Page 228 of Hate to Love You
But before I have time to ask her what she means, she simply ends the call.
Damnit! I fucking hate when she does that.
My chest tightens, knowing what’s about to happen. I’ve put so much thought and planning into this, but now I can’t help but wonder…is this a mistake?
I’m so lost in my thoughts that I don’t realize how long I’ve ridden in silence with Abby until we reach downtown. Glancing over at her, I find her sitting peacefully staring out the window, her arms crossed across her chest.
Right here, in the simplest moments, I realize how truly beautiful she is. She’s pulled her dark brown hair softly to one shoulder and her perky tits heave against the low v-neck sweater she’s wearing, poking out and teasing me.
God she’s gorgeous. I can see the goosebumps on her skin—
“Roman! Watch out!” She suddenly shouts, slamming her hand on the roof of the car.
My attention is ripped from her bodice back to the road, and I swerve just in time to avoid hitting a car that is blasting its horn at me.
“Fuck!” I shout, sliding back into our lane.
I can feel the blood rushing to my face, realizing just how close I came to crashing this car, all because I was staring at Abby.
“So,” I clear my throat. “I feel like we should, I don’t know, talk about this?”
“Which part?” she says, crossing her arms again as I bring the car to a stop at the light, her tone suddenly quiet and cold. “The fact that you called me your girlfriend back there, or the fact that you have another girl’s panties hanging from your rear-view mirror?”
“What?”
It’s then that I look up and indeed see the pair of red lace lingerie dangling from around the mirror.
“Abby,” I scoff. “I didn’t even—”
“You know what,” she says, throwing her hands in the air, “I don’t even know why I agreed to this.”
And before I can stop her, Abby unbuckles her seat belt, and yanks the door handle open. She’s out of the car just as the light turns green.
“Abby!” I call after her, keeping the car in park.
But she ignores me, stepping into the crowded New York street crowd.
Godamnit! What the fuck is going on here?!
As the cars behind me start to honk, seeing the light has changed, and I haven’t moved, I pull my phone from my pocket and dial Oleg.
“Boss, do you want us just to grab her?” Oleg says in my ear, as I slowly lurch the car forward.
“Absolutely not, I don’t want a scene,” I say quickly. “Just stay with her.”
Without turning to look at me she continues storming down the sidewalk, I pull up beside her, rolling the window down.
“Abigail! Get in the damn car!” I snap.
“You know, Roman,” she shouts back, but refuses to stop walking. “If you actually give any fucks about your current girlfriend, it’s probably best not to have trophies of your old ones hanging about!”
Shit.
That’s not at all what I’d intended.
“Are you seriously upset about fucking panties?” I laugh incredulously. “I forgot they were there, and I have no fucking idea who they belong to. I didn’t know it was such a big deal. I’m sorry.”
“You’re not sorry and you don’t fucking get it!” She snaps, suddenly turning on her heel. “Because they’re still fucking hanging there!”