"Hey Abby," Luka called when he entered the flat. Abby was sitting on the
sofa, reading to Adam, who seemed to enjoy hitting the brightly coloured
pictures in the book. She looked up and smiled at him. Then she saw, Carter
and a range of thoughts and emotions came to her mind. The smile dropped
off her face and held Adam tightly.
"Hi Abby," Carter greeted, awkwardly. It hadn't been a great start; he had already wiped the smile off her face.
"Abby, Carter spent all day proving himself." Luka explained. "Trust me, everything will be ok. He hasn't taken anything, even though I made him stay in the drug store cupboard all day. I even did a tox screen." Abby smiled at the idea of Carter sitting in a cupboard all day.
"Oh, Carter, why did you start anyway?" Abby asked, finally. Carter sat beside her on the sofa and took her hand.
"Abby, I don't know. I was stupid and tired and not thinking straight. If I had that chance again I would never have done it." Carter looked at her with wide, pleading eyes. She wanted to believe him. God, she wanted to be able to sink into his arms and cry because she had been so scared. But she was so unsure.
"Carter, I-"
"No, wait. I know you're going to say that you don't know if you can trust me and all I can beg is that you do. Please, Abby. I need you more than anything because I love you more than anything." Carter cut her off. Abby didn't know. Her mind was a mess and had been for the past 24 hours. She looked to Luka for assurance; he had been her rock recently.
"Go ahead, Abby. It's all ok." Luka nodded. Why did he have to be the good guy? He loved Abby still and he could've seized the chance to take her. But he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself attempt to be something he was not. He was not Carter. He was not Abby's soul mate or Adam's father. He was just there for her, and that was all he could offer. Adam looked up at his dad and offered him the book.
"Hey, thanks little guy," Carter smiled at him and took the book. How could he ever explain to him how much that meant to him?
"Carter," Abby began. Both Adam and Luka obviously thought Carter was safe. Did she? "John, let's go home." Carter smiled, relieved.
"God, I love you so much. I'm so sorry." Carter whispered as he hugged her.
"Let me just get my stuff," Abby told him and she went and fetched her hand bag and Adam's bag.
"Come on, then, honey," Carter said, when she returned.
"Wait a second," Abby turned to Luka. "Thanks for everything, Luka." She hugged him and kissed his cheek. Carter smiled at Luka, when normally he would have been insane with jealousy. Luka was a good guy.
"Thanks, Luka." Carter smiled and they left together. Luka closed the flat door after them. Every sound he made in the flat seemed to echo in the emptiness and bounce back at him from lonely walls. He missed Abby, but he was who he was. Just a friend.
"Hi Abby," Carter greeted, awkwardly. It hadn't been a great start; he had already wiped the smile off her face.
"Abby, Carter spent all day proving himself." Luka explained. "Trust me, everything will be ok. He hasn't taken anything, even though I made him stay in the drug store cupboard all day. I even did a tox screen." Abby smiled at the idea of Carter sitting in a cupboard all day.
"Oh, Carter, why did you start anyway?" Abby asked, finally. Carter sat beside her on the sofa and took her hand.
"Abby, I don't know. I was stupid and tired and not thinking straight. If I had that chance again I would never have done it." Carter looked at her with wide, pleading eyes. She wanted to believe him. God, she wanted to be able to sink into his arms and cry because she had been so scared. But she was so unsure.
"Carter, I-"
"No, wait. I know you're going to say that you don't know if you can trust me and all I can beg is that you do. Please, Abby. I need you more than anything because I love you more than anything." Carter cut her off. Abby didn't know. Her mind was a mess and had been for the past 24 hours. She looked to Luka for assurance; he had been her rock recently.
"Go ahead, Abby. It's all ok." Luka nodded. Why did he have to be the good guy? He loved Abby still and he could've seized the chance to take her. But he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself attempt to be something he was not. He was not Carter. He was not Abby's soul mate or Adam's father. He was just there for her, and that was all he could offer. Adam looked up at his dad and offered him the book.
"Hey, thanks little guy," Carter smiled at him and took the book. How could he ever explain to him how much that meant to him?
"Carter," Abby began. Both Adam and Luka obviously thought Carter was safe. Did she? "John, let's go home." Carter smiled, relieved.
"God, I love you so much. I'm so sorry." Carter whispered as he hugged her.
"Let me just get my stuff," Abby told him and she went and fetched her hand bag and Adam's bag.
"Come on, then, honey," Carter said, when she returned.
"Wait a second," Abby turned to Luka. "Thanks for everything, Luka." She hugged him and kissed his cheek. Carter smiled at Luka, when normally he would have been insane with jealousy. Luka was a good guy.
"Thanks, Luka." Carter smiled and they left together. Luka closed the flat door after them. Every sound he made in the flat seemed to echo in the emptiness and bounce back at him from lonely walls. He missed Abby, but he was who he was. Just a friend.
