Page 123 of Beauty Beneath the Sorrow
Ashley’s eyes soften. “Are you looking for Carter?”
My body warms at the sound of his name. “Yes, I am. Do you happen to know where he is?”
“I don’t.” Ashley glances at Abby. “Do you?”
Abby shakes her head. “Did you try calling him?”
It is the obvious thing to do. How do I tell them that I have not because I’m not sure he’d answer my call?
“I guess I should’ve tried that first.” I chuckle uncomfortably, playing it off like I had simply not thought of that. “Thank you.”
I turn away from them and start walking down the hall when I hear one of their voices behind me.
“Is everything okay?” I can tell there’s some concern in thetone, and it takes everything in me not to break down in front of two people I barely know. But the fact that they’re connected to Carter makes it all the more difficult to keep it in.
I slowly turn around to face them. My bottom lip quivers. “I’m not sure.”
Abby squats to pick up Snickers. “You know he loves you, right?”
Like a dagger sent directly into my chest, the breath is knocked out of me. Unable to form a response, I simply nod.
“He wasn’t going to accept that job in Florida,” Ashley adds, as if unaware that I’m already aware of this information. I am as big of a mess as I am right now because of it.
“Yeah, I know that,” I tell them.
Abby wraps an arm around Ashley, pulling her close. “Do you love him?”
I nod again.
“Call him,” Abby says with a straight face.
I exhale a heavy sigh. “I’m not sure he’ll answer my call.”
“You’re not going to know unless you try,” she counters.
“I know you don’t know us very well, but we know Carter. He’s like a brother to us. And he has never looked so happy and content as he has the last couple of months. Even with his loss, he’s had this lightness about him. It’s almost like he’d been missing something and finally found it.”
I hang my head low, letting the tears pour from my eyes. I feel so defeated. I can’t stay here talking to them. They’re trying to make things better, but it’s only making everything exponentially worse.
Lifting my head up, my eyes bounce between them. “Thankyou. Carter is lucky to have friends like you.”
I turn on my heels and walk away. Before I round the corner at the end of the hallway, I hear a distant “Bye, Lina.”
I can’t fucking do this. I’m not cut out for this weak shit. I square my shoulders, wipe my eyes, and swallow every single painful emotion.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Carter
Fuck.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Lina
Igave myself a couple of good pep talks, cleaned up my face, and moved on with packing for my trip. My sister popped her head in my room a few times, reminding me of how ridiculous this whole thing is and that I should give in and call Carter.
I spent the entire night lying awake in my bed. Staring at the ceiling, I flipped through all the reasons why I’m not the type of girl with whom men stay.
