𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲
The offer I put down for my dream building ended up not working out. Someone out bid me my first thought was how, my second who? Rosemary that's who! The revenge seeking bitch, I should have seen this coming. How did I not see this coming?
"I hope there's no hard feelings between us?" She has the audacity to say to me one morning while at work. Is she asking to get coffee thrown on her this time? Glancing up from the counter I think of a million ways I would like to strangle her.
Instead, I put on my fakest smile and say, "none at all."
"Good, who knows maybe we can even try to be friends?"
Is she crazy? Hell would have to freeze over before the two of us ever become friends. "What are you planning on doing with the building?"
"I'm glad you asked I'm turning it into a ballet studio for little girls. Here give this to your mom." She hands me a business card with all the details of the upcoming studio coming to Magnolia Creek. I pocket it mainly because I know Ellie-Kate might be interested, and because it will be nice having a new fresh idea spring in our small town. "Good luck."
She stares at me behind her fancy sunglasses. Why she's even wearing them since she's inside beats me. "Well, it was nice talking." She says happily before exiting.
That was weirded than weird, she hasn't been this nice to me since second grade. I'm not too upset about her getting the building, it just wasn't meant to be I guess. I'll just have to keep looking until I find a better place one that feels right.
The person who's been the most understanding about me following my dreams is Val. First, she gave me the money to even make all of this possible, today she told me to go early so I could go out looking for possible locations.
Trying to find a new location hasn't exactly been easy. Honestly, I'm running out of options. Checking my phone for the time, I'm meeting my mom and sister in a few hours for our monthly girls night.
I should have enough time to grab some dinner, then head home to change before meeting them. But I open up our group chat, sending a quick text anyway just to be sure.
𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲: 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭?
𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐚: 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭!
𝐌𝐨𝐦: 👍🏻
𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲: 𝐃𝐨 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠?
I continue walking while staring at my phone waiting for someone to text back. Three dots appear on the screen then disappear. A text finally comes through but I don't get a chance to look at it, because at the same time I run into somebody.
"Oh, my goodness I'm so sor—"
Looking up I stare into the familiar dark blue eyes that I thought had been lost to me forever. "Nathan," I whisper. I'm not sure if he hears me or not but a moment later, he's saying my name.
He looks exactly the same. Same perfect dark brown hair, perfect smile, and chiseled features. The only major difference is the tattoo on his right arm of his baseball number. "Hey, how have you been?"
I stare at him too stunned to speak. 'Hey, how have you been?' Is seriously all he has to say to me? I'm sorry, or any other apologies would have been perfectly fine. But just carrying on like nothing happened what is wrong with him?
"Abigail," he calls my name again.
I don't reply my mouth is too dry, and if I open it I'm scared I'll break down. However, my legs are completely fine so I take the chance to run in the opposite direction, and I don't stop until I'm far away from him.
My phone buzzes again but I ignore it, my mind spinning with the fact that he's here. Nathan Scott the person who haunts me like a bad flee is back. Fuck.
I spend the rest of the afternoon stress baking, as my mom likes to call it; obviously baking when you are scared shitless and have no fucking clue what to do about it. I put the baked goods on display on my counter for when they get here.
Minutes later the doorbell rings and my mom and sister join me in the living room. "Holy shit someone did a lot of preparing."
"Aria language," mom snaps.
"You cuss all the time!"
Moms face goes red. "Just because I do it doesn't mean you should copy."
"Fine" Aria says plopping down on my couch. Taping away on her phone probably complaining to her friends, that's what I would do at her age when mom told me not to do something.
Mom looks at me a worried expression on her face. "Obviously baking?" She mouths. I shrug nervously laughing. "About that... you will never guess who I basically ran into, and made a fool of myself in front of?"
Mom's face goes blank before saying, "no?"
"Yep..."
"What did you say when you saw him?" That gets Aria's attention and she's on her feet faster than you can say dessert. "Who, whose him?"
"Nathan" I reply, "and nothing."
"Oh honey..."
Mom gives me a tight hug. " I mean what was I supposed to say? Hey you are here! Oh, by the way you have two kids?"
"Anything would have been better than running away." Mom tells me.
Grabbing a cookie off the nearest display, taking a generous bite. Great now I'm stress eating! "Why didn't Lucy tell me?"
"She probably just didn't want to worry you sweetheart."
Aria picks this exact moment to ask what movie we will be watching tonight? I love my little sister to death, but honestly she has the worst timing in the world. "Are we going to address the bigger problem?" My mom asks.
"I don't really want to."
"Well eventually you have to he is their father."
Aria groans, "uhm hello, it's girls night." She reminds us, "are we going to talk about Abigail all night, or are we going to watch some dumb movie where the couple ends up happily ever after? Even though the male character is a walking red flag who practically ignores the fact that his best friend like him!"
Well, hello! Us Williams women are sassy to being with. But this is a new level of sassy that I have never heard from Aria, the sweetest of us. "What's got your panties in a bind?"
"Nothing" she's quick to say.
"Something" I say not believing a word that comes out of her mouth.
Rolling her eyes she tells me. "You aren't the only person in the family with boy troubles." My eyes go wide. How do I keep forgetting that my little sister isn't so little anymore? "Do you want to talk about it?"
She nods, "I'm just tired of being overlooked. Is there something wrong with me?"
Mom who sits on the opposite side takes Aria's hand. "Oh, honey he will come around." She sighs "I'm not so sure."
"Why?" Aria is determined to believe that her best friend Julian will never like her the way she does him. "Because he got back together with his ex, and I'm back to being an afterthought." It's moments like these that make me want to hit that boy up-top the head. If he doesn't wake up soon and realize what everyone sees it's going to be too late.
"Again, isn't this like the fifth time they have broken up?" Which makes Aria laugh a little. "Aria let me give you some free advice. Never settle for second best, I want you to find a guy who loves you and only you."
She gives me her biggest smile. "Thanks Abby."
We finally settle on one of our favorite movies little women. As the movie starts and we are snuggled on the couch with popcorn and goodies to last a lifetime, I realize just how lucky I am to have my family to lean on in times like this.
Because the more I think it over Nathan has no right, no right to waltz back into town like nothing happened, and certainly no right to know he has kids. Sure I can't help it if he finds out on his own, but I won't be the one to tell him.
He never cared all the years I tried multiple times to call him, and to tell him about his sons. So, therefore he has no right to them, no right to my heart. I'm done with Nathan Scott once and for all.
𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷
Not going to lie their first meeting could have gone better. I don't know what do you guys think? Also I'm really excited to share the next chapter with y'all I almost don't want to wait another week...😊 so maybe I'll post twice this week.
If you're enjoying my book All in the Game. Please click the star and share your thoughts in the comments. I will update chapters every Friday so be on the lookout.–Morgan 💕
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