Chapter 46

46 OLD FRIEND’S VISIT

ABBY

I feel like I’ve been in a trainwreck—every inch hurts. My right hand is heavy with something warm. I remember being rescued by cops, and I heard my husband calling me. I also remember being in the hospital, the doctors and nurses were checking me up, then they injected me something for pain, then I fall asleep.

I feel better now compared to the rescue. Drew hit me again when I tried asking him questions, and he blindfolded me again as punishments. He released me from the chair but kept my hand handcuffs and chained my ankles with duct tape on my mouth.

When the police arrived, he was hitting my back with his belt. I was so scared when I heard him unzip his pants. I thought he would violate me, but thank God he didn’t. He didn’t give me food again.

My husband kisses my swollen lips, making me flinch. He apologizes and just gives me a peck. He traces the back of his finger on my face. I can see the sadness deep in his eyes, and that’s the last thing I want to see when I was in the hands of Drew. My husband gave me hope when I was hopeless. He gave me the strength to fight for my life—to survive to see the people I care about again. My tears fall from my eyes. I knew he was worried when I was there. I could feel him even he was miles away.

“Don’t cry, baby. I don’t know how to apologize for what I said to you in Night Stalker. I’ll make it up to you for the rest of my life. It was even hard to breathe without you by my side, knowing that you were somewhere out there.”

I motion him to get closer to me, and he’s already sitting beside me on the bed. “Come here. I need to hug you and feel you. T need proof, and you’re the only one who can make me believe that we’re here together.”

He presses his body against me cautiously.

“You won’t hurt me, babe. I don’t have broken bones.”

He finally lies on top of me, his head on my chest. I run my fingers on his hair like I did when he was sleeping on the chair. I raise my head slightly to kiss the top of his head. He rubs my arm with his hand so soft like a feather. Finally, I feel his warm body against mine, and it feels good to have him back, I thought I would never see him again, but in my heart, I knew I would.

“Sebastian, I’m sorry for not listening to you, for not believing in you when you should be the only one I should trust. You made it clear to me that one of the important factors in a relationship is trust. I broke the promise that put me in danger. Give me a chance and let me prove to you that I would be a better wife, a better lover, and a better best friend. When I was there, all I could think about was you and how you worried about me,” I chuckle in sadness. “You must be giving them a hard time. You must have threatened everyone. Forgive me, babe. I doubted you when all you thought was my safety.”

He must be crying, and I can feel his body shaking. I wipe my tears from my face. Sebastian remains silent, and it worries me. What if he doesn’t want me anymore. I put him in a lot of trouble in less than a month of our marriage.

“You’re right. He manipulated me, controlled me, and scared everyone would attempt to come close to me. I can’t believe I missed every clue. I can’t believe I’m living with a psychopath all these years.”

He hushes me. “Baby, I don’t wanna talk about him right now. I wanna feel you that you’re real and alive and in my arms.”

I hug him again, and the door flies open that makes us pull apart.

“Hughes, what’s in the no banging in the hospital you didn’t understand?” White says with a grin on his face. Everyone comes inside with flowers, balloons, and stuff toys.

“Wow!” that’s all I can say.

“Whoa! Easy there, Trixie. She’s in the hospital bed for a reason,” Patrick berates her sister.

Trixie ignores him as she hugs me, causing me to yelp in surprise. “I miss you, beautiful. Someone promised me that we could have sisters bonding without calling you every five minutes.” She giggles while looking up at Sebastian to irritate him, and he just rolls her eyes.

“Now, go away, Trixie. It’s my turn,” Patrick grabs her sister’s arm away from me. “Hey, Abby Baby. I punched that motherfucker on his face. I know it wasn’t enough, but that was for you.” He hugs me, rubs my back, and kisses my bruised face after.

“Thank you, Patty. It makes me feel better that you care about me,” I say while wrinkling my nose.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” he asks and looks hurt.

I laugh to see his face like that. “I believe you, you idiot. I just enjoy seeing your reaction and made an effort punching that psycho.”

“Feeling better now?” He grins, and someone clears the throat. I know it’s Mason who had black-eyed.

I cover my gaping mouth with my hand. “What happened to you, Mason? Who did that to you? Come here, hottie.” He comes closer, and I hug him, then I touch his swollen eye with my thumb.

“Don’t call me hottie, or I’ll have another black eye.” He smiles while stealing glances at Sebastian.

I ask in shock. “Did Sebastian do this to you?”

He shakes his head.

“Oh, it’s Patty, isn’t it?”

He nods, and I glare at Patrick who doesn’t seem to care.

Logan comes next. “How are you feeling, Abby? I’m so sorry for what I said—”

I cut in. “Please, don’t. I owe you big time. If it’s not because of you, I would still be naïve and living with a psycho. I wouldn’t even find out that he’s been stalking me. He did this before, kidnapping me, and he confessed everything and that he felt good beating people. Thank you so much.” I hug him tightly, and I saw Lincoln leaning against the wall.

“Lincoln, I can you please come over.”

He looks surprised, but he walks to my bed. I grab his hand stronger so that he can bend his body, and then I hug him.

“Do you think staying there will excuse you for not to hug me. You’re wrong.” Everyone laughs, even my husband. “Thank you for keeping my husband safe while I was away.

“Yeah, run away again, and I will put you in my pocket.”

“I keep that in mind.” I chuckle that makes him chuckle too.

“Good to see you back, Abby.” I nod, I see another head that I don’t recognize.

“Baby, meet James Riley. Riley, come here and meet my wife.” Riley offers his hand, but I hug him instead.

“Nice meeting you, Riley, or shall I call you James.”

“Just Riley, ma’am.”

I smile. “Ma’am my ass, call me Abby.”

“Babe, your dad will be here soon. Mom and Dad are on their way with aunt Brenda and Uncle Peter. Would you like to rest before they arrive? The doctor won’t release you today.” He sits back on my side, and my stomach growls.

“Oops. I guess I need real food.” Everyone laughs.

My dad arrives later with a bouquet of red tulips.

“Dad, I miss you,” I yell before he can come closer.

“I missed you too, pumpkin.” He hugs me and kisses my forehead. “How are you feeling, pumpkin? I’m sorry this has to happen to you.”

I take his hand and look down. “I would be fine, Dad, and it’s over. He’s locked now, isn’t he?”

He nods. “You made us all worry, pumpkin.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I just want to prove to myself that Drew is what they said he is. I need to find out the truth. He was my friend, after all. That’s what I thought.”

Seb’s parents and Williams arrives after Dad. They all feel sorry, and Seb’s mom cries when I tell them what happened. They all laugh when I mention I knee Drew in his crotch. It all ends with a comedy, especially when Mason mentioned that Trixie did the same thing. When she said poor balls, everyone barks out laughing.

I feel exhausted when everyone left. My husband, of course, is doing a husband’s duty. He carries me to the bathroom when I need to change my hospital gown and freshen up.

“Baby, let me help you with that,” Sebastian says while tying my hair into a bun. I know I’m all commando. I let him do his job easily. He takes off my gown slowly and looks at my now naked body.

“He didn’t touch me, babe. If that’s what you’re thinking. He only kissed me once in the hotel.”

He growls and grits his teeth. “He can’t do it again anymore.”

I rub his tensed arms, and he nods. I look at him in the eye, and I want to take those pain away. I tiptoe to kiss him with everything I can. I wrap my arms around his neck, and he holds his hands on my back, and I feel his erection on my lower abdomen, causing me to gasp. I let him slip his tongue into my mouth because I miss his tastes. I moan, and he moans too when our tongues collide. He presses on me tighter, grabs my ass, and I wrap my legs around his waits.

“Mrs. Hughes, are you in the bathroom?” The nurse’s voice breaks us apart. We stare at each other.

“Cockblocker,” Sebastian whispers in my ear, making me giggle.

I take a deep breath. “Yeah, just changing my clothes. Be there in a minute.” I can still see the protruding erection on my husband’s jeans.

After I change, I walk out from the bathroom, and Seb is already there in the room talking to someone—a woman.

My jaw almost drops to the floor when I see the woman in front of me. “Rebecca?”

She stops and stares at me. I stride to her and hug her tight. For three years, I didn’t see her, and I have no idea where she had been. Now she’s here and in my arms.

“Mack, is that you? I mean you’re real, right?” She looks the same, only grew up into a woman, and she’s not anymore a teenager.

“Yeah, it’s me. Oh, my god. I missed you. Where have you been these years? I haven’t heard anything from you until I left for college. How’s James? Are you still with him?”

She rolls her eyes—typical Becca.

“Ugh! That was three years ago. After graduation, we went separate ways. I didn’t hear anything from him after he left college. Oh, I met Trey a year ago, and he’s still asking about you.”

I can’t help but smile as I listen to her.

“I really miss you, Mack. I’m so sorry for what happened. It wouldn’t happen to you if I didn’t take you to that party. I visited you here when you’re still in a coma, and then, I received this creepy text that if I would stay close to you, he would hurt me. I even received a package that contains a dead rat with a message that if I wouldn’t stay away from you, I would end up like that rat.”

My mouth gapes, and I look up to my husband who’s seriously listening.

“I even moved away from here. I didn’t talk to cops, but my parents knew. They decided to send me to Florida for college. I’m here just for vacation. I found your school address, and I went there to see you. I even visited your apartment, and your roommate said that you were not there anymore, and he said he didn’t know where you moved out.”

I can’t believe what I’m listening to this right now. Logan is right, Drew is aggressive and manipulative and tried to get rid of all the people who get close to me.

“When did you visit me there, Becca?” I hold her hands.

“A year ago. The classes just started. I know you would be there, and that’s the address your dad gave me.”

My eyes widen.

“Oh yeah. Dad mentioned it to me that he met you and your family at the restaurant.” I release a huge breath, and then she points her thumb to Sebastian’s side.

“You’re dating him?” She smiles and wiggles her eyebrows.

I laugh. I can’t believe I just laugh, and I feel I’m about to giggle because I never had a boyfriend. “Yeah. Meet my boyfriend, Sebastian.”

He crosses his arms over his chest. “Oh, now I’m demoted to be just a boyfriend, huh? And who’s Trey?” He sits on the bed beside me and looks at me intensely. He doesn’t look amused when I don’t answer.

“He was my classmate in high school, and he was the last person I talked to before that happened.”

Becca looks at him carefully. “Why do you look familiar, Sebastian? I think I saw you somewhere.” Becca taps a finger on her chin.

“Maybe in gossip sites, if you like those crap,” Sebastian answers with a shrug.

“What do you do, Sebastian? I mean, what do you do for a living? If you’re not a one-man woman and not serious with my best friend, you better leave her alone. She’d suffered too much, and by that look, you have a playboy-bad boy halo all over you. You may be hot, but you’re just going to hurt Mack in the end.”

He smirks. “Hear that, baby. She said that I look hot.”

I snort. “Are you trying to make me jealous? Try harder. We don’t fuck girlfriend’s boyfriend. That’s girls’ code.”

Becca just laughs.

“Oh, Rebecca. I would never hurt your best friend. If she’s hurt, I will feel her pain. If she’s happy, I’m happy too. If she had her mind-blowing orgasms, I had mind-blowing orgasms too. We’re one. She’s my life and my soulmate.”

Becca’s mouth gapes open. I guess not from the mind-blowing orgasms part.

He fishes out something from his jeans pocket before he takes my hand. “Here’re your rings, baby. That motherfucker didn’t bother taking them away from your finger. The nurse gave them to me after you’re admitted.”

Becca looks at my engagement ring and wedding band then to me then to Sebastian, and my husband smirks at Becca.

“Oh, my god! I missed the big day, best friend. Congratulations!” she hugs Sebastian while she’s literally jumping.

“Thanks, and oh, you’re invited for the big day. I’ll marry her again. No specific date yet.”

Becca hugs me too and pecks my cheek.

“I never imagine you marrying a bad boy, Mack.”

Sebastian just shrugs. “Well, she just did.”

When Rebecca left, she promises me that we’re going to meet again. She plans to move here for college. I’m still surprised about what Sebastian told Becca that he’s going to marry me again.

“Penny for the thoughts, Abbygail.” He lies down beside me, running his fingers through my hair.

“You’re gonna marry me again?” I look straight into his eyes, and I can see the happiness in those gray orbs.

He kisses my forehead. “Yeah. I’m planning on giving you a fancy wedding. Now I just got karma and have the lamest wedding proposal ever.”

The bed shakes as we laugh together. He kisses my lips, and I kiss him back. Then someone clears a throat. We’re like deers caught in the headlights.

Sebastian whispers, “Neverending of cockblockers.”