She grabbed her earbuds and put on some pop music.She wanted something with a bouncy tune.Next, she got out her vacuum, a bucket, and a rag.With some window cleaner, she started on the windows.
With the music cranked up, it helped to drown out her thoughts—drown out her anger at Brad—drown out her anger at herself for caring about him.When she finished the windows, she started to dust.
She turned around to grab some paper towels when she spotted someone standing in her apartment.She jumped before she realized it was Brad standing there.
She hastily pulled out her earbuds.“What are you doing in here?”
“I knocked.I knew you were here.So, when you didn’t answer, I got worried.”
She frowned at him.Why hadn’t she locked the door?Because this was Bayberry, and locking your door was optional...unless your nosy ex was looking for you.
“You can’t be in here,” she stated flatly.
“Abby, we have to talk.”His blue eyes pleaded with her.
She recalled some of what she’d overheard at the diner.She’d only heard a bit of the conversation, but it had been long enough to know he was never going to change.
She shook her head.“Whatever we had, it’s over.”
“Abby”—he stepped forward—“I’m sorry.I totally messed things up with my mother.I just panicked.”
She shook her head.“It doesn’t matter.It was a mistake.We were a mistake.”
She wasn’t going to give him a chance to draw her back in.She was done.
He stepped closer and reached out to her.“Abby...”
She stepped back.“Why are you still here?I heard you with Reed.You were still trying to talk him out of moving here.”
“I wasn’t—”
“You were.I heard you at the diner.”Her frustration with him was growing with each passing moment.“Why can’t you just let Reed and Sadie be happy?”
“I do want them to be happy.”
“It sure didn’t sound like it to me.”
“Then you must not have heard the whole conversation.I was trying to figure out...us.”
“That’s a pretty strange way to do it.”
“Abby, I know I’m messing this all up.Can’t we sit down and talk?”
She shook her head.“Brad, why are you pushing things?”
“Because we can’t end this way.”
“Why?You knew it was going to end eventually.You live in Chicago.I live here.It was never going to last.”
“Abby, what we have is good.”
“Stop.We’re not doing this.”She picked up the window cleaner and the paper towels.She turned her back to him and squirted the mirror.
“Abby, please don’t shut me out.Please talk to me.”
She ran the paper towel over the mirror.They’d talked about a lot of things over the past few months.The one thing they’d never talked about was their feelings.She had no idea how he felt about her.
She stopped cleaning the mirror and turned.She looked directly into his eyes.“What do you feel for me?”
