Page 7 of Forever After All

Carter: Sure.

Carter: Give me an hour.

Me: Meet you in the lobby?

Carter:Sure.

An hour is a good time frame, I can try and pretend I’m not as dead as I feel.Not that it matters since he saw the state of me this morning.I couldn't feel shittier if I tried, so I may as well rip off the Band-Aid now.

After my shower, I dry my hair and pull my long locks into a side braid. I don’t have the energy to bother with makeup. My skin is sensitive from sleeping with an inch of foundation on my face, and my stomach is still twisting from the incessant vomiting this morning. I lather on the thickest film of moisturiser that my skin will absorb and pray the hydration from it will hide my sins. I pull on my jeans, cowboy boots, and white tee, followed by a blue flannel shirt, which I tie at the waist. I always try to wear things that break up my silhouette, given that I am nine-hundred feet tall. Well, five-foot-eleven, but what is a few feet between friends?

My god, I really don't want to have this conversation, but if I don't do it now, then I know I never will.

I check the time, and it’s been fifty-six minutes since our text exchange.

It's now or never, Alice.

I open the hotel room door as quietly as possible, feeling like I’m being extra sneaky, and it clicks shut behind me. I walk down the quiet corridor and approach the lift, which comes to life as soon as I press the call button. The lift dings and the doors slide open, and I look behind me to make sure nobody is watching. The post-alcohol paranoia is strong today. I step inside, feeling a little cooler than I did a moment ago. It’s colder out here than it was in my room. I press the button for the lobby and the jolt as it moves down turns my sensitive stomach once again.

The doors slide open with anotherdingand I'm standing in the hotel lobby. I hear murmurs of conversation as you would expect in a hotel lobby.

"Good morning, ma'am," the bellhop calls over to me, and I politely return the greeting, then I move to the sliding doors which separate the hotel and the outside world.

"There she is." Carter's happy voice emerges from behind me, so I turn around to face him. The anguish must be quite clear on my face, as his expression changes when he sees mine. "Jesus, who died?" he asks, jokingly.

Me. I died. From embarrassment.

"You're hilarious." I roll my eyes at him.

"Thanks, Alice. You're not the first person who’s told methat." He beams at me once again. If nothing else, he’s broken some of the tension I was feeling.

"Coffee?" I ask.

"Coffee," he replies.

Chapter 4

Alice

"Where do you want to go?" Carter stands by my side as we aimlessly walk away from the hotel.

"Well, not Ground and Down, because everyone knows everyone there," I reply sarcastically.

"Okay, well, I didn't ask where youdon'twant to go. I asked where youwantto go."

"Funny fucker" is all I can think to reply. "How about we just grab a coffee from a coffee truck and go sit in the park?"

"Fine with me," he agrees and gives a firm nod of his head.

With coffee in hand and seated firmly on a bench, I cross my legs over and twist in place, turning to face Carter. I can't help noticing his piercing green eyes looking back at me.

"Sooo…" I draw out the word.

"So," Carter replies matter-of-factly.

"So we slept together, huh?" With the hand not cradling my coffee cup, I reach up and sprawl my hand across my face,peeking at him through my fingers. I cringe at the question as it leaves my lips, but I don't know how else to broach the subject.

"Nope." is his reply, followed by a shake of his head.

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