A New Life

fourty six.

"And I don't know what made me get so attached to her in the beginning, but I'm so glad I did."

Abby's POV

Sunday, February 1st

"I don't want to hear it, Rob!" I hear my mom scream from downstairs on Sunday night. Sunday nights are when she leaves the house to go to her apartment in the city for the week, and her and Rob usually fight about something before she leaves, but it's getting worse now.

The day or two time period that my mom is actually home per week now is usually spent with her and Rob either not speaking, or screaming at each other. You would think this would concern me, and it does slightly, but only because I'm worried about my own safety. If my mom and Rob's marriage doesn't work out, it would make my life a whole hell of a lot easier.

By Rob's slurred screaming voice, I can tell he's extremely drunk right now, which heightens my anxiety even more. When I hear the front door slam shut, and a car in the driveway turn on, my breathing immediately intensifies and my hands begin shaking. I quickly walk over to my bedroom door and press my ear against it, listening for Rob coming up the stairs.

When he's this drunk and angry, particularly at my mother, he tends to try to take his anger out on me. I turn off the quiet music I have playing in my room, and begin pacing back and forth, anxiously twisting the ring that Danielle got me for Christmas around my finger.

My phone starts to ring, which makes me jump a little because I'm so on edge at the moment. I walk over to my bed to see Danielle's facetiming me.

"Hi," I answer quietly, my voice shaking a little bit.

"Hi, Abby." Seeing Danielle's face and hearing her voice lessens my anxiety slightly. "Are you okay?" She asks, probably sensing the nervousness in my voice.

"Umm, yeah no, I'm fine." I say, running a hand through my hair and beginning to pace in my bedroom again. She gives me an unconvinced look, but doesn't say anything else about it.

"I was just calling to ask if you'd want to go out to dinner sometime this week with me...maybe on Friday? I just kinda want to talk to you about something."

"Talk to me about something?" I ask, slightly worried and still walking around in my room.

"It's nothing bad, I promise." She smiles softly. "I just had an idea about something."

"Okay," I say warily, bringing my hand up to fiddle with my necklace, honestly not even hearing the words that Danielle is saying because I'm too busy worried about Rob coming upstairs.

"Are you sure you're okay? Are you pacing around in circles right now?" She asks me, concern lacing her voice again.

"No," I say, immediately stopping my motions. "I mean, yes, I'm fine." Right as I say that, there's a loud noise from downstairs, that sounds like some sort of glass breaking. I try not to react, hoping Danielle didn't hear it.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" I ask, trying to play it off.

"Abby," she raises her eyebrows and looks at me sadly.

"I think it was something breaking downstairs." I reply quietly, looking up at my door. "Rob's...kinda drunk right now." I see Danielle breathe in deeply. "And by kinda, I mean very." I add after a few moments. She looks me in the eyes through the phone screen.

"Are you okay?" She asks quietly. I just nod my head in response, not saying anything. "Abby," she says seriously, closing her eyes briefly. "Are you safe right now?"

"I'm..." I'm about to just say that I'm fine, but I know that's a lie. I don't know if I'm fine, and I don't know if I'm safe...and I'm trying to teach my body and my brain to let myself trust Danielle fully, and not keep secrets from her. "...I don't know." I answer truthfully, in a quiet voice. She looks at me in silence for a moment, and I can tell she's trying to think of what to say or what to do.

"I can come get you and bring yo-"

"Danielle," I cut her off, closing my eyes and letting out a sigh.

"Abby," she replies, her voice almost whining. "You know I wasn't kidding all those times that I said you can call me anytime you want to stay here with me. I really don't like you being in that house, especially times like this with you alone with Rob when he's drunk."

"I know, I know," I say, bringing my hand up to rub my face, almost annoyed, but also knowing that Danielle is just trying to help me trust her more. "I just...I don't know. I hate that I'm like this," I feel a lump forming in my throat.

"Abby, no." Danielle says seriously. "Don't say that. You've been through so much the past few years, and you just aren't used to someone caring. I'm just letting you know the options you have, and I'm sorry if I've been more annoying or pushy ever since that night that you said you're having trouble fully trusting me, but I'm just trying to help."

"I know you're just trying to help," I tell her. "And I'm sorry, too...this is what I mean. I shut down whenever you try to do something like this." Tears threaten to slip down my face.

"I completely understand, Abby." She says, her voice quiet. "If you want to come sleep here tonight I can be there in ten minutes, and I don't care at all. I want you to be safe. But if you think you'll be okay, I trust you." We maintain eye contact through the phone screen as I think of what to do.

"I'm scared to leave my room," my voice breaks as I say these words, and Danielle lets out a sad sigh.

"That's okay, just stay in there for the night then." She tells me.

"I'm sorry," I nearly whisper.

"Don't apologize." Danielle says to me. "I want you to do what you're comfortable with." There's a few moments of silence between us. "Do you want to keep talking or are you going to go to bed soon?" She asks me.

"I'm gonna try to sleep soon," I let out a sigh. "Even though that probably won't happen."

"Everything's gonna be alright, okay? I promise." I nod my head slightly in response, willing my tears away.

There's another short moment of silence as my tears continue to build because I'm just so overwhelmed by everything in this moment.

"I'll see you in the morning?" Danielle asks me, her voice soft.

"Yeah," I force a weak smile through the phone screen. "I'll see you then."

"Okay," she whispers, a weak smile forming on her face as well. "I love you," A single tear rolls down my cheek as a response to her words. I haven't heard these words spoken to me in years, except for recently from Danielle's mouth and I'm still not used to it.

"I love you, too." My voice cracks as I try to prevent anymore tears from falling.

"Try to relax and get some sleep," Danielle's face looks sad as she says this.

"I will, goodnight Danielle." I respond.

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

a/n: soft chapter🥺

i can't say this enough...but thank you guys for all of your comments<3 the best part of my day is always seeing your guys' reaction to the new chapters and seeing all your ideas:))

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