Avowed (The Manipulation Trilogy Book 3) (10 page)

Abbi has always had lightness to her. It shines bright when she’s happy, and I know that look. She’s happy. I sigh. This is going to be hard. Ella gives me a squeeze of encouragement before releasing me. She steps to my side and gives Abbi a wave.

Leona’s car door slams and in the next second she speeds away, leaving rubber burns behind. 

Grabbing Ella’s hand in mine, I invite Abigail in and the three of us walk into the lounge. I motion for Abbi to take a seat and she does. This situation feels surreal; my new wife hanging out with my ex girlfriend. I never thought my past would clash so much with my life with Ella but I’m beginning to see that it always will until everything is laid to rest. This talk is the right thing to do for Abbi’s, Ella’s, and my sake.

“Would anyone like some tea?” Ella's question pulls me from my thoughts and I shake my head no. I need something a lot stronger than tea. Walking over to the bar I pour myself a scotch, and drink it in one gulp before quickly refilling. I have a feeling I am going to need it. 

“I’m going to leave you both to talk,” Ella says. I spin in her direction, and she walks towards me, lifting her palm to my face. She cups my face and I turn my cheek into the embrace kissing her palm.

“Stay,” I demand. I have nothing to hide from Ella and I would feel better if she was here with me whilst I speak to Abbi. She shakes her head no, and kisses me softly.

“You need to listen to her Damon.” I stare directly into Ella’s forest eyes as her soft words hit my ears, and search her eyes for the truth. Does she really want this? I need to get this over with so it can show her nothing has changed. “Please listen to her. I won’t be far. I’ll wait in the other room but you need to hear what she has to say, okay?” I give her a small nod before pulling her against me. I wrap my hands in her hair and claim her mouth with mine.

I devour her.

Reassure her.

Ella pushes me away, pressing her palms flat against my chest to keep me away. Giving me a breath stealing smile, she turns and walks out the room, but not before giving Abigail an encouraging smile. My wife amazes me.

When I finally turn around to face Abigail I see she is sitting with her eyes fixed on the floor. I walk over to her and sit down on the coffee table directly opposite her, and wait until she is ready to finally have this long overdue conversation. Abbi’s eyes snap to meet mine and I instantly feel like a fucker. She looks so sad, and I know part of that is my fault. She looks away and the pain I see on her face makes me feel like a prick.

“I'm sorry for being an arsehole and not doing this sooner,” I begin. I know I need to take this conversation carefully because if Ella is right then this could be life altering for Abbi. She sniffs and nods her head before looking at me. “Abbi, you need to tell me what happened that night.” I don’t want to throw the cheating accusation at her if she doesn’t know it happened.

Abbi looks at me with a smile, and reaches out to rest her hand on my leg. I tense, and quickly push her hand away but she grips my thigh.

“Damon stop being so tense. You’re making me nervous.” Abbi says before releasing her hold.

“Sorry,” I reply.

“I don’t know what you expect me to tell you Damon. You know everything that happened until you left that night. I got upset after we argued and I wanted to come after you but Leona said to let you calm down. We went to a party. Leona was getting it on with a man she knew. I sat in a corner drinking and I texted you. My battery died. I fell asleep and Leona helped me to a guest room. We slept in there together and left the next morning. I tried looking for you but you weren’t home so I went home and waited until I found you drunk later that night. That’s all I know Damon.”

Looking into her eyes I know she’s speaking the truth. Maybe Ella is right, maybe this was all a misunderstanding.

“You never gave me a reason, or said what went wrong. I just... I didn’t know what to do. Then you got with Leona and I knew you didn’t want me anymore. I tried to move on but I could see your pain and I couldn’t move on when you wouldn’t. I watched you become a different man, a closed off man. That hurt the most. Seeing you become a shell of the real you.” A smile graces her lips. “Then you met Ella and I watched you light up. I watched you become the man I loved. It hurt but I’m happy for you. Ella is really nice,” Abbi says softly.

I don’t know how to respond. How do you tell someone something they may not know happened? My mind is a jumble of questions and thoughts so I grab onto the first thing in her speech that caught my attention and I want to clarify.  

“Leona and I were never anything.
Ever
.”

Abigail’s gaze pierces into mine as she searches my eyes for the truth. I never gave her a fucking reason not to trust me and I’m hoping she’ll believe me. I don’t want that in her head. Taking a deep breath, she nods and accepts the truth.

“What happened Damon?” she asks. I inhale as much as I can, holding it and look at her icy blue eyes. Will she admit she cheated? Will she break down if what Ella thinks is true? This could go either way. Standing, I release my breath and begin to pace. I want to catch her off guard to get a real reaction from her. I don’t want to be mean to Abbi, but getting her fired up might be the best emotion for her to deal with.

“You fucking cheated. That’s what happened,” I intentionally snap. Abigail tenses at the tone of my voice before she takes in what I said. When it sinks in her eyes widen and her mouth drops open. A look of total disbelief quickly turns to anger once she’s processed my words.

“Wh...what?” she stammers. “What? Who said that?” she asks, stunned. Her eyes widen and she tenses her jaw. “Never mind. It was Leona I know it was. That fucking twisted bitch.” I don’t speak. I stand silently watching her process this new information before hitting her with the photo. I wish it never existed. I wish she didn’t have to go through what she’s about to. I need Ella by my side. I’m not good with Abigail’s emotions.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Astonishment evident in her voice as defeat fills her eyes. Abbi lets out a mirthless laugh. “So that’s how she did it,” she mumbles, shaking her head, and her shoulders slump. Looking away she swallows thickly before looking at me with pain in her icy blue eyes. Hurt.

Betrayed.  

That one look makes my heart fucking pound. She didn’t cheat. Well, she had no idea of ever being touched. Abigail has never been a good liar and I know her reaction is genuine. I search her face, waiting for her to cry. Tears brim her eyes but she’s holding them back.

“You really believe I would do that to you?” she asks, sounding wounded. 

A fucking ball sits in my stomach as I gather the courage to tell her why I chose to walk rather than trust her, because that’s ultimately what it comes down to.

I didn’t trust her.

That realisation is like a sucker punch to the gut. Years ago I thought I loved Abbi but it’s not a patch on what I feel for Ella. Abbi was my best friend and I loved her as one, but never as my soul mate. I never opened myself to her.

Only Ella has ever seen the real me.

Abigail was my best friend and I didn’t trust her enough to stay in my life as a friend when she realised I didn’t love her the way I should, so I chose to walk away before she could leave me. 

I hoped she would eventually move on and I would be forgotten but that didn’t happen. She clung to me and I left her behind. I ruined her.

“I’m sorry,” I mutter. I know words will never make up for the way I’ve treated Abigail but I know I’ll try for as long as she’ll allow me to be her friend again.

Rage twists on Abigail’s face, and she stands suddenly, stalking over to me. Stopping in front of me, she pokes my chest. Hard. I’ve never been on the receiving end of Abbi’s wrath before, but she sure does stand her ground. I watch her cautiously as she fumes.

“You believed I could do that to you? I loved you Damon. I would never.” She sounds disappointed in me and takes a step back. “You were my fucking everything and you chose to take the word of a back stabbing slut over your girlfriend. I never really knew you if you could do that to me. To us. You took Leona’s word as fact without giving me a chance to defend myself. You’re a pig.” I nod, accepting her words. I’m a prick but I sure as shit am going to defend myself. I’ve wronged her but not because of what she thinks.

“Leona sent me a photograph of you in a...” I pause, trying to think of an appropriate word. “...compromising position. I guess I saw what was there and didn’t look past what was really happening. I’m sorry Abigail,” I tell her honestly. I am truly sorry for a lot of things I’ve done when it comes to Abbi, but none of that needs bringing up unnecessarily. I don’t want to hurt her more than I have to.

“What photo?” she asks with a frown. Stepping around Abbi I go to the side table and pluck it up, holding it against me. I don’t want to show her now the time is here. It’s going to cause a shit storm. I need to man the fuck up and be a support for her.

I turn and look at Abigail and notice she hasn’t turned. She’s frozen. Lost in thought.

“Abbi, I can see this picture isn’t as I thought now and I’d rather you accepted my answer rather than see the proof. It will change nothing. I love Ella and we will never be together again. Can we just accept that I made a mistake and move forward as friends?”

She slowly turns to face me and lets out a sigh.

“No Damon. I need to see it. I need to see what Leona did. I need to understand how you could believe I would betray you like that when you knew I loved you with everything I had in me. I thought you a better man and I need to see that now. I need to see your reasoning before I can accept your friendship.” 

I nod, accepting her answer. I hold out the photograph to Abbi and wait for her to take it. She tentatively steps forward and takes it from me, not taking her eyes from mine. She takes a deep pull of oxygen and holds it before looking at the photo in her hand. She gasps and covers her mouth with her hand, staring at the image in shock.

“I’m sorry Abbi. I should have said something. I should have done something,” I say guiltily. Abigail shakes her head and looks at me.

“No. No Damon. You were right. I would have believed too, if I’d have seen you like this, but it’s not what it looks like. Nothing happened–”

“I know that now. I’m sorry it took me so long to speak about this. I could have saved you a lot of pain,” I say. I look away, not able to look at her after the way I’ve treated her.

“I should feel violated. I should feel abused, but I just feel peace. My head is quiet for once. It’s nice. It finally makes sense why you left and... I get it Damon,” she says on a sigh. “It’s been years but I need time to absorb this. I’m glad you’re happy Damon. I want to be happy too now.” Abbi takes a step towards me and places her hand on my arm. “Thank you for giving me closure.”

The smile on her face makes me smile. We have a lot of memories together and I hope she can take them as happy times and make new, better memories for herself. I pull her into my arms and give her a hug. She’s a strong woman and I’m glad to have the past settled.

We needed this.

Ella knew I needed it.

“Ella’s a good woman.” Abigail says as if she can read my thoughts. “She’s good for you. She’s nice,” she says with a laugh. “And she had Leona pegged. She’s smart.”

I laugh and give her a gentle squeeze before releasing her and stepping back.

“I like seeing you happy,” she says with a sparkle in her eye that I haven’t seen for a while. I smile at her praying she’ll go find her own happiness now. Abbi soon decides to go, popping into the kitchen to say goodbye to Ella before she leaves.

Ella is my angel. Giving me everything I need without me knowing I need it. I feel like my path is clear and I can finally find my peaceful happiness with Ella and our baby girl. I go and show my wife how much I adore her for the rest of the afternoon, showering her with my heart, soul and body.

CHAPTER TEN

October 17
th
2014

Ella

It’s Friday night and we have agreed to meet everyone at Hunters as we haven’t seen them since the wedding.

Damon has been different since his chat with Abby. It’s like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders and he is finally free to be himself. He’s carefree. It’s been hard to get to the place we are now but I'm so grateful that we are finally here, and can just be together.

Leona has been quiet since the other week, which I'm not sure I like. She doesn’t appear to give in easily so I’m expecting something. I’m just not sure what.

When we arrive, Hunters is already filling up, and there is a queue of people forming, trying to get in. I always feel embarrassed when we pass the queues, and people glare. They act like we’ve broken the law pushing in front of them, even though my husband owns the club.

Damon grabs my hand, leading me to the front doors and his security removes the rope and lets us straight through. My hand is gripped in Damon's like a vice as he leads us through the crowds, and I give him a squeeze to let up on my throbbing hand. He pulls me along being careful not to go too fast, so that I can keep up with him, and making sure we have plenty of room to move. Being almost six months pregnant I'm not as fast as I used to be, and Damon wraps me in cotton wool whenever we’re in larger crowds now.

When we arrive at our usual table I see all our friends are already there waiting for us, and when Lacy spots us walking towards them she stands and heads towards us, enveloping me in a hug. Damon doesn’t release his hold on my hand so it’s an awkward hug making Lacy chuckle, and a knowing look swirls in her eyes.

“Ella you look amazing,” she says with a smile. “I have been dying to see you both. How was the honeymoon?” I look up at Damon and give him a secret smile. It wasn’t the easiest of times with everything that happened, but we needed it that way so we could both move on.

“It was perfect Lacy,” I answer, looking back at her. “It was exactly what we needed.” Giving me a swift kiss on the cheek and my bump a caress she then focuses her attention on Damon.

I look over her shoulder towards the others, noticing for the first time that Faith and Abbi are also sitting at the table. Spencer is sitting away from Faith but his eyes are firmly locked on her as she animatedly speaks to Abbi. He quickly looks away when she casts a glance in his direction, bringing his gaze to mine. A grin spreads on his face the minute he notices me.

Spencer quickly stands, drawing Faiths eyes to him, and makes his way to my side. Faith’s eyes remain locked on Spence as he crosses to me and I giggle at the game they’re both playing. Spence takes me into his arms, as much as he can, and squeezes me. I hug him back and feel my heart expand for this man embracing me. He feels like a brother, just like Tom.

Stepping back, Spencer releases me, and looks me up and down.

“You look great Ellie Belly. You’re glowing Sis.” Spencer’s term of endearment takes me by surprise and my eyes fill up with tears. “Hey are you okay?” he asks, concerned. I nod my head, yes, at a now worried Spencer. I cup his cheek, and look at him through blurry eyes, giving him a smile.

“I’m sorry. Stupid pregnancy hormones,” I say as explanation. Spencer lets out a chuckle and looks over my head just as I’m scooped up. I squeal in surprise as Damon strides forward, closing the remaining distance between us and our friends, with me locked in his hold. He takes a seat, arranging me just right on his lap, before looking up.

“Mine,” he growls at his brother. Spencer laughs as he reclaims his seat, and the rest of our friends laugh at Damon’s antics along with him. They already know how Damon behaves when it comes to me, but they still find it amusing.

Damon pays them no attention. He nuzzles into my hair and breathes in my ear. My breath hitches when his warm tongue darts out to taste the skin on my neck, just below my ear. A shiver races down my spine and my fingers move to clutch onto Damon’s arm.

Damon chuckles at me and pulls away to acknowledge our friends. My eyes seek out Abbi and I find her watching us with a small smile. I smile back, truly feeling happy to have her here with us.

A waitress appears and my husband orders a round of drinks for everyone, much to their annoyance. Damon usually always ends up footing the bill for nights out because he simply refuses to allow them to pay.

“Well isn’t this just fucking cosy?” Leona spits. She sways on her feet slightly, whether that’s from her heels or drink, I don’t know. Damon tenses beneath me and his arms tighten around me as the temperature plummets.

Leona brings literal chills with her whenever she’s around. Her eyes shoot daggers between Abbi and me and the table falls silent, the happy atmosphere gone. Damon’s body begins to shake in fury, his rage from our last few run-ins with her boiling to the surface again. I turn to Leona and speak before Damon can explode, trying to defuse the situation before it gets out of control.

“Leona I'm sick of saying this, but why don’t you fuck off? You’re not wanted here, you’re not welcome here, and you’re banned. Now get the fuck out this club and don’t come back,” I demand. Leona rolls her eyes at me, looking at Abbi with disdain, dismissing me completely. Ferociousness fills me, rage boiling through my bloodstream, and I jump to my feet.

Damon always says what’s his is mine and I will never fully accept that, but I sure will stand up to this bitch and ban her from my husband’s club if it means protecting Damon. He’s suffered enough because of Leona, and I won’t let her continue to torture him.

“Leave. Get the fuck out of here Leona. When are you going to leave us alone? Hasn’t the fact that we are married gotten through that thick head of yours? Damon isn’t yours. He will never be yours and you need to back off bitch. He’s mine,” I snap. I know she’s just here to goad me, and I know I shouldn’t let her get to me, but I’m feeling just as fiercely protective over Damon as he is to me.

Her eyes darken, filling with hate, and she takes a step closer to me, leaning across the table. Damon and Spencer both stand at the same time, flanking me, but I don’t need them to protect me. I step forward, showing her I won’t back down. Her eyes flit between Damon and Spencer before focusing back on me.

“You think they’re going to stop me if I wanted to hurt you? You’re a silly little girl living in a fantasy world. Do you honestly believe it’s going to last? Why the fuck do you get to be happy? I wish you would both fucking die,” she snarls, glaring at my stomach. Her words are like venom, poisoning my body, igniting the blaze of heat coursing through me and turning me in protective mother mode.

Something inside me snaps and I launch myself at her, ready to maul. I’m going to tear her apart, limb by painful limb. She can threaten me any time she wants, but to say something so fucking cruel about my baby is unacceptable. I don’t even register that my hand has risen. It’s not until I hear the deafening slapping sound and feel the sting in my palm as my hand makes contact, that I realise I’ve struck her, forcing her head to the side.

Strong arms band round me, pulling me back and I'm pushed behind Damon. But I’m not ready to stop. I want blood. I must look possessed, but I don’t care. I only want to hurt her like her words hurt me. I struggle to get back at Leona but when I look into her eyes I stop. Something inside her has shattered. She’s crushed.

Splintered.

“She will never see you for what you are. A murdering monster,” she whispers. “Why does she get to keep her baby when you killed mine?” Tears fill her eyes and pain shadows her haunted gaze.

An audible gasp fills the room at her words and all eyes turn towards Damon. I place my hand in his shoulder, letting him know that I am here for him, and stand by him. He’s already told me the truth about what occurred, and I know he feels responsible for what happened to Leona's baby, but it wasn’t his fault and I won’t allow him to carry that blame.

Damon's eyes meet mine over his shoulder and I give him a reassuring smile. Nothing she can say will make me love this man less.

“Leona it was an accident, and I have already told Ella the truth. She knows everything.” Damon’s voice is strong and sure and our friend’s shoulders relax when they hear he has his temper under control.

Damon looks to our friends, looking each one in the eye before looking directly at Sofia. I guess her opinion of him means a lot.

“The baby wasn’t mine.” He states, imploring Sofia to believe him. All eyes are now focused on Damon but his are fixed on his oldest female friend, pleading with her to understand. Sofia gives him a smile just as I step around him, slipping Spencer’s hold easily. My anger is easily forgotten at the pain in my husband’s voice. I step in front of him, placing my hand on his solid chest, taking in his tortured expression.

“It’s okay,” I say softly.

Leaning forward, he presses his lips to my forehead, inhaling deeply.

“I think it’s time you left Leona.” Damon says but looks at me. His eyes take on a serene look before he looks over my shoulder. I quickly turn to face her too just she snaps her head up at Damon. Her eyes flit between Damon and me, as we stand as a united front, before casting a glance at our audience. Security makes their way towards us and I know Leona spies them when her next words ring out.

“If you want me out, you’re going to have to throw me out. Then again, you’re good at that, isn’t he Abbi?” Leona turns at looks at Abbi with a smug look, trying to throw one last jab before she’s removed from the club. 

Damon takes a step towards her, his front pushing flush with my back. “If I ever see you in any of my clubs or near my wife again, I won’t be held accountable for my actions. Stay the fuck away Leona,” he growls. At his words, a body guard grabs Leona's arm and begins to hauling her out. Leona struggles and manages to get free, turning back to us.

“You will regret this Damon. You and your fucking whore will pay for this,” she spits. Spittle flies past her lips in her seething rage. The bouncer lifts her up and throws her over his shoulder while she begins to kick and scream. Leona is quickly removed and collectively we all breathe a sigh of relief.

Damon sits back down and pulls me into the crook of his arm, easily moving the night along, not letting Leona’s interruption ruin our gathering. 

My mind is whirling with everything that just happened. A shudder runs through my body at Leona's threat and Damon tightens his hold on me.

I have a feeling this isn’t the end.

“I love you beauty.” I look into his chocolate eyes and can see his love for me lighting his eyes, making the brown depth look like swirling, melted chocolate.

“I love you.” I tell him, meaning it more than words could ever express.

****

We left the club early. After Leona's outburst we just wanted to be alone. Damon needed time to get his thoughts together and I can see how much this has messed with his head.

Arriving back at the house I head straight into the lounge, kicking off my heels on the way, and plop down on the sofa. Damon sits next to me, lifting my feet into his lap so that he can rub them. His face is drawn, twisted with dread, and I know that what Leona said is playing on his mind. I know I have to speak first to get him to open up, to get him to release his misplaced guilt.

“Damon,” I say, getting his attention. “What Leona said isn't true. I don't believe it for one minute. You’re not a murderer.” I tell him quietly. “It was an accident. You didn't push her on purpose. Will you tell me more about it? What happened?”

He sighs, leaning his head back against the couch, pinching the bridge of his nose as though he has a headache. He takes a few moments before he speaks.

“We'd been out drinking all day for Spencer's birthday. Leona was there as usual, and I was about to leave when she asked if I'd go back with her. I told her no and I know she wasn't happy. She sat there pouting like a child, but I didn't give a shit. She knew I didn't see her like that.” He pauses, his jaw clenched tightly. “She fucking
knew
.”

“When I left the club I saw Lydia standing in the street. I walked towards her to see if she was okay - I'd just fired her and I hated to do it but I had no option, no choices left. I went to speak to her because I still wanted to make sure she was safe, and I wanted her to move on. I owed it to Pops to make sure his daughter was okay.”

I remain silent. Just the mention of Pops' name consumes me with grief and longing just to be near him, but I know I need to stay strong for my husband. I stare down at my entwined fingers, fidgeting as he continues rubbing my feet. We sit in silence for a few minutes before he speaks again.

“She acted like she was there by accident but I knew she was waiting for me. I told her she should go home because it was cold out. She asked if I would see her soon with a hopeful look in her eyes. I knew what she meant but I pretended I didn't. I just wanted her to leave without causing a scene so I didn't answer her. I just raised my hand to a passing taxi.”

“When the taxi pulled up I pushed Lydia inside, telling the driver to take her straight home, giving him your address. I watched as the taxi pulled away with your sister before jumping into the next taxi that came along.”

“When I was half way home my phone rang and I saw that it was Leona, but I felt too tired and drained to answer it. I rejected the call and pocketed it, wanting to get home and relax. A few minutes later it rang again, and after the third time I answered. Leona said that she needed me to pick her up as she didn't want to go home alone. I said it was too late and that I was home already. She said that she was scared because there was a guy at the club that made her feel uneasy. I told her that she was fine and to just get a taxi home. I hung up telling her I would ring her in the morning.” Damon's fingers tighten around my foot but I don't say anything. I don't want to interrupt his thoughts as he reveals more of his past to me.