Kevin brought Abigail back to his place that night without so much as a word. He didn’t need to be at rehearsals until one the following afternoon, and he would try to convince Abigail to come with him to rehearsals. Plus, ever since the incident in the bedroom earlier that afternoon, she had been very quiet and clung to Kevin for the remainder of the afternoon. He tried to pull her aside on several occasions to get her to talk, but she kept insisting that she was fine. However Kevin didn’t believe that and wanted to keep Abigail close so he could keep an eye on her. He had no idea what was going through her head, and he figured if she wouldn’t talk to him, he would at least be there for her.

A short while after they arrived at Kevin’s place, Abigail sat at the edge of the pool while Kevin was taking a shower. He had finally stopped trying to get her to talk and went inside frustrated. She hated not being able to tell Kevin everything, but she had all ready risked her life by telling Julia the entire story and by getting involved with Kevin. The best thing he could do for her was just hold her and trust that he didn’t want to hear about her past. She needed to feel safe while she struggled with her fears and secrets and she just wished he would understand that she couldn’t get into it with him.

A few minutes later Kevin returned to Abigail’s side and sat down beside her.  “I’m sorry I got upset with you. It’s just so obvious that something upset you this afternoon and I can’t help but feel responsible. I just want to help you get over what happened to you in the past.” Kevin said as he put a comforting arm around Abigail and pulled her close.

“Kevin, I know you’re concerned, but I really don’t want to get into it. I really just need to move on and the best thing is to forget about it. I hope you can understand that I just can’t talk about it.” Abigail said.

“I can’t begin to fathom what happened, but if it’s easier for you to just move on and forget about it, then I’ll have to respect that. Just know that if you ever need to talk about it, or anything else, I’ll be there to listen.” Kevin said, finally giving up.

“Thanks Kevin. Maybe some day I’ll be able to come to terms with it and be able to tell you.” Abigail said as she let Kevin hold her. She prayed that some day they would find the person that had really killed Frank and she could tell Kevin the whole story. Until then, Abigail would just have to deal with the guilt. She didn’t even think she could tell Kevin that she had actually been married to Frank. That would bring up too many questions that she couldn’t answer. It was best left with nothing said.

“So do you want to stay out here for a while, or just go to bed?” Kevin asked as he gently stroked Abigail’s cheek, sensing she needed the intimate touch.

“It’s such a beautiful night, Can we stay out here for a while?” Abigail asked.

Without saying a word, Kevin took Abigail in his arms and they just sat there in silence. They were both lost in their own thoughts. Kevin was desperately trying to come to terms with the fact that Abigail felt she couldn’t confide in him. He was starting to doubt himself but he was pretty sure it wasn’t because she didn’t trust him. She really just wanted to move on, but if this Frank guy had hurt Abigail at all, it was probably better that he didn’t know or he’d find himself in trouble.

After some time, Abigail let Kevin take her to bed and she fell asleep in his arms. She felt him carry her upstairs to his bedroom, but she didn’t have the energy to open her eyes. Kevin gently placed her on the bed and got in beside her. He smiled when she rolled over and rested her head on his chest. It had been so long since Kevin felt content in a relationship and he said a silent prayer that this one would last.

*********************

It the middle of the night, Kevin was awoken by Abigail’s restlessness. It was obvious that she was having a nightmare and he tried to calm her down by taking her in his arms and gently rocking her. Kevin was startled when Abigail pushed him away and kept muttering something that he couldn’t understand. As he watched Abigail’s agitation grow, he finally decided the best thing was to wake her. He gently stroked her cheek and called her name and when she finally woke up, she looked around the room and tried to figure out where she was. When she looked up and saw Kevin’s familiar green eyes, she knew that she was safe. She couldn’t help but see the concern written on Kevin’s face, but she was grateful when he just took her in his arms and didn’t question what the nightmare had been about.

As Abigail tried to get back to sleep, she couldn’t figure out why she was having the same dream again. She’d had that same recurring dream for about two months after Frank was killed, but with some help from a psychiatrist, she was able to overcome her fears and they stopped. Maybe she needed to see a psychiatrist again she thought to herself. There was no way she could risk saying something in her sleep. It felt like a double-edged sword. She felt safe in Kevin’s arms, but she wondered if it was best to stay at her place to ensure she didn’t let anything slip. She would give it a few more days and hoped that the nightmare was just an isolated incident. She tried to figure out what it was that triggered the sudden uneasiness. The only thing she could attribute it to be was the thoughts she had about Frank that afternoon at the barbecue. She doubted that making love to Kevin earlier that day triggered it, because she had never felt more sure about anything in her life. She was convinced that they were meant to be together. It felt like fate.

Kevin held Abigail tight until he felt her relax and drift off to sleep once again. He didn’t like what was occurring. What had happened that afternoon in the bedroom had obviously triggered something disturbing for Abigail. He tried to think back over the time they had known each other, and he couldn’t recall her ever getting upset quite like this. He feared this Frank guy had sexually assaulted or abused her and it was haunting her now that they had become sexually active. He feared that they had taken their relationship to another level too quickly; even though he was positive it was something she was ready for. After quite some time, Kevin was finally able to drift back to sleep, but he was still deeply troubled by what was upsetting Abigail.