Loved & Loyal | 1

xxii

After breakfast, Abby and I went up to my room for a few hours before heading over to the park.

When we got there with our balls, we played pepper and threw the football back and fourth.

We were just about to head home for supper when a truck's horn honked at us. It was a black, jacked up Ford. The driver got out of the truck and started jogging toward us. When he called Abby's name, I remembered his voice. It was Mike. The guy that called Abby.

"Don't you know when to give up?" My tone was harsh as I stepped in front of Abby.

"Look, man. This is between her and me. Why don't you run on home to your hockey stick," He practically growled at me.

"If you have a problem with Abby, you have a problem with me. I'm not going anywhere. So, I'd get back in the oversized piece of shit you drive and leave her alone. She's done with you. It was one date." I gestured to his truck, suggesting he leave.

"I'm not leaving until she talks to me." He turned to Abby who was looking at our exchange from the side, but she was still behind me. "Come on, we had such a good fuck. Do you just want to give that up?"

I got pissed. I can't believe he talked to Abby like that. He has no respect.

"HEY! Buddy! Don't. Talk. To. Her. Like. That." I was seething.

"It's okay, Bear. I got this," Abby whispered to me, grabbing onto my shoulder and tugging me back a bit.

I looked down at her, concern filling my livid, dark, forest green eyes.

"Mike, you may have been a gentleman at dinner but it takes more than a pretty face for me to stick around. And, you're dick is tiny. I've had better fucks." At that, Abby turned on her heel, held her head up high, straightened her back, and walked back in the direction of home.

I stood there, staring at Mike as his jaw dropped to the floor. When Abby had taken a few steps, he snapped his eyes up to me and straightened his expression, trying to act like he was indifferent and that he wasn't taken aback by Abs' words.

"Oh, fuck off," I growled at him as he opened his mouth to speak.

"You're a real jerk-off."

I lost it. You would've seen my eyes get even darker if you were looking; my irises almost as black as my pupils.

My jaw clenched and my shoulders, biceps, and hands clenched and flexed. I balled my right hand into a fist and in four quick steps I was standing in front of him. Before he could blink I swung my fist and caught his jaw. His body was knocked to my left, his steps staggering but he stayed upright. I swung again, putting all of the anger I had towards him for hurting Abby into the punch. I hit him in the nose but didn't hear a crack. He was bleeding though. His nose was dripping and a bump had started to form on his jaw.

"Call the cops, and I'll tell them about the weed you wreak of and the coke around your nose."

With that, Mike staggered/ran back to his truck. He got in and I made sure he drove in the opposite direction of our houses before running back home to Abby.

I burst through her front door, hoping she had come to her house and not mine.

"Abby? Are you in here?" I shouted through the house.

I heard a faint hiccup coming from upstairs so I ran up the staircase, two at a time.

"Abby?" I said, my voice softer.

"Ben," She sniffled. I burst through her bedroom door but didn't see her. I jogged over to the ensuite and looked inside.

There, sitting on the ground in front of the sink, was Abby. In tears.