Encounters With Abigail

Chapter Twenty- Two

   My hand hesitates raised to knock, for her own safety she needs to know what's going on, it's going to terrify her, but if Abigail and I just leave would he use my file to track us down Anna using her to get us back. I'm in turmoil and spiraling when the door swings open

  I don't know what state we are in but Anna's eyes widen so much that they might pop out of her skull. She looks at us like she has seen a ghost, thankfully Anna doesn't speak, just takes my still hovering hand leading us through the door. Once we are both inside, I drop Anna's hand and lock the door behind us. When I turn back, I instantly wish I hadn't.

   Why do you look like that? why do you look so much like mum.

  Wrapping my arm around Anna I say a lot more confidently than I feel "It's going to be alright, don't worry we just need some advice" but when I pull away, its obvious that she doesn't buy it, my mother's eyes glaring back at me.

 "Fine. I will make us some tea then." Anna's voice is hard and it's tearing me apart, I practically need to force Abigail into a chair before locking the front door. All along fighting the urge to run for the hills or ask Edward for Matthews address to just end this twisted game now.

  I know for a fact, if I didn't die at his hands, those two women in the room behind me would never forgive me or quite possibly end me themselves. I place my head on the door trying to calm my racing brain. "Alex, tea is ready come here and... get my advice" I push away everything trying to get my attention and laser focus on somehow getting both Anna and Abigail somewhere safe.

  Dropping into the chair between them at the small kitchen table, where do I even start with this shit. I run my hand through my hair. Focus Alex. "Right so you know how I used to work with Matthew" I motion to my still marked cheek, "Well he was fired for trying to access my file" Anna looks horrified and regret floods my body for causing this.

  "He wanted my home address for what we can assume was nefarious proposes... anyway Abigail told me yesterday about a guy she dated in the past who is similar to Matthew but he is dangerous. Almost killed her dangerous." Anna gasps and Abi's soft cries begin next to me, I pull her closer to me until her head is against my chest and continue. 

  "I need the both of you as far away from here as possible but Abigail doesn't have a passport so we are land locked... I don't know what to do Anna." My eyes are swimming and I blink quickly to clear them.

"Why do I need to leave?" Her voice sounds is filled with concern but thankfully, she now is lightly rubbing Abi's back so I drop one of my arms to massage the pounding in my temple.

 "You are my next of Kin Anna and you post so much online he would find you in seconds, even if this isn't Victor" Abigail tenses against me, "Matthew is unhinged and if he wants to hurt me, the both of you is the best way to do it." Letting out a long breath I allow my head to flop backward while readjusting my game face.

   Anna leaves the table returning with her phone, "Thomas does Emily still work for the passport office?" he responds but I'm drifting from the conversation using all my will power to keep myself and Abigail together. I close my eyes and hide in her hair allowing my face to relax. Why is our lives like this.

  "Alex," the sound of her voice is jarring Abigail sounds a shadow of the woman she was just a few hours ago. I broke her.

"Yes, Abigail" my throat and jaw aches with how hard I have clenched over the past hour.

"I'm sorry." That hits like a stab through the heart, tears rise in my eyes but I catch them before they can escape.

  "You have nothing to be sorry for. It's me that he has a problem with if anything it should be me who apologises to you for bringing this shit back into your life." My whole body feels heavy and achy, I must have fallen asleep at some point as Anna is talking somewhere further away now. I scoop Abi up, carrying her to the living room, placing her on the sofa.

   Abigail is no longer crying but she is staring blankly at the ceiling. I massage my temple again, deciding to quickly jump into Abigail's house for some pain killers. Using the moment of solitude to unravel and re-bury the torment clawing its way through me. Also grabbing Abi a jacket before I leave.

   When I get back to Anna's she is in the same position I left her in so I just tuck the jacket around her and follow Anna's voice. Collapsing on the bed just as she is hanging up my leg is trembling and I am busy trying to get it back under control when she turns to me.

  "I have Abigail an appointment at two for an emergency passport, I have phoned the hospital for time off they can't give me more than two weeks but Thomas has managed to get three, the four of us are booked to go to California so we can stay at his parents Santa Monica place. The jet is in London, so I will drive us there." Anna stops to refill her lungs before continuing. 

  "Edward still has work to finish off so he is going to join us tomorrow. He is going to stay at the suite in case Matthew goes after him and if I could get anything out of Abigail, I would have arranged for her family to come too" she sighs and I rub my eyes feeling completely inadequate next to my incredible sister.

 "Thank you, Anna, what would I do without you and Thomas" I climb off the bed and pull her into a tight hug.

"How bad was it?" I know what she is asking but fuck do I not want to talk about it.

"Broken fingers, wrist, leg, kneecap, ribs and a cracked pelvis" My voice is robotic and the words taste bitter on my tongue.

Anna gasps "What the fuck and he is just out there free after doing that?" the sheer rage in her voice is comforting.

"Yeah, he only got three years"

"What! The! Fuck!" she pulls out of my arms hatred burning in her eyes, I shake my head tears threatening to spill.

  "I can't stop thinking if I wasn't so cold to Matthew maybe this wouldn't be happening or if I had just stayed on this side of the fucking fence then Abigail wouldn't be in the state she is right now." Guilt builds until it's overwhelming, breaking the dam as tears begin rolling down my cheeks. "I'm sorry just give me a minute" I turn to leave but she dives in front of me.

  "You don't seriously think any of this is your fault? that Matthew, Victor guy is the only one to blame here, clearly going to jail did nothing to improve his temper." Anna forces our eyes to meet, "This is not your fault Alex, and neither is mums' death. You need to stop letting dad haunt you. You did nothing wrong." the sincerity in her voice would be reassuring if I could allow myself to believe her words even for a second.

  Dragging her back into a hug I quickly wrangle my emotions back under control behaving like this won't help anyone. "Thank you, Anna, I will get Abigail ready somehow and be back for one" I drop a kiss in her hair and leave hearing a faint "make it twelve thirty" from the room.