Carter could tell when they were getting close to their destination
by the way Abby suddenly started fidgeting. He sighed. "I can't believe
this is happening."
Abby stared at him. Suddenly she became very angry. HE can't believe this was happening? Nothing was happening to HIM. Nothing ever happened to him. Just her. How dare he try to imply that this is a difficult time for him. "Yeah, I can see that this is really difficult for you," she said sarcastically.
She saw the hurt look on his face and immediately regretted her harsh words. She knew that his only concern was her. But the words were out now and she couldn't take them back. He opted not to say anything. He knew she was upset and she had every right to be. But he also knew that he didn't want to upset her anymore.
"Can we stop for lunch?" she asked suddenly after ten minutes of silence. "I'd rather not get to Maggie's hungry. I don't want her to have to feed us." Carter nodded.
***************
"Aren't you gonna eat?" Carter asked. Abby had hardly touched her club sandwich. She shook her head. "You should eat something," he urged. "You didn't have dinner last night and you only had a piece of toast this morning." Abby ignored him.
Carter paid the bill and met Abby outside at the car. She was staring across the road. "See that?" she asked. Carter looked where she was pointing. There was a small playground next to a pavilion. "Eric fell off those monkey bars and broke his arm when he was six. He landed face first in the sand. Six weeks later he was still coughing it up. He made me sign his cast." She smiled slightly at the memory of her beloved brother.
Carter put his arm around Abby's shoulder. "We should get going," he said. "Don't want Maggie to start worrying." Abby nodded and climbed into the jeep.
***************
Carter sat on the back porch, drinking coffee. Abby and Maggie were inside, talking about funeral plans. Carter felt pretty uncomfortable sitting there, saying nothing so he had excused himself, said he needed some fresh air.
He heard the door open behind him but he didn't turn around. "Sorry I abandoned you," he said. Abby sat down beside him.
"That's OK. I should have realized that this would be uncomfortable for you. I shouldn't have asked you to come."
"You didn't," he reminded her. "I offered."
She nodded. "Maggie and I don't feel much like eating but there's a pizza place around the corner if you want."
He shook his head. He wasn't hungry either. He felt terrible. Eric was dead and all Carter could think about was how much he missed Abby. He wanted to be there for her but as more than a friend. But he knew she'd never taken him back.
Abby reached her hand up and plucked a piece of fluff out of Carter's hair. Her hand lingered slightly at the back of his neck before she pulled it away quickly, as if she had burned herself. Carter looked at her quizzically. "Sorry," she said.
"For what?" She couldn't answer. She didn't know the answer. She wasn't sorry for touching him. She wished she hadn't stopped. But she didn't want to make him uncomfortable.not after all he'd done for her.
Carter took her hand in his. "I know this is really not the best time.it's actually completely inappropriate but.." He paused. "Abby, I."
The door Abby and Maggie's tear-stained face appeared. "John, Abby, I need you to come down to the funeral home with me."
Abby stared at him. Suddenly she became very angry. HE can't believe this was happening? Nothing was happening to HIM. Nothing ever happened to him. Just her. How dare he try to imply that this is a difficult time for him. "Yeah, I can see that this is really difficult for you," she said sarcastically.
She saw the hurt look on his face and immediately regretted her harsh words. She knew that his only concern was her. But the words were out now and she couldn't take them back. He opted not to say anything. He knew she was upset and she had every right to be. But he also knew that he didn't want to upset her anymore.
"Can we stop for lunch?" she asked suddenly after ten minutes of silence. "I'd rather not get to Maggie's hungry. I don't want her to have to feed us." Carter nodded.
***************
"Aren't you gonna eat?" Carter asked. Abby had hardly touched her club sandwich. She shook her head. "You should eat something," he urged. "You didn't have dinner last night and you only had a piece of toast this morning." Abby ignored him.
Carter paid the bill and met Abby outside at the car. She was staring across the road. "See that?" she asked. Carter looked where she was pointing. There was a small playground next to a pavilion. "Eric fell off those monkey bars and broke his arm when he was six. He landed face first in the sand. Six weeks later he was still coughing it up. He made me sign his cast." She smiled slightly at the memory of her beloved brother.
Carter put his arm around Abby's shoulder. "We should get going," he said. "Don't want Maggie to start worrying." Abby nodded and climbed into the jeep.
***************
Carter sat on the back porch, drinking coffee. Abby and Maggie were inside, talking about funeral plans. Carter felt pretty uncomfortable sitting there, saying nothing so he had excused himself, said he needed some fresh air.
He heard the door open behind him but he didn't turn around. "Sorry I abandoned you," he said. Abby sat down beside him.
"That's OK. I should have realized that this would be uncomfortable for you. I shouldn't have asked you to come."
"You didn't," he reminded her. "I offered."
She nodded. "Maggie and I don't feel much like eating but there's a pizza place around the corner if you want."
He shook his head. He wasn't hungry either. He felt terrible. Eric was dead and all Carter could think about was how much he missed Abby. He wanted to be there for her but as more than a friend. But he knew she'd never taken him back.
Abby reached her hand up and plucked a piece of fluff out of Carter's hair. Her hand lingered slightly at the back of his neck before she pulled it away quickly, as if she had burned herself. Carter looked at her quizzically. "Sorry," she said.
"For what?" She couldn't answer. She didn't know the answer. She wasn't sorry for touching him. She wished she hadn't stopped. But she didn't want to make him uncomfortable.not after all he'd done for her.
Carter took her hand in his. "I know this is really not the best time.it's actually completely inappropriate but.." He paused. "Abby, I."
The door Abby and Maggie's tear-stained face appeared. "John, Abby, I need you to come down to the funeral home with me."