Abby

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

They sat in his room, the cash, jewelry and electronics on the floor with them. It had been so easy it scared her. She grinned. He grinned. That also scared her. Their plan had worked. Like magic. There was a knock on the door.

"It's Jay." The knock said. Jace let him in, closing the door behind them. The fewer people they told, the better. He looked over the stolen goods that sat in between them on the floor. He put it all in a backpack. "Fifty-fifty?" He offered.

"We took all the risk. And I have another guy to pay. Part of the crew." Jay shrugged.

"I'm the one on camera, giving a fake ID to pawn it all. You're off the hook, now. I'm in possession of stolen goods. Fifty-fifty. Take it or leave it."

"He'll take it." Abby said. Jay looked to Jace for confirmation. He nodded. Jay left. Jace sat back down.

"I've stolen shit before. Sold it. But this was different. And really easy. You were amazing." She smiled, beaming under his praise, and she wasn't sure why. Was it really a compliment to be proud of? Hey Abby, you were amazing at luring an unsuspecting innocent stranger out of their home so my friend and I could rob them.

"I should go home." She said. She knew between the guilt and the anxiety, the nerves from actually doing it, that she was quickly reaching a tipping point. Where she just might blow three weeks of sobriety.

"Stay." He begged. "Just for a little bit. I miss hanging with you." They'd hatched their plan over the phone. He'd picked an address. She'd met him just moments before. This was the first moment they'd had together. He took her hand in his. She missed his touch. His constant adoration. It was calming. She couldn't go home this amped up anyway.

...

"Do you know where Abby went?" Jennie asked her husband as they turned in for the night.

"No. I thought you knew, since she took your car." Jennie had a bad feeling.

"She said she was going to the music store. They have jam time, and she wanted to try out some knew guitar they have there." Jason looked at the time. He scoffed.

"At ten-fifteen, huh?" Jennie googled the music stores in the area. They all closed at nine or earlier. "I'm assuming you called her? Texted?" Jennie nodded.

"I think her phone is off." She admitted quietly.

"Here we go again." Jason said, getting into bed. Jennie wouldn't be able to sleep. She went to check on Aaron. He was still up.

"Hey, bud. Why are you still up?" She asked. He looked at her like she should know. She did know.

"Where's Abby?" He asked, knowing she didn't know, and that's why she was in his room.

"She went to the music store. To play and try out a new guitar." No one said anything. "Do you feel okay? Like your twin thing?" She asked. Aaron nodded.

"Yeah. I'm worried, but that's me worrying because she's not home. And no one knows where she is. And her phone's off." She walked over and kissed the top of his head.

"Get some sleep. You've had your phone die while you were out with friends. Or been home late. It could be nothing." She said, trying to comfort them both.

"Goodnight, mom." He said. She left the room and got into bed. She tried to sleep.

...

Abby had to relax. And he'd promise it'd just be some weed. Nothing else. Her mother and brother had texted her as the day fell to night. When they started calling, she turned off her phone. She felt like if she left this room, everyone would know. And her family, who had just begun to trust her, to believe in her again, would be devastated. Surely, being a thief was one hundred times worse than being an addict. And she'd done it all clean and sober. Everything from hatching the plan to execution. None of it could be blamed on drugs. Jace could tell she was having regrets. He handed her the joint.