Zoey

I headed into the city around one o’clock, grabbed some lunch, and did a lot of shopping. I didn’t actually buy anything and I didn’t know why. I think I just needed the distraction of looking around and being surrounded by people to make me forget about Carter. It was five thirty and I phoned Sadie to tell her I was stuck in horrible traffic and I might be a little late. As luck would have it, I arrived at the penthouse at precisely six o’clock. As the elevator doors opened, I stepped into the foyer and called out for Sadie.

“Sadie, I’m here,” I spoke as I set my purse down on the table.

“Hello, Zoey,” Carter spoke as he walked towards me with his hands tucked into his pants pockets.

My heart started racing and I broke out in a sweat.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Well, considering this is where I live.” He smirked.

“Sadie said you were still away.” I grabbed my purse from the table.

“I had Sadie tell you that because I needed to talk to you, and I knew that if you knew I was here, you’d never come.”

“I have nothing to say to you, and you’re right, I wouldn’t have come.”

I pushed the button to the elevator. As soon as the doors opened, I began to step inside.

“I’ll never forget the day Angelique told me she was pregnant with my child,” he spoke. “It was the happiest day of my life.”

I stood there for a moment, one foot in the elevator and one foot out.

“I was going to be a father. My life was complete. My business was growing, I had a woman that I loved, and a baby on the way.”

I slowly removed my foot from the elevator and took a step back. The doors shut and I turned around and faced Carter.

“My life wasn’t so great growing up. I lost my best friend, Andy, Nora got sick with cancer, my mother passed away, and then my father committed suicide. I had to drop out of college, take care of Nora, and try to save the company from bankruptcy. That company was all Nora and I had left in this world. Then I met Angelique, and suddenly, everything fell into place. I saw my future.”

I just stood there, staring into his sad eyes, unable to speak.

“Please, come in and sit down. I’ll pour us a glass of wine.” He held out his hand to me.

When I placed my hand in his, he led me into the living room and over to the couch. He walked over to the bar and poured us each a glass of wine. Walking over to me, he handed me my glass and sat down next to me.

“The day I got the call about the accident, I was supposed to go to her doctor’s appointment with her. The plan was that I was going to pick her up from work and we’d go together. But, I got tied up in a meeting. The client was being difficult and I couldn’t leave. So, I sent her a text message and told her that I’d meet her there. If only I had told that client to fuck off and left the meeting when I was supposed to, she and my son would be alive.”

I was too scared to say anything to him for the fear that he would get angry, because I knew he didn’t want to hear what I had to say. I reached over and placed my hand on his.

“It’s okay, Zoey. You can say it. After their death, I completely shut down. I hated this world, God, and my life. No one, and I mean no one, should ever have to experience so much death. I became angry and nothing mattered to me anymore except my company and Nora, of course. I secluded myself. I didn’t grieve properly because every day I lived, I hoped that it was all a nightmare, and one day I’d wake up and she and my son would be next to me. I became bitter and secluded myself from everyone and everything. I lost friends because of it. They tried to help, but when they couldn’t, they left. Nora did what she could, but I wouldn’t listen to her. Then, she was diagnosed and the small narrow piece of the ledge I was standing on crumbled under me.”

Tears filled my eyes as did his. My heart broke into tiny pieces listening to his story.

“I’m sorry, Zoey. I’m sorry for everything. For my behavior towards you and every horrible word I spoke to you.”

“It’s okay, Carter,” I whispered.

“No. It’s not okay and I need to explain to you why I did it. The moment I saw you in Starbucks, I felt something. Even though I didn’t know you, I felt this strong connection or pull towards you. But I didn’t think about it because I thought I’d never see you again. Then that night when you showed up here, I lost it. That’s why I didn’t want you here. Because I knew you were someone special and different. I resisted and did everything I could to keep my feelings buried. I’ve seen a lot of women since Angelique died. Actually, I used them and I’m ashamed of it. But, not one of those women ever touched me the way you have. When you started talking about seeing spirits and heaven and how everything happens for a reason, I forced myself not to believe in any of it because then it would be real and I didn’t want to live in reality. I’m sorry for calling you crazy. I didn’t mean it. I just wanted to convince myself that you were, even though I knew you weren’t, because then it would be easy for me not to fall for you.” He ran his hand down my cheek. “Even when we slept together, the connection was so deep. Deeper than what I had with Angelique and I felt guilty for that.”

“Carter.”

“How many times have you seen her? Please tell me. I want to know everything. I need to know.”

“Quite a bit. I saw her here, but mostly at the beach house. She was with us the whole time. She’s here, Carter, because you won’t let her go and she can’t move on until you do.”

“And Nora?”

“Same thing. All she wants is for you to be okay. She loves you so much and it hurt her to see you living the way you are. Her illness wasn’t her focus, you were. You were all she worried about.”

“Of course she did. She always worried about everyone else. Zoey, have you seen my son?”

A tear streamed down my face as I lightly nodded my head.

“He looks just like you. He’s beautiful.”

Tears started to run down his face.

“We were meant to meet that day in the hospital. I know now that wasn’t a coincidence,” he spoke.

“No, it wasn’t. And we had to go through everything we did over the past twenty years in order to meet each other again.”

“The man you met a few months ago isn’t who I am.”

“I know.” I brought my hand up to his face and wiped away his tears.

“You were right when you told me I became a victim of circumstance. I didn’t know any other way to deal with everything. I felt like I didn’t deserve to be happy.”

“You do deserve to be happy, Carter. Everyone deserves happiness. No matter what. That’s all Angelique and Nora want for you. They want you to live again and find happiness. Isn’t that what you’d want for them if the situation was reversed?”

“Of course I would.”

“Then why would you think they wouldn’t want the same for you?”

“I don’t know. I was lost, so lost that I couldn’t find my way back. But you found me. You, Zoey, and you brought me back. You opened my eyes again.”

He leaned over and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into him.

“I know there aren’t enough words in the world for me to say to you. But I will tell you that I miss you and I’m sorry. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t forgive me. Hell, I wouldn’t forgive me.”

“I do forgive you, Carter.”

“You do?” He broke our embrace and looked into my eyes.

“Yes.” I smiled. “I missed you too.”

“How did you get home? I mean, I know you flew home, but I thought Nora and Angelique would have stopped you.”

“I think they realized you needed some time alone to process everything.”

“I felt Nora in the hotel room when I was talking to her. A coldness rushed through me.”

“She was there at the Grand Canyon and she did place her hand on your shoulder. I’m sorry I lied to you about it. I just didn’t want you to get angry again.”

“I knew she was there. And at times, when I’m alone at night in my office, I swear I can feel Angelique’s presence.”

“That’s because you did. She was there with you.”