she was looking for something else she needed to say. Finally, she just shook her head. “You don’t know what I feel. But that’s not a surprise. You don’t even know how he feels about shit, half the time. You’re so fucking clueless, and that makes you pathetic. You’re supposed to be his best friend, but you jerk him around like a puppet. No wonder Sebastian was so pissed off at you.”
The venom in Keelie’s voice was like a slap in the face and the fury in her eyes was almost palpable. Keelie opened her mouth to say something else, but then she snapped her jaws together and shook her head. “You know what? Fuck this.”
She turned on her heel and stormed away, while Abigale stood there and tried to figure out what in the world had just happened.
Just what in the world . . .
Chapter Sixteen
“You going to tell me what had you so upset earlier?”
Zach put the empty plate on the coffee table as Abby stood up.
It was late, almost nine and it had been a long, tense hour. Hell, it had been a long, tense day and not just because the two of them had almost had their first fight as . . . whatever the hell they were.
“What?” She gave him a distracted glance and then shrugged. “Oh, nothing. Here, let me . . .”
He caught her wrist before she could take the plate. “Leave it for a few minutes.”
She resisted at first but as he continued to tug on her wrist, she sighed and placed her plate with his and went to sit down next to him. He caught her hips and tumbled her onto his lap, shifting her so she didn’t bump against his ribs.
“Zach, damn it,” she said, trying to pull away. “You need to be careful. Did you forget about your ribs?”
“I was.” He combed a hand through her hair and leaned in, pressing his brow to hers. “Besides, they’re my ribs. If I do something stupid, it’s my own fault. Now . . . what’s bothering you?”
She squirmed again. “Nothing.”
“Liar.”
She slid him a look out of the corner of her eye and then just shrugged. “I . . .” She stopped and sighed, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder.
Closing his eyes, he curled an arm around her. How many nights . . .
“We’ve done this a lot,” she murmured in an eerie echo of his thoughts. “Just this, you know that?”
Opening his eyes, he glanced down at her and saw that she was looking up at him. And unless he was mistaken, there was a look in her eyes that held both satisfaction and sadness.
“Yeah. I know.” Brushing her hair back, he leaned in and touched his brow to hers. “Abby . . . what’s wrong? I know you too well to buy the nothing bit.”
“Do you know me?”
Alarm stirred inside him. “Yeah, sugar. I know you. Hell, how could I not? We’re best friends.” Tracing his finger down her neck, determined to make sure she hadn’t forgotten, he added, “And more . . . now. I’m pretty damned pleased with that more bit, let me tell you.”
She curled a hand around his wrist and some of the tension knotting his gut eased a little as she added quietly, “So am I.” Then she shifted her gaze away from him. “I do think you know me. Better than anybody else. But . . .” She cleared her throat and paused, her mouth opening, then closing like she was trying to find the words. “Lately, I’m wondering . . . hell. I wasn’t but then people keep saying . . .”
People.
His mind shot back to earlier in the day. He’d seen Keelie standing there, seen her storm down the hall and the woman had been in a mood all damn day. But Keelie was a brat and a half most of the time anyway. Now, though? Not to mention the conversation he’d interrupted between Abby and Sebastian.
Stroking his thumb over her skin, he said quietly, “People keep saying what, Abby?”
Pink crept up her cheeks and she shook her head, leaned back in against him. “This is stupid, Zach. Hell, you’ve had the worst couple of days and I’m sitting here griping.” Once more she tucked her head against his chest and seconds ticked by, but he knew her too well to trust that it was done. The odd tension in her body, the way her hand fisted his shirt,