Into You (30 page)

*

Luckily the store was empty. Most people were smart enough to get their shopping done ahead of time. After running my card through the self-checkout machine, I placed the eggs in a shopping bag, slid my hand through the handles and pulled my phone out. With my head down and my eyes focused on the mini-keyboard in front of me I started typing my sister a message double checking to make sure they didn't need me to ge
t anything else along the way.

Wham!

I walked right into someone. "I'm sorry." I said not bothering to look up.

"Don't you
ever look where you're going?"

That voice. It wasn't angry or annoyed. It sounded kind, and full of humor. It made my heart melt and my stomach drop. I looked up to see the steely grey eyes and
deep dimples I missed so much.

His eyes picked up the blue hue of his shirt and sparkled as he looked at me, like two beautiful diamonds. I just stared, like an idiot. I couldn't get my mouth to formulate words, while my brain was working overtime. The thoughts passed faster than I could get them out. And my heart . . . I was sure it was running a marathon.

"Liz, are you okay?" His brows furrowed together, and for a moment it was like no time had passed. Like he still loved me.

"Eggs."
I answered holding the bag up. It was the only stupid word I could get out. His lips drew up into a smile.

"Ah, well, at least you’re not covered in yolk."

I shook my head, annoyed that I couldn't get out all the things I wanted to say.

"I guess everything has come full circle."

"Carter," I swallowed hard. "How are you?"

He tilted his head, and brushed a piece of hair behind my ear. I heard the sharp intake of my breath, and wondered if he noticed. If he did, he gave no indication. With his hand so close, I recognized the scent of his cologne. I missed it. I missed
him, and everything about him.

"I'm okay."

Before I could say anything more, before I could make a complete fool out myself by confessing how hard the separation had been on me, he held up a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"I'm really sorry. I have to be somewhere, but it was nice bumping into you again."

I nodded and stood frozen in place. I wanted to ask if we could go to dinner sometime, or just talk on the phone. But I didn't. I couldn't move.

I watched him leave and not look back. How could he? Did I mean so little that I didn't deserve even another glance? I wanted to turn away from him and pretend I wasn't dying inside. Instead I followed him with my eyes. I watched as he got into his car, handed a blonde woman the bouquet and pulled away.

With my hand covering my mouth so I didn't squeal or lose my lunch, I made it to my car without crying. But that was where my calm, cool demeanor ended. By the time I sat in the driver's seat, the tears were flowing freely from my eyes. It didn't matter that he wasn't cold and mean like he was the last time I saw him. He was well composed. Like I didn't mean anything at all.

I remember how flustered he was when he saw Jamie for the first
time, there wasn't a hint of nervousness or him feeling uncomfortable just now. I guess deep down she was the one he truly loved.

I called my sister. I needed to lash out at someone, and she was a perfect target. If she would've got off her ass and gotten the eggs herself I nev
er would've run into him.

"I hate you." I managed to get out through my sobs.

"Beth, what's wrong?" Violet sounded worried.

"You and your stupid eggs."

"You're not making any sense."

"I just ran into Carter at the grocery store."

"Oh."

"That's all you have to say?
Oh?!
"

"I'm sorry. Why don't you go home and I'll come pick you up."

"You couldn't leave the house for twenty minutes to get eggs, but Mom's not going to have an issue with you leaving for a few hours to get me?"

"You're important. Eggs aren't."

I sniffled, pulling myself together. "I'm fine. I just need a few minutes."

"Beth. I love you."

"Then do me a favor, don't mention this to Mom and Dad."

*

I tried to shake off my bad mood on the elevator ride up to my parents’ apartment. I wasn't in the mood to be here before I saw Carter, but now, I just wanted to crawl into bed and disappear under the covers. I could skip dessert, but I'd have to wait at least until we finished the main course before I left.

I put my hand on the door knob to turn it and let myself into the apartment. It was locked.
Great. I knocked at the door. So much for slipping in undetected.

Violet answered. "Glad you made it okay, I was worried about you."

"Yeah, whatever."

My father stood in the dining room opening a bottle of wine. The table was already set and boasted appetizers, while a platter of cheese, crackers and grapes sat on the coffee table. My parents didn't go through this much trouble for just us. My father put the bottle down on the dining room table, and came to greet me.

"Hello, Sweetheart." My father took me in his arms and kissed the top of my head.

He was wearing a tie. He hated wearing them when he wasn't working. "Why are you wearing a tie? Please don't tell me we're having company. I'm not in the mood."

He grimaced. "Unfortunately it's too late to do anything about it now, they're in the kitchen. But yes, I've invited a nice young man and his mother to join us for dinner. I think you'll like him."

"What?!?
I hope you aren't trying to fix me up, because I'm not interested."

"I thin
k you should give it a chance."

"Why would you do this and not warn me? Maybe I should just go home."

My mother joined us. "Hi, Honey."

"Hi." I answered.

"Now, dear, you need to lose this negative attitude. And I want you both to be on your best behavior." Her eyes moved between Violet and me.

"Mom, can I leave? I really don't want to be here. I don't want to spend Easter with some guy I don't even know."

"Trust me," Violet teased. "You're going to want to spend time with him. He is hawt!"

"Just give it a chance, Baby." My mother smoothed my hair. "Maybe this is just what you need to forget about your run in with Carter."

"You told them?!?" I snapped at my sister.

"No. You asked me not to."

"Then how do they know?"

"It's not my fault you're so transparent."

I ran my hand through my hair. "I don't want to meet anyone. And I don't even look presentable. I'm sure I have makeup all over my face from crying in the car."

"I think you look beautiful."

I couldn't have heard right. My heart drummed against my chest. I spun around. There he was, in the flesh. Looking every bit as good as he did in the grocery store.

"In fact, I think you're the most beautiful woman in the room." His voice was smooth and soothing.
"Most likely the most beautiful woman in the building. Probably even the state."

He took small tentative steps towards me. I blinked hard, was this real? It couldn't be; I just saw him in his car with another woman. He didn't even give me a second thought, and now he was here?

"Not only are you the most beautiful woman, you're the only woman. The only one that makes my heart race." He was standing in front of me, so close I could touch him. He took my hand and placed it on his chest over his heart, and reached his hands under my hair to the back of my neck. "The only one I dream about. The only woman I want to wake up with in the morning and share my life with."

I didn't look around. I wanted to take in the moment before it was gone forever.
Before I woke from this amazing dream.

"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth. If you could find it in your heart to forgive me, to stand by my side one more time, I'll promise, I'll never let you down."

My eyes filled with tears. The feeling of love swelled inside my chest.

"I've missed you so much, I can't find the words to tell you how lost I've been." He swallowed hard. "Today is
Easter, it signifies a new beginning, an everlasting life. I am asking you, here in front of our families, to let this be a new beginning for us." His hands moved down from my neck to my shoulders, down my arms. He took my hands in his as he dropped to one knee.

"With your father's permission, I'm asking for you to join your life with mine.
To share every experience, good and bad with me. And to know no matter how difficult things get, I'll always be by your side. Elizabeth Jennings, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

He reached into his pocket and presented me with my engagement ring. "
I believe this belongs to you."

He didn't move to slip it on my finger. He looked up at me, waiting expectantly. I looked around the room to see the reactions from my family. With their arms around each other, my parents looked on, smiles lighting up their faces, eyes filled with tears. And Violet stood with one hand over her heart, the other over her mouth. And last but not least, I spotted Dominique. She was the blonde woman in the car with Carter. She too smiled as she watched the scene.

"Carter, I want to say ‘Yes,’ I really do, but . . ."

"There's no but. I know I said some cruel things to you. I was a jackass, and I promise I will never again walk away. We'll talk through all of our problems.
All of them. And I'll never forget that even though you should've hated me, you did everything in your power to lift me up and make my dreams come true."

I turned to my father and narrowed my eyes. "You told him?!"

He shook his head. "No. He figured it out."

Carter got to his feet and wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me close. "None of it means anything to me if you’re not there to share it. You're my partner, my best friend," a smirk covered his face, "Should I go on?"

This was what I wanted, so why couldn't I just say yes? "I'm scared."

He nodded. "So am I. But being without you is much more frightening than the prospect of handing you my heart."

"And they're all okay with it?" I looked around the room at the happy faces surrounding us.

"Don't say ‘Yes” to make anyone else happy. This is about you and me."

"I saw you at the wake with Mrs. Shields." I spoke in a low tone so only he could hear.

He sighed and answered me back in the same quiet voice. "Then you saw that I turned her down. I didn't want her, I wanted you. Elizabeth, I haven't been with anyone els
e. You're the only one I want."

Dominique stepped forward. She put one hand around Carter, and one around me. "I was wrong about you, I'm sorry. He gets his stubborn streak from me. But on the flip side, we're also able to admit when we're wrong."

Still I hadn't given my answer. Carter's phone chimed, he had a text message. For a brief moment, it made me nervous. Who would be texting him on Easter? I hoped it wasn't another woman. Whoever it was, it made him smile.

"Time for the big guns."

Leading me by the hand, Carter led me to the glass doors and out onto the small balcony my parents never used. I wondered how he knew about it, it was too cold to go outside on Christmas, so I never bothered to show him. He turned me around to face the park. Seven people were lined up with large poster board letters hanging over them. I couldn't make anyone out from the distance, nothing but the letters spelling "Marry Me."

I faced Carter, and threw my arms around his neck. "Yes. Yes, yes, yes!"

Carter slipped the ring on my finger, and finally, I was able to do the one thing I'd wanted to do since running into him at the grocery store. I stood on my tiptoes and met his warm, delicious lips as he moved to meet mine.

Epilogue

Carter

I yawned and stretched my arms over my head. The hospital’s reclining chair wasn't comfortable at all. I rolled my neck from side to side, hoping to loosen the knots that formed during the two or so hours that I slept. I hated having to sleep on a chair. I wanted to crawl into bed next to Elizabeth, but I knew it would be a few more days before I could do that.

"Good morning, handsome." She smiled at me.

"Why aren't you asleep? You need your rest."

"The nurse came and told me Chloe was hungry. It's time to feed her."

"Is that what woke me?"

She smiled, "That or the fact that you're so far away and you miss me. I could move over." She winced as she adjusted herself in the bed."

I was up in a heartbeat, running my hand over her hair.
"Uh, uh. Save your strength. I need you to recover as soon as possible. Six weeks of not having sex with you, I don't know if I'll survive."

"It's not that bad, you've gone longer."

"That's because I didn't think you'd be into fooling around while we were broken up. If I knew you were game . . ."