I'm glad to see that people are actually INTERESTED in this thing! Thanks so much for all the great reviews.
Just so all of you know, I have these all written out. From beginning to end. Well, actually, I might add onto them if they are getting okay reviews. I already have every chapter written for this one, "Here With Her," and "These Questions." So, I just add these beginning and end notes to them. I might change some things here and there, but not really.
--
Beside the fire, they'd talked for hours. The chemistry was incredible, Carter had noted. They talked about everything, from Gamma's driving to crickets. They could be weird around each other, acting like fools and talking about foolish things. They laughed with each other. They enjoyed the other's company. Carter didn't have to question if Abby felt the same; it was apparent that she did.
He felt safe with her. No matter what she told him, she always had something to say. Whether it resolved a problem, or she only said "sorry," he felt better every time. Sometimes he wondered why he was with Susan.
Susan wasn't like this with him. Susan was different. Susan shushed him sometimes with a rushed laugh if she didn't appreciate his behavior. Abby knew everything about him. More than nearly anyone knew. She really was his best friend. He just didn't know why she wasn't more.
She'd gathered onto the couch with Carter when the clock struck midnight. They had watched the fire crackle innocently and violently all the same. Each flame made Carter more aware of the woman next to him. When she shivered, Carter took her hand and together they lay on the floor in front of the fire.
"It's getting late," she said.
"Stay here tonight," he said. "The rain's terrible."
Abby didn't fight, to Carter's happiness. She nodded with a smile and went back to her position on the floor.
"Didn't you have something to tell me?" he said, suddenly remembering.
"Another time," she said sadly.
Soon, he brought a friendly arm around her shoulder. She fell to slumber just a second after that, as Carter did.
-
"John," a voice said.
Abby, gently shaking his shoulder, greeted him with an early smile. The fire had died and the morning gray was bringing them to another day.
"Abby," he said. She had been in his dreams. He felt it immediately.
With an insisting grin, she tugged at him again. "Our shifts start at seven."
"What time is it?" he asked groggily.
"Six."
"God," he said, starting to laugh. "How long were we up talking?"
Abby shrugged with, shaking her head. "Long time."
Carter laughed. "I guess I should hurry and get you home."
"I need my clothes," she said. "You can take a shower at my place if you want to save some time."
Carter nodded. "Okay."
He dashed to his bedroom to collect clothing that he would wear after the shower and joined Abby again. He took her hand and led her to the car outside.
"Do you think Susan will be upset?"
"Why?" he asked, starting the car.
"I stayed overnight," she said.
"We didn't do anything," Carter laughed.
"She doesn't know that."
Carter nodded. Aside that fact, he had also lied to her and said he was going straight to bed at home. He'd only stayed true to the "gone home" part.
"Well," he said, "I think we can keep this night a secret then."
Abby shook her head. "Do you do that to all of your girlfriends?"
"No," he said.
"Just the ones you don't like," she suggested with a serious look on her face.
"What?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Didn't you have plans with her?"
"How did you know that?" he asked suddenly.
"I saw you talking to Susan," she said blankly.
He shrugged. "You're my best friend, aren't you?"
"What does that have to do with this?"
"I'm just saying," he said. "You mean more to me than a dinner with Susan." Or maybe Susan altogether. He bit his lip subconsciously. He wasn't supposed to be thinking like that.
"I shouldn't, John," she said, looking at him now. Her face was read with concern. "I don't want to sabotage your relationships - "
"You aren't sabotaging anything - "
"Then I don't want Susan to think I'm the one who is," she said, "when she finds out."
"She won't find out," Carter claimed.
"There it is, John," she said. "You don't want her to find out."
"What?" What was there to question? She finally understood her point. And it was a good one. No arguing with her at this point.
"You don't want her to find out."
" 'Cause I don't want her to think I slept with you," he said, "or something."
"But still," she said. "You broke off a night with her."
"Because I was tired."
"Because you were with me."
Her words were whispered into his head. She was completely telling the truth. Usually, this is the point where they would be yelling. But he remained calm. He didn't want to fight with her.
"Are you suggesting something?"
"Why weren't you with her last night, John?"
"Because I was with you," he admitted. His eyes were focusing on the pavement ahead, but his mind was a million places more. "What are you thinking?"
Her eyes were on the road as well. "Where does this leave us?"
"Where should it leave us?"
She laughed angrily. "Will you stop with that already?"
Carter laughed as well. "With what?"
"The genius questions," she said with a laugh. They sat in silence for a second.
"You know that I have feelings for you," she said.
Carter swallowed. "No, actually I didn't know that - "
"Yes, yes you did."
Carter turned to her. "Well, what does that mean? Was this whole talk supposed to get me out of my relationship with Susan or something?"
She shook her head. "I want you to be happy." She kneaded one hand with the other. "If Susan is what makes you happy, them I'm glad. But if you're wasting your time with someone you share nothing with, then it doesn't make sense, Carter."
She looked at him, seeking something.
Carter leaned over and kissed her for a second on the lips. It wasn't any fireworks kiss, nothing Hollywood about it, but it wasn't intended to be. It showed her he felt the same.
"I need a shower," she said with a smile.
"Me, too."
--
Kind of twisted, I know.
Thanks for all the reviews, again. You guys are too nice. ;)
I am writing a stand-alone fic to post within another two days, so watch for that!
-me
Just so all of you know, I have these all written out. From beginning to end. Well, actually, I might add onto them if they are getting okay reviews. I already have every chapter written for this one, "Here With Her," and "These Questions." So, I just add these beginning and end notes to them. I might change some things here and there, but not really.
--
Beside the fire, they'd talked for hours. The chemistry was incredible, Carter had noted. They talked about everything, from Gamma's driving to crickets. They could be weird around each other, acting like fools and talking about foolish things. They laughed with each other. They enjoyed the other's company. Carter didn't have to question if Abby felt the same; it was apparent that she did.
He felt safe with her. No matter what she told him, she always had something to say. Whether it resolved a problem, or she only said "sorry," he felt better every time. Sometimes he wondered why he was with Susan.
Susan wasn't like this with him. Susan was different. Susan shushed him sometimes with a rushed laugh if she didn't appreciate his behavior. Abby knew everything about him. More than nearly anyone knew. She really was his best friend. He just didn't know why she wasn't more.
She'd gathered onto the couch with Carter when the clock struck midnight. They had watched the fire crackle innocently and violently all the same. Each flame made Carter more aware of the woman next to him. When she shivered, Carter took her hand and together they lay on the floor in front of the fire.
"It's getting late," she said.
"Stay here tonight," he said. "The rain's terrible."
Abby didn't fight, to Carter's happiness. She nodded with a smile and went back to her position on the floor.
"Didn't you have something to tell me?" he said, suddenly remembering.
"Another time," she said sadly.
Soon, he brought a friendly arm around her shoulder. She fell to slumber just a second after that, as Carter did.
-
"John," a voice said.
Abby, gently shaking his shoulder, greeted him with an early smile. The fire had died and the morning gray was bringing them to another day.
"Abby," he said. She had been in his dreams. He felt it immediately.
With an insisting grin, she tugged at him again. "Our shifts start at seven."
"What time is it?" he asked groggily.
"Six."
"God," he said, starting to laugh. "How long were we up talking?"
Abby shrugged with, shaking her head. "Long time."
Carter laughed. "I guess I should hurry and get you home."
"I need my clothes," she said. "You can take a shower at my place if you want to save some time."
Carter nodded. "Okay."
He dashed to his bedroom to collect clothing that he would wear after the shower and joined Abby again. He took her hand and led her to the car outside.
"Do you think Susan will be upset?"
"Why?" he asked, starting the car.
"I stayed overnight," she said.
"We didn't do anything," Carter laughed.
"She doesn't know that."
Carter nodded. Aside that fact, he had also lied to her and said he was going straight to bed at home. He'd only stayed true to the "gone home" part.
"Well," he said, "I think we can keep this night a secret then."
Abby shook her head. "Do you do that to all of your girlfriends?"
"No," he said.
"Just the ones you don't like," she suggested with a serious look on her face.
"What?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Didn't you have plans with her?"
"How did you know that?" he asked suddenly.
"I saw you talking to Susan," she said blankly.
He shrugged. "You're my best friend, aren't you?"
"What does that have to do with this?"
"I'm just saying," he said. "You mean more to me than a dinner with Susan." Or maybe Susan altogether. He bit his lip subconsciously. He wasn't supposed to be thinking like that.
"I shouldn't, John," she said, looking at him now. Her face was read with concern. "I don't want to sabotage your relationships - "
"You aren't sabotaging anything - "
"Then I don't want Susan to think I'm the one who is," she said, "when she finds out."
"She won't find out," Carter claimed.
"There it is, John," she said. "You don't want her to find out."
"What?" What was there to question? She finally understood her point. And it was a good one. No arguing with her at this point.
"You don't want her to find out."
" 'Cause I don't want her to think I slept with you," he said, "or something."
"But still," she said. "You broke off a night with her."
"Because I was tired."
"Because you were with me."
Her words were whispered into his head. She was completely telling the truth. Usually, this is the point where they would be yelling. But he remained calm. He didn't want to fight with her.
"Are you suggesting something?"
"Why weren't you with her last night, John?"
"Because I was with you," he admitted. His eyes were focusing on the pavement ahead, but his mind was a million places more. "What are you thinking?"
Her eyes were on the road as well. "Where does this leave us?"
"Where should it leave us?"
She laughed angrily. "Will you stop with that already?"
Carter laughed as well. "With what?"
"The genius questions," she said with a laugh. They sat in silence for a second.
"You know that I have feelings for you," she said.
Carter swallowed. "No, actually I didn't know that - "
"Yes, yes you did."
Carter turned to her. "Well, what does that mean? Was this whole talk supposed to get me out of my relationship with Susan or something?"
She shook her head. "I want you to be happy." She kneaded one hand with the other. "If Susan is what makes you happy, them I'm glad. But if you're wasting your time with someone you share nothing with, then it doesn't make sense, Carter."
She looked at him, seeking something.
Carter leaned over and kissed her for a second on the lips. It wasn't any fireworks kiss, nothing Hollywood about it, but it wasn't intended to be. It showed her he felt the same.
"I need a shower," she said with a smile.
"Me, too."
--
Kind of twisted, I know.
Thanks for all the reviews, again. You guys are too nice. ;)
I am writing a stand-alone fic to post within another two days, so watch for that!
-me