The city was as beautiful as always. Theodore appreciated the view from his office as he gazed upon the horizon. The coffee on his table was getting cold, but he could care less about the wretched beverage. Instead, he simply stared at the beauty of New York, hoping that it would grant him some sort of peace like it always did. Yet, even after five minutes, it did nothing. Theodore’s mind was captivated by memories of the first night he saw Abigail. He remembered the fear in her eyes like it was yesterday. He remembered how she passed out against him in the car after being drugged by that awful man. And worst of all, he remembered the confusion and terror on her face when she stumbled downstairs that morning. 

Chapter includes mature content. Read with discretion.***If Theodore wasn’t good at anything else--which he was--he was an excellent kisser.Abigail hadn’t had experience with many men in her life, but none of them kissed the way Theodore did. Of course, there was that kissing booth in high school where the student body president forced her to participate, claiming that it was ‘A duty to the school’. Abigail had spent the entire afternoon trying to get her mouth clean, even though there had been good and bad kisses.But the point was that no one she had ever met had the gift that Theodore had. Perhaps it was the fact that he made her feel beautiful and special in this love language. His kisses were never purely instinctual or demanding. It captured her entire soul and wrapped it around his finger smoothly.It was like he spoke to her with the way he moved his tongue over the base of her neck or thr

On a night this beautiful, probably everyone in the city was in a great mood. It seemed almost impossible to be upset. The weather was great, the stars shimmered, and the full moon danced along the horizon of the glistening water.Yet, even with everything, Abigail was a nervous wreck, and nothing Najay said could soothe her. With Theodore being gone, Abigail had been more on edge than usual, and now with this dinner with Seymour, she didn’t know what to expect.Was it a promotion? Was it an official proposal to work with them full time once she completes her studies? Abigail couldn’t tell, and being fifteen minutes late to pick her up wasn’t helping either.She had insisted that she meet him at the restaurant, but Seymour wouldn’t have a lady take a cab when he could drive her there himself. But now, he was late, and the shoes on her feet grew uncomfortable.“Abigail, relax. You’ll be fine,” Najay said for the um

Being a light sleeper was both a gift and a curse at the same time. It was a sleeping trait Abigail developed after everything with Nicholas. It saved her a lot of trouble on mornings when she fell asleep on the couch after studying all night, where she had work the following day. Alternately, on nights when she was exhausted, the simplest sounds like Najay using the microwave or a phone ringing would cause her to jump from her rest. Now, when she felt the bed dip by the middle, and a warm, familiar hand brushed the hair from her sleepy eyes, it felt like a blessing because she knew that it was Theodore -- he had come home. Abigail blinked her eyes open and smiled at him. “Theodore,” she mumbled. Her voice was barely a whisper as her slumber dri

The day went by surprisingly quickly. The office grew lighter as Seymour’s presence enhanced everyone’s mood by the hour. That, and the fact that they wouldn’t lose their jobs. At exactly six-fifteen, as Abigail killed the power on her computer and packed her bag, the secretary, her only friend at work, entered her office. Abigail knew the only time Camille came into her office was when she had gossip that they couldn’t discuss in the lunchroom. She smiled at the thought. “Hey, Camille.” “Hey, precious.” As if it was instinct, Camille began grabbing stuff to help Abigail pack her bag. “What’s up?” “Oh, I’m just waiting for my boyfriend to come to pick me up, then I saw your lights still on.” Abigail paused to raise her eyebrows at her. “Okay, I don’t know what&rsqu