I followed Carter through the ER like an obedient little puppy. It
wasn't until we passed the admin desk that I asked where we were going.
"To talk to Weaver," he said.
I stopped. "No," I said firmly. "Uh-uh. No way."
He turned around and walked towards me. "Abby, you have to," he said, lowering his voice.
I shook my head. "I can't," I whispered, tears forming in my eyes. "I'll just call the police. They'll come and get him, take him away. . ."
"Don't you think people are gonna ask why?" Carter asked, pulling me over to the wall.
I hadn't thought of that. I shrugged. "Fine," I said. "I'll talk to her."
*********************
"Are the police on their way?" Carter asked. The 'meeting' with Weaver had ended and she said she'd make sure he was gone, in case something went wrong with the legal system. . .it's been known the happen.
I fiddled with the blue cast Carter had put on my wrist. "Yeah, they'll be here soon," I said, staring at the door. As if on cue, it opened, letting in two police officers.
I waved them over. "Ms. Lockhart?" one of them said. I nodded. "Where is he?"
Without a word I led them to the lounge. Jake was sitting on the couch. The policemen pulled him up and handcuffed him. "What the hell is going on?" Jake bellowed.
The policemen read him his rights and started pulling him towards the door. "Abby, I'm sorry," he yelled. Carter and I followed him. "Abby, I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. Please. I won't do it again. I love you, Abby. Please! PLEASE!"
As we watched him disappear into the ambulance bay I felt Carter's hand on my shoulder. "What was that all about?" Susan asked.
"I'll tell you later," I said.
She gave me a curious look but left it at that. When I turned away from the door Carter was hanging up the phone.
"I called a car to come and get you. I want you to stay at my house for a while. In case Jake makes bail or something. I talked to Weaver, she said you can have a couple days off. Starting now. I'll be home in a couple hours."
I wrinkled my nose. "Is Jessica there?" I asked.
Carter bit his lip. "Yeah, but her bachelorette party is tonight and she's spending the night at a friends so it'll just be us."
Had I not just had the shit beaten outta me, I would have been excited about that. But circumstances being what they were, I wasn't really in the mood for sex.
I sighed. "Are you really gonna marry her, Carter?" I asked.
He avoided my eyes. "I don't know. I don't want to."
"Then don't!" I cried.
He smiled. "That's what my dad said. 'Don't marry her if you don't love her, John. Don't make the same mistake I made.' Dad thinks Jessica's just an empty shell."
"I agree," I said.
"C'mon," Carter said. "Let's go wait for the limo." He ushered me towards the ambulance bay.
I raised my eyebrows. "Limo, huh?"
He laughed. "It's the least I can do."
************************
"Oh you poor thing!" Jessica cried as I climbed up the front steps. "You look like you've been run over by a truck!"
"Thanks," I said.
"That must have been some fall," she said, stepping aside so I could get in the door.
"Huh?" What was she talking about?
"John told me you fell down the stairs," she said. She looked genuinely concerned and I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
"Oh, yeah. . ." I said. "I did."
"He also said you'd probably just want to sleep. There's a room for you at the top of the stairs. It's got a TV and VCR and videos and there are a couple of Advil on the table. And, um, if you want to, you can come with me and some friends. I'm having my bachelorette party tonight." She giggled.
"Uh, no thanks," I said. "I don't feel like going out."
***********************
Three hours later someone knocked on my door. "Come in."
Carter poked his head in the room. "Hey," he said. "How are you?"
I shrugged. "Not too bad." I patted the space on the bed next to me. He lay down next to me.
"Whatcha watchin'?"
"The Shawshank Redemption," I said.
He grinned. "My all-time favorite movie," he said, settling in.
I placed my head on his chest. "Is Jessica gone?" I asked hopefully.
"Yep," he said. "Gone for the night."
We watched the movie for a while, Carter's hands playing with my hair.
I rolled over onto my back and smiled up at Carter. I'd changed my mind about not wanting sex. Touching him made every nerve in my body stand on end. He took the hint and kissed me. His hands started to roam but when they got under my shirt I pulled back in pain. "Abby. . .what's wrong?"
I shook my head but he pulled my shirt up, reveling a large yellow bruise on my rib cage. "Why didn't you say something about this at the hospital?" he asked. "You could have a broken rib."
"It's just bruised," I said, pulling my shirt back down. "No big deal."
Carter looked at me, his brown eyes wet with concern. "If I ever see that bastard again, I'm gonna kill him."
I sat up and kissed him. He held me to him. "I love you, Abby."
I smiled at him. "We're missing the best part of the movie," I said.
"Why won't you say it?" he asked.
"Say what, honey?" I asked, my eyes on the TV.
"That you love me."
I sighed and looked at him. "Because you're engaged."
"But you'll kiss me?"
He had a point. "There's a difference," I said. And there was. I just wasn't sure what it was. "There's something more serious, more hurtful to Jessica, about saying that I. . .that I. . .you know."
He nodded. "Tell me what you want me to do, Abby. When you want me to do it, how you want me to do it." He took my hands and kissed each one. "I want you. But I can't hurt Jessica."
I scowled. "So you'll just hurt me instead?"
He sighed. "You're right. You're right." He kissed my forehead. "I'll tell her tomorrow."
We lay back down, watching the movie, and fell asleep in each other's arms.
WooHoo! Long chapter. Lemme know what you think. More soon!
"To talk to Weaver," he said.
I stopped. "No," I said firmly. "Uh-uh. No way."
He turned around and walked towards me. "Abby, you have to," he said, lowering his voice.
I shook my head. "I can't," I whispered, tears forming in my eyes. "I'll just call the police. They'll come and get him, take him away. . ."
"Don't you think people are gonna ask why?" Carter asked, pulling me over to the wall.
I hadn't thought of that. I shrugged. "Fine," I said. "I'll talk to her."
*********************
"Are the police on their way?" Carter asked. The 'meeting' with Weaver had ended and she said she'd make sure he was gone, in case something went wrong with the legal system. . .it's been known the happen.
I fiddled with the blue cast Carter had put on my wrist. "Yeah, they'll be here soon," I said, staring at the door. As if on cue, it opened, letting in two police officers.
I waved them over. "Ms. Lockhart?" one of them said. I nodded. "Where is he?"
Without a word I led them to the lounge. Jake was sitting on the couch. The policemen pulled him up and handcuffed him. "What the hell is going on?" Jake bellowed.
The policemen read him his rights and started pulling him towards the door. "Abby, I'm sorry," he yelled. Carter and I followed him. "Abby, I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. Please. I won't do it again. I love you, Abby. Please! PLEASE!"
As we watched him disappear into the ambulance bay I felt Carter's hand on my shoulder. "What was that all about?" Susan asked.
"I'll tell you later," I said.
She gave me a curious look but left it at that. When I turned away from the door Carter was hanging up the phone.
"I called a car to come and get you. I want you to stay at my house for a while. In case Jake makes bail or something. I talked to Weaver, she said you can have a couple days off. Starting now. I'll be home in a couple hours."
I wrinkled my nose. "Is Jessica there?" I asked.
Carter bit his lip. "Yeah, but her bachelorette party is tonight and she's spending the night at a friends so it'll just be us."
Had I not just had the shit beaten outta me, I would have been excited about that. But circumstances being what they were, I wasn't really in the mood for sex.
I sighed. "Are you really gonna marry her, Carter?" I asked.
He avoided my eyes. "I don't know. I don't want to."
"Then don't!" I cried.
He smiled. "That's what my dad said. 'Don't marry her if you don't love her, John. Don't make the same mistake I made.' Dad thinks Jessica's just an empty shell."
"I agree," I said.
"C'mon," Carter said. "Let's go wait for the limo." He ushered me towards the ambulance bay.
I raised my eyebrows. "Limo, huh?"
He laughed. "It's the least I can do."
************************
"Oh you poor thing!" Jessica cried as I climbed up the front steps. "You look like you've been run over by a truck!"
"Thanks," I said.
"That must have been some fall," she said, stepping aside so I could get in the door.
"Huh?" What was she talking about?
"John told me you fell down the stairs," she said. She looked genuinely concerned and I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
"Oh, yeah. . ." I said. "I did."
"He also said you'd probably just want to sleep. There's a room for you at the top of the stairs. It's got a TV and VCR and videos and there are a couple of Advil on the table. And, um, if you want to, you can come with me and some friends. I'm having my bachelorette party tonight." She giggled.
"Uh, no thanks," I said. "I don't feel like going out."
***********************
Three hours later someone knocked on my door. "Come in."
Carter poked his head in the room. "Hey," he said. "How are you?"
I shrugged. "Not too bad." I patted the space on the bed next to me. He lay down next to me.
"Whatcha watchin'?"
"The Shawshank Redemption," I said.
He grinned. "My all-time favorite movie," he said, settling in.
I placed my head on his chest. "Is Jessica gone?" I asked hopefully.
"Yep," he said. "Gone for the night."
We watched the movie for a while, Carter's hands playing with my hair.
I rolled over onto my back and smiled up at Carter. I'd changed my mind about not wanting sex. Touching him made every nerve in my body stand on end. He took the hint and kissed me. His hands started to roam but when they got under my shirt I pulled back in pain. "Abby. . .what's wrong?"
I shook my head but he pulled my shirt up, reveling a large yellow bruise on my rib cage. "Why didn't you say something about this at the hospital?" he asked. "You could have a broken rib."
"It's just bruised," I said, pulling my shirt back down. "No big deal."
Carter looked at me, his brown eyes wet with concern. "If I ever see that bastard again, I'm gonna kill him."
I sat up and kissed him. He held me to him. "I love you, Abby."
I smiled at him. "We're missing the best part of the movie," I said.
"Why won't you say it?" he asked.
"Say what, honey?" I asked, my eyes on the TV.
"That you love me."
I sighed and looked at him. "Because you're engaged."
"But you'll kiss me?"
He had a point. "There's a difference," I said. And there was. I just wasn't sure what it was. "There's something more serious, more hurtful to Jessica, about saying that I. . .that I. . .you know."
He nodded. "Tell me what you want me to do, Abby. When you want me to do it, how you want me to do it." He took my hands and kissed each one. "I want you. But I can't hurt Jessica."
I scowled. "So you'll just hurt me instead?"
He sighed. "You're right. You're right." He kissed my forehead. "I'll tell her tomorrow."
We lay back down, watching the movie, and fell asleep in each other's arms.
WooHoo! Long chapter. Lemme know what you think. More soon!
