Chasing Abby(57)

“I’m sorry, but they must have transferred your prescription to the wrong pharmacy. And the one they transferred it to closed at ten. It’s almost eleven. You’ll have to wait until they open at eight a.m. to pick it up over there.”
“She can’t wait until tomorrow!” I reply, leaning over the counter to try to see what her computer says. “She’s only supposed to take it on Fridays and Saturdays. Tomorrow’s Sunday. She needs it now.”
“Caleb, it’s fine,” Abby says, pushing me away from the counter. “Thank you for your help.”
“You can’t skip that pill until Friday. That’s dangerous.”
“It’s fine. We’ll pick it up tomorrow morning and I’ll call my doctor and ask if I can take it on Sunday instead. No big deal.”
I shake my head as she drags me out of the pharmacy and back to the car. Once we’re inside, I realize we’re going to be returning to the beach house without Abby’s meds. They’re probably going to think we were lying about the prescription so we could get out of the house.
By the time we get home, all the lights are off except for the glow of Sydney’s cell phone where Jimi and Sydney are huddled on the sofa bed. We bid them goodnight, then I take Abby to Jimi’s room. I close the door behind me, pissed that the pharmacy tech in Raleigh must have misunderstood when I told her we were in Wrightsville Beach. She must have thought I wanted the prescription transferred to the CVS in Wrightsville Beach.
“I f*cked up. I’m sorry.”
“Oh, please. It’s not a big deal. We’ll go to the pharmacy tomorrow morning.” She stares at me for a moment, then she waves toward the bedroom door. “You have to go before they catch you in here.”
I step forward and take her face in my hands, then I lay a tender kiss on her lips. I can hear her breathing quicken, so I lean in for another. She tastes like the fancy whitening toothpaste Jimi has in her bathroom. I slide my tongue into her mouth and she lets out a soft whimper.
“God, I’ve missed this.”
She pushes me back a little, but her eyes are fixed on my mouth. “You have to leave. We can’t do this here.”
I lean over and kiss the tip of her nose. “I know, but I’m not leaving. I’m sleeping in here to watch over you.”
“What? You can’t sleep in here.”
She attempts to push me toward the door, but I dig my heels in and I’m too solid for her to move. “If you’re not taking all your meds tonight, I’m staying in here to watch over you whether you like it or not. I’ll sleep on the floor.”
She glares at me, but there’s a hint of a smile curling the left side of her mouth. “Fine. But if anyone walks in here you have to hide.”
“Oh, yeah. That’s totally going to work. If anyone walks in here, we’ll just tell them the truth. I stayed in here to make sure you were okay. If they have a problem with that, then screw them. Your health should be their number-one priority while you’re staying here.”
She shakes her head as she opens up the bottom drawer of Jimi’s dresser, which Jimi cleared out for Abby to store her clothes. She grabs a T-shirt and pajama pants then clutches them to her chest while she stands silently contemplating something.
“You want me to turn around?” I know she’s going to say yes, but I have to at least give her the option to try something new.
“No,” she mutters.
“Really? I mean, are you sure?”
She looks up at me as she tosses the pajamas onto the rollaway bed. “Yes. I’m sure.”
She pulls off her tank top and I try not to smile too wide when I see her white bra and the soft curve of her breasts. I’ve seen her in a bra before, but it was in the heat of the moment, with our bodies pressed against each other. Not like this, with her standing before me, her body on display.