Page 267 of Devil’s Disciples

“What’s settled?”

“You’re stuck with me.”

I slipped my arms around her waist and pulled her tight to my chest. I knew I’d never leave her. I didn’t have it in me. I feared, however that she’d one day leave me.

Every other woman I loved had.

Why would she be any different?

99

Abby

George sat down across from me and gave me a quick look over. “It’s been a long damn time since you came in here for advice.”

“Who says I’m here for advice?”

“We’re empty.” He waved his hands toward the vacant seats. “It’s three o’ clock. Too early for dinner, and too late for lunch. You’re here to talk.”

It aggravated me that he knew me that well. “No, I came in for something to eat.”

He rubbed his hands together. “What’ll you have? Pancakes? The Abby? Your other favorite? Apples and grilled cheese?”

“I’m not hungry,” I admitted. “You’re right. I wanted to talk.”

“Is everything okay?”

“It’s perfect.” My shoulders slumped. “That’s the problem.”

His eyes narrowed. “Perfect is a problem?”

“I don’t feel like I deserve this. I worry that it’s all going to come crashing down. That he’s going to leave me. That it’s too good to be true. He’s too good to be true. This entire thing is too good to be true. That there’s no way this can last. That--”

“Take a breath” He reached across the table and cupped my hand in his. “In through the nose, and out through the mouth. You’re going to hyperventilate if you’re not careful.”

“I get worked up when he’s gone,” I said. “I don’t know what the problem is. It’s like I can’t function without him.”

He squeezed my hand and smiled. “Solution sounds simple to me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Spend more time together,” he said.

We saw each other every day. I didn’t want to smother him and give him a reason to reject me. But. When he was gone, my mind went fifty different directions, developing possibilities of what might happen to prevent him from ever returning. Everything from changing his mind about being in a relationship to wrecking his motorcycle. I remained stuck in my pattern of worrying until he returned.

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him, because I did. When he was away, I simply couldn’t believe I deserved something as special as what we had.

I let out a breath. “I see him every day. If we had normal jobs, we wouldn’t see each other this much. Sometimes I see him two or three times a day. It’s not that. It’s just. I get worked up when he’s away. When he’s gone, I can’t believe I deserve what it is we have when he’s with me.”

“It doesn’t matter if he’s with you or he’s gone, Abby. You still have it.” He looked at me like I was crazy. “Did you give him that bracelet that Lawson’s wife made for you?”

“I did.”

“What did it say on it?”

“You know what it said.”

“What did it say, Abby?” He arched one brow. “Remind me.”