Cabin Fire: A New Adult and College Romance (The Billionaire Romance Redemption Series Book 4) (4 page)

ABBY had not seen Andrew for over a week. For eight days, he had avoided her, ignored her, and not responded to any of her messages from the night when he ran out. Nothing felt the same in her world. Sighing out her disappointment, she pulled herself out of bed and got ready for her day at the hospital. She arrived at work a few minutes early. It gave her extra time to familiarize herself with the patients she would see that day.

She had a full day. In addition to the patients she had seen last week, there were four new names on her roster. It meant she likely wouldn’t be able to stop for lunch. She didn’t mind that too much. She had not been eating lately. She had no appetite, with everything that happened.

As she walked to her first appointment, one of the doctors stopped her in the hallway. She couldn’t remember his name. She had met so many of the staff last week. His face was familiar. He looked a bit like Rob—blond hair, smiling eyes, tall, fit athletic body. She thought he might be from Pediatric Oncology, but wasn’t certain.

“Hi. Abby, was it?” He asked. “I was at your orientation a few weeks ago. I’m not sure if you remember me? I’m Paul Jacoby.”

What a relief he had said his name. “Yes I do, Dr. Jacoby. How are you?”

“Please, call me Paul.”

“Sure, Paul. Is there something I can help you with?”

“No. Nothing in particular. I just wanted to say welcome to the hospital. Are you enjoying your placement so far?”

“Absolutely. It’s been great. I love the work. It’s exactly what I saw myself doing years ago when I chose nursing.”

“That’s great to hear. Out of curiosity, do you live in the area?”

Abby wasn’t sure she liked where this was going. “I’m not too far away. Why do you ask?”

“A few of us go to drinks every Wednesday or Thursday night. I thought you might want to come along. It’s a good crowd. A nice mix of doctors, nurses and some of the other specialists and admin staff. We go after shift, to relax a bit. We all need to decompress from time to time. We’re going tonight, if you’re up for it.”

Abby hesitated. She couldn’t tell if he was interested in her or just being friendly. Either way, she wasn’t sure she was ready to start socializing with coworkers. Not with Andrew on her mind.

“Can I let you know later on?”

“Sure, that works,” he answered.

“Great.”

He looked at his watch. He probably sensed her discomfort. “Well, I’ve got to get back. Enjoy your shift, Abby.”

“You too. And thanks for the invite.”

When Abby shift was almost over, she saw Paul again. They were heading out to the parking lot at the same time. He asked her again. Beside school and her placements, she hadn’t talked to anyone but Ruth all week. She wanted to put the pain behind her, but going out so soon didn’t feel right. She wasn’t ready. She asked Paul for a rain check, and promised she would try to come out with the group in a few weeks, once she settled in.

Paul had a slightly disappointed expression on his face, but smiled politely. “It’s okay,” he told her. “I’ll hold you to that rain check. See you around, Abby.”

“Take care, Paul,” she answered, and headed to her car.

***

ABBY had not heard from Andrew in two weeks. She missed him terribly, but had come to terms with reality. Something went horribly wrong, and now he didn’t want to see her, speak with her, or be with her. The whole thing left her completely confused, heartbroken and in emotional turmoil. She was crushed.

She was all the more grateful for her placement, and for school. She threw herself into work at the hospital, and focused on getting through the last two semesters of her Master’s program. Both were a godsend. They allowed her to get through the days. Her nights were another story.

She would get home, cook, clean, and one night she even baked. She never enjoyed baking, and it showed. The kitchen was a disaster area that night. Flour everywhere. Bowls, the mixer, the blender, baking trays scattered around. And she had managed to get her hair covered in loose flour. It was a mess.

She would also organize and reorganize her bedroom, but that was worse. She wished she could get rid of all the clothes he had bought her. They were a constant reminder of what happened between them. She tried to understand what could have turned to him into such a completely different person with no warning. His silence had gone too far. And now she had no hope.

One evening her phone rang. She had looked at that phone so many times, wondering when he would actually call back, or text, or reach out to her in some way. When she picked up the phone and looked at the number, it was not familiar. Holding out the faint hope it was Andrew, she answered.

“Hello?”

“Hi. Abby? It’s Trina.”

“Oh. Hi Trina. How are you doing? And how is John?”

“We’re both fine. I hadn’t heard from you in a while. I wanted to see how you were doing.”

“I’m great. How is John?”

“He’s doing amazing. He should be out really soon. After that, he’ll be focused on the physiotherapy.”

“Well that’s great to hear, Trina. I’m so relieved he’s improved so quickly.”

“Yes. Me too. We’ll be staying with my parents. The physiotherapist office is pretty close. Can you believe it? We’re moving in together. Well, sort of.”

“That’s great, Trina. I’m really happy for you and John.”

“And with this timing, were pretty sure we’ll be back in school this September.”

“Fantastic… I’m so glad you called, Trina.”

“Hold on there. Don’t go hanging up so quickly, Missy.”

“Was there something more?”

“Of course there’s more. I want to hear about you and Andrew.”

And there it was. That was the Trina Abby had come to know. “There isn’t much to tell, Trina.”

“Well how about you tell me, and let me be the judge of that.”

“I prefer not to talk about it right now.”

“What happened? You know you can talk to me. It will feel better when you talk about it.”

“I don’t think so,” she answered, already starting to feel the tears welling up in her eyes. “Actually Trina, I think I’ll talk to you later.”

“Abby. Come on. You know it’s better to talk. We’re not meant to keep it all bottled up inside.”

Abby was silent on the line. The tears were falling, and she did her best to keep them to herself. Trina had called about her good news, and she didn’t want to rain on her parade. She pulled herself together and managed to say, “I’m really happy to hear about John, Trina. I’m so happy for the both of you. I’m going to go now. And I’ll talk to you later okay? Thanks so much for calling.”

“Please don’t hang up, Abby. But if you have to, I understand. Just know I’m here for you if you need to talk.”

“Thank you. Have a good night and give my best to John. Bye.”

Abby hung up and went to bed. She was not ready to talk about it. There really wasn’t much to talk about. Not ten minutes later, her phone buzzed.

She was going to let it ring through to voicemail, but the truth was, she
did
want to get some of it off her chest. She picked up the phone when she saw it was Trina again.

“Hi Trina.”

“Hi Abby.”

“Forgot something?” Abby asked.

“No. I think you did.”

“What do you mean?”

“Something told me to call you again. Something told me you needed someone to listen to you tonight. If I’m wrong, then fine. But don’t keep it to yourself. Don’t hold it in. It’s not good. So now I’m going to be quiet, and I’m going to let you talk.”

Abby sat silently. This time, she was ready to talk. “I don’t know what I did wrong, Trina. He’s not talking to me anymore. He was going to tell me about his past. And he must have thought I beat him to it by researching him online. But I didn’t. And now he won’t talk to me…I really thought he was the one.”

Abby broke down and cried. The sobs continued. Trina sat quietly on the other end of the line. She waited for Abby to continue.

“I haven’t spoken to him for two weeks. I feel so depressed…and broken. I can’t do anything about it right now while school is going on. He’s all the way out there. If he doesn’t take a step toward me, I don’t think we’ll have anything anymore. See? There really isn’t that much. But it feels like my world is upside down. I wish he would just talk to me.”

“Abby, I’m so sorry,” Trina said in a voice so nurturing and calm, Abby could cry all over again. “He’ll come to his senses. Men don’t have the tools to communicate the way we do… Do you want me to talk to him?”

“No, please don’t,” Abby said quickly. “Don’t. You can’t. It’ll probably push him further away.”

“Alright. I won’t. You have my word. But if he asks me for any advice, I’ll be sure to set him straight.”

“Good.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Yes. I’ll be fine. These things will work themselves out. Or not. Either way, I’ll have to live with it. Thanks for listening, Trina. And thanks for being persistent. You’re right. It does feel better to the let some of it out.”

“You’re more than welcome, dear.”

“I have to get some sleep now. Have a good night, Trina. Give my love to John.”

“Good night, Abby.”

Abby hung up, and the phone vibrated again. She turned the phone off, and slipped in between the sheets. She needed her sleep. She wanted to forget.

***

The next morning when Abby checked her messages, it was Rob. He had sent a text, inviting her to dinner that weekend with him and Ruth. She wasn’t sure if Trina put him up to it. She could use the company, but not right away. She replied and told them she would love to, if he didn’t mind waiting a few weeks. She needed to bring her spirits up before facing anyone in a social setting.

ANDREW sat up in bed suddenly. It was late at night. He was back in San Francisco to deliver another guest lecture the next morning. He had awoken from yet another nightmare. A cocoon of covers lay bundled from his waist down. He was drenched in sweat and panting. He hadn’t had a dream with such intensity for over a year.

He got up and walked to the kitchen in his suite. Taking a bottle of water from the fridge, he walked back to his room and sat on the side of the bed. It was so vivid, he almost felt the nightmare had not ended. He drank the entire bottle and stretched out in the bed again, but his mind was fired up from the nightmare. He sat up again after a few minutes. There was no way he could go back to sleep after that. Images of Emma’s face kept surfacing.

He got up and dressed. He decided to take a drive and clear his head. He had not driven around San Francisco on his own in ages. Tonight, he needed to feel the air through his hair and the roar of an engine beneath him. He needed something to do. He checked with the hotel. His father’s Lamborghini was still parked in the garage. He told them to have the valet bring it out.

He went down the elevator and made his way through the lavish lobby to the exit. Soft operatic music played in the background. It was beautifully dull. And tragic. All his senses seemed hyper-aware tonight. He walked out to the front of the hotel, got in the driver seat, started the car, and revved it before driving away.

When he was out on the open road, he peeled off, fishtailing as the car sped up the street. The streetlights flashed by him as he drove up the ramp to the highway. He drove quickly, but not fast enough to get into any trouble. He just needed to breathe again, to feel his pulse race, now that he was closer to letting go of Abby.

He exited Highway 280 and turned north on the pacific highway to enjoy the ocean view. Or try to, anyway. There wasn’t much enjoyment to be had. Everything around him seemed muted and dull, as though the life had been drained from him and his surroundings. That was his new and less-than-shiny perspective. Thousands of street lights sparkled in his periphery as he drove, until he saw something out of the corner of his eye. When he did, he braked so hard, the tires screeched before coming to a jarring stop.

He looked to the left, toward the ocean. There were two joggers running up the boardwalk, moving in synchronicity, and with such grace; such togetherness. He wasn’t sure why they caught his attention, or why he had stopped to watch them. Perhaps because it was the middle of the night. Surely they were out training for something. He took a moment to catch his breath. God, he missed Abby terribly.

Remembering he had a meeting with Professor Sansbury in the morning, he started the car, turned it around, intent on going back to the hotel. Somehow, he ended up in the parking lot at Abby’s place. If he had been looking to feel his heart race, it sure happened there. He could barely breathe, his hands shook, and his throat tightened.

He struggled to come up with what he could ever say to make up for how he had treated her. He didn’t dare go up to her door; not at this hour, and certainly not after cutting ties the way he had done. He sat in the car and looked toward her unit. All the lights were off. At least he didn’t cause her any loss of sleep. Sighing, he started the car and left.

Back in his room, he stood at the door and looked around. He tried to busy his mind, and not have it invaded by Abby. There was more space than he or his dad, or any of their guests would ever need. He looked at the baby grand piano in the corner of the living room. Neither he nor his dad played. He wondered why his father had the hotel keep it as part of the décor. He had no idea why he only just noticed it.

He walked to the fully stocked bar in the far corner of the room. He placed a glass on the counter and looked through the bar fridge. Whiskey could help. Except he hated drinking alone. He put the bottle back in the fridge without pouring a drop, and went back to his bedroom. He undressed to his boxers again and got into bed.

***

The sun blazed through the windows as Andrew woke up the next morning. He looked over at the clock. He had barely slept. He picked himself up and got in the shower. His meeting with Sansbury was scheduled for ten that morning, and his guest lecture was right after that. After getting dressed, he went down to the main floor of the hotel. He walked through the common areas, past the couples and businessmen sitting at the smaller hotel restaurant near the lobby.

He was early. Looking around, he found a seat near the quieter back window and waited. After a server took his coffee order, a young couple walked in from the patio outside, and approached him.

“Good morning, sir. Sorry to bother you, but would you mind taking a photo of my wife and me? We just got married.” the man said.

“Oh honey, that’s the first time you’ve called me your wife,” the woman purred before Andrew could answer. “It sounds so sweet.”

She reached up and kissed the man, and Andrew looked around, hoping a hostess or server—anyone—would come by and do the honors. No one came.

When they pulled from their kiss, the man seemed to remember why he was standing in front of Andrew’s table, and continued. “Sorry about that. So, can you take our photo out on the patio?”

“Certainly,” Andrew answered, and stood up to follow them outside.

The man passed Andrew his camera, and the couple stopped in between two planters, the sparkling San Francisco Bay behind them. They held each other close as they posed for Andrew to take the shot. Andrew fumbled with the camera briefly, then found the right setting and took a few shots. The couple thanked him repeatedly. He nodded and handed the camera back to the man before going inside.

He smiled as he sat down at his table. It was always this way. Disgustingly cute and romantic couples always managed to make their way to him for photos when he was down in this hotel lobby. If nothing else, the Gods had an odd, mocking sense of humor.

He was looking out at the water when Sansbury reached the table and put his hand on Andrew’s shoulder.

“Andrew, it’s great to see you, son,” he greeted him.

“Good morning, Dr. Sansbury. Nice to see you too.” Andrew stood up and shook his hand before they both sat down. “Would you like some breakfast?”

“I’ll have a coffee. I ate earlier this morning.”

“Sounds great.” Andrew waved at the server. She came over and got their orders. “So how has the feedback been?”

“On your lectures? Great so far.”

“Good to hear.”

“Thanks again for stepping in on such short notice.”

“Happy to help.”

“But that’s not why I’m here.”

“No?”

“Not a chance. This immune targeting research project is expanding. We need more talent on our team. I was hoping I could convince you to join me.”

Andrew hesitated. “I’m really honored for the invitation, Dr. Sansbury. The work sounds quite exciting. I just can’t make that kind of commitment. Not right now.” He looked away. He knew Sansbury read him like a book, so he didn’t bother lying. “I still don’t do too well when I’m away from the cottage.”

“You seem to be doing just fine.”

The server brought their coffees on a silver tray with milk, cream, sweeteners and sugar.

Andrew shrugged after the server left.  “I’ve been here for two days and I’m heading back tonight. I can’t even last a week, otherwise I’d stay in town for the final lecture next Tuesday.”

“Are you sure I can’t refer you to someone?”

“You mean a therapist?” he said softly, even though no one else was in their section of the restaurant.

“Yes. I can get you someone who’s very discreet. She works with several of the faculty members. As a matter of fact, I believe she has quite a few doctors among her clientele.”

“I don’t think—”

“Don’t dismiss it yet,” he said, tilting his body slightly to reach into his pants pocket. “Here’s her card. Just think about it.”

“Thanks. I will.”

“Good, although I seriously doubt you’ll go.”

“You know me well, I guess.”

“Yes. And I hate seeing you stuck.  Look, Andrew. I’ll tell you a story. A few years ago, one of my adjunct professors was driving back from a jet skiing trip down in Tijuana. He was with his three sons. It was late at night when they got home. And of all things, they walked right into a home invasion taking place at their house. William, my professor, was immediately shot in the abdomen. Thankfully, his three boys were behind him, and ran away to get help.

“The ambulance and police arrived within minutes. And William just barely survived, although now he needs dialysis. For almost three years, William refused to see a therapist. He returned to work within months of the incident. He and his three boys were still living in a hotel after it happened. When his performance at work began to deteriorate, we sent him to this therapist. We had to force him. But within six months he was back in his house.

“And today, even after all that therapy, he still walks into his house through the side door. He has never used his front door after that night. But he’s back home. And his boys are happier.

“Maybe that story isn’t as relevant as it seemed when I thought I’d share it with you. But what I will tell you is things may never be the same, but they can get better. After all this time since Emma left us, it can only help… Talking to someone is always better than keeping it to yourself. And we really need you on this project
.
You've got great talent. I need people with instinct. Let me just say this to you, Andrew. With nothing but love, because I see you as the son I never had. It’s time to claim your life and your soul…before you lose yourself. Please just think about it.”

“Thank you. I will.” Andrew looked at his watch. This conversation was more than he had bargained for. “I should be going. I’ve got a lecture to deliver. Thank you for the offer, and for coming by.”

Dr. Sansbury stood and shook his hand. “You take care of yourself, Andrew. And thanks for your help on the college lecture circuit. You’re a natural.”