Thank you for reading this is the last chapter of this book. I hope you have enjoyed it!

Chapter 30 final chapter

Oliver

The hospital is bustling around outside of this room but in here the only noise is the steady beep of the machine monitoring Abby's vitals. I've sat here for hours now watching the steady up and down of the little line on the screen monitoring her heart rate. I listen as the arm band swells and measures her blood pressure then releasing and I wait.

She's stable. That's what they finally told us after we rushed her here and she was taken in for surgery. The bullet missed any organs and arteries that could have complicated the damage. She was lucky, very lucky. They keep saying that but I'm not feeling it. She should've never been put in this position. None of this should have happened. Not to her.

I've been racking my brain trying to think of what we could have done differently. She should have stayed with me. We never should have involved Quinn. I should have just given Ethan the money from the start. Anything. There's just so many things I could have changed for this not to have happened. I could have saved her so many times.

"Stop kicking yourself mate. I can think of a million things both of us should have done differently. It doesn't change anything. She's going to be fine." Quinn tells me softly and squeezes my shoulder.

"I won't let anything happen again. I love her so much." I mumble gently tucking a piece of hair from her face. My thumb brushes her lips and and I hold back those burning tears threatening to spill. I don't cry, not for anything.

"I know you do. And she loves you." Quinn admits to me. "She told me so. You're the man who won her heart Ollie. You found a good one here. She's definitely a keeper."

"I know and I'm keeping her. I'm not letting her go." I inform him just in case Quinn thinks he's going to try a fast one with me again. He says nothing but pats my shoulder and leaves us. Back to the silence of the room and beeping machines. I just want her back. Closing my eyes I rest my head on her lap. I'm not letting her out of my sight.

I jump when I hear the loud crack of a gun fire and look around. The room has shaded and the sun has moved across the sky. I must have dozed off, dreaming of the events that led us here once again. Looking at my watch it's after seven at night. The nurse shifts have changed and I slept through it. I was asleep for three hours this time. Scrubbing my face I sit up and try to take it all in again.

I can see Dylan and Kate outside the window. She's holding him still as he mourns his sister. Avery saved my life. She pushed me out of the way and got killed protecting me from Melanie. When Melanie aimed her gun at Abby I didn't think about myself. I could only think about Abby. I can't believe Melanie was in on this. Abby trusted her, they were best friends and she was working with Ethan. My stomach hurts just thinking about it. I'm glad Abby is out of it right now and doesn't have to deal with that reality yet. It's going to break her heart.

I'm listening to Dylan sob outside as new voices are coming through. My parents are here. I see my mother crying and holding Dylan and Kate as my father talks to the doctor. He looks up and sees me but doesn't come in. I've asked that no one else comes in her room. I had Preston my agent call for security for all of us. Including Quinn. He's now out there too, waiting for Abby to wake up. I'm not sharing her though. I'm going to protect her my way now.

Ethan and Melanie are still loose. I'm thinking they've run but with those two I don't know. They won't be getting shit from me except for a prison sentence now. I won't let them close to Abby or I now that we know they were working together. Abby will stay safe with me. All of my family will be. Ethan won't get to any of us again.

I rest my head back down on her lap and close my eyes. I can feel the tears sting and burn wanting to burst free but I won't do that. Not here, not until I get her home and it's just the two of us. My emotions are just for her now. I'm holding Abby's hand to my lips and kissing her palm over and over. I won't move until she does.

"Ollie, darling you should eat, sweetheart." I hear my mother's voice as the door is opened slightly. The guard is blocking her from coming in. I don't even want them anymore. Just Mason, Kate and Dylan are in this circle with us.

"No." I don't even look in her direction. I hear the door close again and all is quiet. Kissing her again I rub my face against her hand. "I'm not letting anyone get to you again, sweetheart. It's just you and me now."

I stay here like this for hours and don't let a soul in but the nurses. The sun sets, lights turn on and my family leaves for the night. They'll be back, that's what my father tells me before they leave. I'm sure they will but I'm glad they're gone. Dylan and Kate wrapped up together following my parents out.

Mason is missing. He left at some point between me falling asleep and getting woken up now. I understand why he's off on his own. I think he's lost in his head trying to sort it all through. He fell for Melanie and she betrayed him. I know his heart broke watching what she did. This is Mason's family too. He's been my brother just like Dylan for most of my life. I'll find him as soon as Abby wakes up, I'll bring him home.

The nurse comes in again and checks on Abby. She gives me a tight smile but says nothing. I've already made my orders to the hospital. I'm not talking to anyone unless they're telling me about Abby's condition. I don't want food or pleasantries I only want her. Nothing else until I get her back.

"She's doing good." I hear her voice breaks the silence of the room. My eyes cut up to her and look at what she's doing. "They're taking her off the medication that was keeping her asleep. She'll wake soon. I'm sure she'll be confused with what happened. Go slow with what you tell her. Too much at once could get her too upset. Her condition will be fragile until she gets stronger."

I nod and look back at my girl's face. She looks peaceful right now but the nurse is right, Abby's going to be hurting when she hears about Melanie. I'm exhausted. I don't think I've slept well since we came in. I keep having nightmares about it. It's been two days and Abby has slept through all of it. I'll rest when I know she's home with me. Maybe we'll take a vacation from the world. It's the holidays, I was supposed to go skiing with my family soon. If Abby feels up to traveling we can still go get away from the others and hole up in a cabin. Just the two of us to enjoy the rest of the season.

"Ollie?" Kate and Dylan come in and I glance up. I don't want anyone but her. I can't shut them out though. They were there, hurting just as much as I am. My sister needs me too. "How is she?"

"Better the nurse said." I tell them and feel Kate hug me from behind. Her tears land on my neck. "She's fragile in this condition. We need to be careful what we tell her."

"We need to plan the service for Avery." Kate whispers to me. I nod. They can do it, I'll pay for anything they want. She saved my life, no matter what happened these last few months I don't hold a grudge. She didn't deserve to die. "Should we announce it as well as Abby's condition?"

"Tell Preston he can take care of it. When Abby's better I'll let everyone know." I just won't leave her side not until she wakes up. I don't want her to wake up alone.

"You need sleep Ollie, you haven't slept much since she was brought in. You won't do her any good if you're passed out. You need your strength to take care of her. It's going to be a while before either of you will get much rest." Kate tries to reason with me. I won't go. I'll sleep next to her but I won't leave.

Two weeks later

Abby

The car ride here was somber. I'm still remembering bits and pieces of everything and Oliver's nightmares are waking both of us up. I've been home for just over a week now and it seems like all this happened so long ago. There's so much I just don't want to remember and so much that I will never forget. I look down at my hands in my lap and wonder how I'm going to be able to handle this change in my life.

The car curves around the crest and dips low into a valley before it rises to its peak and looks out upon the snow covered hillside. The glistening over the pines, as icicles start to melt and drop their cold dew to the white fluff below. I smile softly at the majestic beauty before us. It's a picture perfect scene from one of Oliver's romantic movies he's done. I couldn't imagine a more perfect place to celebrate the holidays with him.

The wood cabin is a sight. Lights are strung around it's rooftop and all across the porch. Small pines line the drive that curls around a circle of shrubbery. It has rocking chairs and a swing to one side of the double door and a built in bbq area on the opposite side. Stunning and homey is the only way to describe it.

"Come on sweetheart, you can rest inside." Oliver says softly helping into the cabin. He's being overly careful of me. Helping me out of the car and holding my arm as we walk.

We move cautiously through the snow and up the steps of the cabin to the front door. The big wood cabin that Oliver rented for our holiday trip before all this craziness happened. We kept the trip and left right after Avery's memorial service. It was hard to sit through but we all did it together.

I feel like I missed a chunk of memories. When I woke up, Oliver was sleeping with his head on my stomach and a death grip on my hand. I couldn't move, my throat hurt and was so dry. When I first tried to talk all I could do was croak out a sound that didn't even sound like a word. Oliver jumped when I did and smothered my face with kisses. I know he was relieved to see me awake, I probably looked like a zombie but he never left me. Even after telling me the news he choose to stay. He stayed when others would run away.

I was hooked up to an EKG machine and an IV was pinned in one hand while I had a blood pressure cup on the other. I was exhausted despite having slept for days and I was so weak. I knew what happened was bad. Although I remembered very little at first. I was with Melanie when Ethan showed up at Quinn's. He killed the guards and took us. I don't remember exactly what happened after that but Oliver filled in the rest a little at a time.

The police visited several times before they took a statement. They finally found Ethan with Quinn's help. Quinn has been helping Oliver with the press and the police with figuring it all out. Ethan and Melanie separated at some point and Ethan went back to the hotel. That's where they found him. He won't be getting out of jail any time soon. That's what Quinn told us. Melanie however, is still missing.

I feel like a completely horrible judge of character. I thought Melanie was my friend. I introduced her to Oliver and his friends. Mason fell so hard for her and she betrayed all of us. I should have been more careful but I was at my lowest point when she found me. I thought she was my friend but instead of being on my side and getting me past the lowest point of my life, she worked with Ethan to bring down the one man I gave my heart to. Somehow I have to make this up to Oliver.

"Sit down, sweetheart. I'll get a fire going and some hot chocolate and we'll snuggle up and relax with a movie. Sound good?" Oliver offers. He's being so good to me when I don't feel I deserve it.

"I can make the hot chocolate." I tell him and start to get up. Oliver leans over me and softly kisses my face. His fingers slide into my hair as his lips meet mine. Slow and sensual he deepens the kiss. I'm jello when he does this. My body melts into the couch as Oliver lays over me carefully not to hurt my wound or put his body down on me.

"I'm taking care of you, sweetheart. Doctors orders." He whispers against my lips. I feel his hand slip under my sweater and stroke the bare skin on my tummy.

"Oh my God! It's cold out there. Oliver, I thought you were going to make a fire." Kate comes rushing in with Dylan and Mason behind them dragging the luggage in.

I'm really wondering why Kate brought so many suitcases. Actually I'm surprised they came with us. Avery's death hit all of us hard. Dylan's sister was apart of this family of friends. I know she was acting weird and had gotten very obsessive with Oliver but she was still family. Dylan and Kate's grief is the worst. I feel horrible about it and I know Oliver feels just as bad. She gave her life to save Oliver. I could never repay her for that.

As the boys get things settled in, I sit on the couch with a fire blazing, a blanket over my legs and the love of my life snuggling me in his arms. This is perfect. This is all I could ask for from him or our friends. We're celebrating Christmas together away from the world and press and having a quiet family weekend. Kate sits on the floor with a bowl of popcorn and a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Dylan is flipping through the movie in search of a good one to watch. And Mason is staring out the window as the snow falls. We're together mourning a friend and celebrating our new life.

Oliver to rubs my stomach and smiles softly. I know he's thinking about our secret. It stays with us until we're ready to tell everyone. Not now though. We'll share it when we're ready. His eyes snap down on his hands then up to my eyes.

"Marry me sweetheart? Let's have this baby as husband and wife." Oliver whispers in my ear. I turn my head and look at him. Biting my lip I debate. Do we really think we are able to do this or will Murphy's Law strike again?

Please remember to vote comment and let me hear from you!

If you have enjoyed this book please remember to share it thank you