CARTER
(Three years after the birth of Daniele.)
I walk down the main road to meet up with the rest of the gang for lunch.
Finally, I got some time off from my busy schedule. The last four years have been a fucking nightmare. After Dad passed away, I had to step in and fill his shoes. There was so much to learn and I would’ve caved under all the pressure if it weren’t for the guys. They kept my head above water.
I walk into the only diner in this small town and spot the guys sitting at the biggest table in the back. I don’t know how the guys found this place but apparently they have great outdoor activities.
“Hey, guys, thanks for waiting for me,” I say as I take my seat.”
“Did the conference call go well?” Rhett asks. He passes me a menu and I start to look over the dishes.
“Yeah, Charlotte will handle things from here on out. So we better make the most of this week. There won’t be an opportunity like this for a long while after I get back to the office.”
“Sir, do you wanna eat?” a tiny voice asks next to me.
I look down and see a pretty girl with dark curls staring up at me. She’s got bright blue eyes.
“Daniele.” An older girl takes hold of the little girl’s hand and tries to pull her away from our table.
“No,” Daniele wines and she stomps her tiny feet on the floor. “I wanna help.”
“It’s okay,” I say.
“Daniele, come here,” another voice says and this time the little girl listens.
I watch her run to a woman. She crouches down to catch the little girl. When she looks up my heart stutters and a wave of pain hits hard. My pulse starts to race as the whole table grows quiet.
“Fuck.” I hear Rhett breathe in shock.
Slowly, I rise from the chair and I walk closer to her. My eyes dance between her and the little girl.
Finally, I manage to find my voice. “Della,” I breathe her name.
It’s been four years. She just vanished. After I buried Dad, I heard that she had left that same night. None of the girls or guys had her number. She broke what was left of my fucking heart. I lost my Dad and Della in one night.
“Carter,” she whispers. Her face is pale and it makes the blue of her eyes pop.
The teenage girl comes to
stand next to Della and I notice that they all three have the same color eyes.
“Are they your sisters?” I ask just to try and make some kind of conversation.
It’s fucked up that I know every inch of her body but I don’t really know anything about her.
“Um,” she takes a shaky breath and turns to the teenage girl. “Take Daniele to the back.”
She waits until they’re gone before she turns back to me. “Jamie is my sister. Daniele is my daughter.”
Fuck, she’s married. The thought shudders through me. Even after all these years I’ve had a flicker of hope that I’d run into to her again, and that we would get the chance we never had.
“Wow, when did you get married?” I ask, swallowing down the heavy disappointment.
She shakes her head. “I didn’t.” She even holds up her left hand for me to see. No ring.
I frown, not happy with the fact that someone got her pregnant before putting a ring on her finger.