Ch 71: It would kill me
All along she thought she'd lost it. It went missing about two weeks ago, "You've known for a while that I was here." She said narrowing her eyes at him, "And you were in my apartment." "That is no way for you to live." "Owen, you can't do those things." She rubbed her forehead. "I can and I did.
I can buy the whole building if I want to. And as for you hiding, don't you know the resources available to me?" He said finally losing some patience. It had been a long few weeks without her besides stressful over the sudden illness and death of his father.
"No, I don't know that. I hardly know what you can do and the advantages you have been so wealthy. I only know you. As for running away, I knew you'd convince me beyond a reasonable doubt that there was nothing wrong with that photo."
She pointed at it, "You could convince anyone of anything." "I could never lie to you sweetie." He said softening his voice. "It would kill me." She looked away for a moment trying to get her senses straightened out. When he said that, she felt her heart contract in her chest painfully.
It just proved her point. She did believe him and it only took one phrase. It was then that he saw the paleness of her skin and the dark circles under her eyes, "Are you ill?" She snapped her head up and looked at him, "No." "Abigail, you look ill."
He felt panic course through him. "I'm fine." She said walking by him fully intending to just get away from him before he discovered her condition.
He reached out and grabbed her arm, "Abigail what is wrong?" "Please let go of me." He looked over her head and nodded. She turned to see the driver get in the car and pull it around in the middle of the road.
"What are you doing?" "Taking you home." She paused. That tone was new. For some reason, she was sure it was the same one he used to deal with a corporate takeover. It was finite and loaded with self-confidence.
Still, she wouldn't let it change her mind. "I'm not going. You have your pick of women and I—" "There hasn't been anyone but you for almost a year Abigail. That woman was someone I was involved with several years ago."
She set her accusing gaze on him, "Oh? Then how come you were kissing her?" "first of all, I didn't kiss anyone. She kissed me. I was at a restaurant that she happened to be with another man. She came over and planted one on me." He shook the photo. "this was taken at that exact time.
I have been completely monogamous and you need to realize that the media specialize in making things look worse than they are."
She stared up at him in disbelief over him saying the monogamous word. "What did you say?" He shook his head smiling, "cheetah, I fell in love with my best friend's little sister and I could never break her heart." "Love?"