Hollywood Hills Collection. Lynne Marshall

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      ‘Damien and I are reconciling. He’s moving to New York.’

      Abi’s stomach lurched. Too late she wished she’d pretended to be busy and sent Brooke on her way. Each word had felt like a punch she would never recover from. She felt ridiculous, naive, used and stupid. She’d given him her advice and her body. He’d asked her for advice but he hadn’t listened. She’d given herself to him but he hadn’t been honest with her. All she wanted was honesty.

      She liked to think she was clever but she obviously wasn’t smart. Not worldly-wise. She was pathetic. When would she learn?

      ‘No, I hadn’t heard that.’ She wondered if Brooke was expecting her to congratulate her. If she was, she was going to be disappointed. Abi summoned up all her reserves and said, ‘If you’ll excuse me, I have patients to see. You’ll find Damien next door.’ She forced the words out and prayed that Brooke would go away and leave her alone.

      She sank into her chair and watched Brooke leave, knowing she couldn’t compete. All she’d wanted was for Damien to find her attractive, but now that she’d met Brooke she realised there was no way she could measure up if Brooke was the type of woman he desired. Abi was far too different.

      She put her head in her hands and let the tears flow. She was a fool. When would she learn?

      ‘Abi? Is everything okay?’

      She looked up at the sound of her name to find Mila in her doorway.

      ‘What’s happened?’

      Abi reached for a tissue and wiped her eyes. The tissue came away streaked with mascara.

      ‘It’s nothing,’ she said, as she threw the tissue in the trash.

      Mila closed the office door. Was nobody going to leave her alone today? She wanted to lick her wounds in private but that wasn’t being terribly professional. Mila must have come to see her about Dylan. She hoped everything was all right.

      ‘Did you need to see me?’

      ‘I was in the clinic so I thought I’d just give you an update on Dylan but that can wait. Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?’

      ‘It’s nothing, really. I just got some news that’s upset me but I’ll be fine. I just need a moment to get my head together.’

      ‘Is it Damien?’

      ‘Why do you say that?’

      ‘At our age it’s always men,’ she said, as she came and sat by Abi’s desk. ‘What’s he done?’

      ‘He hasn’t done anything yet but I think he’s about to break my heart.’ She sniffed and reached for another tissue. ‘It’s my own fault. Neither of us were ready for a proper relationship. I got ahead of myself.’

      ‘What do you mean?’

      ‘I had all these romantic notions but it seems he didn’t share them.’ They may not have talked about it but she had been building a fantasy in her head. A happily-ever-after where she and Damien got to spend the rest of their lives together, along with Summer and children of their own. It was a fantasy that had taken hold on the day they’d spent at the pier and she didn’t want to let it go. But it seemed she might have to. ‘Apparently he’s planning on moving to New York with his ex-wife.’

      ‘Really? He’s just told you this?’

      Abi shook her head. ‘His ex has just paid me a visit. She told me.’

      ‘And you believe her?’

      ‘Why would she lie to me?’

      ‘I don’t know but I take it you don’t want to let him go?’

      ‘No.’

      ‘Does he know how you feel?’

      ‘No.’ Abi loved him but she was terrified of telling him. She was terrified that it would jinx everything, even though it seemed that everything was already ruined. She wasn’t about to humiliate herself further by telling him how she felt. ‘I can’t tell him I’ve fallen in love with him. I couldn’t bear to hear that he doesn’t love me.’

      ‘So you’re prepared to give him up?’

      ‘No.’

      ‘Then you have to tell him how you feel. You have to take the chance that his ex was lying to you. You have to take the chance that he feels the same way you do. You can’t let him go without questions. You’ll always wonder “what if.” Trust me, I’m speaking from experience.’

      ‘You’ve had your heart broken?’

      Mia nodded. ‘In the worst possible way.’

      ‘Was it James?’ Abi knew instinctively that it was. It would explain all that tension she had felt between the two of them.

      Mila nodded again. ‘James left me standing at the altar without an explanation and I have never found out why.’

      ‘You didn’t ask?’

      ‘I didn’t want to know at first but not knowing has stopped me from moving on.’

      ‘Why don’t you take your own advice? Why don’t you ask him now?’

      ‘It’s too late. There is no point in raking up the past. But it’s not too late for you. Don’t let him go without a fight. Don’t let him go without an explanation. You need to hear it from Damien’s lips.’

      Mila was right. Abi felt betrayed and she deserved some answers. She deserved some honesty.

      She waited until the end of the day to confront him. She didn’t want to run into Brooke again and she definitely didn’t want to run into Damien and Brooke together.

      ‘Can I speak to you?’ she asked, as she stepped into his office and closed the door. ‘I bumped into Brooke today. She told me you are getting back together.’ Abi didn’t give him an opportunity to speak. She needed to keep going, she needed to get her feelings out in the open before she lost her nerve. She paced up and down in front of his desk. ‘How can you be having that conversation with her and sleeping with me at the same time? You know how Mark’s lies and deception hurt me, you know what that did to me, and yet you’ve been sleeping with me and making plans with your wife behind my back.’

      ‘Ex-wife. She’s my ex-wife.’ Damien stood up and ushered Abi to a chair.

      ‘How could you do that to me? Do I matter so little?’

      ‘Abi, listen to me. I haven’t done anything that you’re accusing me of. When did you speak to Brooke?’

      ‘She came into my office before she met you for lunch.’

      He frowned. ‘We didn’t have lunch. I haven’t seen her today.’

      ‘Do you think I’m making this up?’ Abi wasn’t sure who to СКАЧАТЬ