Page 124

"I... Yes." Exhausted, I let my head sink onto the steering wheel. What a day. I had already thought earlier that it couldn't possibly get any worse. But that had proven to be a fallacy. I wanted to go home. I wanted... Carter.
Instead, I would have to deal with an upset accident opponent. Just like in the accident six weeks ago, I had no idea how I would pay for the damage now. To be more precise, I had even less of an idea than back then where I would get the money from.
An energetic knock reached my ear. Tiredly, I lifted my head from the steering wheel. I would have preferred not to look up at all, but that was no use. In the end, I had to face reality.
The sooner you get this over with, the sooner you can go home.
A man was standing in front of the side window. In the darkness, I could only make out his silhouette, but it seemed oddly familiar. He bent down to speak to me.
At that moment, my heart stopped.
For a millisecond.
Then it kept beating.
More wildly than ever before.
Carter.
Carter was standing in front of me.
What was he doing here?
Had he been looking for me?
The moment I had longed for had now arrived. And what was I doing? I sat rooted to the driver's seat, unable to move.
"That... that's him," I breathed.
"Who?" Hayley wanted to know. She had never seen Carter before and therefore didn't recognize him.
"Carter. That's Carter." I pointed outside.
"That's Carter?" Hayley sounded incredulous. So much had already happened this evening that she probably thought I was hallucinating.
I just nodded.
"What are you still doing here? Come on, get out." Hayley nudged me in the side again. Gently at first. Then a little more energetically. "If you just sit here, he'll think you don't want anything to do with him anymore."
Of course, I didn't want that.
Slowly, infinitely slowly, I opened the door and put my feet on the street. New York traffic rolled past my car. I got out and leaned the door back.
"Isabella." There he stood in front of me. As attractive as ever. As alluring as ever. In the darkness, I couldn't perceive the bright blue of his eyes as clearly as usual, but I knew, I felt, that look was there.
"I've been looking for you everywhere. I'm so sorry." Carter's words reached my ear. I had trouble understanding them correctly. What was he talking about? I had just rear-ended him. What was he sorry for? That we...
"I was such an idiot! Cameron and Abigail set us up. They laid a trap for us. I never cheated on you. And you didn't cheat on me either, did you? Or... do you still have something going on with that man from the hotel?"
I stared at Carter. Slowly, I began to comprehend what he was telling me.
"Of course not. I'm not with anyone," I stammered. "And you and Abigail..." I couldn't bring myself to finish the question, so afraid was I of the answer.
"I don't care about Abigail. I never did. It only started with her because..." Carter took a deep breath. "Cameron and I are old rivals. It goes back to high school. One day, when we're somewhere quiet, I'll tell you the whole story. But anyway, my behavior was inexcusable. I should have talked to you. I should have listened to your side of the story instead of just kicking you out. I..." Carter struggled for words.
"You didn't just want to get rid of me early?" I had to ask this question to know if Carter really had feelings for me.
"Early?"