The Secret Admirer Next Door (Love Next Door Series Book 1) *Editing*

Chapter 35

It felt like her 'Disney' personality had came and bit her in the ass. Seriously, what the hell happen. Then there was the text message from Valerie.

COME HOME...NOW!!!

Her sister just abandoned her on the bridge and now she was talking to her like she was a child. She wished she could have see what happened. She'd scripted it in her head. Nice guy enters stage left, tells her he loves her, she runs off stage right like and idiot. She couldn't be too hard on her sister. She exited stage right, that was probably the reason she was meddling.

She blew out a breath. She was tired. Her eyes drifted over to Mr. Abe. She thought about the times she'd pretended he was Daddy Warbucks and she was little orphan Annie after she begged him to take her to the community playhouse to see it. She had been belting out 'Tomorrow' and it was him that suggested she audition for their next play. The rest was history. She owed him so much. He was truly a second father to her.

His eyes focused on the road filled with hurt and all Melanie wanted to do was fix this. Shake her sister. He pulled into Valerie's driveway. Melanie didn't want to go home. She wanted to be adopted by Mr. Abe, and live with him until she got on her feet. It felt nice that someone believed in her, someone loved her. That way she spent so much time at the Goodwin house, she got more love there, and people that believed in her, and her dreams.

"Why don't you go check on your sister for me?" He smiled.

She slumped, "I don't want to. Can I stay with you?"

He chuckled softly he looked at her warmly, "You keep asking me that, and I've told you the same thing. Your sisters are going to miss you."

She pushed her lips together.

"I'd really like to be alone, Mel." He looked at her sadly.

She sighed and nodded. "Good night, Mr. Abe."

"Good night, Melanie."

Abe took a long breath watching Melanie go into Valerie's house. He tried not to take too much to his heart, but she called him an opportunist. He'd never expected the girls would bring so much to his life, but when he helped her get her sisters back there was nothing he wanted in return, it was just his stupid heart that wanted more. Maybe he was being selfish in that way. Now he wanted to write her a million letters telling her how sorry he was, but that would probably make everything worse, he never wanted to see another pen or piece of paper again.

He decided to take a detour from his house. Just being near the Davison household made his chest hurt. He pulled into Barney's parking lot, it was always the best place in town to nurse a broken heart. The parking lot was more crowded than usual, Abe just figured it was because it was the day before Christmas Eve, people were always more heartbroken around this time of the year.

It was interesting how Christmas was just another day to him for a while them. The nest was empty, but never this lonely. Now for the first time, he was lonely. It was a aching loneliness that cut him at his core. He was ready to drink himself into oblivion to forget.

The bar was as he suspected full of familiar faces, he felt good about that, but also bad that he couldn't vent like he wanted. He'd just have to drink away his sorrows alone. That was when he saw another familiar face and made him smile. His big blue eyes stared into his from the bar.

"I take it, it didn't go so well."

He plopped in the barstool next to Issac. "Are you going to give me the 'I told you so speech'."

He swirled his drink, "I won't if you won't."

He opened his mouth to give his son more advice but closed it and shook his head. "Whiskey." He looked up and noticed Christian behind the bar. He smiled warmly.