Chapter 7

The seven "friends" sat and discussed many a subject for the hour that passed before anyone dared move. Carter was enjoying being in the company of his friends, finally being able to catch up on the four months he had missed being in Paris. He, Luka and Jake has spent most of the evening talking "guy" things. Carter had caught up on the status of the Chicago Bulls and the various and numerous goings on in the ER. He missed being with his friends, well Luka anyway. He and Jake had never really spoken, he wasn't even sure how to speak to him, they only had one thing in common which incidentally was one of the many things he shared with Luka – Abby. The three men had worn their conversation out after an hour of sport and Chicago and found themselves sitting in silence.

Luka broke the silence. "They could talk forever huh?" he said as he pointed towards Sam, Kem, Abby and Susan who sat at the opposite end of the table.
Jake and Carter turned their gazes towards the women and smiled.

Carter laughed "Especially Susan, I think she could talk for the United States!"

The other two men laughed.
Following the lead of his friends, carter returned his eyes towards the four women huddled into a circle. They sat laughing and shrieking with over dramatic hand-gestures causing him to wonder what on the face of the earth they were talking about. Amidst the sea of screams and hilarity he noticed how Abby sat almost in a daze.

"…well after he arrived in Paris, he found my hotel and waited outside my room. I came back around midnight and found him sleeping up against the door." Kem smiled

Susan and Sam leaned forward, eager to hear more. Abby smiled at Kem who giggled as she continued with her story.

"he looked so cute, a little drool patch and everything" Kem laughed. "So I woke him up and asked him what he was doing in Paris. He rushed to his feet and told me that he had to ask me something very very important." She shrieked.

Susan clapped her hands in a loon like fashion and Sam squealed. Abby took note of the noises made by her friends and said "go on…what happened next?" At this statement Susan looked towards Abby and gave her an awkward smile.

Kem beamed with pride and said "He told me it was a surprise and that I'd have to wait until the morning. He told me to meet him at the Eiffel Tower at 10 o clock. So I did." Kem stated.

Sam smiled and begged her to continue. Abby shifted awkwardly in her seat.

"He greeted me, I asked him what was going on and he told me to watch the sky." Kem smiled again. "So I did, and a plane flew across the sky with a marquee asking me to marry him!" she shrieked. "I turned and faced him and he was on one knee and asked me to marry him, and I said yes" She beamed. Sam and Susan erupted in a happy laughter and Abby simply said "wow". Kem smiled at Abby, Susan and Sam.
"then what happened?" Sam added

Kem rolled her eyes and laughed. Just as Kem opened her mouth to carry on with her story Abby stood up.

"Uhh…bathroom" she smiled awkwardly, paused and then quickly left the table. Confused, Susan stared after her.

From the other end of the table Jake noticed Abby's hurried movements and turned to face Susan.

"Where's she going?" he asked

"Bathroom" Susan replied.

Jake nodded. "Is she ok?" Carter focused in on the conversation, eager to hear Susan's response.
"Yeah, she's just going to the bathroom…" Susan responded.

Jake somewhat disappointedly said "Okay" whilst Carter got increasingly worried. He had never seen Abby move so fast. Kem noticed this pained expression on her fiancé's face whilst Luka and Sam exchanged confused faces.

Abby sat in a toilet cubicle holding her head in her hands. She had to get away from that conversation. She couldn't sit and listen to Kem go on and on about how "in love" she is with Carter, and how perfect he is. It not like she isn't happy for Carter, because she was so convinced she was; she was confused. She felt somewhat despondent being in Paris, even resentful towards Kem. It was nothing personal but she couldn't help but think that it should be her with that ring on her finger, it should be her who would join the vast Carter family, and most importantly – it should be her who makes John Carter go weak at the knee's. There was just something so different about Carter, he was happy, free, a totally new person and it drew Abby towards him. She could feel herself falling in love with him again. Abby felt tears rolling down her cheeks as she sat quietly in the cubicle. She would have to wait a while before going back to her friends.

Meanwhile, the discussions amongst the table we well underway again. Kem was back to telling Susan and Sam the rest of the proposal story and the guys, well they were talking about something sports or supermodel related. Carter remained somewhat withdrawn from the discussion as he watched his watch. Abby had been away for 15 minutes and he was getting worried. It wasn't like she had gone for a cigarette since she had quit. As Carter lifted his head from looking at his watch he noticed Susan looking at him.

She motioned towards the door from which Abby departed and with a worried look shrugged her shoulders. Carter, with an equally worried face smiled and shook his head. Susan pointed towards the door and titled her head. Carter nodded in agreement and watched as his friend stood up and excused herself leaving Kem and Sam at the end of the table alone. She smiled at Carter on the way out and mouthed "five minutes" on her way out the door. Carter smiled and nodded his head. He turned back to Jake and Luka who had been watching him.

"Whats going on?" Jake asked

"uhh…Susan is gonna look for Abby" Carter replied. Luka smiled and nodded.

Jake wasn't as understanding. "O…k…and why is she doing that? She's only been gone for ten minutes." Jake said lucidly.

Carter, taken aback by Jake's abruptness replied "I guess she's just worried"

Somewhat defeated Jake nodded his head then rather smugly added "women huh?" and laughed.
Luka and Carter glanced at one another with a look of feigned fear and laughed.

Susan wandered the halls of the hotel and around the lobby looking for Abby. She frantically glanced around the large, open room in search of her friend. She thought of every possible place she could be. She remembered Abby saying that she was going to the restroom, so Susan began walking to the restroom. As she entered the noisy restroom she called out for her friend. She got no reply. Susan again called for her friend and upon getting no reply for the second time she took matters into her own hands. She bent over and searched the floor for Abby's feet and found nothing. Defeated Susan headed out into the hallways again. She had no idea where to look for her friend so she began walking, she went outside and stood by the bar. She glanced around the patio and found Abby sitting by the wall. As she walked towards Abby, Susan called out her name.
"Abby?"

Abby turned her head from looking out towards the gardens and faced her friend.

She gave her a sad smile and said "Hey"

Susan returned the equally sad smile and stood by Abby.

"That was a long bathroom break" She joked.

Abby smiled and said "Yeah, well…you know…uhh…sometimes those lines…they just get out of control."

Susan shifted her weight and turned to face Abby.
"Are you ok?"

Abby let out a small laugh.

"Of course I am" She said somewhat sarcastically.

Susan knew she was lying. "Are you sure you're ok" She asked again

Abby knew she couldn't lie her way out of this one, so she told her friend the truth.

Abby laughed again and said "Ha, I actually don't know"

Thankful that her friend was going to explain what was going on she continued to question her

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want the truth" Abby responded

"Of course, only if you want to give it to me" Susan said quickly, eager to hear what was going on.

Abby sighed. A sigh that brought with it a thousand worries and problems.

"I don't know if I am ok…" She paused. "I think I've been telling myself that I'm ok… with this for so long that…that I'm starting to believe it…" She felt a tiny tear form in her eye.

Susan noticed Abby's discomfort and placed her hand on her shoulder. She squeezed it in reassurance, telling Abby to continue.
"I have no right not to be ok with this" Abby added, wiping the tear from her eye.

Susan, with a doubtful smile said "Its ok Abby…if you feel like this."
Abby laughed

"You do have a right, you guys used to date, you had a very serious relationship" Susan added.

"Yeah, which is over and has been for two and a half years! I have no right to feel this way…" Abby said.

"Feel what way?" Susan enquired.

Abby considered her answer. She sighed then stifled a laugh. "…like it should be me" She said bluntly.
Susan replied with an awkward and doubtful smile.

They began to walk around the busy patio.
"It's ok Abby, its perfectly normal to feel this way."

"Perfectly?" Abby questioned

Susan smiled. "Ok…it's natural…I mean, well Carter will feel this way when you and Jake get married."
Abby smiled in confusion.

"I hope he does. This feeling sucks." She laughed quietly.

"Have you spoken to Carter?" Susan asked

Abby shook her head and said "No, he uhh…I've not had the chance to even have a conversation with him about anything, let alone about what's going on. I haven't had a minute alone with him since I ran into him when we arrived."
Susan nodded. "You should talk to Carter"

"I don't think I can. Not about this. It…uhh…I just can't." Abby replied as she joined Susan at the small table they have claimed.

"We'll you should still talk to him. He will be coming to find you in about…" Susan looked at her watch "Ohh…30 seconds" She smiled.

"What?" Abby asked, confused.

"Ohh right, I told him to follow me out after 5 minutes."

Abby laughed a little. "You two are impossible you know that!"
Susan laughed and she stood up from her seat.

"I'm gonna head back. Do you want me to tell Carter to go away?"

Abby contemplated this proposal and decided that she did need to talk to Carter.
"No, its okay. Send him over" She smiled.

"You sure?"
"Yeah…I uhh…I do need to talk to him" Abby replied.
Susan patted Abby on the shoulder and left the table.
Abby sighed as she watched Susan leave the busy patio and enter the lobby of the hotel. She continued to watch as she saw Carter pull on Susan's arm. They exchanged worried and relieved faces as Susan motioned towards the table Abby sat at. Carter looked in the direction Susan pointed and seen Abby sitting alone at the table watching him. Carter hugged Susan and held her shoulder. He smiled at her as they both went their separate ways. Carter walked outside onto the patio and towards Abby. Abby continued to watch Carters approach whilst racking her brain for the how exactly she was going to tell him she still loved him.

My last for a while now that the exams are well underway...just bear with me, and while you're doing that click that wee box...