Can't Let Go - By Michelle Brewer Page 0,15

her gate, grateful to realize she only had a few minutes before they would begin boarding. She sat down and thumbed through the bridal magazine, sighing here and there. She had always dreamed of something a little more casual than what she and Eric had planned—something with friends and family, people who would be in her life forever.

The realization was sudden—as if she’d received a swift blow to the stomach.

That would never happen—not now.

Hayley and Blake—they had been the only people Abby had cared about coming to her wedding. Of course she wanted her dad to give her away—but Hayley and Blake—they were her family.

The pain was strong, sweeping through her as a wave might wash over her body.

She heard a voice over the intercom calling for early boarding on her flight. But she couldn’t move. She was paralyzed, caught in place, breathless.

You can do this, Abby, she thought to herself. Get up and get on that plane. Hayley needs you.

Slowly, her feet began to move. Within the next several minutes, Abby had situated herself on the plane, leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes. She heard people filing by for at least the next half hour but she didn’t move. She listened for the familiar sounds of the flight beginning to take off.

Then, at last, there was the quiet hum of the engine—the voice of the pilot over the intercom. She sighed softly, trying to calm herself—trying to force herself into sleep.

Trying to force herself into a reality where this was only a nightmare.

~*~

She woke with a start just over two hours later. She was disoriented—unsure of where she was or what she was doing.

It only took a moment for it all to come back to her.

She sighed, staring at the magazines she had tucked in the seat in front of her. The thought of looking through them revolted her.

The seat beside her was empty and she was grateful. A pad of paper was tucked in the seat in front of the empty seat and she reached forward, removing it. She had a pen in her purse and she decided it was time to start writing things down—just notes, things she needed to take care of.

It was good to be able to concentrate on tasks rather than emotions. She needed to keep that level-head that Hayley had always bragged about on Abby’s behalf. She needed to keep her mind busy so that her heart wouldn’t tear itself apart. She needed to stay occupied—because otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to hold it together.

And that was not an option.

The rest of the flight went quickly as she prepared herself for everything that was to follow. She had decided to wait to call her dad until she knew more details—had decided to ignore her phone entirely until she had settled in.

The airport was a busy one—but nowhere near as busy as in L.A. She exited the plane and tried to ignore the familiarity that swept over her. She’d done this before. A few times. Those had been happy visits.

This was not going to be like that.

She had arranged for a rental car when she had reserved her ticket and she navigated through the airport until she found a shuttle. Everything was done on auto-pilot—the signing of papers, taking care of her luggage, the programming of the GPS system. Abby was sure she would remember the way, but just to be certain—she didn’t want to take any chances. She already felt as if she was running behind.

The south was one big, beautiful landscape. There were mountains and fields, woods and water. She had always been swept away by the beauty of the surroundings. It was easy to understand why Hayley and Blake had fallen in love with it so quickly. Neither had ever been much for the mundane—and they had definitely chosen the right place. All they had to do was drive a couple hours in any direction and instantly they would find a change.

She had always envisioned a life similar to this. California had never been her ideal home. She had often imagined a life elsewhere—maybe some place on the lake, some place where the weather changed. She too grew tired of the monotony—not nearly as much as Blake and Hayley, but enough that it made a difference.

Abby sighed, flipping on the radio and turning it up. She couldn’t keep thinking about them—not yet.

It didn’t take long for her to arrive in the small town, and as she neared, she