‘In the end, she became more than what she expected. She became the journey and like all the journeys, she did not end. Just simply changed directions and kept going.’

Song for the Chapter : Sara Bareilles - She used to be mine.
                                     Chord Overstreet - Hold on
                                     Ed Sheeran - Kiss Me

Lots of Atticus in this chapter.

ChapterFifty-Seven : Finishing Strong

“Abby.”

They heard Char breathe from the front door. Ears perked up. What was she doing here?

It was as if this was the moment Cat had been waiting for . Finally, I get to see the bitch that got my girl's panties in a twist. As quickly as you could say boom, she was side by side with Char, staring at the woman at the front door.

There was only one feeling coursing through her veins. Disappointment. Just for thorough investigation, she peered behind the woman, looking for nothing in particular, but at the same time checking to see if there was another woman named Abby and not the scrawny one standing in front of her. When it was clear that it was in fact Abby who'd decided to grace  her presence, she let out a sigh of frustration. “You gotta be fucking kidding me.” she muttered.

Char on the other hand was dumbfounded. Granted, she'd known that Abby was bound to show face sooner rather than later but to blatantly show up at his house?

She huffed. The nerve.

What else did she want? Char was absolutely sure that she already knew about her and Daniel. Hell, the entire town knew and news spreads fast around here.

But unlike last time, she wasn't scared of losing him. No. In fact, this was something that needed to be done and the earlier, the better. No point holding it off.

In the living room, Daniel and Zach exchanged looks. About damn time. They'd honestly began to wonder when she'd show up. As calmly as they could manage, they strolled to the front door. Who didn't want to be part of the welcoming committee?

“Look who decided to show up,” Cat snarled. God, was this how scrawny she'd always been? She looked horrible. “You look like you've been run over by a couple of trucks.”

Abby, who'd been staring down at Char, let her gaze wander to the woman next to her. “And who are you?” she raised a brow.

Cat was quick to answer. “Char's best friend and you worst nightmare.” she smirked. “I've been waiting a long while to finally meet you, and I have to say, you're not as interesting as they made you seem.”

Abby snorted. “Well, if not for anything, I'm glad I'm too popular that people talk about me. But I can't say the same for you. How long have you been best friends? Two, three weeks?” her lips curled up in a wicked  smile.

Oh, I'll show you. Cat plunged for her with a roar, determined on tearing her apart when Zach grabbed onto her waist and pulled her towards him.  “Hey, don't let her provoke you. It's her forte.” he whispered in her ears.

Cat breathed heavily. Zach was right. She just had to calm down and be reasonable.  Or better still, search for reasonable ways to chop her head off.

Abby eyes snapped up to Zach. The way she was looking at him, you'd think she wasn't here because she wanted to get back with her ex husband. Her eyes widened a fraction,  no doubt drinking in the sex God in front of her.

If Char didn't know better, she'd say Abby was intrigued.

God, this bish is crazy.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Cat's snapped her fingers at her, trying to get her attention. “Get your fucking eyes off him, because I'm gonna pop your flat ass all the way to Christmas next year if you even think about it.”

She wasn't kidding. But Abby didn't know that. No, she didn't.

“What are you doing here, Solace?” Char spoke up. It was seriously starting to get old, the way she always dropped in unannounced.

“I came for my husband.”

“Would it kill you to add the freaking 'ex'?” Char rolled her eyes. “Because he's gonna be my husband soon.”

Abby's eyes widened. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean Daniel asked me to marry him,” she chirped in cheekily. “And I said yes.”

Her hands swayed, looking for something to hold on to as she staggered back. “That's impossible.” she muttered. “I don't believe you.”

Char shrugged. “I don't have to prove anything to you.”

“You don't have to. I still wouldn't believe you,” Abby sneered. “Plain old Jane. You have nothing on me. He wouldn't leave me for you.”

Char gave her a smile. “You know, for you to insult me, I'd have to care about your opinions. Which I don't. Nice try though.”

“Yeah, keep talking about me like I'm not even standing in front of you,” Daniel rolled his eyes, referring to Abby.

“Hey,” she breathed when she saw him.

“Hey yourself,” He replied. To be completely honest, he didn't hate her. He never did. She was someone he loved, someone he shared a part of himself, his past, with. And even though she toyed with his emotions on a daily, she meant more to him that she thought. He'd forgiven her. But that wasn't to say that he'd ever forget what she did to him. “Why are you here?”

“Can we talk?” she asked. “In private.”

He shook his head. “We're all family. No secrets between us. Anything you gotta say, say it here.”

She must've realised that he was serious because her gaze wandered to the ground and she let out a shaky breath. “It's kindda hard to say, after everything but I want you back. I need you back.”

“Say that again?” Cat raised a brow.

“I wasn't talking to you, so mind your fucking business.” she snarled.

“Don't you think it's a little pathetic how you always throw yourself at him even after getting rejected a couple hundred times? I mean, it's getting a little old.” Cat said with a little shake of her head. Zach had let go of her, and she was standing in front of him, beside Char.

“I'm done. Abby, we can't keep doing this—going in circles. I can't keep up with you. One minute you want me and the next, another Mory or Mark comes along and you don't want me anymore. I'm tired of it. I let you play with me, and that was because I loved you. But you didn't deserve that. You don't deserve me. And you did play me, so bad I had to get away. And when I thought I was finally free, when another ray of light sneaked into my darkness,” he looked at Char and a shit-eating smile formed at his lips. “You showed up. I need you to understand that I've moved on. And you should do the same.” For the first time since he separated from Abby, Daniel felt a huge load being lifted off his shoulders. Like a breath of fresh air, he released a sigh of relief, his eyes still planted on Abby’s.

“Is it too late to say sorry?” she asked in a small voice that caused Cat to snort.

Then he shrugged. “A few months ago, I would've given anything to hear you say that. Now I just don't care anymore. And honestly, if you like the way you look that much, then maybe you should go and love yourself.”

Zach leaned over to Cat and whispered, “Is it just me, or is there a little bit of Justin Bieber going around?”

Cat chuckled in response. “It's not just you, babe.”

Abby sighed in knowing defeat. Maybe it had finally dawned on her that Daniel really had moved on. Char didn't know what gave it away. Maybe it was the way he was looking at her or maybe it was the pity in his voice as he spoke. Nevertheless, she knew she'd been defeated.

Daniel walked over to Char with a fierce look. He wanted everyone to know that this was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. As he took her hand, he gave her all she had been waiting for; a shiver down her spine. “Some girls look good in diamonds. Some girls make diamonds look good,” he lifted her hand to his lips and gave it a kiss. “Char isn't like anything I've ever known. She's the most beautiful, complicated thing I've ever seen. A tangled mess of strings. And all I want of life, is to sit cross-legged and untie her knots.” He said, all the while looking her dead in the eye.

Abby released a harsh breath, “You don't even get it, do you? This was always the obstacle between us. Char. Fucking Char. Every fucking time! You were always in love with her, you just didn't know it. Or maybe you did, but never wanted to admit to it. We never did anything without a “God I miss Char” or a “Char would totally love this!”. God. I remember one time we were having sex and you said her name! When you were buried deep inside me!”

“Abby... I don't... I mean.. How..” Daniel didn't even know where to start from. Another woman in about three weeks was standing in front of him pouring out her heart about him loving someone else and it honestly felt like deja vu. Only it was different because this time, it was coming from his ex wife.

“I felt like a fool knowing my husband was in love with another woman,” she continued. “But I didn't say anything, because I loved you. And I wanted you anyway I'd get you,” she breathed, her eyes all red and watery. “You had her pictures everywhere. On our bedside table, which you'd look at everytime you thought I wasn't looking. You spoke in your sleep. It was always her.  Always her. Everytime. I realise now that I actually was a fool, for knowing that I was fighting a lost cause but still pushing forward. You have no idea how worthless you made me feel.”

Abby swiped at a tear from the corner of her eyes and Char's heart twisted in pain. “I have spent years making shit complicated for myself by staying with men who either weren't able or simply didn't want to give me what I needed....what I wanted. Fighting, screaming, crying, arguing, trying... So much trying. Repeating myself....oh my God, all I ever did was repeat myself over and over again—and why? What for? Al those times of uncertainty and wondering why and how I was different from those girls. From Char. All those questions, ‘Why doesn't he love me? Why am I second?’. Everytime I had to lock myself in the bathroom stalls at work and cry, times when I tossed and turned at night on the bed in restlessness. Stupid. Everytime. Well not anymore. I give up. I won't keep subjecting myself to days and years of pain and self loathe. You're right. I don't deserve you. I deserve more.”

Tears were falling down her face now.  “I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any of the things I did. Char, I'm so sorry. That stupid idiot wasn't supposed to hurt anyone. He was only meant to scare you a little bit. I'm so sorry, Daniel. For hanging on long after I should've let go. For hurting you both and making a total fool out of my self. It just wasn't meant to be.” she gave a small sad smile. “I wish you both the best life has to offer, and then some. I won't say I'm happy for you now, but I will be, one day. Saying sorry again might probably sound redundant but it's the only thing I've got right now. I'm sorry.”

The four of them watched her walk out the door, to her car, get in and drove out of her the driveway, with their jaws still on the floor.

“What just happened?” Zach asked at the exact same time Cat said, “That went well.”

“Jesus,” Daniel let out in a sharp breath.

Are you kidding me?!

And here they were wondering what was wrong with Abby. He was the cause of everything. It had all been his fault. He'd gone and married the wrong woman because he'd thought that he was in love with her. Then he made her feel small by saying another woman's name everytime and every chance he got. God. How foolish he'd been. To be completely frank, he was responsible for the woman Abby was today. He'd made her bitter. He'd made her question her worth and dignity as a woman. And when she found someone else who made her feel wanted, he'd deemed it cheating and proceeded to divorce her. He broke her. And he felt like the biggest dick on planet earth.

“She never knew true love. Her husband, her boyfriend, everyone left her. It takes a certain type of man to be able to get it. To able to understand that a woman who's used to being let down repeatedly, starved of simple things in a relationship like peace, tenderness and common respect and is used to having to fight to be heard...doesn't know what a 'happy' relationship feels like. The most painful tears are not the ones that fall from your eyes and cover your face, but the ones that fall from your heart and cover your soul. So yes, I forgive her. She was hurting because of me, of us and letting out her anger the only she knew how was the only thing she could do.” Char said  with tears running down her face.

Daniel opened his arms to her and she ran into it. Cat came up behind her, running her hands down her back in an effort to soothe her.

“Sometimes we're just collateral damage in someone else's war against themselves.” Zach spoke up. “Don't beat yourself up too much.”

Char lifted up her eyes to meet his. “You don't understand, Zach. I was in her shoes. I loved someone who didn't love me back. Even though I probably wouldn't have gone as far as she did, I know what she went through. We were caring for another's heart while ours were bleeding. Unrequited love’s a bitch.” Char understood that Abby gave up. The fight, the pain, everything. It was too much for her to bear and she was tired. She wanted to be free. To let go of everything that was holding her back. To explore the world and everything else it had in store for her.

Daniel tightened his grip on her and she turned back to him. “I would give anything back for a chance to start over and rewrite an ending or two. Or us. All of us.”

Cat piped up. “For what it's worth, I'm sorry I wanted to pop her like a molly.” It was true, but she still didn't like Abby.

Char gave her a small smile as Daniel swipe at a tear that fell freely down her face. “Come on. Let's go sit.” he said as he pulled her along.

Char didn't know what to feel at the moment. Her emotions were all jumbled up. From seeing Abby again,  to hearing everything she had to say.

“God, I can't believe she came here.” Cat let out.

“What the hell are you talking about? Saw that shit coming like I had binoculars.” Zach raised both brows in exasperation.

If anyone noticed the song reference in there, they didn't say anything.

A long silence ensued. Between the four, no one knew what to say to lift the sour mood. It seemed like everyone had something on their mind. Emotions were being tossed about. From hate to love, from love to lust. Abby had endured enough. From where Char was standing, she was strong. Probably even the strongest woman she knew. At least when she went through heartache, she hadn't married Daniel.

You know that saying? Don't judge a book by its cover? Yeah... That one.

It's true.