Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
She sucked in a breath. He knew her feelings for Jenner?
“Any man would be a dumbass not to want you. I’m starting to think he is a dumbass.”
“Me too,” she grumbled. “I mean . . . no, he’s not.”
Abe snorted and grinned. And she found herself grinning back.
“Course he is,” she said. “Who wouldn’t want me? I’m a freaking catch.”
“You sure are.”
They were quiet as he seated them at a table at the hotel restaurant and ordered them both drinks.
“Why have you never just told him how you feel?” Abe asked.
“Because . . . because if he doesn’t feel the same thing that would ruin everything. I would have to leave my job, leave my home, leave you guys.”
He leaned forward, giving her a fierce look. “And what makes you think we’d allow that?”
“I couldn’t stay,” she whispered. Honestly, the rejection might kill her.
Like you’re not feeling constantly rejected time and time again anyway?
Although was it fair to be mad at him when he didn’t even know how she felt about him?
“Then we’d leave together. But you wouldn’t be going on your own.”
“Abe, you’re his manager.” She gave him a shocked look.
“Yep. Doesn’t mean that I have to live in the same house as him. We can go find our own place, just say the word.”
Immy swallowed heavily. She didn’t want that. Right?
Because she couldn’t really imagine not living with Isaiah, Sampson, and Jenner.
Lord. Her head was messed up.
“I got mad the other day and that’s why I told Maeve I was coming to live with her. I don’t really want to leave.”
“It’s okay to get mad sometimes, Immy. It’s healthy,” he told her.
“It’s also okay to smile sometimes, Abe. And to take a break from your work.”
He held up his Scotch. “Touché.”
She had a soda with lime. No alcohol for her because her body didn’t react well to it. But she picked it up and clicked her glass against his.
“Jenner’s father was a real asshole to him, you know,” Abe told her.
She frowned. “I know he wasn’t a good man.”
“Jenner and Sampson hid it well, but you didn’t get to be a Sentinel by being a nice guy.”
“I know.”
Jenner and Sampson had never said much about their father.
“Why have they never said anything about him?” she asked. “At least, they haven’t to me.”
Abe watched her steadily. “Because you’ve always been our bright light, Immy. You were the one we fought to keep protected from all of this. You’ve always been sweet, honey. Always seen the best in people. The rest of us saw shit we couldn’t erase. That still haunts us.” His gaze grew unfocused. “That sort of stuff changes you. It can warp you. Make it hard to form relationships, to trust people, to let people in.”
“Are you saying Jenner doesn’t trust me?”
“Not at all,” he said firmly. “Out of everyone, including those in our family, it’s probably you that we all trust the most.”
“Then . . . I don’t understand.”
“I’m just saying that Jenner might be a dumbass, but he also might not see how you feel about him because he’s busy trying to make sure that you’re protected and safe. And that maybe he doesn’t know how to form a healthy relationship, because he never had anyone to show him. I’m saying that we all have our demons and they come out in strange ways.”
Abe closed his eyes for a moment. Immy immediately felt guilty. He had to have other things going on and he didn’t need to be dealing with her stuff as well.
“Abe, you look so tired. You should go and get some rest.”
“Wish I could,” he muttered before swallowing back his drink. “But sleep seems to be eluding me. I think what I’m trying to say is that if I ever had someone like you, Immy, someone sweet and kind and gorgeous wanting me then I wouldn’t believe it. And I wouldn’t think I deserved it. You might eventually move on and find someone else but just don’t ever completely give up on him. On us. You help keep us all together. Cat has Alejandro and she was always the strongest of us. I’m fucking worried to death about Maeve and so is Sampson. But if you leave . . . I’m worried about me and Isaiah, but especially Jenner.”
“I would never leave,” she said, feeling guilty that she’d ever contemplated it.
Abe shook his head. “It’s not fair of me, Immy. You have the right to live your own life. If you get sick of Jenner not waking the fuck up, you should find someone else. And that person might take you away.”
“Abe.” She leaned forward and took his hand in hers. She’d never seen him like this before. He was always so strong. He’d always seemed unaffected by what was going on. But perhaps he was a better actor than all of them. “I’ll always be here. I’ll always be yours.”