Page 31 of Don’t You Dare Marry Me (Love in Massachusetts #3)

“I uh… have your drink order.” Nicola placed the glass of wine in front of Elia and straightened her back again, still holding the drinks in place without tipping them over. That was a skill Abagail had never intended to master.

“You’re working here again?”

“Yes.” Nicola squared her shoulders, that defensiveness coming right back up into her body. Abagail hated seeing that. “I need to get back to my other customers.”

“Nicola.” Abagail reached out and touched Nicola’s arm to keep her attention. “You’re talking to the owner, surely they can’t?—”

“I can’t afford to be fired again because one of the Kerrboxes decides to mess with my job.”

Abagail put her hand up and pulled away from Nicola.

“I’ll put in for another drink for you.” Nicola nodded at her hard and then stalked off.

Abagail sat back heavily in her chair and sighed.

What the hell was that all about? And how had Nicola managed to convince them to hire her back?

She better not have used Abagail’s name to do it.

Not that she would think any worse of Nicola for using whatever advantage she had, but she didn’t exactly want that on her record either—especially with Estelle and Warren coming after her.

“What was that about?” Elia asked, eyes wide with wonder.

“Nothing.”

“Oh that wasn’t nothing.” Elia pointed at Nicola. “What happened?”

Abagail dashed her tongue against her lips and debated for a brief second before she opened up. That’s what they were here for, wasn’t it? Diving back into friendship territory and away from whatever Abagail had dropped them into.

“Nicola and I have been seeing each other for a few weeks now.”

“Seeing each other.” Elia’s brow wrinkled. “You don’t use that phrasing when you’re talking about a fuck buddy.”

Abagail hummed and nodded. “You’re right, I don’t.

What started as a quick revenge fuck turned into more, that’s for certain.

” She played her fingers over the table and stared at them, debating exactly how to explain to Elia everything that had happened since the last time they’d met up.

“I quite like Nicola. She’s spicy—in the bedroom—but also in life.

She doesn’t hold back, and I appreciate that. Not a lot of people will.”

“Feisty?”

“Sure, that’s a better word.” Abagail’s lips quirked upward. “But she’s Warren’s ex, and that’s caused quite a few issues, some that she’s not even aware of.”

“You haven’t told her?”

“We haven’t had a chance to talk lately, and the latest issue I just found out about.

I’m not sure I want to tell her.” Abagail felt like she was falling into a bottomless pit of something.

Again, one of those big emotions that she struggled to label, not that she was all that willing to try either.

“Abagail…” Elia leaned in, putting her hand on top of Abagail’s to still the nervous movements that she was making with them. “Are you two still in a relationship?”

Abagail shrugged. “She’s still staying at my house, yes.”

“I didn’t ask that.”

“Yes,” Abagail answered, timidly. “I…” She glanced around the bar, making sure that Nicola wasn’t anywhere near them. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this one to end. There’s something about her, something that I can’t quite give up yet.”

“Is this an actual relationship?”

Abagail shook her head. “I don’t do relationships, remember?”

“Yeah, but this seems like more than just a fling.”

“It is,” Abagail admitted before she could stop herself.

But she wasn’t lying to anyone. Nicola had waltzed into her life full of confidence and bravado, and she’d stayed because she’d shown her soft underbelly.

Abagail was damn sure that Nicola didn’t do that often for anyone, and she was privileged to have been the one to see it.

“So are you two in a relationship?”

“You’re the one who said I was aromantic.” Abagail shook her head, giving Elia a hard stare. “Doesn’t that mean I don’t do relationships?”

“Sort of. It means you don’t generally do them, but it doesn’t mean that a romantic relationship is impossible. Or whatever it might be in the form that you find it in. For you, it might just be a really deep friendship with sex on the side, even if the other person has deeper feelings for you.”

“I do have an affinity for her.” Abagail froze as Nicola locked eyes with her from across the room.

“An affinity?” Elia’s voice reached her ears. “Well, that’s more than I ever expected from you, and it’s something I think you’d say about me.”

Abagail nodded her agreement, unable to look away from Nicola as she came closer with just a glass in her hand this time. She slid it onto the table and gave Abagail a look that she couldn’t quite decipher.

“Can we talk about this at home?” Nicola asked.

“Of course,” Abagail answered, reaching out and brushing her finger against Nicola’s before letting go. “I’ve got company anyway.” She didn’t even look at Elia, knowing full well that Nicola was aware there was someone else at the table with her. “We’ll talk tomorrow evening.”

Nicola nodded her understanding. “Thanks.”

When Nicola was gone and Abagail turned back to Elia, she knew she was in trouble. “What?”

“I think you need to seriously think about what it is you feel for her. Because that wasn’t the Abagail that I know and love.”

Abagail scrunched her face up. “I don’t feel anything.”

“And there we go again.” Elia picked up her wine glass and took a sip.

“Again?”

“Oh yes, right down into denial.”