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“Abbie! Abbie! Baby.... Abbie!” Charlie nudged against her.
Abbie blinked her eyes open and started to fight against Charlie. Tears streamed down her face. Charlie grabbed her hands then kissed her forehead to soothe her. Abbie started to mutter threats and try to get away, not realizing she wasn’t dreaming anymore. Her body tensed as spasms rang through her body.
“Baby, it’s okay. Abbie, I’m here. It was a bad dream. Try to calm down, Honey.” Charlie cooed, while carefully holding her.
“I’m so sorry. I look like an idiot right now.” Abbie sobbed.
“No. It’s okay. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really. It was a dream about you...”
“We can talk in the morning if you want.” Charlie yawned.
“Okay... I’m really sorry I woke you and hit you.” Abbie whispered.
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. I’m a broken mess.”
“Shh. You’re perfect to me.” Charlie cooed, rubbing her back.
Abbie felt tingles against her back causing her spasms to increase. Fire ignited her muscles and tissues, causing adrenaline to rush through her system. Abbie tried to move away from Charlie.
“What’s wrong?” Charlie asked.
“Please stop rubbing my back.” Abbie bit out, instead of hitting Charlie again.
“I’m sorry... Did I do something wrong?”
“No.” Abbie cried, “I’m just too sensitive.”
“Abbie, you aren’t sensitive to touch, you are traumatized from it. There is a difference. Touch makes you cringe.”
Abbie nodded her head in agreement. “In my dream, you hit me and tried to rape me.”
“I would never do that. It sounds like your mind is playing tricks on you. Are you trying to put up a wall to protect yourself?”
“Maybe. I was panicking about you hitting me before I fell asleep. My heart knows you aren’t going to hit me, but my mind keeps saying I can’t trust you or any man. This is a battle I can’t win. Maybe it’s for the best if you give up on me and let me go.”
“Why are you giving up on this? On us? We can make it work. Abbie if you don’t overcome this now, you never will.”
“I’m scared.” Abbie whispered.
“I’m not. I like a good challenge. I don’t mind helping you break out of your shell a little bit. You have to be willing though.”
“How are you so confident? I wish I was that confident.”
“You are in the ring. Why can’t you be confident out of the ring? The career might be different, but you are still you.”
“I don’t know... In the ring I feel fearless and strong. Out of the ring I feel weak and vulnerable Having a routine with no life was easy. I could focus on training and fighting without the other fluff like messy relationships and dramatic friends.”
“That’s hardly a life though. You can’t be a boxing robot.”
“We still aren’t sure if I will be able to box again...”
“How does that make you feel?”
“Did you seriously just ask me that?”
“Yes, because I want to know.”
“Fine. Nervous... Scared... A little relieved.”
“Relieved? That’s a new one.”
“Yeah... Ever since I stopped fighting in the ring, my dad and I have connected more, and it seems like my life could actually mean something. I can be Abigail Piper instead of Piper the Viper.”
“That’s quite a change from two days ago.”
“Yeah, I had this guy call me out and force me to pull my head out of my butt for once. The worst part was you were right, and you were nice about it... You didn’t yell at me. You were calm and stable like you have been from the beginning.” Abbie uttered.
“Happy to help.” Charlie chuckled.
“Don’t gloat.” Abbie smacked Charlie’s chest playfully.
Charlie caught her hand and kissed it. Abbie felt a swirl of emotions fill her once lifeless soul. The soft touch of Charlie’s hand caused her to want him to hold her close again. Abbie snuggled closer to Charlie and kissed his chest to show her appreciation. She felt Charlie start to tense slightly and release a breath from his lungs. She decided to not push it and try to sleep.
They eased back into sleep then woke up together in the morning, twisted in each other’s arms for comfort and support. Abbie blinked at Charlie who smiled down at her. He kissed her forehead then started to shift out of the bed. Abbie stayed still to ensure she wasn’t tossed around by the new movement.
Charlie knelt to kiss her forehead again then walked to the bathroom. Abbie laughed at the gentle kiss then watched Charlie walk away. She liked the confident way he carried himself. He was chivalrous and an all-around gentleman. She felt happy for the first time in her life. Her father stepped into the room with a bright smile.
“So... How’d it go?” Her father asked, sheepishly.
“Don’t be weird. It was good. Charlie is in the bathroom.”
“Okay. Are you staying with him?”
“Yeah. We worked it out. Although I’m still a little concerned about staying with someone I’ve only know a week.”
Abbie tried to whisper so Charlie wouldn’t hear her. She was happy about them working things out. She didn’t want to lose momentum or derail things again. She looked out the window nearby. Trees in the distance were dropping the remainder of their flowers. She enjoyed the crisp green leaves decorating the trees. Thoughts about Christmas started to flood her mind. She wondered if the holiday would actually be a joyful celebration for once. In the past Christmas was depressing since it was just her and her father. This year could be different if Charlie stuck around.
Charlie emerged from the bathroom fully dressed and ready for the day. Abbie was swept up in the appearance of him. His casual jeans hugged his lean thighs just right. The camo tank top made him look tough and rugged alongside his ruffled hair from the night before. Abbie started to remember Charlie’s reaction to her kissing his chest. He was so innocent and funny about her touching him or showing affection. She wondered how it would be while living together.
“Do you need to go to the bathroom?” Charlie asked.
“Yeah, I will call the nurse.” Abbie offered, picking up the red button to her left. Before she could hit it, Charlie interjected.
“Well...” He started, looking tense and glancing at her father. “I was wondering if you wanted me to help you... Since I will be from now on... Unless you are uncomfortable with that.”
Abbie blinked with awareness. She didn’t think about all the duties Charlie would have since she was moving in with him. She stared at him in disbelief. She tried to relax and calm down so she wouldn’t get embarrassed or say the wrong thing. She looked at her father who was starting to crack up. She gave him a death glare which caused him to turn toward the window.
“That’s a good idea... If you are up for the challenge.” Abbie uttered hesitantly. “It’s going to be extremely personal...”
“I know. I don’t mind.” Charlie smiled, kindly.
“Okay. Help me out of this bed, please.”
Her heart started to race in her chest. She was worried about Charlie touching her and launching her into panic. The nurse caused her to breathe heavy with panic too from the short bathroom trips. Abbie wasn’t really happy about any physical touch since she was used to negative abuse to her body.
Charlie started to progress toward her and ease her out of the bed. He threw off the blanket then pulled down her hospital gown that was bunched up to her hips from sleeping. He carefully shimmied her to the edge of the bed. Abbie was starting to panic from Charlie’s gentle touch on her thighs. She kept her heart from escaping her mouth through gritted teeth.
“Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” Charlie asked, quickly softening his grip.
“No. I’m fine. I’ll be fine. Grab my IV drip before it gets yanked out of my arm, please.” Abbie bit out.
Charlie walked around the bed quickly to get the roller. Abbie was happy with the break from Charlie’s physical touches. She took a deep breath then tried to steady her heartrate. She didn’t want to cause a nurse to enter the room and take over. She knew she needed to cope with Charlie helping her because that would be their arrangement moving forward.
Charlie rejoined her once again to help her to the bathroom. She was fearful of falling and enduring Charlie touching her. Abbie wanted to get over her fear and trauma from her past. She knew Charlie was a good man who could help her overcome everything.
“I’m going to hug you then lift you toward me... Okay?” Charlie asked before touching her again.
Abbie nodded in agreement. She gulped a breath of air to help her get through the agonizing pain and embarrassment to come. She felt helpless and unstable as Charlie wrapped his arms around her in a hug. She took another deep breath as Charlie started to ease her to her feet. Abbie held onto Charlie for dear life. Once she was upright, she wondered what Charlie would do next.
“Okay, would you like to try to walk with my help or I carry you?” Charlie asked, urgently.
“Um let me try to walk... I don’t think you can carry me.” Abbie muttered to herself. She didn’t think Charlie had enough muscle to support all of her body weight, although she had lost quite a bit after sitting in the hospital bed for a month.
“I could carry you. I just don’t want to freak you out.”
Abbie felt embarrassed for Charlie hearing her side comment. She slowly shuffled her feet and tried to walk toward the bathroom. Her first steps were wobbly, but Charlie supported her every step of the way. She focused on the door ahead instead of Charlie’s touches on her skin. He was holding her just right in case she started to fall. She trembled several times and almost fell once. Charlie continued to encourage her and support her during the journey.
Once inside the bathroom they had another battle. Charlie didn’t know how to help since Abbie wasn’t sure either. Abbie tried to remove her hospital issued underwear. The material wouldn’t budge against her slim thighs. She looked up at Charlie in a panic.
“I can’t get them off myself... This is embarrassing but can you please help me.” Abbie whispered. She was blushing red.
“Sure. Just try not to take my touch the wrong way...”
Abbie nodded then tried to look away. She couldn’t as Charlie reached out to grip her underwear and ease them down. She closed her eyes in horror then sat on the toilet. Charlie turned away and stepped out of the door to give her privacy. She heard laughing from her father in the other room. She stared at the wall in front of her in terror and panic. She didn’t know how she could live with Charlie. His removal of her underwear was enough evidence for her to run away. She was terrified.
Charlie didn’t seem to enjoy helping her in the bathroom so that was a good sign he wasn’t going to rape her. Or he was making a good show of himself. Abbie released everything from her bladder then reached for the toilet paper nearby. She nearly missed the roll and landed on her face. She quickly recovered and tried again. The second time she finally got enough toilet paper to wipe herself. She slowly inched her underwear up so Charlie didn’t have to bend over and see her private areas.
She held her underwear up then called for Charlie to come back. He entered the bathroom quickly and helped her up. He replaced her underwear on her hips with ease. He positioned her by the sink to wash her hands. He washed his too from behind her. She felt his soft jeans against her legs. He had her pinned against the sink to ensure she didn’t fall over but her body was reacting. She felt desire flood her core while panic fought for her heart.
Charlie seemed to sense her reaction and pulled away slightly. She was both sad and relieved at the same time. She looked in the mirror wide eyed while examining herself. It was the first time she was able to see herself since the nurse didn’t let her see herself in the mirror. Abbie looked horrible. Her cheeks were sunken in, and her body looked limp. Charlie looked great while she looked mediocre. She reached up to touch her face and skin with sadness in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Charlie asked.
“I look horrible.” Abbie cried.
“I think you are beautiful.” Charlie answered, kissing her neck.
“Are your eyes deceiving you?” Abbie laughed. “Look at me.”
“I am. Abbie, there is nothing wrong with you.”
“My muscles are gone. I had a toned body that made other girls jealous. Now I look like a shrimp. Especially next to you!”
Charlie started chuckling, “Abbie, it’s okay. You will build your toned body back up one day. If you don’t, I like you just the way you are.” He kissed the side of her neck in assurance.
Abbie didn’t know how to register Charlie’s comment or the soft kisses. She felt a slight chill of anxiety hit her body. She wanted her body back. She was happy Charlie liked her regardless of her body, but she didn’t feel like herself. Her body helped reflect the true image of her heart and being, broken and lifeless. She suddenly felt overwhelmed from the close proximity of Charlie in the cramped bathroom.
“Please bring me back to my bed.” Abbie sighed, carefully.
She didn’t want to trigger another kiss or talk from Charlie. She just wanted to get back to her bed to calm down. Charlie nodded then started to move her toward the door. She staggered out of the bathroom then almost fell. She was immediately swept up in Charlie’s arms. Her father jumped in to grab the IV roller. Abbie took a deep breath and stared up into Charlie’s eyes thoughtfully. She was starting to freak out from the close contact.
“I’m sorry, I just didn’t want you to fall.” Charlie cooed.
“I’ll be okay.” Abbie breathed out in terror.
Charlie quickly placed her back on the bed. Abbie closed her eyes and tried to breath. We can’t do this. I can’t do this. I can’t move in with him. This isn’t going to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do. Charlie is the best man for the job since my dad would really cause me to freak out. Charlie is patient and kind with me. He is only trying to help. I need to breathe and calm down.
“Abbie, are you okay?” Charlie asked, calmly.
“Just super.” Abbie retorted sarcastically, opening her eyes.
“It’s okay to show emotion and tell me how you really feel.”
“Oh really? So, you want to know I’m having a partial panic attack from you touching me just now?” Abbie questioned.
“Yes.” Charlie whispered, then looked down at his feet. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to fall or hurt yourself.”
“I know. That’s not the problem. I can’t handle physical touching of any kind.”
“You just aren’t used to it.”
“I’m used to the bad kind of touch not the good kind.” Abbie retorted honestly.
“I know. Abbie, this is only going to work if we are completely honest with each other and work together. I’m not trying to hurt you or take advantage of you.” Charlie offered.
“Maybe...” Abbie started.
“No, don’t say that again. It’s going to work out. We will make it work. You have to give this a chance.” Charlie interrupted.
“You two are entertaining to watch.” Her father laughed behind Charlie at the window.
Abbie shot him a dirty look considering he was the reason behind her physical trauma. She didn’t like his comment about her relationship with Charlie. Her father shrugged then sat in the chair nearby. He flipped on the tv to wait for the doctor to come. Abbie turned to her right to look at Charlie again. She tapped the bed space next to her. Charlie gave her a look then squeezed in next to her. Abbie tried to breathe and remain calm.
“I’m really proud of you by the way.” Her father whispered.
“Why? Because I finally walked.” Abbie retorted.
“No, because you finally trusted someone with your heart.” Her father answered, standing abruptly to leave the room. “I need some air. I will be back... Text me when the doctor comes in.”
Abbie stared after her father in shock. She didn’t understand why her father reacted the way he had. She allowed Charlie into a sliver of her heart but that wasn’t anything impressive. The truly proud moment would be when she could allow a man to touch her without tensing up or starting to fight back.
“Are you okay?” Charlie asked, smoothing her back with his hand. He stopped after one swipe across her back.
“Yeah. That felt good. Will you do that again, please?”
“Are you just saying that to ease the tension in the room right now? Or do you actually mean it?” Charlie questioned next to her.
“I actually meant it. I don’t know what is going on with my dad... Maybe he is just jealous or something.”
“Yeah, he is. Abbie, he wants to be the person you open up to and trust first. That’s normal since he is your father.”
“I don’t know how to trust him though. Charlie, you would understand if you experienced what I did.” Abbie cried softly.
“Babe, I know. That doesn’t change his role as your parent.”
“Will you please just rub my back and stop playing therapist?”
“You know I’m right though.”
Abbie relaxed the best she could as Charlie started to rub her back gently. She could sense his hesitation with each movement along her back. She didn’t want to ruin the moment with her fears. She knew Charlie was right about her father. He had gotten more open about the past and tried to help her heal. She didn’t see her father as the helper she needed. Charlie fit the role better, although he consistently annoyed her with truthful advice and kindness. She started wondering about Charlie’s true intentions. They hadn’t covered the status of their relationship.
“Charlie, what are we?” Abbie asked, bluntly.
“What do you mean, babe?” Charlie replied.
“That is the fifth time you have called me a pet name. Are we dating? Are we friends? What are you and I to each other?”
“What do you want us to be?”
“Don’t play a mind game with me.”
“I’m not. I know what I want but I don’t know what you want.”
“I’m not sure...” Abbie whispered.
“That’s why I didn’t overwhelm you with what I want.”
“Why do I have to be honest, and you get to hold back?”
“Because it would make you panic.”
“Try me.” Abbie answered. “We are going to be living together, at least temporarily... I don’t want this to be an issue.”
“And you think me spilling my guts and telling you what I want will make the situation better? Think clearly about this, Abbie.”
“UGHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
Suddenly the doctor walked into the room with another nurse.
“Ready to leave the hospital, Ms. Piper?” The doctor smiled.
“Yes...” Abbie breathed out.
“Excellent. We have a couple forms and information to cover about your care moving forward including pain medication, physical therapy, and other important recovery suggestions.”
Abbie noticed Charlie text her father about the doctor arriving. Charlie was the dependable good guy who seemed to do what he was told, except reveal his true intentions and feelings of course. The doctor started talking about her pain medication and other forms of pain inhibiters she could take. She drowned out all the information although she was trying to focus. Her father returned to the room just in time before the doctor rambled on further.
Abbie stared off into space while listening to the doctor talk. She found herself focusing on the doctor’s pocket of pens. He had a variety of different pens and she wondered why. He seemed like an OCD type too since they were all lined perfectly around the lip of his white lab coat. She started to ponder the pens purpose.
Charlie broke her concentration by asking important questions about her care. She half listened while he took notes on his phone. Abbie felt like the only person in the room that didn’t care about her recovery or getting back to normal. She felt lazy and unmotivated to do anything. The doctor stared at her then started talking about her mental health.
“What did you just say?” Abbie retorted bitterly. She immediately felt Charlie’s hand nudge her back gently.
“I said, you should see a therapist to help you recover mentally from the incident and being in a coma.” The doctor replied.
“I already am seeing a therapist, thank you very much.” Abbie answered aggressively.
“Abbie, he is just trying to help.” Charlie whispered in her ear, gently rubbing her back.
Abbie wanted to storm out of the room after the doctor made her feel like a head case. She crossed her arms over her chest then gave the doctor an evil glare. He shook it off then continued to talk about her care at home. Abbie listened to the list of rules and restrictions throughout the weeks. Abbie started to panic about Charlie taking on such a big burden. She wanted to know what he wanted from her to repay the burden he was taking on. He didn’t seem to understand the gravity of the situation.
The doctor finally finished his boring speech. The nurse offered to clean her up one last time in the shower. Abbie pondered the shower scene with Charlie and figured it was a good idea to shower at the hospital one last time. The woman nodded then left to grab shower items. Charlie talked with the doctor and her father in hushed tones near the doorway.
Abbie stared off into space again until the nurse returned. She felt like she was living in a dream. Panic gripped her as the woman started to remove her IV carefully. The soft touch against her arm made her want to hit the woman. She held back her words and reaction to the nurse’s helping hand.
“You won’t be needing this anymore.” The nurse answered.
Abbie released a sharp gasp from the removal of the IV. The woman quickly bandaged the area then applied pressure. Abbie was thankful for the level of freedom she felt after the removal of her medical line. She felt a slight amount of pain from the pressure to her inner elbow. The nurse smiled gently at her then Charlie, who was still in deep conversation with the doctor.
“Your boyfriend is really cute.” The nurse sighed.
“Thank you...” Abbie smiled then looked at Charlie.
He picked the right moment to look back at her in the bed. He smiled down at her then quickly kissed her forehead before talking with the doctor more about her care. Abbie knew what she wanted but fear from her past held her prisoner. She was terrified of stepping wrong with Charlie and pushing him away. Or worse, he could lose interest and abandon her like her mother had done.
The nurse started to shift her in the bed to get her walking again. Charlie quickly started helping the nurse bring Abbie to the bathroom. Abbie was thankful for a familiar hand on her right side.
“Such a gentleman. Thank you.” The nurse giggled.
Abbie rolled her eyes at the flirtatious tone of the young nurse. Charlie didn’t answer or look at the nurse. Instead, he guided Abbie into the bathroom and helped plop her on the chair in the shower. He quickly kissed her cheek then left the room. Abbie felt bubbly and flighty from the touches and kiss. The nurse sighed then started to undress her gently. She removed the wrapping around her ribs to fully clean her side.
The nurse exited the bathroom with the wrap and asked for Abbie’s clothes. She could hear her father talking and giving the nurse a bag. Abbie sat patiently in the shower with her exposed body. She felt shameful and broken about the whole situation that could have been avoided. A stray tear fell down her face which she quickly wiped away before the nurse saw. Abbie noticed the nurse rejoin the bathroom with a giant duffel bag.
The nurse came closer to show Abbie all the toiletries and clothes in the bag. Abbie’s eyes got wide with wonder. She didn’t realize her father knew all her favorite products to use in the shower. She felt tears stinging her eyes as she picked her outfit to leave the hospital. The clothes in the bag were all brand new with tags on them. Abbie noticed the new size and stared at it with a grimace. The nurse started to cleanse her hair and body with the new toiletries.
Abbie started to freak out from the nurse giving her a head massage with the shampoo. It felt amazing and painful at the same time. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe through the pain. The woman had no idea how many time her hair was pulled.
Abbie forced herself to relax and was thankful when it was time to rinse. The woman did a great job of bathing Abbie’s body in the chair. Abbie cooperated the best she could, like she had before. The nurse tried to make small talk, but Abbie didn’t join in. Eventually the woman gave up and took over the conversation.
Finally, Abbie was clean and ready for clothes. The woman dried her off carefully with a soft towel. Abbie enjoyed the blissful softness against her skin. She slowly started to relax again while she dried off. The woman left the room to get a new ace bandage for her side while she dried. Abbie held the towel against her skin and breathed in the fresh smell of the room. She closed her eyes until she heard someone approach the doorway.
“Abbie... Oh my gosh, I’m sorry.” Charlie uttered, quickly.
“I’m covered, mostly...” Abbie laughed. “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Abbie gave Charlie a thumbs up which caused her towel to slip slightly. She caught the towel before Charlie got an eyeful of her chest. He quickly disappeared from the doorway with a wide-eyed look and a nod. Abbie burst into laughter from the innocent and red expression on Charlie’s face. She gripped her side then forced herself to stop laughing because her ribs hurt. She didn’t know if she would ever get a shower again since Charlie couldn’t see her naked.
The nurse returned just in time to wrap her side and put clothes on her body. Abbie didn’t bother with a bra because it hurt her side and she didn’t care. After one month in the hospital, she was unfazed by other’s opinions of her wardrobe. She was never a girlie girl who needed the best clothes. She hated wearing rags in school since her father bought liquor instead of school clothes with his salary. She quickly learned how to make fashion work.
The nurse finished pulling her underwear and shorts up over her hips. She threw a tank top over her abdomen then stuck flip flops on her feet. Abbie wasn’t happy about the footwear since she didn’t like the look of her feet. She was happy to wear what was needed to leave the long-term prison others called healthcare.
Abbie exited the bathroom fully dressed with the nurse’s help. Charlie quickly rejoined her side to help her back to the bed. Abbie withheld her laughter because she didn’t want to make the situation worse. She knew Charlie wasn’t comfortable seeing her remotely naked. Abbie sat on the bed with Charlie holding her steady. She noticed her father had left the room.
“Where did dad go?” Abbie asked.
“Home.” Charlie replied.
“Why?”
“He said, he figured you wanted to relax and unwind alone.”
Abbie looked away with sadness in her eyes. She felt guilty for treating her father horribly for the last seven years. She didn’t make his life easy since he hadn’t made her life easy. All her life she thought she drove him to drink. She never realized she was the one person keeping him alive.
Her father opened up and tried to make amends when she was eighteen and going pro, but it wasn’t the right time. She was angry and ready to run away. She just did what she had to in the moment to survive. She got tough and bitter as a result of her environment. She felt ashamed of her behavior and the path set before her.
“What’s wrong?” Charlie asked, calmly.
The nurse emerged from the bathroom with the duffel bag and a flirtatious smile on her face. The woman placed the bag next to Abbie then handed her paperwork to sign to be released from the hospital. Abbie signed the paperwork then waited for the nurse to leave the room to grab a wheelchair.
“You ask me that too much.” Abigail muttered quietly.
“It’s only because I care. I can see when you need to talk about something.” Charlie replied, softly. He quickly brushed her hair from her eyes then kissed her forehead.
“Thanks...” Abbie answered. “We really need to talk though.”
“We will on the way to my place.”
“That is such a classic guy line.”
“Yes, except the context here is strictly clean and professional.”
“I don’t think this is professional at all. This isn’t your job.”
“I volunteered because I want it to be my job.” Charlie shrugged with a smile.
The nurse returned with a wheelchair, leaving Abbie lost in Charlie’s response. He smiled down at her then helped her into the wheelchair provided. The nurse wheeled Abbie to Charlie’s car while Charlie carried her bag and latest bouquet of flowers. Abbie felt like a pregnant woman leaving the hospital, except she had no desire of having a child any time soon.
They arrived quickly at Charlie’s car. Abbie was surprised he was driving a mustang convertible instead of the florist van. He quickly threw the bag and flowers in the backseat then started the car to get the air going. The summer heat was hitting Abbie’s body in a bad way. She felt extremely nauseous and fatigued. The nurse gave her the water cup to carry before leaving the room so Abbie sucked down as much water as she could to prevent dehydration.
Charlie quickly opened the passenger door to his car. He helped Abbie out of the wheelchair then into the mustang. Charlie was smart to put the top down because it was easier to position Abbie inside without hitting her head. The nurse said a quick goodbye then rolled off with the wheelchair. Charlie put the top back up to keep the air conditioning inside the car.
Abbie took a deep breath. This is going to work out. It’s going to be okay. I just need to stay calm and breathe. I just hope they find Ricky and arrest him before he tries to do something stupid again. Maybe he will give up now that I have Charlie... Although I don’t know if I have Charlie. We need to talk about that as soon as possible. Abbie thought.
“That nurse really wanted your number too.” Abbie laughed.
“This again. Abbie, I don’t care about her. I care about you.” Charlie retorted, sternly.
“I know... I... Uh... I care about you too. I’m just scared of this not working out or one of us getting hurt.” Abbie answered.
“All we can do is try... Is us being together going to make this living situation awkward?”
“No, I don’t think so...”
“Okay. Thank you for finally sharing your feelings with me.”
“Don’t gloat. I will slap you.” Abbie laughed. Charlie smiled.
“What do you want to eat before we go home? I don’t have any groceries at home since I haven’t really been there...”
“Yeah... I’m sorry. I will cook as soon as I can stand by a stove.”
“No worries. I made a choice. A good one by the way.” Charlie smiled.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You say that now. How about we get Mexican food!?” Abbie asked, enthusiastically.
“Do you think your body can handle that right now?”
“Yeah... It should. Do you want something different? I don’t even know what kind of food you enjoy or hate. You said you like pizza... We could get pizza if you want.” Abbie offered.
“Babe, we could get anything, and I will be happy. I don’t care what we eat. I just want you to be comfortable. Mexican food goes through some people.” Charlie chuckled.
“Ohhhh. I see. Okay well I think my body still needs to adjust completely to food. So, you pick.” Abbie laughed, nervously.
“Pizza it is, my sweet.” Charlie smiled.
He reached over to grab her hand then started driving to a local restaurant nearby. Abbie held onto his hand lightly as he drove. He only let go to make turns and change the radio station. Abbie was really happy until she saw a familiar vehicle approaching. She remembered seeing the same vehicle when Ricky fled.
“Hey, Charlie... I think Ricky is in the truck following us....” Abbie warned.
“Why do you say that?” Charlie asked.
“I remember seeing that vehicle outside the restaurant when I met Ricky up with.” Abbie urged quickly.
“I’m going to speed up and turn the corner. We’ll see if the vehicle follows us.” Charlie replied, calmly looking in the mirror.
Abbie nodded then continued to look out her mirror. Charlie quickly turned down a nearby road. The throaty engine of the red mustang purred inside the hood. The vehicle sped up and turned the corner too. Charlie seemed to start panicking in the driver seat. Abbie quickly reasoned out a plan. She picked up her phone.
“Dad, we just left the hospital. Ricky is tailing us. Can you meet us outside with your 9 Mil? I’ll call the cops and keep them on the line while we drive there.” Abbie uttered nervously into the phone.
“I will be outside right away. I’ll text the neighbor too.” Her father replied quickly. “Be careful, Abbie.”
“Thanks, you too.” Abbie answered.
She ended the call then told Charlie where to go. She called 911 to report Ricky. The dispatch worker said police were in the area already. They would be assisting Charlie and Abbie momentarily. Abbie stayed on the phone with the worker to keep the location traced.
Abigail prayed again for God to protect them. She wasn’t used to praying to a God she didn’t fully believe in. She knew Charlie believed in God since he dropped so many nuggets about Jesus in the hospital. Abbie was sort of regretting not talking more about meeting the creator of the universe. She was afraid of dying.
Charlie quickly pulled up to Vincent, Abbie’s father’s, apartment. He was standing outside with a gang of neighbors with guns. Police suddenly flooded the scene. Ricky sped off with the police on his tail. Abbie breathed a sigh of relief. The dispatch worker claimed the police were in a high-speed chase with the driver. Abbie thanked the worker and told her to call if the police needed any more information. She ended the call then looked at Charlie. He was taking deep breaths after driving wildly through town. Abbie was surprised more police hadn’t showed up.
Abbie’s father came to stand by the car. He quickly put his gun away in the back of his pants. Abbie tried to smile at her father but couldn’t bring herself to. She felt tears flood her eyes and hit her cheeks. Her heart was racing with adrenaline and fear.
“It’s okay. Just get home as soon as possible.” Her father cooed. “We will keep watch here if Ricky tries to show up again.”
“Thanks Dad... For everything.” Abbie croaked. “I really appreciate you and all you have done for me.”
“Back at you, Abigail. You kept me alive all these years. I wouldn’t change a thing.” Her father smiled.
Suddenly gunshots rang out around the vehicle. Abbie tried to duck but couldn’t because of her damaged ribcage. Charlie helped ease her down in the passenger seat. She heard her father hit the ground with a moan. She wanted to help her father, but she couldn’t do anything. The police chased the vehicle further down the street. Abbie watched a man who resembled Ricky jump out of the moving vehicle from the passenger door. He started running on foot toward Abbie and the other men with guns.
Ricky raised his gun in defiance. Police shot at him as well as the other men armed by her father’s apartment. Ricky was quickly killed and laid lifeless on the ground. Abbie was happy for one crisis to be over. She started to panic about her father. He wasn’t making any noise from the other side of her door. She could see his lifeless body outside her window. She instantly started to cry and get hysterical with emotion.
