Abby get away fro attention, it would have never happened, and we all knew it
America and Abby swore that it was a fluke accident, but I didn’t hesitate to tell hiht instead of Abby, and if Ethan had finished what he started, I would be in jail for ized to Abby for weeks, but then I took him aside and told hi it every tiot the best of him
"Shepley, it wasn’t your fault You pulled hi around Aht?"
"Next week sometime I want you there I need you there" If I’d been any less of an asshole, I would have insisted she stay home, but it had already been established on numerous occasions that I wasn’t My need to be around Abby Abernathy overruled any rational thought It had always been that way, and I i her chin on my shoulder "Then I’ll be there"
I dropped Abby off at her final class, kissing her goodbye before an The ca e a coed carrying luggage or laundry every three minutes
I pulled my cell phone fro to each ring with increasing impatience Finally, his voice e favor It’s ti up, seeing Shepley and Alass doors of the dors