Attainment
Page 4
Without checking (what kind of idiot doesn’t check), I opened the door half jumping out of my skin when I realized who I was looking at. Carter was standing at the door, with his hands in his jean pockets, looking cute and shy as ever. “Crap Carter… you nearly gave me a heart attack…how…I mean what are you doing here?”
He just gazed at me. His look went right through me. Then he gave me a once over, eyeing my fluffy white robe that came mid-thigh, then finally his eyes came back to my face. “I didn’t mean to scare you Reese, I’ve just been thinking about you since last night, and how I need to talk with you.”
I took a few steps back. “I was expecting my mom that’s all...”
“Do you mind if I come in for a few minutes? I promise not to stay long…are you watching a movie?” He walked in the door with his hands in his pockets, looking like he was nervous.
I sat down on the small sofa all the way to one end. Not realizing it, I had sat down on my phone. I also didn’t realize that I had ‘butt dialed’ the last person I had spoken with…Tate. Carter sat on the other end opposite me, but with the sofa being so short it didn’t put him longer than arms-length apart really.
“It was so good to see you yesterday Reese,” he reached over and brushed his hand against my knee, appearing accidental. He noticed I cautiously moved my legs together. “I wanted to finish talking about my parents, although it’s still kind of tough to talk about." He had a strange look about him when he mentioned his parents. I'm sure it would be so hard to have your parents separate. "They are back together…at least you could call it that. We’re all living together now. Josh (Carter’s older brother in college at NC State) will even be coming home this summer. Anyhow, last summer my mom had an affair. Everyone said my dad deserved it, you know being cheated on, because he was not a good husband. But, I don’t give a shit, you shouldn’t cheat.” He seemed to almost spit that last part out.
Carter’s face was getting red just talking about it and he was getting a little loud. He stood up and started pacing…I just sat still listening with guarded apprehension.
“So it seems my dad got rough with my mom when he found out, and made a few small bruises on her…I don’t know, maybe when he was trying to shake some sense in to her…It seems he was shocked and disgraced by the cheating, but even more embarrassed and angry by who it was," he said.
"I still don’t know who it was and my dad refuses to tell me. He says he thinks it was all of my mom’s doing…that she came on to the guy, but I say the guy was probably a stalker and made her. Anyhow, she made my dad leave and had promised it was over…their marriage done.”
He was looking at me now with genuine…what was it fear, sadness, I couldn’t quite read him.
“I was furious at both of them, I don’t know, at the world too, but I couldn’t live with her…she had caused the most wrong of the two…she abused his trust…she gave up on all of us when she cheated. So, I had to leave.”
He started slow, calculated steps toward me.
“I’m so sorry Reese…if I could do it over again,” he grimaced “all things over again, I would.”
He sat back down beside of me again, this time a little closer. My emotions were falling all over the place. I wasn’t sure if it was the drink making me feel fuzzy, or the information he had just handed me… he had willingly left and deserted me when really he should have needed me the most.
“I didn’t know Carter. You know my mom and your mom Lisa are good friends. I guess she didn’t want me to think badly of her, you know?" I dropped my chin and reactively said, "I had something terrible, AWFUL happen to me to, the night you left. I mean, my life changed forever. I will never be the same. I wanted to talk with you about it so badly, but you shut me out...” Should I tell him I wondered, I mean he was my boyfriend then? What will he think of me? It doesn’t matter, he wouldn't have been there for me even if I had told him then “Never mind Carter…you left that’s all, that alone nearly devastated me.”
***
Carter was shaking with anticipation. Was she going to tell him what she thought really happened to her that night? He wanted to make sure she couldn’t see through him, and gauge the reaction on his face for what it really was…guilt. “God, what I would give for another chance with you Reese. Is it too late?” he reached up and touched her face with his hand…
Chapter 6
Tate was seething. It took him all of 30 seconds to realize what was happening on the other end of his cell phone. He was at Finn’s and had to dart outside to hear it play out.
“Oh my God, that bastard” said Tate.
He ran up to a buddy out on Finn’s deck (where the keg was) and borrowed his cell phone, all the while listening to the garbage on the other end. His blood was boiling. First of all, she had lied to him…she was seeing Carter tonight. She had brushed him off after their date to spend time with HIM! He dialed Reese's home number.
“Hello Mrs. Stanford…Can I speak with Reese please?” He exhaled a long, slow breath still trying to hear the conversation between Carter and Reese.
“Oh hi Tate, it’s nice of you to call, but Reese is still in the cabin. Her friends left just a little while ago, she should be in shortly. You can try her cell, or I can leave a note for her to call when she comes in. We were just heading up to bed.”
So that is where he is with her. “No, that won’t be necessary Mrs. Stanford. I’ll just call or text her. Thanks again.”
His hands were trembling…still listening to Carter shamelessly explain things to Reese and ask for another chance…he had to get there NOW! He ran for Finn and asked who the DD was for the evening. It was Luke Freeman. Good, Luke wouldn’t ask any questions.
They raced to Reese’s…it was about a ten minute, horrid drive…
***
“Carter, I can’t do this. I’m sorry to hear about your parents and God knows I’m sorry to hear about you having regrets about us…I always wondered what was going through your mind. But I’m with Tate now. I can’t just tell him goodbye just because you came back into town.”
He looked like he had been slapped. He straightened suddenly. Then like another thought hit him he slowly moved in to kiss me. I didn’t realize what was happening, until it was done. His lips touched mine, sending familiar waves through me. I knew I was ultra-relaxed from the drinks, but I didn’t realize how slow I would be to react. He started to open my mouth with his tongue and I reared back. He almost fell on me he was so intent on finishing his kiss.
“Carter no…why did you do that? I can’t… I won’t kiss you.” I was shaking my head, desperately trying to control the situation.
“Come on Reese, at least once for old times’ sake…I have always loved the coral red bikini on you, it just does something to me.”
I whipped my head around, “how do you know what color my bathing suit is? Then slowly it registered with me “you were here before, watching us… Or what Carter, how did you know?” Oh my God, are you kidding me? What did he hear while we were all outside? I mean where was he hiding?
He backed up a little, realizing he had just told on himself. “I, uh, I came to see you earlier but your friends were here with you…so I…uh didn’t want to interrupt…I just needed time alone to talk with you, so I waited until they were gone.”
“Oh my God Carter, you are freaking me out a little bit here.”
I pulled my robe a little tighter. “I think you should leave. We can talk about this…um when I have on clothes,” I was pissed “and when I haven’t had…Um I mean when I’m not so tired.” I didn’t want him to know I had been drinking. I wasn’t sure why, I just didn’t want him to know.
Just then the door flung open and Tate jumped on top of Carter crashing him to the floor. I had no idea what had just happened.
I screamed and jumped back. “Tate, no stop, what are you doing? Please stop!” My scream was piercing. They were wrestling, and Tate was pummeling Carter who I don't think had caught up with who was figh
ting him. I didn't know what to do. I was scared to jump in, but I didn't want either one getting hurt. The next thing I knew my dad was jumping in between the two of them breaking it up. They were swearing at each other, and both were bleeding…Tate from his mouth and Carter from his left eye. I couldn't think, I couldn't even breathe.
“Reese Stanford…I don’t know what is going on up here, but I expect you to head to the house right now! I am very disappointed in all of you," he said, no he shouted. I rarely see my Dad so angry.
“And you guys…what are you thinking, fighting like this? Do I need to call someone to come get you?” My dad, Cole Stanford, was a muscular, fit and trim man. He kept himself young at heart by working out year round, and keeping a tan in the summer months. He also kept fit playing adult sports on the church baseball and basketball teams. He was over 6 ft. tall and was an architect, mainly commercial, but had designed his share of homes in the past. He was a man’s man in every sense and he knew how to instill fear.
Carter took off in his car and Tate had to wait on his ride to come back. All the while, my dad drilled him on how he expected more from him. “I better not ever hear you have touched my daughter using that aggression son, I just might kill you if you do. Do you understand? If you only knew how fragile Reese is…” He stopped real quick realizing he shouldn’t say anymore. “I will make sure Carter hears this out too…don’t ever treat my daughter with disrespect… I have a gun and I am not afraid to use it Tate."
I had walked slowly back to the house and heard every word my dad had said.
Just then Luke was back…but I was sure Tate had lost any buzz he might have started out with. I know he couldn’t stand for my father to be angry with him. And worse, I'm sure he couldn’t stand the thoughts of the lingering sounds of the cell phone action, playing over again and again in his mind. I knew this was not the end of it. Knowing Tate, he would take care of Carter one way or another. If he had his way, I'm sure he would see to it that Carter never touched me again.
***
Riinnggg…Riinnngg…
“Hello?” Liz Stanford was barely awake, confused and fumbling for the phone at 3 am.
“Liz, oh God, Liz are you there? I’m out of my mind and I need to talk with you… Oh it’s awful… Carter,...he’s not good…oh God, he’s not good at all. He was in a car accident. Oh Liz, they don’t know what’s going to happen to him…I…I'm scared to death.
“Ok…Ok…I’m here Lisa. What…where is Tony? Is he there with you? Liz turned on the lamp trying to get her bearings. She looked over at her own half asleep husband.
“Yes, he’s here…he’s on the phone with Josh. I...it’s just…I don’t know if he’s going to make it Liz.
“Okay honey….listen, I’ll be there shortly…Baptist right? Okay, I’m on my way…hold tight. I love you Lisa…hang in there…I’ll be praying for Carter.
Liz hung up and shot out of bed in a flurry…”Cole…Cole, wake up…it’s Carter…he’s been in a car accident. Do you hear me?" He turned over half dazed shaking his head yes. "I'll wake up Reese and see if she wants to go with me. I’ll call in a little while.”
“Oh no, Ok sweetheart. Oh that’s awful. Do you want me to go with you?” He said with his brow furrowed. He was wondering if it had anything to do with what had happened there earlier.
“No honey, you go back to bed. I’ll call you in a little while okay?”
“Sure… I um…I’ll pray for Carter and for Lisa and Tony. Please call when you know something.”
Liz rushed in to Reese’s room "honey, wake up…It’s Carter…he’s been in a terrible car accident. Wake up honey.”
I rolled over dazed with my arm over my head… “Mom, what’s wrong? What time is it?”
“It’s Carter honey, he's hurt…hurt real bad…he…he was in a car accident...”
I shot out of bed “What! When? Oh my gosh Mom, is he okay?”
“Yes honey, I'm sure he’s in surgery by now. Lisa says it is really bad. I’m heading to the hospital to be with her. Do you want to come?”
“Sure mom, I…Oh my God, I want to know what happened..and...and how bad it is? Give me five minutes and I’ll be down.”
My heart sank for Carter. I threw open my closet, and found jeans and a t-shirt and slid on Rainbow flip flops. I brushed my teeth in a fury, and threw my hair in a pony-tail. “What have you done Carter? Why were you driving so late?” calm down Reese, I’m sure he'll be okay.
We sped to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center where Carter was in surgery. Lisa had said he broke his left collar bone, left radius bone, and had crushed his left foot. Evidently he had wrapped his car around a tree, and smashed the whole left side of the car in. The airbag in his Toyota Tacoma deployed, but he still had a severe concussion, from hitting the window. They weren’t sure of the over-all internal damage, but these injuries they were sure of. They were enough to warrant his condition being critical.
“Mom hurry! What if he doesn’t make it? Oh Mom…” I had calmed down enough now for the realization to sink in…what if he dies, what if he is hurt for a long, long time. What am I supposed to feel or say to him?
The twenty minute car ride was mostly filled with silence. Just as we arrived, my mom reached over and laid her hand on my knee. “Sweetheart, I know you are hurting for Carter, but be careful, don’t let your emotions get in the way of how your heart reacts.”
What? What in the heck was that supposed to mean...but I just nodded, making a mental note to ask my mom later what she meant by that.
Chapter 7
The hours crept by at Baptist hospital, waiting for news on Carter. Finally, an anesthesiologist and surgeon came into the waiting room, relaying to us that Carter was in ICU now, resting in a deep sleep. The surgeries had gone according to plan, and we would need to wait. Mrs. Davis was allowed to go back to see him as was Mr. Davis. His brother Josh, who had finally arrived, had to sit in the waiting room with us.
I didn’t truly know how to feel. Carter had just come back in to my life after over a year. He had very little explanation for why he had distanced himself from me on every level. He was acting strange, and he was acting kind of freaky…but still, I did have feelings for him…feelings that went back to last summer. As I sat across from Mr. and Mrs. Davis in the morning hours, I wondered how they were really doing? Who did she have an affair with, and what was the extent of it? I realized it was none of my business, but for some reason I was drawn to their problems. Maybe I felt it would give me a greater understanding of why Carter withdrew this past year.
Either way, I was here…here at the hospital waiting…waiting for Carter. Tate had texted me a couple of times. He was worried about me after the incident in the cabin, but I could also sense a little animosity. Around 8 am I had called Elle to fill her in. She had learned from Finn, that Tate heard my whole conversation with Carter. She said he was hurt and angry that I had kissed him…Me kiss him…and that he had other concerns about things that Carter and I were talking about. Those damn cell phones. I hadn’t ‘butt dialed’ anyone in a long time. Of course it would happen last night. I try to do the right thing, and BAM, the unthinkable happens.
I thought through everything that I had said, and vice versa to Carter. The thing that worried me the most was what I almost said to him. I couldn’t recall just how far I had gotten about my night before Carter had left last year. But, I was hoping Tate didn’t pick up on any of that.
Then there was the kiss…that damned kiss. I didn’t do it…Carter did. But would Tate see it that way? And, at this point, did I want him too? I mean he tried to kill (well at least beat up) Carter. Ugh, what was it with the guys in my life.
Sunday was a blur. Despite the encouraging words from the doctors, Carter was touch and go. Apparently he had gone home after leaving my house Saturday and ran in to a heated argument occurring between his parents at home. He fled their house, and was going 85mph when he took a curve, ‘Dead Man’s Curve’ no less, and wrapped his car
around a tree. Thank God there were no other cars out at that time of night. For Carter's sake, thank God he wasn’t drinking.
Either way, he would forever be changed, the extent not nearly known. For now he was in a drug induced coma, because they were still unsure of his head injuries. They had encouraged me to sit and talk with him, but I didn’t know what to say. Things had gotten out of hand with us just last night. In fact there hadn’t been an ‘us’ in over a year. Still, I sat in his room, and talked with him about college and sports and life...urging him to keep fighting.
After 20 hours of coma, Carter finally starting stirring, He was slowly moving his head from side to side and gently tapping first his pointer finger of his right hand, then his right toe. Mrs. Davis ran to his side, encouraging him to wake up.
His first words were 'I’m sorry'…at least that’s what it sounded like he said. ‘I’m sorry’ for what Carter? Wrecking your car? Driving too fast? Coming on to me? Leaving your parents? What? Then he said “Reese”. I was sure that is what he said…no one else could hear it, but I knew…What Carter, what are you sorry to me for? But, just as quickly, he drifted back to a deep sleep.