Falling For The Opponent

Chapter 16

Marie's p.o.v
Carter and I are lying side by side on his couch when Randie comes down. Randie stares at us with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. "Okay, hold up," Randie says, holding up a hand, "what did I miss?" Carter looks down at me and playfully rolls his eyes.
"Nothing important," Carter says. Randie frowns, then looks at Carter.
"Carter, can we talk?" Randie sounds angry and tense. Carter smiles and wraps his arm around me.
"Naw," Carter says, making Randie's head smoke. "I'd rather stay with my girlfriend." Randie throws him a shocked look, and I'll admit, so do I.
"Oh so you-"
"Yep, we talked it out." Carter smiles and winks at me, and I smile back. Sure, I think, let's go with that. Randie looks at us, as if he knows we didn't just talk. Then he just smiles at us and creeps into the kitchen like a little kid trying to spy on his parents. I have to keep myself from laughing as I see Randie's head peek slowly over the counter. "Randie, what are you doing?," Carter asks. Randie squeaks and ducks his head. I can't help it, I start laughing hysterically. Carter smiles at me. "Sometimes I wonder who was really born first," Carter whispers to me. I just giggle in response. Randie's head pops up from behind the counter.

 "Hey," Randie whines, "are you calling me a little kid?"

 "Maybe," I say, giggling. Randie throws a smile in my direction.

 "Well you do have the brain of a five year old," Carter says.

 "Carter-"

 "THAT," Randie exclaims, cutting me off, "is where you are WRONG mister. I, for your information, do not have the brain of a five year old. I have the heart of one. My brain," he adds, "is that of a two year old." I laugh as Randie makes a face that reminds me of the movie Mask. Carter rolls his eyes.

 "Yeah okay Gandulf," Carter says to his brother. Randie's about to say something when my phone begins to ring. I pull it out and read the screen. A lump forms in my throat when I see the word DAD in big, bold letters. I look over at Carter. 'Don't answer it,' Carter mouths, so as not to catch Randie's attention, but my finger has already pressed the 'answer' button, and before I can stop myself, I'm lifting the phone up to my ear.

 "H-Hello," I squeak.

 "WHERE ARE YOU?!," a voice roars, causing a tear to slither down my cheek. "ANSWER ME! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Suddenly, Carter rips the phone from my hand and leaps off the couch.

 "Listen here you fat ugly bozo," Carter snarls into the phone. "You're never going to see this girl again! She's not your punching bag anymore!" Carter pauses for a few minutes as my dad shouts something at him through the phone. Then Carter says, "there's no way you can find us. You're to lazy to leave you're own house." Another pause. "Oh you have connections do you? The only connections you have is the call line between you and Domino's  pal." Ouch, roasted. "Actually sir, I think this talk is over." With that, Carter hits the 'end call' button and hands me back my phone. "Next time I say don't answer it, don't answer it." I flinch at Carter's gravely tone.

 "Okay," I mutter, bowing my head. I feel hot lips press onto my cheek.

 "Sorry babe," Carter mutters in my ear. "I wasn't  trying to be mean. I'm just concerned for you. Okay?" When I don't say anything, I hear Carter sit next to me on the couch, then feel him pull me onto his lap. Subconciously, I lean my head on his shoulder. "There you go," he whispers, and begins stroking my hair. I close my eyes and sigh, breathing in Carter's comforting scent.

Carter's p.o.v:

 I quietly sigh as Marie's hair slides through my fingers. Her breathing becomes steady, signaling that she's asleep. After watching us for awhile, Randie heads out with his friends. I just cradle Marie in my arms, replaying the conversation with her father in my head. It hurts me to think such a nice girl could've suffered so much. Being alone for so many years has broken her down from a strong, independent girl to a shattered, frightened shell of a person. Just a smudge to everyone else in the world. Not anymore.

 Picking Marie up, I head up the stairs to my room and place her in my bed, wrapping the sheets protectively around her. Once she's safely hidden in my bed, I grab a pair of clothes and head into my bathroom to take a shower. Once I'm in the shower, I quickly clean my hair and body, then get out and pull on my clothes. When I walk back out into my room, I find Marie awake, lying on her back and staring at the ceiling. "Hey," I say, sitting beside her. She flicks her eyes in my direction, then goes back to looking at the ceiling. After a few moments of silence, she rolls over and looks at me. I immediately spot the look of fear in her crystal blue eyes.

 "What if he finds us," she says. "What if my dad really does know people and he finds us? What are we going to do?" I brush a piece of hair out of her face and press my forehead to hers.

 "He's not going to," I say softly. "I'm not going to let him come near you ever again.

 "But-"

 "Shh," I whisper, pressing a finger faintly to her lips. "It's going to be okay. I promise." Marie sighs and nods. I take my fingers from her lips and press my lips faintly to hers. She pulls my head towards hers, pressing her lips firmly against mine. I roll onto my back, pulling her onto my stomach. I kiss her from her lips all the way down her neck. "See," I whisper in her ear. "Everything's just fine."