“I’ll take her,” Tank says.
My first instinct is to tell him no. But if keeping my mouth shut gets me away from the pity faster, then silence it is.
Outside, Tank walks me to his truck and helps me climb in.
“Abby,” Riley says, rushing out of her house. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe we didn’t think to call you when the plans….what’s going on? Spike, what happened to her? I thought you said she just got drunk. She looks like more than that.”
“Come on,” Spike says quietly. “Abigail needs to go home and rest.”
“I’m coming with you,” Eli says, stepping toward the truck. “I’ll ride in the back.”
“No, you’re not, pretty boy,” Skip says, pulling him away. “Abby needs space. You all can storm her life again later.”
“We’re so sorry,” Eli calls. “We’ll never forgive ourselves for making you feel left out.”
I want to tell them I forgive them.
And I do…with my heart.
But my mind and my body are at war with it.
My heart understands they were busy. It aches to hug them all and say it’s okay.
But my body? My mind?
They don’t even want theireyeson me.
My body doesn’t feel like it belongs to me anymore, and my mind is screaming to hide. To lock myself away in my apartment where nothing can touch me.
So that’s what I’m going to do.
When we pull up to my shop, I wait for Tank to help me down from his monster of a truck. Once upon a time, I would’ve loved his hands on me. Even something as innocent as him steadying me.
Now?
Nothing.
No warmth. No comfort. No reaction at all.
My heart forgives my friends.
But this man?
That forgiveness doesn’t reach him.
It’s not because I blame him. What happened is no one’s fault but my own.
But I haven’t forgotten what his constant rejections did to my heart…over and over andoveragain.
Tank unlocks the shop door. My keys were in the bag my attacker took. A warning buzzes in the back of my mind, but I ignore it.
“Let me get you tucked into bed,” he says. “I’ll make you something to eat.”
I walk past him, through my shop, ignoring the words.
“Goodnight, Tank,” I say when I reach the door leading upstairs.
“Let me help you, baby,” he says, unlocking it anyway.
