Chapter 0124


    I miss those days, miss what we were. The regret hits me like a ton of bricks, settling heavy in my


    chest. It’s a regret that’s been there for too long, lurking in the shadows even when I was too stubborn


    to acknowledge it.


    Finally, after another hour and a half of driving, the towering trees give way to the familiar entrance of


    my estate. I haven’t been here in a few months now, but it feels just as familiar as ever; especially with


    Abby beside me.


    I throw her a quick nce, hoping that I don’t see any glimmer of doubt in her eyes. “Ready?”


    “As I’ll ever be,” she says, though I catch a note of uncertainty in her voice.


    I pull into the driveway, the old mansioning into view. Before I can even cut the engine, the front


    door swings open. Gerald, our family butler for as long as I can remember, steps onto the porch. His


    face lights up when he sees me. “Mr. Karl!” he exims, shuffling out. “How nice to—” But then, his


    face falls the moment his gazends on Abby.


    “Miss… Abby? What are you doing here?” he asks, a thinly veiled note of disapproval coloring his


    words.


    “Hello, Gerald,” Abby replies, her tone neutral. “I’m just visiting.”


    “Hmm,” he mutters, and though he says nothing more, his eyes say it all. Maybe I should have


    mentioned it beforehand. But hell, if he has a problem with Abby being here, that’s his issue to deal


    with, not ours.


    I reach for her bag, but she’s already grabbed it. “I got it,” she says, our fingers brushing for a moment.


    Electricity shoots up my arm, and I have to resist the urge to pull her closer.


    “Shall we?” I gesture toward the entrance.


    She nods, stepping onto the cobblestone path that leads to the door. I catch up to her and we walk side


    by side, the tension palpable but not entirely ufortable. She nces around, taking in the towering


    oaks, the sprawling garden she once adored, the manor itself. There’s a wistfulness in her eyes that


    tugs at my heart.


    Once inside, she continues to look around, this time at the grand staircase, the antique chandeliers, the


    aged paintings of our ancestors adorning the walls. All the things that make this ce more than just a


    house. It’s a home. It was her home, too, once upon a time. Maybe it will be her home again.


    “You okay?” I ask as we ascend the stairs. Her room—the master bedroom, and I’ve decided to take


    the guest room—is right at the top of the stairs.


    “Yeah,” she murmurs, but her voice quivers, betraying her true emotions.


    I unlock the door and swing it open, revealing the room she spent so many years in. It’s been a few


    years since she’s been gone, but I kept the furnishings the same. In fact, I couldn’t sleep in here for the


    first two years; not since I thought she cheated on me.


    “Wow,” she breathes, stepping inside.


    Her eyes move from the familiar furnishings to the photos still sitting on top of her old dresser. One in


    particr catches her eye, a candid shot of us,ughing like there’s no tomorrow. Truthfully, I never


    took it down, although I couldn’t bear to look at it for the longest time.


    For a moment, I see the Abby I fell in love with all those years ago. Vulnerable, yet strong. Closed off,


    yet incredibly open.


    She wipes a tear away before it can fall, then turns to me with a shaky smile. “It’s just…a lot, you


    know?”


    “I do,” I reply softly, not trusting myself to say more.


    She clears her throat, setting her bag down on the bed. “So, what’s the n for the rest of the day?”


    “If you’re up for it, I was thinking dinnerter,” I suggest, leaning against the doorframe.


    She nods, biting her lip in a way that’s incredibly cute and reminiscent of the old Abby. “That sounds


    good.”


    “Alright,” I say. “I’ll let you get settled, then. And if you need me, I’m in the guest bedroom.”


    As I walk away, heading back down the grand staircase, I can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and


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    trepidation. This visit is a big step for both of us. Where it leads, I can’t say for sure, but for the first time


    in a long while, I’m hopeful.


    And as I get to the bottom of the stairs, I realize something else, too. For the first time in years, the


    house feels like a home again. And it’s all because Abby is here, even if it’s just for a visit.