He was more disappointed than he thought possible. “It will just be a little kiss,” he said, hating the cold spot that formed in his middle. “I know what I told you is scary, but we’re both adults. We won’t get carried away, I promise.”
She looked at him then shook her head. “I’m not sure that’s a promise you can keep,” she said. “It won’t be forever; you said so yourself. Someday, we’ll be together. I just need some time to get used to the idea before things go too far.”
Watching Abby pull away from him physically and emotionally was one of the hardest things he’d ever done. A little part of him wished he’d never told her the truth, but he pushed the feeling away, convinced that he’d done the right thing. If he wanted the kind of relationship his parents had,they had to be honest with each other. Tricking her into bonding with him would be the biggest mistake he ever made.
When she came to him, he wanted it to be with her eyes wide open to the commitment she was making. He’d promised to be patient, and that’s what he would do even if it killed him. The connection between them was already strong. He’d just have to put his faith in that bond until she was ready to take the next step in their relationship.
“I understand. I don’t want to, but I do,” he finally said. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be right here waiting for you when you’re ready. Just remember I’m still here for you, Abby. If you have questions, I have the answers. Don’t be afraid to ask. I’m sure all of this has been a bit overwhelming.”
Abby let out a sigh of relief. “I was so afraid that you wouldn’t understand,” she said. “I still care about you, Jackson. That hasn’t changed, and I don’t think it ever will. I just need some time.”
“And you’ll have it,” he said, forcing himself to smile at her. “All the time you need.”
She smiled at him and opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, the squeal of tires broke the silence as Walker pulled up in front of the house, followed by Ryan in the other van. A second later, all the doors on both vehicles flew open, and his friends poured out of the two cars, all of them talking at the same time.
“They have to be here,” Aaron said. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. Jackson would have wanted to keep Abby safe.”
“Did anyone call Hattie?” Malcom asked. “She could have checked to see if they were here.”
“I don’t think she’s made it home yet,” Cooper said. “Her car isn’t in the garage.”
Just then, Hattie came roaring up. “Has anyone seen Jackson and Abby?” she called through her open window. “Someone said they saw them headed this way hours ago.”
“I guess we’d better let them know we’re here,” he said, getting to his feet and offering her his hand. “Are you up for it or would you rather wait in your room?”
“I’ll go with you,” she said, letting him help her up. “I hope they’re not mad when they find out that I know…well, the secret; I hope they know that I would never tell anyone.”
“I’m sure they know that we can trust you, but it might not hurt for you to tell them that yourself,” he said, helping her through the window and back into the apartment. “You’re not the first regular human to find out about us, and if I have my way, you’ll be one of us one of these days, so there’s not much risk you’ll go blabbing what you know around campus.”
“I don’t think anyone would believe me if I told them,” she said, shaking her head, a little smile on her face. “They’d probably just lock me up somewhere with padded walls.”
“Well, there is that,” he said, relieved as she was to lighten the mood. “We’ve used that ploy a few times to cover up when the wrong person found out about us. It’s not very ethical, but the alternative is a bit messy.”
Abby stared at him for a second. “I do not want to know what that means,” she said, shaking her head as she followed him down the stairs. “Let’s just agree that I’m not going to tell anyone about what you and your friends can do.”
“That’s a deal,” he said, grinning at her before throwing open the front door and turning to face his friends out on the front lawn. “Hey everybody, what took you so long to get here? I was just about to order some pizza. It's a good thing you showed up when you did.”
“Jackson, where the hell have you been?” Hattie said, marching up to him. “I was here just a few minutes ago, andthere was no sign of you. I’ve been worried sick that something happened to both of you.”
The smile faded from his face. “I’m sorry, Hattie. We were sitting out on the roof,” he said. “I guess I should have called you when we got home, but Abby fainted, and when she woke up, I just forgot.”
Hattie shoved him out of the way. “What happened?” she demanded, taking Abby’s face in her hands and studying her closely. “Are you okay now?”
“I just got a bit of a shock,” Abby said. “I’m fine now, really.”
“No, you’re not. Look at you, all pale and shaky,” Hattie said, shoving her into the house. “What you need is something hot to eat. Jackson, you should have fed her a long time ago. Haven’t I taught you anything?”
“No, ma’am, I mean yes, ma’am,” he stuttered. “I gave her some hot tea with lots of sugar.”
“Hot tea…humph, what good does that do?” Hattie said. “Food is what she needs.”
***Abby***
Abby watched with amazement from the chair at the table where Hattie had planted her as the older woman issued orders like a drill sergeant, unable to hide the little smile on her face. In only a few minutes, huge jars of vegetable soup had been opened and poured into the big pot she’d slammed down on the stove. The countertop was covered with everything necessary to make thick meaty sandwiches to go with the soup, and the kitchen was beginning to fill with a tantalizing aroma.
Standing at the stove with a big spoon in her hand, Hattie stirred the soup until it was steaming, then began filling the stack of bowls and passing them out. When she was finished,she brought the last bowl to Abby, set it down in front of her, and took the empty chair next to her, clearly planning on making sure she ate.
“Go on, get some of that in you, and then I’ll go make you a sandwich,” Hattie said, handing her a spoon. “I’m not moving until half that bowl is gone.”
