Ch 16: I'm sorry
Her eyes fluttered open and the image before her was heart-stopping. Owen was seated on her bed beside her.
She could feel his hand on her hip as his other brushed down her cheek. "Ah, she wakens," he mused, arching his brows. His voice had a teasing tone to it. She cracked open her eyelids and first saw his handsome face staring down at her.
She could get used to waking up to him. It slipped into her thoughts before she could stop it. Near gasping at her slip she quickly sat up, 'What time is it?" she said brushing back a few strands that escaped her tightly bound hair.
"Dinner time." He answered while his eyes followed the innocent gesture, " Alice's practically vibrating around the dinner table waiting for you. I wouldn't let her come up here and disturb you." "She probably would have leaped on the bed and startled the pants off of me."
She offered while smiling and noting his brow furrow for a moment if he was almost contemplating the image. Then he suddenly turned away and stood up.
"Freshen up and I'll meet you downstairs." He added before leaving. His moods were strange. One minute she felt his warmth before he would pull into himself again. There was no doubt that the caresses he'd been giving her since the funeral were real because there was no way on Lord's green planet that she would react to him like that unless they were.
She changed into jeans and a simple pale green t-shirt and made her way downstairs. Alice flew into her arms when she saw her causing her to laugh for the first time in days. "Oh, Abigail! I've missed you so much. Owen says you're going to stay with us for a few days.
"She released her and took both of her hands, "I'm so excited I can barely contain myself!" "I can see that," Abigail added while laughing. "I'm sorry about Joseph, but you have us as a family too. We love you so much!" She hugged her again.
Family? The impact of that word and the meaning of it was completely overwhelming. Abigail couldn't help herself and started to weep at that selfless statement. Soon it turned into wretched sobs.
Even when she had Joseph, they never seemed to be a family because of their struggle to survive and here was this young girl offering hers and what made the impact worse, is had just occurred to her that she had always thought of Owen and Alice as her family.
Alice hadn't meant to upset her, but for some reason, she felt overwhelming relief in her words and that unselfish statement opened the floodgates of her pent up anguish. " Alice, move aside." Abigail barely heard Owen's soft assuring voice as she clung to his sister while tears poured out of her.
The poor girl looked helpless over her sudden sobbing, but she still couldn't stop.
Seconds later, there was a stronger embrace and Alice was gone. She buried her face in Owen's thick chest and continued to cry. Numbly she heard a conversation through her sobs.
"Owen, Abigail…I'm sorry." Alice said "It's not you honey," Owen confirmed.
"She just lost Joseph, she hasn't properly grieved. He was all she had." All the while he tightened his hold on her as if he let her go she'd slip to the floor. Abigail was too upset to respond. He was right. Joseph was everything to her.
He was her cousin and she loved him. He looked after her and made so many sacrifices for her. With his death went her last ties to her childhood memories. The happy ones they made together even after the death of her parents as he had attempted to make a life for them.
Now she felt so alone, so horribly alone. She let out a wretched sob. Then she felt herself being lifted off her feet into strong arms.
She clung tightly to him burying her face in his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Tell Miss Bennett, to send some tea up to Abigail's room." He said softly. "Okay." Came the solemn reply. Owen bent his head, "Just cry honey, I'm here."
He soothed as he carried her up the stairs. Her fingers scrunched the collar of his suit and she nodded as she tried to pull herself closer to him. Later she realized that he didn't falter at all carrying her up all of those stairs.
It was as if she weighed no more than a feather. She knew he kept in shape, but she didn't realize how strong he was. Soon she felt herself being put back on her bed, but when he tried to leave she tightened her hold. "I won't leave if you don't want me to."
"Please don't." she managed between sobs. And he didn't. He held her close as he sat on the bed while adjusting the pillows before he sat back against the headboard with her across his lap. She felt the coverlet being tossed over her shoulders.