A/N: Slight AU. Trish and Henry attend Washington State together where they met. She didn't grow up with Henry and Abby on the island. One other thing, this is pre-Harper's Island. It's a deeper look into Henry and Trish's breakup as mentioned in the show from Abby's perspective. Enjoy and let me know what you think! I'll update as I edit.

Where this story gets its title:
Even angels have their wicked schemes,
and you take that to new extremes.
But you'll always be my hero,
even though you've lost your mind.

Love the Way You Lie Part 2

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

"Hey, Abby. It's Henry again. I hope you're getting my messages. You haven't forgotten about my birthday this Saturday have you? Sully wants to throw this ridiculous party at the marina to quote 'cheer me up'," he snorted. "-buuuut, I'm not really up for it-"

Abby was jumping into a pair of jeans that were waiting for her on the bed when the house phone came alive on the nightstand. She shook her wet shower hair out and let it ring so that she could finish getting dressed, but as she was pulling a red blouse over her head from the closet, her friend's voice came through and she squealed in a panic.

She returned home yesterday afternoon to her downtown Los Angeles apartment to discover two missed calls from Henry Dunn. She completely neglected to return them, and instant guilt made her dive, partially put together, across the bed for the phone. Her jeans still needed zipping and her blouse was awkwardly hanging, but luckily there was no one around to see those small exposed parts of her.

Fortunately, she made it before her voicemail either cut him off or he hung up. Abby didn't want him assuming that his high spot on her priority list wasn't routinely reserved for his birthday this week. If not for her poor memory, she would have called him back instead of hurrying to answer the phone like she was now.

With everything going on with his girlfriend, or ex rather now (she wasn't sure), he couldn't have been more worthy of her attention. She was his long-distance bestie medication, and she couldn't have made it any clearer that she was prescribed to him as needed, so Abby felt obligated to be there for him. Faraway or not. Having horrible relationship issues so close to his birthday must have been terrible for Henry.

"Hence, the cheering up, Henry," she answered, sprawled on her belly. "And I would sooner die than forget."

"Hey," he said happily. "You're home." The cheerfulness in his voice placed an image of him in her mind, and suddenly she was perfectly imagining that silly smile of his.

Abby rolled off of her well kempt mattress to zip her jeans. "Yep. Hey, I'm sorry I didn't call you back yesterday. I was running errands all day, and it completely slipped my mind… Could you ever forgive me?" Hopeful, she winced and sat up on the edge of the bed to slip inside a pair of worn tennis shoes.

"Hey, don't worry about it," he chuckled. "Glad you picked up. If I know my Abby she's always busy." She smiled. "So about the party Saturday…"

Abby instantly put her hand up to stop him, uncaring that he couldn't see.

"I'll be there," she finished to save him the trouble of asking.

"Really? That was easy. Didn't even get to beg. There goes two hours of my life rehearsing."

Abby pouted. "Damn," she said sadly. "That would've been interesting. I'll hold my tongue next time." Henry laughed.

"That's right you will," he teased. "Well, that's great then. Looks like I'll be attending Sully's pity party for me as well. Can't wait to see you, Abs. I really miss you." She flipped the bottom of her pants over her newly tied shoes and sat up on the bed.

With a sigh, she said, "I miss you too, Henry," and she meant it. It'd been a few months since either of them flew out for a visit. Abby sat up to address something she'd been meaning to ask him about for the past week. "How are things with… Trish?" She treaded carefully.

She realized little miss Wellington was a touchy subject matter, however, she couldn't help asking. But Trish wasn't the only one to blame for Henry's misery. Hunter Jennings was the other touchy subject matter. The one who tore a perfectly sweet couple apart and instantly made an enemy out of Abby Mills.

Henry exhaled heavily. "Uh, I don't know," he answered, clearly bored with this discussion long before it had a chance to begin. "Haven't spoken to her in like two weeks and I don't wanna talk to her." She was certain they were broken up now.

"You should," Abby tried. "You know? Sort everything out. If you still don't want to be with her then that's your decision."

"Abby…" His dull voice came. "She cheated on me. I think she's already made her choice."

Hearing the lack of fight in his voice made her feel for him. He was giving up because some other man put his hands all over his girlfriend, and although she'd put her hands equally on him, it wasn't fair for Henry to just roll over and allow whatever was going to happen to happen. Problems didn't sort themselves out. She learned that her sophomore year of high school when she blankly stared down her calculus quiz so hard, she got a taste of what cerebral hemorrhaging was like.

"Henry, don't be like that," she continued. He needed some sign of hope. "I can't imagine how it must have felt to walk in on them but that can't be the end of it. You guys have been together for two years."

"Are you saying I should forgive her?" He asked.

Though confused, he absorbed her words like normally. She adored him and he adored her. They were the siblings they never had, which was why she was careful about what she said to him. All she could do was give him her two cents and hope he would find it in himself to do the right thing.

Abby stood to yank her brush poking out from her purse on the dresser.

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all. What she did was wrong and frankly, I don't think she deserves any free passes right now."

Henry urged her to continue. "Well, then?"

"All I'm saying is," she went on and scowled at her plain reflection in the mirror. "I thought you two loved each other. Last I saw you guys were attached at the hip."

Irritable, he scoffed. "Yeah, I thought the same thing. I guess she fooled all of us."

Henry was so melancholy about the whole thing. Abby was beginning to assume he had already accepted defeat, which meant she was the worst best friend ever. She hadn't really had the time to sit down and genuinely talk to him about any of it. That desolate sound of dejection she was hearing from him made her feel bad for not being there with him.

"But if you love her, then why aren't you fighting for her? Who is this Hunter guy anyway? Forget it," she lividly cut herself off. "Just give me his address."

"He works for her father," he told her. "I met him last year over the summer when Trish insisted I spend more time with the family. Real nice guy he turned out to be."

Abby covered her face with her palm, frustrated. This just kept getting worse and worse for him, and it was exasperating to not have something that she could do to make him feel better. Henry was a good person. He didn't deserve such a painful heartache.

Sympathetic, she said, "Oh my god, Henry," and shook her head, overwhelmed. "I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do? You must be going crazy over there."

Henry sighed and she stopped brushing her hair to listen.

"Sure. Dedicate your first book to failed relationships. Maybe it'll save some of your readers from whatever painful thing that's been going on in my chest."

Abby frowned at herself in the mirror. Looked like she would have to get there before Saturday…