Encounters With Abigail

Chapter One

    Her fingers slip from mine and I scramble trying desperately to get a grip on her again, but she is drifting further and further away from me.

                                        I can't live without you

                                                                                       Please don't leave me.

  The sounds of banging and moving furniture echoes all around me as I dropped my side of the leather sofa to the ground. Thomas adjusts it into place while I wipe the sweat off my forehead pushing my overgrown brown hair away from my eyes. I really need to book a haircut.

  Thomas smirks "Not tired already, are you?"

  Easy for him to say when he has played football since he could walk, I scowl at him and he ruffles my hair like I'm a child, grinning wildly before leaving me in the living room.

  Thomas and Anna meet at front the door; he bends down to my little five-foot two sister kissing her lightly then slipping outside.  She is carrying our mother's beloved porcelain vase with its intricate painting of a cherry blossom tree during a sunset. It's without a doubt the most beautiful thing we own, and my sister loves that thing like it is her own child.

  Our eyes meet and Anna throws me one of her signature double dimpled broad smiles and disappears down the hall. I yawn following Thomas back out to the truck.

  It takes us hours to get all their crap into the house and it's just after lunch when we collapse in the overcrowded living room, my body is exhausted and I'm begging that this will help me to actually sleep tonight.

This room is way too cramped for the eight  people currently sweating in it, so I leave wandering through the narrow hallway and out to the back garden.

  A small square of overgrown grass is bordered with white stones a waist high fence separates us from the neighbour, I'm gazing over at the vibrant flowers dotted round their garden, when I see her...

  How she wasn't the first thing I spotted I will never understand, laying on a large hammock with a simple black dress gently rippling round her knees as she slightly sways. Hair as dark as night tumbles down one shoulder, her full lips are slightly pursed and painted deep red while she reads a book as thick as a bible.

A sudden urge comes over me and before I can think straight my legs are moving me toward the fence, I am just thinking about jumping it when the rational part of my brain finally catches up halting me pressed hard against it.

After about a minute of standing like an idiot just staring, her head lifts from her book and over to me. A devious smile creeps on to her face while her dark green eyes focus on me burning a hole into my skull.

"You're blocking my light" she says flatly

"M...My sister and her boyfriend just moved in next door...I am Alex ... You are?" Having her eyes so intensely on me is throwing me off.

"Busy" sounding bored she raises the book but something possesses me to not let this end here so before I am fully aware of what my body is doing, I'm already over the fence dropping my ass on the soft grass next to her.

  She raises an eyebrow slightly, those deep emerald eyes laser focused on me. Fuck what am I doing this is so unlike me, she obviously doesn't want to converse with me but I've still invaded her space regardless. I need to get back in control of myself and leave but the smile playing at the corner of her lips makes me think maybe I should stay.

  Dropping her voice to a whisper she leans into me the heat of her breath coating my ear "I'm not going to fuck you, if that's what you are expecting" She pulls her face away eyes meeting mine again. My brain is already struggling as it is but being in the presence of such a beauty is sending it into full on meltdown mode.

"You're giving me way too much credit I just wanted to meet the neighbours" I let out a strangled laugh attempting to quieten my thudding heart.

  She eyes me for a moment then as if I never spoke, she leans back in, smouldering heat brushing my ear "What if I'm into women? I assume you think you have the power to change me huh?"

  This woman is terrifying and fascinating completely unlike anyone I've ever met. "You are going to be the death of me" it's out of my mouth before I know it but a ghost of a smile flashes across her lips.

 "Now who is giving too much credit" she pauses for a moment before adding "And go away" She leans back in the hammock lifting her book again insinuating that this conversation is now done.

  I have no clue why I don't just leave she has clearly already made her mind up about who I am but instead I lay back on the grass enjoying the shade of her and the exhaustion in my body quickly takes over as I drift off to sleep. 

   I'm shocked awake with something smacking into my chest. Jolting upright panicked as her book slides off me, I jerk my head toward her assuming that she threw it at me instead I'm welcomed with a sleeping face. She looks gentler, calmer and it takes all my will power not to stroke away the stray hairs that have blown over her face.

  My eyes drift around the garden now completely in the shade of the house. How long was I out? Now we are in the shade the wind seems to have picked up significantly and the light rippling of her dress is now much more and inching its way up her thighs. I can't leave her out here asleep, so I give her shoulder a soft shake trying to ignore the light honey scent radiating off her.

  When the first shake does nothing I almost leave, she must be just as tired as me, maybe Anna has a blanket we can put over her.

  I eventually decide to give one more shake. She springs upright slapping my hand off her shoulder fear in etched into her face. Eyes roaming frantically over me I pull myself back as to not scare her more.

  "Sorry I didn't want you to get sick so I thought I would wake you before I left" a nervous chuckle leaves me "your brick almost gave me a heart attack" I wave her book in front of us.

  She seems to be calming down when I add "I didn't know your name to call you, sorry."

  I rub the back of my neck when she barely whispers "it's Abigail" then alarm consumes her face as she snatches her book out of my hand and stomps into the house locking the door behind her. Sitting dumbfounded it takes me moment before I drag myself to my feet, climbing the fence in a daze

  When I open the door, my chest is instantly pummelled with little hits. Anna is too feeble to do any real damage, but I do have to restrain myself from laughing at her short blonde hair bouncing wildly around her face as she smacks my chest.

  "What have I done?" asking bemused

 "Don't scare the neighbours we just moved in!" her voice goes squeaky at the end and a weird cackle leaves my lips, making Anna cross her arms and pout.

  "I didn't scare her we just had a nap together" I try to sound as innocent as possible. unfortunately her face doesn't buy it. "Honestly" her body relaxes but she keeps her scowl in place.

  "Leave him alone Anna, our boy is finally in love" Thomas gushes sliding his arms round my sister's waist.

  "I would hardly say that... I mean she is beautiful... but she is clearly not interested in me so you can stop that right now" not convincing them at all and if I'm honest it's a fairly pathetic attempt to convince myself. At least Anna is now laughing -at my embarrassment yes, but laughing none the less-