I opened my eyes slowly. Carter was smiling at me. "Morning
Sleeping Beauty," he said, leaning in for a kiss. I leaned away.
"Not until you tell Jessica," I said.
He sighed. "All right. As soon as she gets home I'll talk to her." He stretched and yawned. "How 'bout some breakfast in the mean time?"
We padded down the stairs together and there was a huge breakfast sitting on the dinning room table. Carter grinned. "It's one of the benefits of having servants," he said, slightly embarrassed.
I sat down and helped myself to some eggs and bacon. Cater poured me some coffee and added sugar and creamer. "Thanks," I said with a mouthful of eggs.
"Lovely," Carter laughed.
I stuck my egg-covered tongue out at him.
We heard the door open and exchanged nervous glances. "Hellooooooooo!" Jessica called from the hallway.
"We're in here," Carter called back, his eyes fixed on mine.
Jessica entered and threw her arms around Carter. He cringed. "I had soooooooo much fun last night!" she shrieked. "I can't believe I've had my last night of freedom!"
"Maybe you haven't," I muttered. She didn't hear me.
Carter took her arms from around his neck. "Jess, we need to talk," he said, solemnly.
She frowned. "Is something wrong?"
"Abby, can you give us a minute?" he asked.
I got up to leave but switched on the intercom before I left. One of the benefits of living in a huge house is that you need intercoms to communicate from room to room.
I turned on the intercom in the sitting room, sat on the couch, and waited. The conversation I heard went like this:
Carter - "I don't think . . . I don't think we can go through with this wedding."
Jessica - "Why not?"
Carter - "Because it wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't be fair to you."
Jessica - "What are you talking about, John?"
Carter - "I don't . . ." (There was a long pause.) "I don't love you, Jess."
Jessica - (her voice breaking) "What? Why . . .?
Carter - "I'm so sorry. I really am. I don't want to hurt you. But I'd just be hurting you more if I went through with this."
Another long pause.
Jessica - "Did you ever love me?"
Carter - "I don't know. I wanted to. You're amazing, Jessica. You're so beautiful and caring . . .someday you're gonna meet someone who will really love you and treat you like a queen. But it's not me, Jess. It's not me. See you're like . . . really rich chocolate mousse."
Jessica - "What?"
Carter - "Chocolate mousse is really really good but it's also really really rich. And after the first few bites, some people can't take anymore. I need . . . I need plain old chocolate ice cream. It's comfortable, it's familiar. There are plenty of guys out there who would just kill for some really good chocolate mousse. But not me. I need . . .
Jessica - "Abby." She said it so softly that I wasn't sure she'd said it at all. But then she continued and her voice got louder. "You want Abby. Boring, plain, ugly, old Abby."
Ugly? I wasn't gorgeous like she was but I wasn't hideous . . .was I?
Jessica - "Between me and her, you pick her? That's classic, John. It really is. What will your mother say when she meets Abby? She's just . . .she's just . . .white trash. That's what she is. White trash." I heard a door slam and then the sound of feet running upstairs.
Following a moments pause, another pair of feet ran up stairs also. I sat in the sitting room, staring at a bookshelf. After what seemed like an eternity, Jessica came into the sitting room. "You have to leave," she said.
"What? I . . .I have no where to go . . ." I couldn't go home. Jake could find me there . . . if he was out.
Jessica shrugged. "Not my problem," she said indifferently.
"Where's Carter? I need to talk to Carter," I demanded.
Jessica smiled, her eyes were filled with victory. "He can't see you. Not now, not ever. Get out."
I felt my eyes fill with tears but I held them back. There was no way I was gonna let this bitch see me cry. "What did you say to him?" I asked, picking my purse up from the front hall.
She grinned at me. I knew she had an ace up her sleeve. I just couldn't for the life of me figure out what would be so big that Carter would change his mind about me.
"Oh, nothing much," she said, still smiling. "It's just that. . .well, I'm pregnant."
Well, that would do it.
Review! Thanks, guys! More soon!
"Not until you tell Jessica," I said.
He sighed. "All right. As soon as she gets home I'll talk to her." He stretched and yawned. "How 'bout some breakfast in the mean time?"
We padded down the stairs together and there was a huge breakfast sitting on the dinning room table. Carter grinned. "It's one of the benefits of having servants," he said, slightly embarrassed.
I sat down and helped myself to some eggs and bacon. Cater poured me some coffee and added sugar and creamer. "Thanks," I said with a mouthful of eggs.
"Lovely," Carter laughed.
I stuck my egg-covered tongue out at him.
We heard the door open and exchanged nervous glances. "Hellooooooooo!" Jessica called from the hallway.
"We're in here," Carter called back, his eyes fixed on mine.
Jessica entered and threw her arms around Carter. He cringed. "I had soooooooo much fun last night!" she shrieked. "I can't believe I've had my last night of freedom!"
"Maybe you haven't," I muttered. She didn't hear me.
Carter took her arms from around his neck. "Jess, we need to talk," he said, solemnly.
She frowned. "Is something wrong?"
"Abby, can you give us a minute?" he asked.
I got up to leave but switched on the intercom before I left. One of the benefits of living in a huge house is that you need intercoms to communicate from room to room.
I turned on the intercom in the sitting room, sat on the couch, and waited. The conversation I heard went like this:
Carter - "I don't think . . . I don't think we can go through with this wedding."
Jessica - "Why not?"
Carter - "Because it wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't be fair to you."
Jessica - "What are you talking about, John?"
Carter - "I don't . . ." (There was a long pause.) "I don't love you, Jess."
Jessica - (her voice breaking) "What? Why . . .?
Carter - "I'm so sorry. I really am. I don't want to hurt you. But I'd just be hurting you more if I went through with this."
Another long pause.
Jessica - "Did you ever love me?"
Carter - "I don't know. I wanted to. You're amazing, Jessica. You're so beautiful and caring . . .someday you're gonna meet someone who will really love you and treat you like a queen. But it's not me, Jess. It's not me. See you're like . . . really rich chocolate mousse."
Jessica - "What?"
Carter - "Chocolate mousse is really really good but it's also really really rich. And after the first few bites, some people can't take anymore. I need . . . I need plain old chocolate ice cream. It's comfortable, it's familiar. There are plenty of guys out there who would just kill for some really good chocolate mousse. But not me. I need . . .
Jessica - "Abby." She said it so softly that I wasn't sure she'd said it at all. But then she continued and her voice got louder. "You want Abby. Boring, plain, ugly, old Abby."
Ugly? I wasn't gorgeous like she was but I wasn't hideous . . .was I?
Jessica - "Between me and her, you pick her? That's classic, John. It really is. What will your mother say when she meets Abby? She's just . . .she's just . . .white trash. That's what she is. White trash." I heard a door slam and then the sound of feet running upstairs.
Following a moments pause, another pair of feet ran up stairs also. I sat in the sitting room, staring at a bookshelf. After what seemed like an eternity, Jessica came into the sitting room. "You have to leave," she said.
"What? I . . .I have no where to go . . ." I couldn't go home. Jake could find me there . . . if he was out.
Jessica shrugged. "Not my problem," she said indifferently.
"Where's Carter? I need to talk to Carter," I demanded.
Jessica smiled, her eyes were filled with victory. "He can't see you. Not now, not ever. Get out."
I felt my eyes fill with tears but I held them back. There was no way I was gonna let this bitch see me cry. "What did you say to him?" I asked, picking my purse up from the front hall.
She grinned at me. I knew she had an ace up her sleeve. I just couldn't for the life of me figure out what would be so big that Carter would change his mind about me.
"Oh, nothing much," she said, still smiling. "It's just that. . .well, I'm pregnant."
Well, that would do it.
Review! Thanks, guys! More soon!
