Chapter 25
Devon
The minutes on the clock seemed to tick way to slowly and the meetings droned on for what felt like an eternity. But at last, the final meeting concluded, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I could finally get home and sort things out with Abby and see where the chips fell.
My driver was waiting for me as I exited the building.
“Thank you, Karim,” I murmured as he opened the car door and I slipped in, closing the door behind me. Leaning back against the black leather, I took the time while we drove to go through what I was going to say to Abigail when I saw her.
By the time we arrived at my building, I was quite certain that I had it all figured out.
Riding the elevator to my apartment, I discovered something peculiar. I was nervous. Holy shit! I was actually nervous! This was the first time since college that I felt uncertain with a woman. Oddly enough, I somewhat liked this feeling. It made me feel young again.
The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open as we reached my place. Taking a deep breath in, I slowly released it as I stepped into the foyer.
“Abby!” I called out as I began making my way to the kitchen.
No Abigail.
A smile crept onto my lips as I hustled my way up the stairs to the second floor. Could she be setting up a recreation of the other day? Oh, I hope so! My dick jerked alive at the thought.
Looking down at my watch, I frowned. It was still quite early. Where was Isabella? She couldn’t be to bed already. It was only dinnertime. Strange. Maybe they went out shopping?
Entering my bedroom, I shrugged out of my jacket and draped it over the back of the chair by the door. Peeking into the bathroom, I was a little disappointed that she wasn’t there waiting for me.
“Abigail?” I called out leaving my room and knocking on her door.
No response. Twisting the knob, I pushed the door open and entered. “Abby?”
Hmmm. Stepping into the bedroom, I gave it a quick scan. Something wasn’t right. Since she’d moved in with me, she always had her toiletries on the top of the dresser. They were gone.
Maybe she left them in the bathroom? Not likely. I’m not sure what possessed me, but I walked to the dresser and pulled open the top drawer. It was empty. I began pulling open the other drawers, and they all turned up empty.
What in the hell?
Leaving the bedroom and not bothering to close the door, I went back to Isabella’s room. Entering Isabella’s room, my eyes went right to where the bear should be sitting. It was gone. Just like Abigail’s room, this one was empty.
What the fuck! I stood stunned in the middle of Isabella’s room, not sure what to think. Pulling my phone from my pants pocket, I scanned my text messages. Nothing from Abigail.
Maybe she’d packed up early since our time together was coming to an end?
Going back downstairs, I re-entered the kitchen. That’s when I spotted it. I hadn’t entered the kitchen fully the first time, so I hadn’t seen it before: a note pinned to the fridge.
Grabbing the note from under the silver fridge magnet, I began to read.
Dear Devon,
Isabella and I have had a good time staying with you over the past month, but with our contract coming to an end, I felt it was time for us to move on. We’ll say that you have won the bet and end it with that.
I’ve also contacted the cleaning company I work for and resigned, so they will be sending a new girl to replace me in the morning.
Please don’t try and contact me. I think it’s better if we just left it like this. Isabella is confused enough as it is and I don’t feel that it would be fair to continue to confuse her.
I wish you the best of luck in the future,
Abigail
We’ll just say you won? Did that mean she was in love with me?
I stood staring at the note for a while, analyzing the words written on it. The whole thing didn’t make any sense. Did she think that I’d be done with her as soon as the week was up? Did she not know me better than that? Surely, she knew me well enough to know that wasn’t the case. To think that she might even consider the idea that I would just end things with her hurt.
And to end it with a request to not contact her! What in the fuck was that all about? This was bullshit!
I was about to call her when I stopped myself. If she was going to pull this shit, did I really want to chase after her? If she didn’t want to be with me that badly, then to hell with her.
Exiting the kitchen, I entered the main room and grabbed a bottle of scotch. After pouring a drink on the rocks, I drank it down in a couple of gulps.
To hell with this shit; I was calling her. Grabbing my phone once more, I dialled her number. It rang several times before being picked up by voicemail.
Dammit!
Setting the drink on the fireplace ledge, I poured myself another drink. Swallowing down the liquid, I stared at the phone while savoring the burning feel of the alcohol sliding down my throat. Placing the empty glass on the ledge, I picked my phone back up and sent her a text message.
I had a feeling that she wasn’t going to answer the phone no matter how many times I called, but she’d have no choice but to read what I had to say. Sure, she could delete it without reading it, but I doubted she would. She’d be too curious.
But what should I write? I had no idea.
Fuck it. I’d just send her a message telling her to call me and come back. If she responded, great. If she didn’t, then I’d have to search her down. This didn’t make sense, not one bit.
I’m not sure what’s going on, but you need to come back. I need to talk to you.
~*~ TT ~*~
Abigail
“You’re being crazy right now, you realize this, right?” Carrie said to me as I finished packing my belonging.
“I’m not being crazy. I’m doing the right thing.” I informed her.
“But flying to Bermuda is insane,” She insisted, “Talk to him. Let him know what’s going on.”
“I’m not going to be the one that makes him lose his business.”
“That’s not guaranteed. And if worse came to worst, he’d still be a shareholder.”
“But he wouldn’t be in charge of the thing he loves more than anything else.”
“Until you.” She cocked her head to the side and eyed me carefully, waiting for my response.
I snorted. “I think if it was between me and his company, I wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“I’m sure he could find a solution. She could be bluffing, you know.”
My hands stopped packing to give her my undivided attention. “And what if she wasn’t? I’m not about to take that chance. I care for him way too much for that.”
“You love him, you mean.”
Raising my hands out to the side, I responded. “What do you want me to say, Carrie? I’m trying to do the right thing here.”
“You’re being stupid.” When I ignored her, she leaned forward. “Abby, you’re making a mistake.”
I was about to respond when my phone started ringing.
Pulling the phone from my back pocket, I looked down at the caller ID. It was Devon. I swiped across the screen to deny the call.
“Was that him?”
“Yes.”
“See?” She motioned to the phone. “He wants to resolve this. He’s not going to let you go so easily. That there is saying a lot.”
“It just means he doesn’t like to lose.” I didn’t believe the words that came out of my mouth, not for a second. But I was attempting to sell it – to both of us.
The phone beeped signaling a text message. As much as I wanted to read the message, I refrained. Without even looking at it, I opened and deleted it. It was for the best. Even if there wasn’t the threat from Amy, I still had to worry about getting hurt in the end. He wasn’t the kind of guy to be with a woman like me. I was interesting because I was new and different. As soon as the newness was done, he’d leave me to the wayside.
It was definitely better this way.
I’m doing the right thing. I’d told myself that numerous times already, but I still didn’t believe it.
~*~ TT ~*~
One Month Later
Devon
Enough was enough. I’d attempted to call her so many times I’d lost count. Text messages went unanswered. I was being completely cut out and it was pissing me off. As much as I’d been tempted to chase after her right after she left, I’d held back. She would come to her senses, I’d told myself.
But she hadn’t.
I tried to let go and move on. If she wanted me then she never would have left in the first place, right? But the woman was in my head. I’d even tried dating a few other women, but to no avail. No one compared to her. Socialites and celebrities were so damned bland.
None had the fire that Abigail had.
And she was going to be mine again.
“So, where is she?” I asked the private detective I’d hired to find her. I’d already attempted to get the information from her roommate, but that woman’s lips were sealed. No amount of money would make her rat out her friend – it was both admirable and annoying.
But there was more than one way to get what I wanted, and Robert Kennel was the way. It took him nearly a week, but he’d found her and confirmed it was indeed her by sending me a picture. She looked good in the picture and tanned.
“It took some time, she’s been travelling a bit.”
I groaned my frustration. “Just tell me where she is, I don’t give a shit about the process. I just need to know where I’m flying.”
The other man looked a little disappointed that I didn’t have an interest in hearing about the trouble he’d went to. I wasn’t paying for a story, I was paying for the location of the woman I loved. “She’s staying at the Tucker’s Point Resort in Bermuda. She’s leaving in six days.”
“That’s all I wanted to know.” Pulling an envelope from the inner pocket of my jacket, I passed it over to him. It cost me a fair amount to gain the information, but now I had it and it was time to retrieve her. She could have picked a hell of a lot worse places than Bermuda.
Getting up from the table, I gave him a nod. “I appreciate your help.” Grabbing my phone from the pocket of my jeans, I pulled it out and began making the necessary calls to get me there as quickly as possible.
She should have known that she couldn’t get away from me that easily.