When I got back to the table I was relieved, but somewhat confused,
to see that Carter wasn't there.
"Where's Carter?" I asked, taking my seat.
"John had to use the restroom," Jessica said in her over-correct, extremely polite, speech. It occurred to me that she was one of "them." One of the rich, classy, socially elite member's of Carter's family's society.
After a slight pause Jake said, "You and Carter were more than just friends, weren't you?"
"Where did that come from?" I asked, trying to avoid answering the question.
"Answer the question, Abby."
I looked down at the table. "Yeah. We dated for about a year."
Jessica laughed. "John dated YOU?" She laughed again. Then her mouth fell open. "Oh my God. You were that woman at The Golden Sun when I ran into John two years ago. Wow. . ."
I wanted to smack her. And I probably would have if I had been standing in front of her instead of sitting next to her.
I opened my mouth to say something smart and witty but the waiter interrupted. "Are you ready to order?"
****************************
"So. . .what exactly happened between you two?" Jake asked, between bites of his stake.
"Which two?" Carter asked.
"Us two," I said.
"Oh. . .well, um, actually, that's a very good question, Jake. What DID happen between us, Abby?" Carter's tone was sarcastic and patronizing but I knew that he was actually serious.
I glared at him. "You know perfectly well what happened," I said.
He was starting to get angry again. "No, I don't know." He glanced at Jessica. "But it doesn't really matter now, does it?"
It did matter. I could see on his face that he did care. And that made me sad and angry at the same time. I was angry at myself for hurting him but I was gonna take it out on him.
I stood up. "You are such an ass." I stormed out of the restaurant leaving a half-eaten Caser salad and my boyfriend behind.
**************************
"Hey." Jake said softly.
I said nothing.
"I know you're awake, Abby." He sat down on the bed and rubbed my shoulder. I jerked away from him. "Abby if you don't tell me what's going on. . ."
I sat up. "Nothing's 'going on,' Jake. I just. . . I just wasn't prepared for him to come back."
"Why did you break up?"
"Because. . ." I really didn't want to say this. But I had to. "Because, he was eventually going to hurt me and I didn't wanna just sit back and let that happen."
Jake looked at me for a moment and then kissed me. He lightly lowered me back onto the bed and climbed on top of me. I didn't want to have sex with him. His hands made my skin burn. But what could I say? "Sorry Jake but I can't have sex with you because it feels like I'm cheating on my ex-boyfriend. . .who I'm still in love with by the way." Yeah. That would go over well.
So I went along with it. Kissing him, touching him, opening my legs for him. After it was over (it didn't take very long) Jake wrapped his arm around my bare stomach. "I love you," he said.
It was the first time he'd ever said that. I tried to say it back but I couldn't. After all the lies I'd told, I couldn't tell Jake that I loved him if it wasn't true. I stood up and started getting dressed.
"Where are you going?"
"I don't know," I told him. "I just need to get out for awhile. I'll be home later."
************************
Half an hour later I found myself standing in front of a huge wooden door. I looked at my watch. It was 10:30. Not too late, right? I knocked on the door.
I had expected a butler. But Carter answered. Neither of us spoke. We just looked at each other. Then, without a word, Carter took me in his arms and kissed me, hard, passionately on the lips. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him back.
"Where's Carter?" I asked, taking my seat.
"John had to use the restroom," Jessica said in her over-correct, extremely polite, speech. It occurred to me that she was one of "them." One of the rich, classy, socially elite member's of Carter's family's society.
After a slight pause Jake said, "You and Carter were more than just friends, weren't you?"
"Where did that come from?" I asked, trying to avoid answering the question.
"Answer the question, Abby."
I looked down at the table. "Yeah. We dated for about a year."
Jessica laughed. "John dated YOU?" She laughed again. Then her mouth fell open. "Oh my God. You were that woman at The Golden Sun when I ran into John two years ago. Wow. . ."
I wanted to smack her. And I probably would have if I had been standing in front of her instead of sitting next to her.
I opened my mouth to say something smart and witty but the waiter interrupted. "Are you ready to order?"
****************************
"So. . .what exactly happened between you two?" Jake asked, between bites of his stake.
"Which two?" Carter asked.
"Us two," I said.
"Oh. . .well, um, actually, that's a very good question, Jake. What DID happen between us, Abby?" Carter's tone was sarcastic and patronizing but I knew that he was actually serious.
I glared at him. "You know perfectly well what happened," I said.
He was starting to get angry again. "No, I don't know." He glanced at Jessica. "But it doesn't really matter now, does it?"
It did matter. I could see on his face that he did care. And that made me sad and angry at the same time. I was angry at myself for hurting him but I was gonna take it out on him.
I stood up. "You are such an ass." I stormed out of the restaurant leaving a half-eaten Caser salad and my boyfriend behind.
**************************
"Hey." Jake said softly.
I said nothing.
"I know you're awake, Abby." He sat down on the bed and rubbed my shoulder. I jerked away from him. "Abby if you don't tell me what's going on. . ."
I sat up. "Nothing's 'going on,' Jake. I just. . . I just wasn't prepared for him to come back."
"Why did you break up?"
"Because. . ." I really didn't want to say this. But I had to. "Because, he was eventually going to hurt me and I didn't wanna just sit back and let that happen."
Jake looked at me for a moment and then kissed me. He lightly lowered me back onto the bed and climbed on top of me. I didn't want to have sex with him. His hands made my skin burn. But what could I say? "Sorry Jake but I can't have sex with you because it feels like I'm cheating on my ex-boyfriend. . .who I'm still in love with by the way." Yeah. That would go over well.
So I went along with it. Kissing him, touching him, opening my legs for him. After it was over (it didn't take very long) Jake wrapped his arm around my bare stomach. "I love you," he said.
It was the first time he'd ever said that. I tried to say it back but I couldn't. After all the lies I'd told, I couldn't tell Jake that I loved him if it wasn't true. I stood up and started getting dressed.
"Where are you going?"
"I don't know," I told him. "I just need to get out for awhile. I'll be home later."
************************
Half an hour later I found myself standing in front of a huge wooden door. I looked at my watch. It was 10:30. Not too late, right? I knocked on the door.
I had expected a butler. But Carter answered. Neither of us spoke. We just looked at each other. Then, without a word, Carter took me in his arms and kissed me, hard, passionately on the lips. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him back.
