Falling in Love Again: A Valentine's Day Proposal

“I love you too, Carter, I really do. I realized it before all of the drama, but it hit me even harder when I was locked up. When I was in that room, it was all that I could think about. How I wanted to see you again…”

His hand surrounds mine, the expression on his face is one of sheer bliss. “So, what do we do from here?”

“We’re going to be together,” I giggle. “Although it’ll be hard to tell everyone at work…”

“I’m pretty sure they already know,” Carter replies wryly. “I don’t think we need to worry about that.”

“When did they figure it out?” Oh shit, I hope they didn’t see us. We were never one hundred percent careful. I guess any of them could have still been around late at night. That will be so embarrassing if I have to face that…

“I don’t know exactly, but I wouldn’t worry too much. It doesn’t seem to be too much trouble. So, we can just be together. We can just be happy, if that’s what you want, that’s what you will have.”

I lean in to him as much as I can and embrace the sizzling chemistry rolling between us. I will savor every second of this in the future, I will never take Carter for granted again.

I part my lips, about to express everything that I feel inside. About to tell him what I want for our future, for everything I thought about while I was locked away in that room, but I don’t get a chance to. The door pushes open and in walks Abbi with my mother not far behind her. This is going to get crazy…

“Oh my God, Raelyn, what the hell happened to you?” Abbi is already crying. “You were kidnapped. How did that even happen? And how did I not know anything about it? I hate this…”

Mom looks emotional too. I can see her over Abbi’s shoulder, but she’s been quieter about it. It’s easy to get pushed to one side with my over excitably friend around. I smile at her and she grins weakly back.

“Are you okay?” she mouths at me. I nod back. “Good. I was worried.”

Abbi hugs me tightly and I watch Mom shake Carter’s hand. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all. She is giving him a slightly suspicious look but I don’t think she really hates him. I know I didn’t necessarily give her the most glowing review of him the last time I saw her, but I’m sure Abbi has filled her in.

Eventually she will see how important he is to me as well. He loves me as well. How wonderful is that? He actually loves me. And for a man who has been so hurt in the past, it’s even more important.

“You need to tell us exactly what happened,” Abbi insists. “I want to hear all of it. Carter told me some, but he doesn’t know the full details. He doesn’t know what you went through.”

“He knows some of it…” I try to defend Carter, but Abbi shakes her head hard.

“But not the bits when you were locked away. That must have been awful.”

“It wasn’t the best,” I admit. “It got very scary lots of times.”

“Did you think that you were going to die?” she asks, without thinking about Mom. I glance at her but she looks okay. Well, not okay, but more like she wants to know what’s going on. I suppose the worry is over now.

“Yes. He had a knife and he kept threatening me. But it was worse when the police came in. The gun shots were terrifying. I thought that I was going to be in trouble.”

“Start from the beginning,” Abbi insists. “Tell us everything. I want to know it all.”

I take in a deep breath before I start talking. It isn’t the easiest story to recount, especially since I don’t remember all of it, but I do my best to get it all out. It does sound crazy when I say it aloud, it sounds like something that wouldn’t happen in real life, but it’s all the truth. The terrifying truth.

I can see them getting increasingly shocked as the words spill out of my mouth. Even Abbi doesn’t know what to say and I don’t think I have ever seen her silenced before.

But now that I’m here with the most important people in my life and I feel amazing. I do have some wonderful things to look forward to. Whatever comes next will be great. So much better. It can’t exactly get worse…

37

Carter

“You’re coming home?” I ask with shock in my tone. “They are sending you home already?”

No way. The doctors here are supposed to be taking care of her, not sending her away just to look after herself. That isn’t right, she’s been through such trauma, she needs professionals taking care of her.

“You say that like it’s quick,” Raelyn laughs. “But it doesn’t feel that way to me. I’ve been in for two days and it feels like forever. I cannot wait to leave this hospital behind. I hope I don’t have to come back.”

I rest my hands on my hips and narrow my eyes at her. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m excited to get back. I’m not worried at all… unless you think I should be?”