CHAPTER SIXTEEN - CARRIE
The past few days had been hell. Lindy had met me at the airport and had driven me straight to the home so I could see my father. I spent a few hours there, sleeping in the chair, but it felt nice to be near him.
I’d gone home on Sunday to unpack and settle in, and I left only long enough to buy groceries for the week. The money had been wired to my account, so there was no waiting and Rick had me check the status of my account before he left. He’d also told me about Chance trying to reach me.
He had tried to convince me that Chance really wanted to see me, but I felt that if that were the truth, he would have taken me along with him to New York, or at least had the decency to come back when he said he would. By leaving me there all alone, he’d shown me that I was nothing more than a throwaway, like his others.
There was only one way that he would find me, and that’s if he showed up to the diner, but I wouldn’t be there. I’d called Lindy over, and the two of us sat on my back patio and talked about my plans.
“Are you sure you want to quit? I mean, I wouldn’t let this guy run you off from a perfectly good job. You know how hard it is to find something. Besides, wasn’t it in the contract that he wouldn’t try to contact you after?” I knew that Lindy didn’t want me to leave her hanging, but my mind was made up.
“I just can’t take the chance, Lindy. Besides, I have enough money now for my father’s surgery and to live comfortably for a bit while I find something else. Besides, I’ve been thinking that I’d like to enroll in school.”
“I can understand that you don’t want to see him again. Are you sure he can’t find you?”
“He doesn’t know my last name and the only link is to the diner. I doubt he’ll come around anyway. He got what he wanted.” Visions of him taking me over and over with his large cock caused an ache between my legs. I didn’t think I’d ever have something that special again; and it hadn’t even been real.
“If he does show?” She met my eyes. “I need you to tell me what you want me to do.”
“I want you to tell him to get lost and that I don’t want to see him. He doesn’t care about me. Not the same way I care about him and not the way I need him to. I was falling in love, Lindy.” I pulled my lips into a tight line and held my breath. It was all I could do to keep from crying. I hated admitting it out loud.
“I know. Men suck sometimes, but there are some good ones too. Look at your sweet father. You’ll get past this, and you’ll find someone to love you as he does. I’m sure of it.” Her comforting was sweet, but it did little to soothe my aching heart. The only thing that could do that was knowing Chance loved me and wanted me too.
I wiped the tears that escaped. “I just wish he’d been interested in me for real. I had been so flattered. I must have looked like an easy mark: the stupid little small-town waitress. I gave him my virginity. There’s no telling how many other women he’s made feel the same way.”
She nodded sympathetically. “Don’t call yourself stupid, Carrie. He was charismatic. Anyone would have fallen for it.”
I nodded and then decided I needed to change the subject.
“I’d like to learn more about this procedure and set it up. I’d like Dad to be home for the holidays. I know Dr. Ross had said that scheduling wouldn’t be an issue since the surgery doesn’t take long.”
“That sounds hopeful.” She knew how long I’d wanted to do the surgery and to have my dad back home.
“Yeah, I’m glad something does.”
We sat a while just visiting and when she left she promised that she would not tell Chance anything if he came by. I planned to call our boss in the early morning and tell him I had to quit, and Lindy had already prepared to take the shift so they wouldn’t be left hanging.
I had handed in my phone and when Rick asked if there was any final message I’d like to give Chance, I’d shaken my head. But now as I sat there I wish I’d told him how I felt and had him pass the message along. In a way, I wanted him to know he’d hurt me, but in another, I didn’t want him to know how much. I also thought that many other messages I could have left, but knew it was not good to sit and think of what should or could have been. I needed to move on with my life and try to make things better for my situation as well as my father’s. He had to be my number one priority and Chance needed to be history.
I hadn’t bothered to take any of the clothes that he’d bought me in Paris, or the dresses that he’d left in the closet. I knew those were things that he’d given the others, and I didn’t want to be anything more like them. If I didn’t need the hundred thousand so badly I’d have thrown it all in his face, but I had more than earned that money.
I soaked in the tub, and got ready for bed, hoping that things would be better once I got through the next day. Maybe in time, I could put Chance behind me, and the memories of him would fade.