CHAPTER 288: SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR

For the first time all day, Abigail and Jamal were finally alone at the cozy Den in Tom’s and Lucy’s mansion.

Josh had fallen asleep upstairs after too much running around all day, Callan had gone home, and the Bees had disappeared with knowing smiles, saying they would "give them privacy."

Now, Jamal leaned back against the couch, one arm stretched across the top, his dark eyes resting on Abigail, who was seated beside him, her legs tucked slightly to the side.

His lips curved slowly. "I still can’t believe that after all these years... I can sit here alone with you this way," he said in a low voice.

A grin spread across her face. "Me too."

"You know, five years ago, after I returned to the empty hotel room and found you were gone, I came here to see Tom and Lucy," Jamal said with a soft sigh, "I was heartbroken. Double heartbreak. First from seeing the leaked sex tapes I assumed to be yours, and second from losing the girl I slept with. We were seated right here. On this same couch. I told Tom and Lucy all about the one night stand, and I sort of wanted their permission to move on from my feelings for Dawn so I could find this new girl, Abigail," he said with a chuckle, and Abigail giggled too.

"Well, here we are now. You have both Dawn and Abigail. Your double heartbreak has been fixed twice over," she said with a grin. "That reminds me, how could you kiss me in public the way you did earlier?"

Jamal chuckled, the sound rich and deep. "Why not? I was kissing my woman."

"Do you know how embarrassing that was? Everyone could see," she said with a playful scowl.

He tilted his head, teasing. "Don’t worry, I’m sure they all know we’ve done more than kissing. They can see Josh, the physical evidence of the other things we’ve done," he said, and Abigail hollered with laughter as she reached out and smacked his arm playfully.

"I can’t believe you are saying that out loud," she said, her cheeks flaming.

"Why are you bringing up the kiss again now, any way? Don’t tell me you want a private apologetic kiss?" His eyes gleamed with mischief.

Her cheeks warmed. She tried to glare but ended up giggling. "Why not?"

That was all the permission he needed. He bent forward, lips brushing hers, soft at first, then it became more demanding.

Abigail’s breath caught and her hand rose at once, pressing against his chest, not to stop him, but to pull him closer. His fingers slid into her hair, and the kiss deepened.

For a few moments, they forget where they were as they loved each other with their tongues.

When they finally pulled apart to draw in air, their eyes met and both of them burst into laughter. It was soft at first, then it became louder, until their heads rested against each other, their breaths mingling.

Jamal wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. The laughter faded into a comfortable silence.

After a long while, Jamal’s voice came quiet. "What are you thinking about?"

Her lashes lowered. "Ryan. His arrival precisely. I’m going to see him with Callan."

Jamal pulled back a little, giving her a mock wounded look. "Ouch. You just kissed me and already you’re thinking about other men?"

She giggled, pressing a finger against his lips. "Sorry. Wandering thoughts."

He smiled and kissed her fingertip. "What about you? What are you thinking about?" she asked.

He groaned and leaned his head back against the couch. "Lucy. And how I’m going to explain myself when the girls tell her I referred to her as... ’another woman.’"

Abigail burst into laughter and hit his arm again. "You’re terrible. You judged me for thinking about other men when you were busy thinking about another woman after kissing me?"

He grinned, sly. "Well, now you’ve just called her ’another woman.’ So when the case comes up, I’ll say you said it too. That way Lucy won’t be mad at just me."

Abigail threw her head back and laughed loudly, clutching her stomach. "You set me up!"

Jamal chuckled, the sight of her laughter warming him even more than the electric heater in the room. "You agree I’m a genius, don’t you? Even your genius brain didn’t get what I was up to."

Abigail grinned. "Only because I trusted you."

He leaned forward, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "So tell me. What do you think of everyone now that you’ve met them?"

"I’ve not met everyone. I’m yet to meet your besties, Mari and Emily."

"You will meet them soon enough. What do you think about the others you’ve met? What do you think about Lucy?" Jamal asked curiously.

Her smile softened. She thought for a moment, then said quietly, "I love Lucy. It’s hard to explain or describe it. I don’t know if it’s because of the way she shows me she loves me, or if it’s just her nature that I love... but with her, I feel safe. Like I can relax. I really have no problems with her being your first love. Apart from your mother she’s the only other woman you’re allowed to love more than me."

Jamal’s lips curved gently. "I’ve learned not every feeling needs to be explained or understood. Some feelings are bigger than words can describe. Like my love for you. I still don’t understand how a seven-year-old could feel something so strong and hold it for years. Even when Ryan tried to keep us apart, we still found our way back together."

Tears welled in her eyes and her chest tightened. She shook her head. "No. I didn’t find my way back to you. You found your way to me even when I had forgotten you."

Jamal shook his head as he lifted his thumb to wipe her tears, whispering, "That’s not true. You didn’t totally forget me. You were the one who hit on me at the club."

She sniffled and gave a watery laugh. "Only because you were there in the first place. And you were in Blue York because you wanted to see me. So, it was you who found me at the club."

He smiled. "I don’t agree. Besides, you came to me again at the airport in Husla asking for my number."

She raised her brows. "And you were only at that airport because you thought you were coming to see me in Westend. Do I need to remind you that you talked to me on the plane and kept poking me in such an annoying way when I didn’t want to talk to you?" She asked with a small smile, and Jamal chuckled when he remembered that.

Before he could counter, she added softly, "And then you came to the house too even after seeing Genevieve, pretending to be a driver. It was all you, Jamal."

He stared at her, at the softness of her eyes, the quiet certainty in her words. Then he smiled, shaking his head. "It doesn’t matter who made the first moves. What matters is we’re here. We found our way back here to the place where we first met."

Abigail thought about their podcast connection, and then whispered, "There’s one more thing you don’t know."

His brows lifted. "What?"

Before she could answer, Jamal’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen. "It’s my mom."

He picked up. "Hey, Mom." His face softened as he listened. "Yeah. I’ve seen them. I’m with Abigail right now."

On the other end, Candace’s voice brightened. "Oh good! Pass the phone to her."

Jamal handed the phone over. "She wants to speak to you."

"Hello, ma’am," Abigail said politely.

"Please, call me Candace," she corrected warmly. "I wanted to ask you, what are Josh’s favorite colors, animals, and cartoon characters? We are going shopping, and we want to get him toys and clothes."

Abigail smiled widely. Although she was tempted to tell her that they had gone shopping already, and had gotten Josh lots of stuff, she didn’t want to deprive Candace the chance to splurge on her grandson or deprive Josh the opportunity to be spoilt silly by their loving family. So, she listed them all—Josh’s favorite heroes, the silly animals he loved, the bike shows he watched. Candace listened with laughter in her voice, promising to get everything with them.

When the call ended, Abigail passed the phone back, her cheeks flushed. "Josh is going to have more clothes and toys than his bedroom can accommodate."

"Then I’ll build him a bigger bedroom," Jamal said as he slid the phone into his pocket, then looked at her seriously. "How long do you think we should wait before we get married?"

Her eyes widened before she burst into giggles. "Maybe six months or a year. Depends on how fast we clear up this mess with Ryan and settle down. We need to register Josh in a new school, you have to focus on your company, and I need to fix myself somewhere and also take my place within the family and get to know everyone better. We have to go on dates and stuff. Thankfully we have lots of people babysit Josh," she said with a wide smile.

Jamal grinned. "About fixing yourself somewhere, how about you come to work with me at HAJ Studios?"

Abigail smirked. "Oh, really? Tom offered me a job at I-Global. Lucy offered me a job at her fashion company. And now you’re offering me one too."

Jamal laughed, throwing his head back. "See? You’re lucky. You’ve got job offers from some of the top companies in Ludus."

She laughed too. "Is that so? Thanks for the offer though, but I don’t want to work for my boyfriend. And honestly... I don’t know what I want yet. I do love numbers, and I like the office environment... but I don’t know my passion yet. I want to take my time to find out. I’m yet to figure it out. You know, I was living in Genevieve’s shadow until I regained my memory, while Ryan tried to groom her as if she was the successor."

"Thankfully, you have all the time you need to figure it out now. And I’m sure money won’t be a problem. Apart from your trust fund, your boyfriend has what it takes to take care of you for as long as you need him to," Jamal said with a confident smile.

Her smile faded a little. She looked at him. "There’s something I haven’t told you."

Jamal’s brows drew together. "What is it?"

"My governess sent me the login details to some crypto wallets and investment apps my mother created for me." She inhaled. "I’m not sure how much she invested but it has amounted to hundreds of millions."

Jamal blinked, then grinned. "So what you’re saying is... I’m marrying a very wealthy wife, huh? Do I need to give up my place at HAJ studios and just become a stay at home husband? That way you can take care of us?"

She giggled, covering her mouth. "Get out of here."

He smirked. "Why? You don’t want a gold digger?"

She laughed, "As long as it’s you, you can dig all the gold I have, I don’t mind," she assured him, kissing him softly.