Miss Abigail ch 3

Just as I pulled myself together Avery's mother and some more of her friends came in to the restroom.
"Oh here you are Abigail, are you quite all right?" She asks upon seeing me.
"I am now, thank you." I say in an outright lie, but considering I've been lying for years now- it isn't hard to do.
"Well I just wanted to introduce you to some more friends of mine...." I can't help but drown this woman out. My mind is still reeling from my run in with Max. The rest of the day is a blur, but it went fast. I get home and lock myself in my room. I can't help but break down and cry. I meet with Missy the next day who wanted to hear how my date with Avery went. So I told her everything that happened....
"Max did WHAT?!" Missy asked, completely shocked. And here I go again crying my eyes out...
"It's true." I sputter out. Missy get's up from her chair and sat on the couch with me and gave me a hug.
"Oh Abbey I am so sorry, I don't know what he was thinking." She said, trying to comfort me. I just sat there and poured out my heart, telling her about my inward struggle and like a good friend- Missy just sat there and listened. When I finally got it all out I really did feel better. She sent me home with some relaxing tea to help me feel a bit more at ease. I go home, drink some tea and take a nap.


Meanwhile back at the palace- Missy is on the war path- if she wasn't going to at least maim Max, she was going to kill him. How dare he do this to HER friend. Not just any friend, Abbey- the girl who would never hurt a soul, the girl who despite being picked up and dropped like a casual stone on the ground, saved Max's life for Christ's sake. He didn't deserve her, that son of bitch deserves to rot in hell for making her friend pour out her heart while taking advantage of her vulnerable situation. That scum bag has it coming, and she was going to make him pay for this if it was the last thing she did.
She asked the maids and attendants where he was. He was in his private parlor most likely taking tea and reading a book alone.
An attendant barely had time to introduce Missy's presence before Missy barged in and the attendant got a chance to leave before the fireworks really started. Max could tell Missy was upset he just didn't know why...yet.
"Ah Missy, I was wondering when I was going to see you today, I know you were supposed to have a meeting with Abbey today, will you please let me know when she arrives, I have some things to discuss with her."
"I'll bet you do, you sick son of bitch." Missy seethes.
"Excuse me?" Max says, completely taken aback.
"You think I wouldn't find out? Does your depravity know no bounds? Well let me tell you something- Abbey is not one of your tissue girls whom you use once and throw away, she is not a girl whom a despicable creature like you should ever toy with because she's better than that. She is the most real human being who has ever come into our lives and I will not stand on the sidelines and watch you destroy her. You disgust me and I am ashamed to call you family Maximus." Missy says, getting dangerously close to Maximus, her hands clenched into fists, ready to strike.
"Whoa, whoa, before you damn me to the depths of hell, let me explain myself." Max replies, backing away and putting his hands up in defeat.
"I wish you would." Missy huffs and crosses her arms in front of her and sits in a nearby chair.
"I know my actions as of late have made no sense..."
"To say the least." Missy quips. Max ignores this and moves on.
"I have been an ass, I will admit that, a daft, exceedingly stupid and blind ass. I thought Abbey would be like every other girl. Turn her from ugly duckling to beautiful swan and she will be putty in your hands and she couldn't be farther from that. The night of Prince Roman's ball started to prove it. She has a mind unlike every other girl in the world. She's like a puzzle I can not solve, at first I got frustrated, that's why I didn't offer any further interest in her but every time I saw her after that I felt my interest spike like a hooked barb in my mind I couldn't fish out, but by that point she was busy with her 'potentials' and I felt like I had lost my chance and I figured she would be better off without me in her life screwing things up, like I often do. But what makes her different is she has this vulnerability that speaks to this.... 'hero' side of me that I didn't even know I had. But I tried to distract myself from her, that's why I started courting Gillian, who is rather exceedingly gorgeous but her mind and personality can't hold a candle to Abbey, that's why I've been gambling a poor excuse for thrills because Gillian can't thrill my mind and heart like Abbey can. Gillian doesn't make me feel like I could be a hero, a better man just by being around her. I had no idea how Abbey felt about me till yesterday. She saved my life, then Gillian showed up and verbally ripped her apart, I was about to step in but Abbey surprised me by standing up for herself for once, she told Gillian off and in the process revealed her true feelings. I guess I lost control of myself and I am sorry for that. But she didn't give in because she is a stronger and better person than I am. But then she asked me if I loved her, I wish I knew why I didn't say anything, I was just stunned I guess and I couldn't bring my self to think fast enough to call after her as she left. I stayed in that room for I don't know how long trying to figure my own actions and feelings out. And you should be proud of me of the conclusion I have come to. As of last night I broke off my courtship with Gillian, she didn't take it well but I really never cared how she felt. But the one person who's feelings I do care about is Abbey's and judging by your candor and actions I can only assume she must hate me. So I have a lot of making up to do."
"That's the understatement of the century.......Wait- so you do care for her?" Missy asks a bit confused.
"Very much so. I just have to climb out of the hole I've dug for myself. So when are you supposed to meet with Abbey?"
"I already have. She's already home by now. She cried on my shoulder for over an hour over you. You have no idea the kind of conflict you created in her. You have no idea how twisted her mind is because of you. You think I'm upset, expect a full blown hurricane when you see her." Missy said, a little less miffed but still fully irritated.  Max then made his way to the door grabbing his coat on the way out.  Missy got up and walked with him down the hall.
"Where do you think you're going?" Missy asks.
"To Abbey's. I have to try and undue this mess. Hopefully she will speak to me, do you know if she had told her father?"
"When we talked she had told no one but me, but by now, who knows." Missy admitted.
"Don't have any time to waste then, wish me luck."
"I wish you a miracle." Missy said, calling after him as he mounted his horse and rode off toward Abbey's house.

Meanwhile back at home I had woken up from my nap and my father had been worried about me, thinking I was ill, never suspecting a broken heart. Before I could break down again and tell him what was really wrong with me there was a knock at the door.
"Abigail? It's Sue."
"Yes?" I call out.
"Abbey- Maximus is here to see you."
"I don't want to see him. Tell him to go home." I say, crossing my arms while my father looks me over with a curious eye.
"He says he needs to apologize and he is most insistent." Sue says before I hear whispering behind the door.
"He says he won't leave until you say yes to seeing him." She says after a moment. Oh that dirt bag would use that same line like that wouldn't he?
"It's going to take a better line than that." I reply, my words dripping with spite.
"Please Abbey." Max says from the other side of the door, this makes me jump a little, I didn't expect him to be that close already.
"Abbey- don't be stubborn, hear what the young man has to say." My father says standing up and heading for the door.
"But..." I say in argument.
"But what?" My father asks, turning around just as he reaches the door. I had a choice- spill everything to my father and watch the rage that would certainly ensue or wait to see what Max had to say.
"Nothing, let him in and leave us alone for a moment." I say in defeat.
"You are an awfully curious girl." My father admits before turning to the door and opening it. Max is on the other side and moves to let my father through.
"Good day sir." Max says, addressing my father.
"Good day, thank you for coming by, she needs a bit of cheering up." My father says aloud but leaning in whispers something I can not hear or make out before walking away with Sue. Max nods and then looks into my room, at me sitting on my bed, with my arms crossed having the look of death waiting for him. But he seemed undeterred. He simply came in, shut the door softly behind him, walked over to my desk, picked up my chair and set it down in front of me so we could be face to face. Once he sat down he looked me over and I swore he could see every emotion in me, from the rage and fury to the weak and vulnerable to the disbelief he was even there.
"I'm sorry Abbey, for everything. I should have told you yesterday how much I love you, how much my heart aches for you and how my conscience has whipped my soul since then. I don't know why I hesitated, I don't know why I couldn't tell you the honest truth yesterday and I hate myself for not calling after you..."
"What?" I say in disbelief, my arms falling to my sides and my face softening at his words.
"Please just let me confess, I didn't expect to ever meet a girl like you. You are so strong and so firm in your convictions, you never back down. Even in the face of the worst kind of people. I'm sorry I left you to deal with Gillian, I should have stayed, but then I never would have known how you felt. I don't know if you know this, but I'm a daft, pig headed ass and it can take quite a bit to get through to me..." Max says, trying to make me spark a smile, but all he got was a firm nod from me which made his ego take a blow. But he soldiered on.
"I want you to know you never once have bored me, in fact you're quite the opposite. You intrigue me to the extreme, like a puzzle I can not solve, one that I have tried to walk away from, unsuccessfully because every time I see you, every time I think of you, I'm drawn back. I tried to distract myself from you but all that did was prove how superior you are to everything else around you. You make me feel like I can be a better man. I know I don't deserve you, and I am praying I didn't just blow every chance I could ever have of trying my best to make you happy." Max says taking and then holding a breath as I reply.
"It will be a bit difficult if not impossible to achieve that with Gillian around every corner, didn't you hear me yesterday? It doesn't matter how you feel about me or how I feel about you because I refuse to be your mistress." I reply.  
"Why would Gillian have anything to do with you and me?" Max asks.
"Because she would be your wife...?" I say, pointing out what I thought was completely and overly obvious.
"Oh god no! I would never marry Gillian, in fact the only reason I took up gambling is because it afforded the chance to get away from her. She may have fair looks and some 'talent' but she can be trying to be around, to put it nicely. That's why I'm not courting her, that's why I'm here. I know you are rightly and justifiably very angry with me right now, and I understand why, in fact I'm sure I deserve a good portion of bodily harm because of it. But when your anger has left you, please listen to me again. Please give me a chance to try to make it up to you. It's the least I can do." Max finally finishes his speech and waits with baited breath for my reply again. He is desperately trying to read my expression but I think he is having difficultly, mostly because my emotions are waging war on themselves at this point, my brain has given up keeping them in line.
"I'm confused, first you tell me I intrigue you but then you get frustrated and leave and go after someone else. But then you decide I'm worth finding out and come back....so my confusion is why you couldn't just admit this yesterday." I reply slowly.
"I wish I could give you a reason, I just don't have one, other than the blind daft ass explanation."
"Uh huh, well to be perfectly honest I'm very concerned then. With your past reputation, should I expect these actions to fall into a repeat pattern?" I ask, surprising myself with such a question.
"No." Was Max's firm and immediate answer.
"So when exactly did you come to your conclusions?"
"Last night." Max answered.
"When did you break things off with Gillian?"
"Yesterday evening, shortly after our own run in. I came to realize I could care less about her but that my feelings for you are infinitely stronger."
"So why did you wait this long to tell me?" I ask, putting my hands on my hips.
"Again- I can be a daft, exceedingly stupid ass whose skull could give the outer walls of the castle a run for their money when comparing thicknesses."
Dang it that made me crack a smile. He was completely and utterly tearing down every wall and every barrier I had worked so hard on building for myself. How did he do it? How did he disarm me so completely and diffuse my anger and leave me with nothing but love for him? How could I go from loathing him to suddenly feeling like I can't live with out him?
Max could tell I was deep in thought but mistook it as more anger.
"I will leave you now." Max said in defeat, he had said all he could. And he knew I was not easily persuaded. He got up and put my chair back in it's place.
"What?" I ask, shaking my head from my thoughts.
"Have a good evening Abbey, I hope you can forgive me someday." Max said as he started to leave the room.
"Wait, that's it?" I ask, getting up and walking toward him.
"I know you well enough that you like to think things through and you aren't easily persuaded. So I would like to give you time to think things over." Max explained. But as he did so I slyly moved passed him and moved myself between him and the door.
"Well normally you would be absolutely right, however I'm still not done with you." I reply, taking a few slow steps toward him, he takes a few steps back trying to keep some respectable distance between us for once. But what I want right now is for that distance to get smaller again.
"Oh?" Max asks, gulping out of nervousness, he didn't know what he was in for. He couldn't read my expression to save his life so he didn't know if he was going to get assaulted or what.
"So you think that come here, tell me you care for me, love me even, apologize for being daft and then leave?" I ask, getting closer and closer to him, I can tell he's getting a little uncomfortable but not to the point where he's trying to pass me, he just has to stop backing up due to the fact he has run out of room to do so.
"Well...I uh...you need time." Max sputtered, nervously looking down at my hands to see if they were clinched, Missy did say to expect a hurricane. But in fact they were open and loose. His own mind was on the brink of giving up on trying to figure all of this out.
"So if I would return your feelings, would you court me?" I ask closing the distance between us.
"Yes, in a heartbeat." Max admits, dropping his guard slightly and feeling a little more comfortable but still a bit unsure.
"Then I need no more time." I reply, a smile finally gracing my features, not that Max had much of a chance to see it since I had stolen his lips in the same way he had stolen mine the day before. As if on instinct my arms wrapped around him almost as fast as his arms wrapped around me.
If I had thought that the kiss Max gave me yesterday was powerful, this one eclipsed it ten fold. It felt as if the world could rip itself apart around us and we wouldn't care, much less notice. Like we had wrapped ourselves in a cocoon that protected us from everything around us. Then Max upped the anti by leaving my mouth in favor for laying the sweetest and most addictive kisses on my neck which ignited a fire within me that I didn't even know I had. At the first chance I had I returned the favor, much to Max's delight. But before things could get carried away there was a knock at the door.
"Yes?" I answer a bit irritated.
"It's me, just checking to see if everything is alright." My father asks.
"Everything is fine thank you." reply a bit sweeter.
"Would Max like to stay for dinner? It's almost ready." My father inquires. I look at Max for an answer.
"That would be lovely, thank you sir." Max answers.
"Very good." My father replies and leaves.
"You don't have to." I say to Max.
"Yes I do, that and I want to anyway." Max replies before giving me a soft kiss then pulling away, content to just look into my eyes.
"Thank you." I reply softly then we leave the confines of my room and make our way to the dining room where dinner was being set out. Max like a gentleman pulled my chair out for me which didn't go unnoticed by Sue who also was staying for dinner. Max then inexplicably just leaves the room. But soon I hear Max and my father exchange words in the next room. Then it hits me, Max is asking my father's permission to court me. That is rather noble of him isn't it. But then I hear my father call for me and I pass Max in the hallway and give him a curious look to which he just smiles back.
"Close the door Abbey." My father softly commands which I obey.
"So...Maximus just asked permission to court you.." My father started.
"And did you give it to him?"
"Do you even like him?" My father counters.
"Very much so, I was disappointed he didn't show interest sooner, but better late then never." I reply.
"But what about Avery and Christian?"
"I am sure we will be able to remain good friends and I am also sure that they will most likely find some girl who will give them the attention they need soon enough."
"So it's been Max all along?" My father asks further.
"Yes indeed, it just took him a while to figure it out."
"But you're happy with him...?"
"Again, yes, very much so." I reply, firm in my resolve.
"Well it's a good thing I told him yes then isn't it?" My father finally admits. Which brings forth a big sigh of relief and a smile to match.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, now let's go to dinner, I would hate for it to get cold."
"Yes, heaven forbid." I reply.
Dinner could not have been better, not that the food was that good but it was the company that made it that much better, it felt like I was eating with family, the last time I felt like this was so many years ago when my mother was still alive.


After about 4 months of courting Max proposed. Granted that may seem short to most, for that four months we saw each other every single day. But there was one thing I was certain of- my wedding was going to be small, the smaller the better in fact. The only people I really wanted there was my father, Sue, Missy, Max's parents, Max's siblings and Max and I. Max was surprisingly relieved at this. Max's mother and I actually got along quite well, despite both of us being opinionated. She was relieved that I was not fussy or demanding and that I preferred simple things.
Sooner than later my wedding day arrived with the usual jitters that accompanies such a big day. But I had extra reasons to worry. When Max had told Missy that Gillian didn't take the break up well, he wasn't kidding. It seemed she began a campaign against me. Max even went so far as to meet with her several times to put a stop to it. Her resolve however was firm and her message clear 'leave Abbey for me and it stops.' Max however wouldn't hear of it, she was being spiteful, petty and vengeful not to mention obsessed. Gillian at first tried to figure out why Max would leave her for me, one of her first reasons was money- so she tried to tank my business, however she didn't succeed, it's popularity and excellent quality prevented any dent in sales, in fact it fueled them thanks to the rumor mill which I despised nearly as much as I despised Gillian. Then she attacked my character, my station in life and everything else she could think of. If anything she gained more enemies than anything else.
However for my wedding day I did my best to put it all out of my mind. I was finally going to marry the man I loved, nothing else should matter.
So it starts out well, Missy my maid of honor looks stunning as she walks down the isle and Max's little sister looks adorable as most 7 year old's do as a flower girl. Then it's my turn. I successfully walk down the isle, not tripping on my dress or anything. I make it to the alter and the cardinal begins to marry us. With every word, with every sentence I start to feel better. The wedding is small just as I wanted. I look around and I see so many happy faces, all there to support me.
Then the doors of the small church burst open and I hear Gillian scream
"I OBJECT!" God damn it, this bitch is going to die. Max and I clench our jaws and reel our heads to look behind us. There stands Gillian, standing triumphantly with my ex-step mother standing on one side and someone who I immediately recognize as an investigator standing on the other. My heart drops and fear strikes every corner of my being because I already know the jig is up, I have been found out and humiliation is the only thing to remain.
"On what grounds?!" Max demands.
"Your precious Abbey is an IMPOSTER her name isn't Abigail Vacantie, it's Abigail Schulle- her and her father are relics from the old empire in the southern kingdom and the fact she has lied and done her pitiful best to hide this fact makes her and her father traitors to the Crown of Kali and should therefore face the consequences of such actions according to the law meaning DEATH." Gillian announces triumphantly as she makes her way up the aisle toward me. She can see the fear in my face and that just makes her triumphant smile bigger, she knows she has me. I can't run, I can't hide, I'm trapped. All of these lies I have told have caught up with me. So much for my happily ever after.