**AUTHOR'S NOTE**
Thanks for all the great feedback. I'm glad the story is being enjoyed,
because I am certainly having fun writing it. I'm trying my best to stay
true to the characters—well, Abby and Carter anyway. I don't know much
about Gillian really, and Andrew and Gui are my own creations that I can
play with. Hehehehe... :)
Disclaimer: This title, and the dialogue from the end of my story in which it is contained, was borrowed from one of my favorite TV movies of all time, A Will of Their Own. The romance of the two main characters, and all that they endure and the fact that they still end up together, gives me the hope I need to keep believing that Carby will prevail!!
Well, enough of my ranting. Thanks for listening, and I hope you all enjoy!!
Chapter 3: Why Does it Still Hurt?
Andrew opened his eyes to see what had happened. He thought Abby and he were about to kiss; he had felt it, but something had stopped her. Abby's eyes were transfixed on something or someone across the room. He followed her gaze to the man staring back in her direction. They obviously knew each other. What had he done to her to make her so...what was she? He tried to read her expression. She looked angry, hurt, confused, and a little fearful.
"Abby, what's wrong?" he asked gently. She gave no response. "Who is that?"
"Carter..." she answered almost inaudibly and began to run for the door.
"Carter who? Where are you going? Abby, wait!" He began to run after her, but this "Carter" person was way ahead of him. He seemed to know what she was going to do before she even did it. Before he had a chance to decide whether to follow them or let them go, Gillian reached his side.
"Let them go," she said.
"Who was that?" Andrew asked, confusion painted all over his face.
"John Carter."
* * *
"Abby, wait! Abby!" Carter shouted after her.
Abby couldn't remember a time when she had run this fast. She didn't know where she was going or why exactly she was running so fast; all she knew was that she couldn't get there quickly enough.
Carter was faster, however, and he finally caught up to her. He grabbed at her wrist, hoping to turn her to face him, but all she did was stop dead.
"Abby..." he began.
"Let go," she whispered.
"What?"
"Let go," she repeated more distinctly. Her words were like ice.
He released his grip on her. She didn't move.
"Abby...I...I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. We need to talk."
Abby didn't even look at him. She began to walk away.
"Abby...Abby!" he shouted, but she didn't acknowledge that he even spoke. He kicked the dirt in disgust and put his head in his hands.
* * *
Gillian entered the sleeping tent and found Abby sitting on her bed. Her back was facing the door.
"You're lucky I was there to stop him..." Gillian began.
"Who?" Abby asked without turning around.
"Andrew. He was about to kick the shit out of John. He didn't even know who he was, but he figured he must have done something pretty awful to you to make you run out like that."
Abby laughed through her sobs, which Gillian hadn't noticed until that moment.
"Abby?" she inquired. Abby turned around to reveal to Gillian her red, swollen eyes and tear-stained cheeks.
"Oh my God," she walked closer to her. "I didn't realize it was like that...I'm sorry...Are you okay?" Abby shrugged her shoulders in reply. "Do you want to talk?"
Abby chuckled. "How long do you have? To explain the saga of John Carter and Abby Lockhart would take a few days at least..."
"Okay...how about the highlights then?"
"Well..." Abby began, "we were dating before he came here. We were having some problems when he came, and, uh, you know that letter you delivered for him?"
"Ouch..."
"Yeah, that was the end."
"Sorry," Gillian apologized.
"Hey, don't shoot the messenger, right?" Gillian smiled. Abby continued. "Well, anyway, you know all about Kem, right?"
"The highlights..."
"Yeah...anyway, we were becoming friends again...slowly, but I found out some, err, news about Kem that, uh, shed some new light on what kind of person she was. I tried to tell him, but..."
"He didn't believe you?"
"Nope," she said before she blew her nose. "But I think he does now."
"So, what are you going to do?" Abby shrugged her shoulders again. "Are you going to talk to him?" Abby said nothing. "He did fly all the way here..."
"So what?" she cut her off, sniffling again and looking away.
"Oh my God..." Gillian said with a smile.
"What?"
"You're still in love with him, aren't you?"
"I can't stand the sight of him..."
"Same difference," she replied with a smile.
Abby started to smile, but she brought a hand to her chest instead and swallowed hard. "God, why does it still hurt this much?"
Gillian was quiet for a moment before she spoke. "Because it's love—and love hurts."
Gillian put her arm around Abby to comfort her, and Abby leaned her head on her shoulder and blinked hard as tears continued to fall.
"—and it sucks, too," she added to make Abby smile.
Disclaimer: This title, and the dialogue from the end of my story in which it is contained, was borrowed from one of my favorite TV movies of all time, A Will of Their Own. The romance of the two main characters, and all that they endure and the fact that they still end up together, gives me the hope I need to keep believing that Carby will prevail!!
Well, enough of my ranting. Thanks for listening, and I hope you all enjoy!!
Chapter 3: Why Does it Still Hurt?
Andrew opened his eyes to see what had happened. He thought Abby and he were about to kiss; he had felt it, but something had stopped her. Abby's eyes were transfixed on something or someone across the room. He followed her gaze to the man staring back in her direction. They obviously knew each other. What had he done to her to make her so...what was she? He tried to read her expression. She looked angry, hurt, confused, and a little fearful.
"Abby, what's wrong?" he asked gently. She gave no response. "Who is that?"
"Carter..." she answered almost inaudibly and began to run for the door.
"Carter who? Where are you going? Abby, wait!" He began to run after her, but this "Carter" person was way ahead of him. He seemed to know what she was going to do before she even did it. Before he had a chance to decide whether to follow them or let them go, Gillian reached his side.
"Let them go," she said.
"Who was that?" Andrew asked, confusion painted all over his face.
"John Carter."
* * *
"Abby, wait! Abby!" Carter shouted after her.
Abby couldn't remember a time when she had run this fast. She didn't know where she was going or why exactly she was running so fast; all she knew was that she couldn't get there quickly enough.
Carter was faster, however, and he finally caught up to her. He grabbed at her wrist, hoping to turn her to face him, but all she did was stop dead.
"Abby..." he began.
"Let go," she whispered.
"What?"
"Let go," she repeated more distinctly. Her words were like ice.
He released his grip on her. She didn't move.
"Abby...I...I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. We need to talk."
Abby didn't even look at him. She began to walk away.
"Abby...Abby!" he shouted, but she didn't acknowledge that he even spoke. He kicked the dirt in disgust and put his head in his hands.
* * *
Gillian entered the sleeping tent and found Abby sitting on her bed. Her back was facing the door.
"You're lucky I was there to stop him..." Gillian began.
"Who?" Abby asked without turning around.
"Andrew. He was about to kick the shit out of John. He didn't even know who he was, but he figured he must have done something pretty awful to you to make you run out like that."
Abby laughed through her sobs, which Gillian hadn't noticed until that moment.
"Abby?" she inquired. Abby turned around to reveal to Gillian her red, swollen eyes and tear-stained cheeks.
"Oh my God," she walked closer to her. "I didn't realize it was like that...I'm sorry...Are you okay?" Abby shrugged her shoulders in reply. "Do you want to talk?"
Abby chuckled. "How long do you have? To explain the saga of John Carter and Abby Lockhart would take a few days at least..."
"Okay...how about the highlights then?"
"Well..." Abby began, "we were dating before he came here. We were having some problems when he came, and, uh, you know that letter you delivered for him?"
"Ouch..."
"Yeah, that was the end."
"Sorry," Gillian apologized.
"Hey, don't shoot the messenger, right?" Gillian smiled. Abby continued. "Well, anyway, you know all about Kem, right?"
"The highlights..."
"Yeah...anyway, we were becoming friends again...slowly, but I found out some, err, news about Kem that, uh, shed some new light on what kind of person she was. I tried to tell him, but..."
"He didn't believe you?"
"Nope," she said before she blew her nose. "But I think he does now."
"So, what are you going to do?" Abby shrugged her shoulders again. "Are you going to talk to him?" Abby said nothing. "He did fly all the way here..."
"So what?" she cut her off, sniffling again and looking away.
"Oh my God..." Gillian said with a smile.
"What?"
"You're still in love with him, aren't you?"
"I can't stand the sight of him..."
"Same difference," she replied with a smile.
Abby started to smile, but she brought a hand to her chest instead and swallowed hard. "God, why does it still hurt this much?"
Gillian was quiet for a moment before she spoke. "Because it's love—and love hurts."
Gillian put her arm around Abby to comfort her, and Abby leaned her head on her shoulder and blinked hard as tears continued to fall.
"—and it sucks, too," she added to make Abby smile.