priorities-2

18

We arrive back at our place and Carrie's pacing in the living room floor, "Did it work?" she asks. "Oh my God! Carrie you're alive?" I freak. "Of course, I'm alive!" She shakes her head. "I'm not going to kill myself!" "What the fuck?" I'm reeling with emotions. "Ted helped me orchestrate everything!" He looks at me sheepishly, "Sorry, I wanted to tell you earlier. We had to sedate you a bit, we're sorry about that too." Carrie's smiling, "I'm writing my own romance, the best way to do that, is live it. This will be the true test of who really loves me." "You should have seen it," Ted's excited. "Mya played right into it by talking about the baby to Leonardo and Hunter. The ferocity between the two men was unnerving." I turn to Ted, "Why didn't you tell me? What about your poor dad? He just got you back," I ask. "He helped, he's more than happy to spend time with his granddaughter while we figure out who's in love with me more." I hold on to Carrie hugging her. I don't care what she did, I'm just glad she's okay. "So, nobody except, me, Ted, and your dad's family know you're alive?" "Yes!" Carrie exclaims. "What about school?" "No problem, Hunter won't have a reason to travel to Toronto and if he does, he won't be going to the University, and Leonardo is here only during games. I'll finish my final year with no distractions." "They are going to be pissed," I predict. Carrie sits on the couch, "What did you say to Hunter and Leonardo?" I grab a cooler from the fridge and join Carrie, "First of all Leonardo is single again, he broke up with Sheila which I would have been happy to hear if I knew you were alive at the time." "Okay, that's good," she says excited, "and then what happened. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall."

"Leonardo said, 'I always imagined my life with her.' So, I told him about Holly and how she could be his. I said the last time you saw Holly, you thought it was Leonardo's, but that you just weren't ready to be a mom yet. I complained about Will taking her away from me, and said that Holly should be with her biological father. It's like Leonardo's eyes lit up. He wanted to see the baby. Then I asked Hunter if I could have a word with him. I told him that you confessed to cheating on him, because you were pregnant and didn't want anyone to know. I pounded into their heads that one of them has to be the father and then Hunter asked me what I'm instigating and I said a custody battle."

"Perfect," Carrie laughs. "Hunter's mom was right, he neglected me at times, butboth men are amazing, and I hope the man who's going to love me and be a great fatherto Holly will win. In the meantime, I can visit Holly whenever I want to. I can ditch theold apartment and move back with you. I'll finish school and I won't have to choose. Mydecision will be made for me.

You don't think Hunter or Leonardo will catch on?" "Not in a million years," she says confidently. "What if both move on?" I go for worst case scenario. "Then neither were meant to be. I'll find out before it's too late." "Well I would have liked to have known earlier, but at least you didn't let me go on believing that you were dead for too long." "I wouldn't let her," Ted said. "I felt terrible for you." "Thanks." "How did they look," Carrie asks. "Leonardo was in a black suit, he looked gorgeous, and Hunter, just as sexy as ever, dark suit, black tie, shiny shoes."

"I hope Hunter forgives me for cheating." "He might forgive you for cheating, but not faking your death." I advise. "You don't know," she says. "I'm surprised Leonardo broke up with Sheila. If I had known that, I don't know if I would have planned this whole thing." "Well you're in deep now," Ted says. A year from today we'll see who's left standing with Holly. "You can still go see hockey games Leonardo's playing in, or go out, just do what Slasher does and wear disguises if there's a chance you might bump into either of them.

"It's amazing how I can live out the ending to my own book.""At a cost," I point out, "you're going to anger both men, you give up seeing Hollyon a regular basis. You can still change your mind.""I'm all in," she says confidently."Hanging out with you two is more entertaining then singing with Slasher," I admit."I'm going for a swim.""I'll come Ted volunteers," he disappears into his room. It's late afternoon, so thepool is going to be deserted, hardly anyone uses the pool. I go into my room and changeinto my bathing suit, looking forward to that submerged feeling once you dive in."Are you coming?" I call out to Carrie."No thanks, I'm going to lay low for a few days in case you get any unexpectedvisitors.""That's true," I never considered.

Ted and I venture into the underground parking lot. It's dark even in the day, so it'sgood being with him. We go down a few dingy corridors until we find the pool. He hashis entrance and I have mine. When we meet on the other side, we find we're alone."This is nice," I tell him. I walk to the deep end and dive in, the cool water skims mybody and I surface pushing my hair back. Ted's submerges coming in my direction. 

Hesurfaces and we float on our backs, "Who's idea was all this?""You have to ask," Ted's sarcasm is justified."I can't believe you went along with her.""She's in a weird spot and had some good points, I'd do the same for you if youneeded me to." 

"I don't think I'll be faking my own death anytime soon."I glance out the window that overlooks the on-ground parking lot, "Look there's alimousine. Is there anyone in there?" I squint.Ted looks over, "I can't see anyone, who do you think it is?""I have no idea, it could be Slasher, Hunter, unlikely Leonardo, he drives a Mustang."I hope she doesn't answer the door."She's not stupid," Ted reminds me. "Are you going to get back with Slasher? Youdid lie to him, he sort of deserves a second chance.""No way, you should have seen the number of girls he was with after me, they werestreaming in like wildfire. He didn't miss me."

"You two have something," Ted disagrees. "That's probably just his way ofdealing.""Well I'm tired of getting cheated on, my heads not in the clouds anymore, I don'tcare what the guy makes or what he does for a living, I just want him to love me for whoI am," I analyze."You've changed," Ted says flipping over and swimming away.I follow him into the deep end, "How so?""You just have, for the better. You have a good head on your shoulders now.""Thanks," I say, swimming to the shallow end. When I get there I flip around andgo back to the deep end. He's still there. He leaves me in the deep and swims to theshallow, to return the way I did. "Did you date anyone while I was on tour?""No," he clips. "Not interested." 

"No, I'm pretty much over her, such a chicken shit, how she broke up with me.""You can say that again," I agree. "I think I'm going to let Slasher believe we'vebecome a couple if you don't mind. He was so quick to believe me the first time I toldhim. If he asks me I'm just going to say that we eventually hooked up and I'm happy,that way I don't look like a loser who's still stuck on him.""Oh my God, you and Carrie are real pieces of work," he says doing the front crawl."It's enough to make me not want to go out with any girls."I chuckle, "I guess I would feel exactly the same way as you if I was in your shoes.""Right!" He emphasizes."If you had to pick between Carrie or me, who would you go out with?" I ask forfun."Jeeze that's tough, the two of you are real winners," he says sarcastically."If you had to pick," I make him choose."There's no other girls on the planet?""None," I confirm."I can't answer that, it's not like you aren't both attractive, you're just very differentfrom one another. If I have to choose, I think I would pick you.""What made you go in that direction," I ask excitedly."Because you're the only one here," he smiles.I splash him.

He gets me back with a huge splash, so I splash him more. We swim back to theshallow end, "Hot tub?" I suggest."Sure," he follows me out of the pool.We step into the hot tub, now we have a perfect view of the parking lot where thelimousine is still parked. I settle in front of a jet pumping water against my stiffenedlumbar region, "This is soothing," I say.He's quiet looking at the car, "It was Slasher," he says as we see the last of hisgoons getting in. "I guess he was coming for you.""I'll check my phone later," I say unconcerned.I close my eyes and enjoy the hot water massaging me. This is the life. "When I buymy own house, I want a hot tub and a pool," I confide to him."What's stopping you from buying one now, you don't need to be in a relationshipto make a big purchase like that." Ted suggests."I'm touring around too much with Slasher, the house will be vacant for a large partof the year. It doesn't make sense to buy one until after our next cluster of concerts or if Istop working with him, whichever comes first.""Were would you like to settle down?" He asks me."I don't know, I can't see myself living far from either you or Carrie. I'm in TorontoI can visit my family anytime but the weather is so crappy here.""I know, I hate the cold," he agrees. "They're gone," he says referring to thelimousine."Wonder why he came by? He's such a slut, I can't believe he managed exclusivitywith me when we were together.""How do you know he was faithful?" Questions Ted."I just know," I had no doubts for some reason. We were buds.