Chapter Six
She gives a slight wave, suddenly self conscious of herself. Simon was dressed nicely and he looked even better than the last time Abby had seen him while Abby looked like she had just gotten washed up from the sea. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she jumps down from the table, her bag bouncing over her shoulder.
Simon looks at her, his eyes travelling through her body. There was an unreadable expression in his eyes but the moment he looked up at Abby, it disappeared. Both individuals continue to stare at themselves, unsure of what to say.
"It's been a long time huhn?" he says, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Wanna have lunch with me?" he offers and the thought of a juicy burger flashes in her brain. "I don't have any money," she states, shame hovering over her like a thick cloud. He chuckles, "And who said you were going to pay? C'mon, I'll pay." He stretches out his hand for Abby to take but she doesn't.
"I don't bite you know that right?" he chuckles , his eyes travelling round her again. "Can you stop looking at me like I'm some juicy stake!" she snaps, growing angry. "Are you really surprised? After you left home and went missing for five years without anyone knowing where you were?" he says, anger flashing in his eyes.
"You don't know anything about me," she retorts suddenly feeling guilty. "Yeah, says the girl I fell in love with," Abby snaps her head up at him but he flips off her expression, "That's beside the point but what you did to p-".
" Can we not talk about this right now? " she asks, massaging the sides of her head with her fingers. He studies her for a minute and exhales, dropping the topic.
......
Abby couldn't even remember the last time she had had a good meal. The three hundred dollars in her bag was still untouched but she was saving it in case of an emergency.
Looking down at her now empty plate of spaghetti and meatballs, she leans back into the velvet seat in Mama's . For a moment, she forgets about the pair of green eyes watching her until the waiter comes to their table and places the check.
"Someone enjoyed lunch and dessert," he chuckles, pulling out his wallet. She stifles a chuckle. "Wanna go for a walk?" he suggests, standing up and she nods.
She steps into the cold and shudders, almost backing into Simon. "What's the problem?" he asks concerned. She shakes her head and steps out, shutting her eyes at the cold seeping into her hoodie. After taking a few steps, she shakes her head.
"Sorry, can we just go back inside? It's really cold out here," she replies, rubbing her hands over her arms. "Wanna come over to my place?" he asks and she nods. It wasn't like she had some place to be.
Thirty minutes later and Abby is curled up on Simon's couch, a blanket draped over her shoulder and her cold fingers wrapped a hot cup of cocoa. The hoodie Christie had given her didn't seem to have helped in keeping warm and she had ended up with a mild cold.
Simon jogs down the stairs, dressed in a black hoodie and a pair of grey sweatpants, his pale skin more prominent than ever. Abby quietly washes as he saunters into the kitchen and pours himself some hot coffee. The muscles on his back weren't big and they weren't also small either. It was still a wonder to Abby how the quirky little gamer kid who was always behind a pair of glasses and braces had turned into this. He was gorgeous!
After pouring himself a cup of coffee, he heads to the couch where Abby was seated and leans back after placing the cup on the coffee table. A few minutes of silence drift between them before Abby breaks it.
"So how's home been?" she asks, taking another sip. There was n denying that she missed her family but even if the thought of hoping on a plane to see them crossed her mind, she'd flip it off and shut that switch down.
Simon tenses up and lifts the hot cup to his lips. He looked like he was trying to hide something and Abby had already noticed it. "I asked a question Simon. Is everything okay?" she asks carefully, fear rousing in her. After a few seconds, he shakes his head and mutters something under his breath.
"Abby your father killed himself three months after you went missing." Those words alone had created a deep hole, incapable of being filled up, in her heart. She rapidly blinks back the tears but it doesn't work instead a muffled sob escapes her lips and just like that her world shatters around her. Simon, on instinct, moves closer to her and pulls her into a hug. He didn't make an attempt to apologise because if there was anything he had learnt, it would be to stop saying sorry to people especially after they'd lost someone. It only aggravated the situation.
After a few minutes, she pulls away, her eyes, nose and cheeks red. Wiping at her face, she leans back and stares at her hands, incapable of words. This was all her fault. If only she had fought and escaped, maybe he'd still be alive.
"What about my mum and Avery ?" she asks, mentally beating herself up for not remembering them. "They're okay, although your mum had it pretty rough when they lost your dad, " he replies. "Do you wanna see her?" he adds, studying her. She shakes her head.
It wasn't the best time to see her. For all she knew, Richard could still be after her and going to see her mum would be inviting danger and drama, two things she wasn't ready for.
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