CHAPTER 11

ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE STORM?

Abigail left.

The nerve of that man! She should’ve slapped him. Fancy her? Like she was some lost item he found on the damn sidewalk? What kind of lowlife asshole thought that was acceptable?

She clenched her fists and looked around the room, eyes scanning the glittering crowd until she found Luke.

Of course, he was surrounded. Three men in dark suits stood near him, laughing about God-knows-what, and two women clung to his side like perfume samples. Abigail sighed, straightened up her spine, and walked towards him with purpose.

Luke spotted her before she got there. His brow twitched slightly, like he already sensed she wasn’t in the mood for small talk.

She reached him, ignored the people around him, and grabbed his elbow.

“Luke.” She said in annoyance. “I want to leave.”

He blinked.

“Excuse me?”

“I don’t feel comfortable.” She said quickly. “I want to go home.”

He looked her over and shook his head.

“I can’t leave right now.” He said quietly. “I’m waiting for someone. A few people, actually.”

She folded her arms.

“I said I don’t feel comfortable. This place is crawling with fake-ass people and vultures pretending to be human.”

Luke raised a brow.

“That’s the description at events like this, you have to get used to it.”

“Well, I didn’t sign up for that shit!” She snapped.

He sighed, clearly not in the mood to argue.

“Abigail, give me fifteen minutes. I’ll wrap things up quickly.”

She bit her lip, tried to calm herself, but the words spilled anyway.

“You keep saying that. When will we actually leave?”

He stared at her for a moment, and then sighed.

“You make a lot of demands.” He muttered.

“What?”

“For someone who’s doing all this because of my convenience…” He lowered his voice. “You make a lot of demands.”

Her chest tightened.

“I didn’t ask for this damn life, Luke.”

“But here you are anyway. So stop acting like a brat.”

Abigail crossed her arms again. He paused. Something in her face made him hold back the next smart thing he wanted to say. He stared at her for a second longer, and then looked over his shoulder.

“I’ll finish the meeting quickly.” He said finally. “Wait by the bar, you’ll be fine.”

“Fine.” She snapped.

She turned on her heel and marched off, pissed. She didn’t like being controlled, and she hated being dismissed.

Fifteen minutes had passed and Abigail was still standing near the bar, picking at the fruit stuck in a fancy glass of sparkling water.

Her phone made a singing sound from a notification. She fished it from her purse and read the message. It was from Luke.

-Bad storm incoming. Don’t leave yet, I’m coming.-

Her stomach dropped. She looked outside the tall glass doors. The sky was a mess of dark clouds, and the trees outside looked like they were bowing under pressure. And then came the first crack of thunder.

One of the guards came in and climbed the stage.

“Esteemed guests, I’m sorry to mention that there will be no movement for now. They’ve grounded the cars, and roads are blocked a few blocks down. The place is flooding already.”

Abigail shook her head.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Luke appeared behind her suddenly.

“I asked you to wait. Where do you think you’re going?”

“I just wanted to see. This wasn’t part of the plan.”

“Plans don’t mean anything when the weather decides to change.”

A loud thunderclap followed his words, making a few people scream nearby. Abigail winced.

“So what now?” She asked.

He gestured toward one of the private lounges off to the side.

“We wait it out in there.”

She hesitated.

“I’d rather wait in the bathroom than sit in a room alone with you.” She muttered.

“Suit yourself.”

Abigail gritted her teeth and followed him anyway.

They entered the lounge where the others were being led to, but they went to a private area. Luke sat on one side of the room and began unbuttoning his jacket.

Abigail stood by the door, arms crossed.

“You don’t have to act like I’m the devil.” He said without looking at her.

“You don’t have to act like I’m disposable.” She shot back.

“You ARE disposable, that’s it. You have no say in this, this is not a partnership, this is my terrain. Do your part as my bride and we would be fine.”

She frowned, caught off guard. He went quiet.

The storm outside inky seemed to get worse. The rain pounded on the windows and the tension inside the room wasn’t making anything better.

She paced, unable to sit still.

“Someone tried to flirt with me tonight, talking about me being with him instead.”

Luke turned to him instantly.

“Who?”

“Ten someone, I don’t really remember.”

Luke’a jaw ticked. Asides his annoying nonchalance, it was the only other emotion he had shown all day.

“What did he say?”

“Nothing worth repeating.” She muttered.

“Abigail.”

“He said he fancied me and offered himself like a fucking gift.” She glared at him. “And not once did you check on me or ask how I was holding up in this circus that you put me in.”

Luke stood now.

“I told you to wait because I was handling things. I can’t be everywhere at once.”

“You don’t need to be everywhere!” She said, voice low. “You just need to see me.”

Another lightning struck followed closely by bolt of thunder that sounded across the sky. Abigail jumped slightly. Luke moved instinctively, closing the space between them.

“Are you afraid of storms?” He asked her.

She nodded.

“I won’t say afraid, I’m not a fan.”

Luke nodded, looking at her.

“I’m fine!”

“You don’t look fine.”

Abigail’s throat tightened. She didn’t believe she was about to tell him her biggest fear.

“It’s not the lightning and thunder that disturbs me a lot. I’m just afraid of heavy storms in the dark, and I’m not in that situation right now.” She shrugged, getting up.

Suddenly, lightning struck again, and the lights flickered before all the bulbs went out completely.

“Oh fuck.”