Part 16
Carolina knocked on North and Wash's door, waiting for someone to answer.
She'd been avoiding Wash for a week, but had no plans to bring up anything she'd overheard. It wasn't her place, and she had no idea how she'd ever broach the subject anyway. He'd been calling and trying to stop by to hang out, but she kept making excuses, wanting to spend time with York before he had to travel a few cities away for a week-long construction job a coworker had gotten him involved with. She was pretty sure Wash was away at work, and figured North would be up for some advice-giving.
North answered the door, looking exhausted and strung-out, like he hadn't slept in days. "Hey Lina," he greeted, gesturing for her to come in. "You have a key, you know. You don't have to knock."
"I don't want to walk in on you and Maine."
"Yeah, that's not going to happen. We broke up."
"What?!"
North walked over to the couch and flopped down, burying his face in a pillow. "Mrrffnnghee."
"Yeah, I didn't get any of that."
"Maine fucking left me," he repeated, lifting his face a little. "I should have seen it coming—things were going so well, that's usually when shit hits the fan."
"What the fuck happened? You guys were so great together!"
"I happened."
Carolina pushed on North's shoulder enough so that she could sit on the couch, and he scooted around so that his head was in her lap. "Talk to me, what happened?"
North sighed. "I had this great valentine's evening planned out—dinner on the pier, dessert at this little place he loves, a walk along the beach. It was going to be a perfect surprise. Then he canceled on me."
"Did he have to work or something?"
"He never gave me a reason. I waited here for an hour, and finally he called to say he wasn't going to be able to make it. We had a fight, of course, and I was so angry that I told him if he wasn't going to make the time for me, for the night I'd spent weeks planning, then he shouldn't bother coming over at all. And he hasn't since."
"It's only been a week, you don't—"
"I'd even rented out the entire place for dessert so we would be alone! Do you have any idea how much that costs on a regular night, not to mention Valentine's Day?"
"Did you tell him that?"
"I never got the chance. I freaked out, told him off, and he hung up on me. Now he won't even take my calls."
"I don't think I've ever seen you get like this," Carolina said with a frown.
"Yeah, well, I get kind of intense when it comes to the people I love," North replied, reaching up to press his fingers over his eyes. "You just haven't been around for the epic fights I've had with York or Wash. One time back in high school, Wash and I didn't talk for three weeks because I said his jacket looked stupid, and we only started talking again when he gave in and apologized for wearing a stupid jacket."
"Wow. You must really love Maine, then."
"I really do. I was going to tell him as such over dessert. Fuck, I even had this." North reached down and dug around in his jeans pocket, pulling out a small pouch to hand to Carolina. She took it and shook the contents out onto her palm, revealing a silver key.
"Is this—"
"I was going to ask him to move in. I know it's only been, what, five months? But I just knew with him."
"You should really go talk to him. You guys deserve a chance to fix this."
"Nah, we're done." North waved his hand in the air dismissively. "I've never been one for long-term relationships; don't know why I thoughtI could start now."
"Don't say that."
"Tis only the truth." North smiled up at her, his red-rimmed eyes looking wet with tears. "So anyway, how are things with you? I heard York finally said the big three words."
She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about this when you're so upset."
"It's fine. I need something to take my mind off of all this."
Carolina smiled. "Yes, we finally said we loved each other."
"And you're happy?"
"Yes. I think so. I mean, yes, I am. I am happy."
"Wow, way to reassure me."
"You remember talking with me going back to school?"
"Of course."
"Well, I looked into it and there's a class that starts in April at the college. It prepares people for applying and getting into grad school if they've been out of school for too long. I can afford it, and it's an evening class so it won't interfere with work."
"And you haven't told York," North said, his tone all-knowing.
"I don't know how to."
"You…just tell him? I would think he'd be happy for you that you want to broaden your horizons."
"Don't you remember how upset he got when we were talking about Columbia?"
"Well, yes, but—" North sat up, turning around to face her. "That's all the way in New York, sweetie. You know there are great schools in California too, right?"
Carolina sighed. "I know, but the better schools aren't in California. I don't want York to freak out over something that isn't even a definite option yet."
"I think you should just talk to him. He'll understand, and I know he'll be supportive, if you just give him a little time to come around to the idea."
"So you can give the same advice, but you won't act on it yourself?" she asked, jabbing a finger into his chest. North blushed, reaching up to run a hand through his hair.
"Guess I'm not really ready to face reality yet."
"Yeah, me neither."
(break)
Carolina sat on her couch, phone in hand, the screen prepped to call York. He'd been gone for four days and she was realizing just how quiet the apartment was without him.
She'd been thinking a lot since she overheard the conversation between him and Wash, trying to parse the real meaning behind Wash's sentiment. Did he still like her, or was that just posturing, a threat to his friend because that's how guys acted? Finally she'd decided that it was probably just an idle threat, and wasn't going to give it any more thought.
The other half of her had been silently hyperventilating about what York had said, about their relationship either ending in a split or marriage.
All of this was really rather poor timing, since she had been prepared to ask York to officially move in with her during dinner that night.
She definitely wasn't ready for marriage; she knew that much for sure. She had decided on going back to school and was going to break the news to York after softening him up with the 'moving in together' gesture. Now she wasn't even sure how to do any of it.
Her phone rang, breaking her out of her reverie, and she looked down to see that it was York. "Perfect timing," she answered with a smile. "I was just thinking about you."
"Babe, listen to me carefully. I need you to come here."
"York, what's wrong?" He hadn't called her 'babe' since that breakfast with North and Maine, and he sounded like he was about to pass out. "Are you okay? What's going on?"
"I need you to come to the hospital out here. I got hurt. I love you, Lina, please, talk to Chris—"
There was a shuffle on the other end of the phone and a few seconds later another man was speaking. "Hey, Carolina?"
"Chris?" He was York's friend who'd gotten him the job in the first place. "What happened? Is York okay?"
"Yeah, he should be fine—he got hit by a falling beam on the site, and it nearly crushed his leg, but I think we got him out in time. Can you get up to Sacramento?"
It was a good five-hour drive in normal traffic, but during mid-day rushes, it was going to take forever. "Of course, I'll leave now. Text me which hospital and I'll keep you posted on where I am."
"Fantastic. They're loading him into the ambulance now. Don't freak out, he's gonna be fine, okay?"
"Okay." Her voice was shaking but she managed to keep her calm somehow. "I'll be there soon."
"Good. Talk to you soon." He hung up York's phone and she stared down at hers, trying to quell the oncoming panic attack.
Someone knocked on her door and she jumped up to answer it, nearly smacking her leg into the table in front of the couch. She swung it open and found Maine standing in the hallway, glancing up and down as though he were looking for someone else.
"Maine?" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Trying to find your apartment," he said brusquely. She realized they'd only spent a little time at her place during group hang-outs, since North usually did the cooking and preferred his own kitchen. "Is John here?"
She frowned. "John?"
"North."
"Oh." She had no idea his real name was John; he'd never brought it up. "No, he's not. Uh, I'd help you find him but I have to go, York was in an accident and I need to get to Sacramento right away."
"Okay." He stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. She noticed his left hand was bandaged up, and she briefly entertained the idea of asking what happened until she realized he was waiting for her.
"…okay?"
"I'll drive. We should go before traffic gets worse."
She was at a loss for words, both because she didn't know why Maine was offering to drive her nearly four hundred miles to see someone he seemed to actively dislike, and also because it was most the most she'd ever heard him speak. The fact that he and North had broken up was also concerning.
"I can drive myself—"
"You're upset. Let's go, Carolina."
Maine clearly wasn't going to leave unless it was with her. Knowing she had no choice, unless North was to conveniently show up or call, she had to get going, and with Maine was the only way.
"Okay, fine. I'll reimburse you for gas later."
"Don't worry about it."
He waited as she scrambled around the apartment, grabbing her purse and keys, making sure her phone was safely in her pocket. She pulled a coat out of the closet by the door and put it on, pulling her hair out from under the collar. As they left the apartment, closing the locked door behind them, Maine reached over and gently hooked a large hand underneath her elbow, guiding her downstairs towards his car. She smiled up at him and he nodded, the unspoken thank you hanging between them.
(break)
Carolina had no idea what was going on.
An hour later and she found herself having one of the most heartfelt conversations of her entire life, with Maine of all people.
He'd ushered her into his car, a nicely maintained four-door white sedan, and sped out onto the highway, managing to somehow beat a lot of the traffic exiting the city. The first twenty minutes of the drive was spent silently, Maine focusing on the road and Carolina staring out the window at the cars surrounding them.
Then the traffic jam hit and they had nothing to pay attention to but each other.
It was Maine who finally broke the silence, reaching over to turn up the heat another click. "What happened to York?" he asked, looking over at her. Traffic had slowed to a complete stop.
"An accident on the construction site he was working on. Something happened to his leg. I don't really know anything else." She turned on her phone and sent a quick text to York's phone saying that she was stuck in traffic. Tucking it back into the cup holder between them, she shrugged. "He didn't have time to tell me anything else."
"I'm sure he'll be fine."
"Can I ask you a question?" she asked, suddenly feeling brave despite being trapped in a small car with a very large, still slightly intimidating Maine. He grunted in agreement. "Why didn't you make it to Valentine's Day?"
Maine grunted again, more angrily this time.
"Okay, sorry. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine." She gestured towards his bandaged hand that was resting on the steering wheel. "What happened to your hand?"
"North."
She raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"
Maine sighed heavily. "I was making a bedframe. Tired of sharing his small bed. The saw cut into my hand because I wasn't paying attention."
"Oh, that's really sweet of you!"
"I was finishing it that day, about to assemble everything when I was trimming the last piece. Cut my hand and I was in the hospital getting stitches. Called North to tell him I wasn't going to make it. He yelled, we fought, and I hung up on him when he told me not to bother with him anymore."
Apparently once he got going, Maine didn't hate talking as much as she'd thought. "Why didn't you just go over and talk about it that night?"
"I was doped up on painkillers all night and the next day. Turns out, cutting your hand open hurts a lot." He waved his hand in the air, doing a little figure eight. "He didn't call, I didn't call. Finally he started calling me but by then I was too angry."
"I'm sure he'll understand if you just explain what happened."
"Tried to call him last night, didn't answer. S'why I came to see him in person today."
"I think he made movie plans with CT, honestly."
Maine let out a low growl. "Hate it when he does that."
"Does what? Goes out with CT?"
"No, sees movies I want to see. Selfish dick."
Carolina bit back a laugh, but a small giggle escaped and he glared over at her. "Sorry," she said, smiling. "It's not funny, I'm sorry." He shrugged in response. "Can I ask you one more question?"
"We have time."
"Why did you and York never get along? You seemed to always be on the offensive around him."
Maine inched the car forward as traffic finally began to move. They drove silently for a few miles until they got stopped again.
"I don't hate him."
"I never said you did."
Maine leaned back and looked over at her, frowning. "I was jealous."
"Jealous? Of York?"
"Of his and North's relationship."
"But York obviously isn't—I mean, there's nothing to be jealous of."
"I wanted that closeness with North. Not just the physicality of the relationship, but the emotional stability. They really get each other."
Carolina nodded, finally understanding. "I'm jealous of them too. And of how they act with Wash. It's like the three of them are in this relationship that no one else can see into, you know?"
"Exactly." Maine was visibly more relaxed, almost smiling. "Didn't know you saw it the same way."
"So you don't hate York, then?"
"I did at first. Thought he and North were sneaking around together." Carolina snorted a laugh and heard Maine chuckle quietly. "Changed my mind after North reacted the same way."
"I can't even imagine that, and I refuse to."
"I like you, Carolina."
"I like you too, Maine."
