I do not own Degrassi.
Strange Fire, chapter 13.
Tuesday morning, Coralie lay in bed and didn't want to get up. It was Craig's day off, and she'd been avoiding him quite well since Friday night. With the wedding looming Saturday it worked quite well, because Craig was very busy. However, she knew without thinking that Craig was sititng downstairs, waiting for her to wake up. She didn't know how she could face him with the confusion that filled her.
Coralie knew she loved Craig, she was also positive that sometimes, love wasn't enough. And she had a feeling that this was one of those times. Coralie just sighed, threw some clothes on and headed downstairs.
Just as she'd assumed, Craig was there, sitting on the couch. His face lit up when she walked down the stairs. "Coralie, you're up!"
"Yep. Just gonna get some breakfast." Craig followed her into the kitchen, and watched her trying to ignore his presence.
"You're avoiding me."
"Craig..." She knew she couldn't lie. "Yes, I'm avoiding you. Happy now?"
"Not unless you tell me why you are avoiding me."
"Because..because this isn't going to work. You saw what happened Friday night with that Paige girl."
"She's Paige, she's always like that-judgemental."
"She won't be the only one. You have to think rationally Craig."
"Why? So you can leave me again? I'm sick of everyone I love leaving me. I loved my mom, I loved Ashley, I love you. I'd like to break the cycle." Craig was furious. Furious at Coralie, furious at the situation, and furious at himself for what he'd just said. He didn't want Coralie to know his fear.
"Craig...even if we got married...it might not work out."
"I'd rather take the chance that a marriage not work out than you run away from me again. I'm not Len."
Coralie's next words were bitter. "I know you aren't, but either way, the thought of being twice divorced before I'm 30 isn't exactly amusing to me."
"Why can't you trust me?"
"I just can't, ok?" Coralie did trust Craig, that was the problem. But she wasn't going to tell him that. "Craig, I've been on my own since before I turned 20. I went to college with scholorships and worked. I've even saved a little nest egg. I enjoy being alone, I don't want to change that now. And love..maybe love isn't always enough, did you ever think of that?"
"How do you know unless you try?" The look on Craig's face was so pure, so loving, so everything, that it made Coralie do the only thing she could do. Burst into tears. "Coralie, Coralie, don't cry." He put his arms around her. "What's wrong love?"
"Craig, I'm so scared."
"Don't be scared."
"How can I not be? I'm so used to being alone, and now you come in and break down my defenses so totally. In two weeks, even."
"Maybe I managed it because you were ready to have your defenses broken down." Craig had been wiser than his years since the moment his father's fist had first hit his little boy body. He'd become a man then, and more of a man the day Manny had come to him and told him she'd spent the day before at a clinic. He just had to hope that Coralie saw that he really was an adult.
"Maybe. I love you, Craig."
"I love you too, Coralie." He smiled at her, and she looked up into his eyes.
"The wedding's Saturday."
"Yes, it is."
"Are you working next week?"
"Just mornings."
"We'll go Monday and get the licence." Coralie didn't quite believe what she was saying, but she knew one thing. She loved Craig, and the thought of her life without him was scarier than the thought of life with him. "This morning, I tried to imagine myself laying in bed five years from now, and whenever I turned my head you were laying next to me in that imaginary bed."
Craig knew what she was saying. "Is that why you picked the fight?"
"Probably...yeah, it is." They smiled at each other.
"So, you're gonna marry me."
"Yes. Joey's going to kill you when he gets back from his honeymoon."
"We'll deal with that later." Craig kissed Coralie. "And we won't tell anyone until after Joey and Caitlin's wedding."
Coralie nodded and kissed him back.
Strange Fire, chapter 13.
Tuesday morning, Coralie lay in bed and didn't want to get up. It was Craig's day off, and she'd been avoiding him quite well since Friday night. With the wedding looming Saturday it worked quite well, because Craig was very busy. However, she knew without thinking that Craig was sititng downstairs, waiting for her to wake up. She didn't know how she could face him with the confusion that filled her.
Coralie knew she loved Craig, she was also positive that sometimes, love wasn't enough. And she had a feeling that this was one of those times. Coralie just sighed, threw some clothes on and headed downstairs.
Just as she'd assumed, Craig was there, sitting on the couch. His face lit up when she walked down the stairs. "Coralie, you're up!"
"Yep. Just gonna get some breakfast." Craig followed her into the kitchen, and watched her trying to ignore his presence.
"You're avoiding me."
"Craig..." She knew she couldn't lie. "Yes, I'm avoiding you. Happy now?"
"Not unless you tell me why you are avoiding me."
"Because..because this isn't going to work. You saw what happened Friday night with that Paige girl."
"She's Paige, she's always like that-judgemental."
"She won't be the only one. You have to think rationally Craig."
"Why? So you can leave me again? I'm sick of everyone I love leaving me. I loved my mom, I loved Ashley, I love you. I'd like to break the cycle." Craig was furious. Furious at Coralie, furious at the situation, and furious at himself for what he'd just said. He didn't want Coralie to know his fear.
"Craig...even if we got married...it might not work out."
"I'd rather take the chance that a marriage not work out than you run away from me again. I'm not Len."
Coralie's next words were bitter. "I know you aren't, but either way, the thought of being twice divorced before I'm 30 isn't exactly amusing to me."
"Why can't you trust me?"
"I just can't, ok?" Coralie did trust Craig, that was the problem. But she wasn't going to tell him that. "Craig, I've been on my own since before I turned 20. I went to college with scholorships and worked. I've even saved a little nest egg. I enjoy being alone, I don't want to change that now. And love..maybe love isn't always enough, did you ever think of that?"
"How do you know unless you try?" The look on Craig's face was so pure, so loving, so everything, that it made Coralie do the only thing she could do. Burst into tears. "Coralie, Coralie, don't cry." He put his arms around her. "What's wrong love?"
"Craig, I'm so scared."
"Don't be scared."
"How can I not be? I'm so used to being alone, and now you come in and break down my defenses so totally. In two weeks, even."
"Maybe I managed it because you were ready to have your defenses broken down." Craig had been wiser than his years since the moment his father's fist had first hit his little boy body. He'd become a man then, and more of a man the day Manny had come to him and told him she'd spent the day before at a clinic. He just had to hope that Coralie saw that he really was an adult.
"Maybe. I love you, Craig."
"I love you too, Coralie." He smiled at her, and she looked up into his eyes.
"The wedding's Saturday."
"Yes, it is."
"Are you working next week?"
"Just mornings."
"We'll go Monday and get the licence." Coralie didn't quite believe what she was saying, but she knew one thing. She loved Craig, and the thought of her life without him was scarier than the thought of life with him. "This morning, I tried to imagine myself laying in bed five years from now, and whenever I turned my head you were laying next to me in that imaginary bed."
Craig knew what she was saying. "Is that why you picked the fight?"
"Probably...yeah, it is." They smiled at each other.
"So, you're gonna marry me."
"Yes. Joey's going to kill you when he gets back from his honeymoon."
"We'll deal with that later." Craig kissed Coralie. "And we won't tell anyone until after Joey and Caitlin's wedding."
Coralie nodded and kissed him back.