Chapter 1:
"You came all the way out here just to give me an umbrella?" Caroline looked at Richard expectantly.
'If I don't tell her now I will lose her forever' Richard thought. 'But what would it help anyway? It's not like she feels the same way. But then again, why is she here? Why did she come to this god-forsaken part of the city?' He looked up and stared into Caroline's big brown eyes, his heart skipped a beat.
"No, there's something else." he croaked. He had a hard time keeping his voice steady, and Caroline's expectant look didn't help the matter.
'This is it, there's no turning back now. NO! I can't tell her! This will destroy everything!' But something inside him made his lips form the words "Don't marry Del!"
Caroline looked at him somewhat exasperated "You already said that. But why do you think so? Can't you just give me a reason?" Her eyes pleaded with him.
"I...I don't know.I just..think that he's not the right man for you. You deserve so much better." Richard stuttered, not able to tell her the real reason. That he wanted to be the one marrying her, spending the rest of his life with her. Make her breakfast in bed, hug her whenever he wants, cuddle her, stroke her swollen tummy. 'WAIT A MINUTE!! Where the hell did that come from?' A shocked look crept across Richard's face. 'I don't want to have children. And even if I wanted kids, having them with Caroline will never happen. I can't be that lucky. Not in a million years.'
"What's wrong? You look horrified!"
"No. nothing. Sorry Caroline, I can't give you another reason, just trust me with this. He's not right for you." Caroline threw her hands up in the air "For God's sake Richard! You drive me insane! Who do you think would be right for me? You??" With that she turned on her heel and walked down the street, leaving Richard standing in the rain.
'Great Richard! That's it, you finally ruined everything. But oh well. that's just the way of things in your life. You can't be happy. And even when things start to look good, you sure know how to mess it up.' Hanging his head he walked back into his apartment.
~~~~~~~~~
"How did it go? You don't look too good."
Richard looked up startled, he had already forgotten about Maddie.
"Can you please leave me alone? It's how I work best anyway. All I can do is hurt the people around me, so you better run and hide before you have to suffer too."
"Oh please, give me a break! It can't be that bad! Did you expect her to fall right in your arms? This must've come very sudden for her. Her boyfriend proposed to her and right after that her assistant professes his love for her. That must be quite confusing."
He sank down onto his bed. "I didn't tell her."
"What??" Maddie looked at him disappointed. "Why not? What have you got to lose?"
"Excuse me? I have everything to lose, Caroline is the only real friend I've ever had. But oh well, I did lose her anyway."
Maddie sat down next to Richard and put an arm around his shoulder "Listen, I don't know Caroline but I'm sure she doesn't hate you. You really have to talk to her. You can clear things up."
"I have to think about it. Could you please leave me alone?"
"Ok, but you have to promise me that you won't just throw away this friendship." Maddie got up and put on her coat.
"I promise" Richard told her half-heartedly.
Maddie looked hard into Richard's eyes "I'll call tomorrow and check, and you better have done something by then, or I'll take it upon myself to talk to Caroline."
Richard stared at her in shock. "You wouldn't!"
"Don't try me" Maddie smiled wryly and walked out of Richard's apartment.
"You came all the way out here just to give me an umbrella?" Caroline looked at Richard expectantly.
'If I don't tell her now I will lose her forever' Richard thought. 'But what would it help anyway? It's not like she feels the same way. But then again, why is she here? Why did she come to this god-forsaken part of the city?' He looked up and stared into Caroline's big brown eyes, his heart skipped a beat.
"No, there's something else." he croaked. He had a hard time keeping his voice steady, and Caroline's expectant look didn't help the matter.
'This is it, there's no turning back now. NO! I can't tell her! This will destroy everything!' But something inside him made his lips form the words "Don't marry Del!"
Caroline looked at him somewhat exasperated "You already said that. But why do you think so? Can't you just give me a reason?" Her eyes pleaded with him.
"I...I don't know.I just..think that he's not the right man for you. You deserve so much better." Richard stuttered, not able to tell her the real reason. That he wanted to be the one marrying her, spending the rest of his life with her. Make her breakfast in bed, hug her whenever he wants, cuddle her, stroke her swollen tummy. 'WAIT A MINUTE!! Where the hell did that come from?' A shocked look crept across Richard's face. 'I don't want to have children. And even if I wanted kids, having them with Caroline will never happen. I can't be that lucky. Not in a million years.'
"What's wrong? You look horrified!"
"No. nothing. Sorry Caroline, I can't give you another reason, just trust me with this. He's not right for you." Caroline threw her hands up in the air "For God's sake Richard! You drive me insane! Who do you think would be right for me? You??" With that she turned on her heel and walked down the street, leaving Richard standing in the rain.
'Great Richard! That's it, you finally ruined everything. But oh well. that's just the way of things in your life. You can't be happy. And even when things start to look good, you sure know how to mess it up.' Hanging his head he walked back into his apartment.
~~~~~~~~~
"How did it go? You don't look too good."
Richard looked up startled, he had already forgotten about Maddie.
"Can you please leave me alone? It's how I work best anyway. All I can do is hurt the people around me, so you better run and hide before you have to suffer too."
"Oh please, give me a break! It can't be that bad! Did you expect her to fall right in your arms? This must've come very sudden for her. Her boyfriend proposed to her and right after that her assistant professes his love for her. That must be quite confusing."
He sank down onto his bed. "I didn't tell her."
"What??" Maddie looked at him disappointed. "Why not? What have you got to lose?"
"Excuse me? I have everything to lose, Caroline is the only real friend I've ever had. But oh well, I did lose her anyway."
Maddie sat down next to Richard and put an arm around his shoulder "Listen, I don't know Caroline but I'm sure she doesn't hate you. You really have to talk to her. You can clear things up."
"I have to think about it. Could you please leave me alone?"
"Ok, but you have to promise me that you won't just throw away this friendship." Maddie got up and put on her coat.
"I promise" Richard told her half-heartedly.
Maddie looked hard into Richard's eyes "I'll call tomorrow and check, and you better have done something by then, or I'll take it upon myself to talk to Caroline."
Richard stared at her in shock. "You wouldn't!"
"Don't try me" Maddie smiled wryly and walked out of Richard's apartment.