every time she opens her mouth, I think I’ve heard it before. I’m missing something. She’s familiar, but not too familiar. I may have met her before, but only in passing. And after the entire twenty minutes I’ve known her, I don’t know whether I like her or hate her.
“Have you climbed before?”
I frown. “No.” This feels like a competition. Like I should be able to do anything she can do. Which is silly. We aren’t competing for Knight. He’s her ex, and I’m his assistant. We can be friends.
“No worries, this one is an easy climb. We will do it together, and Jamal and Blake will spot us.”
Two men arrive as Abri says their names. Both attractive men are going to watch me fall on my face. Abri gives me a very quick tutorial about the equipment and then we are strapped in and slowly climbing up with the men spotting us from the ground.
“So how did you and Knight meet?” I ask trying to seem interested.
She smiles. “I’m not sure I can get used to hearing someone call him Knight.”
“Sorry, I mean Ace.”
“We met in high school. He was the popular football player. I was the prom queen, cheerleader type. We fell in love and started a company together. Next thing you know we are married and running a million dollar company together.”
“That’s incredible.”
“It was a fairy tale come true.”
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”
She pauses, and I have to move my handhold higher to get even with her again. That’s when I see the tears staining her cheeks.
“I’m sorry. You two seemed perfect for each other. But sometimes, things don’t work out.”
Abri shakes her head and releases her hold on the rock, which completely freaks me out. Even though we are connected to ropes, I’m still petrified at any moment we are going to slam into the rocks below.
She climbs higher, not speaking to me, and I do my best to keep up, although at a slower pace. Finally, she stops again and looks at me, her eyes almost dry.
“I know I’m the ex, and you and Ace are keeping things professional, but I feel now that we are friends, I should tell you the truth. That way you can make your own decisions about Ace. I don’t want you to fall for him like all the rest of his assistants and end up hurt.”
I suck in a breath, not sure if I want to hear what she says. And I’m definitely sure we aren’t friends.
“We were in love. We had passion. We were everything to each other. But then…”
“Abri? What happened?”
“We were too passionate about everything. The love turned to constant fighting.”
I nod, understanding.
“The bickering turned to physical fighting. Ace has a temper, and he…”
More tears fall, and I need to know what happened. I need to know how he hurt her. I need to know the truth.
“Abri? Please tell me.”
“He hit me. Hard across the face. And then…” Her voice trembles. “Then, he hit me until I passed out.”
I gasp. I know it’s not what she needs, but I can’t help myself. It doesn’t fit what I know about Knight. But then maybe the Knight I know and the Ace she knows aren’t the same people.
I want to say I’m sorry, but my words would be empty, meaningless.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I need to go.”
“What?”
She quickly descends. I stare in awe at how quickly she moved down the side of the cliff. She detaches herself from the rope and runs to her car. Both men chase after her, most likely worried and wanting to hit on her.
Shit, both men!
I look down at high up I am. I’m gripping the wall tightly. And I can’t repel down like her; I have no one belaying me. I have to climb down. My legs are suddenly jello, and my hands are sweating as I try to grip the rock. I’m high enough up I’m sure if I fell I would die or at the very least break several bones.
My entire body is shaking now. I need help.
“Abri! Help!”
Nothing.
“Help! Someone, please help!”
The wind blows, and I grip the rock tighter. That bitch. The longer I’m up here, the more I replay the conversation in my head. Some of it might be true, all of it even. But the way she spoke, waited until we had reached the top before climbing down makes me believe she deliberately trapped me up here.