At My Wit's End

Ch. 6 The Long Distance.

Carly's POV

After lunch was over, Marshall helped me back into the SUV and asked if I wanted to come with him to his last meeting of the day. I declined the offer, because although I wanted to spend as much time as I could with him before he left, I knew it was best to stay out of business matters. Even if it was just shirt designs.

"Are you sure? You really can come..."

I shook my head no.

"No, that's okay. It would probably be best if I didn't come. It's bad enough all those pictures are everywhere."

He nodded and continued to look towards the road to bring me back home.

The rest of the ride was quiet, except for the music flowing out of the radio speakers. I couldn't help but feel... almost uncomfortable, because I knew that this "relationship" was going to be over before it could even start. When Marshall went back to Michigan, was he even going to remember me? Would he even call me? Would I just be the random girl he talked to in New York, and that would be it?

Maybe I was upsetting myself over absolutely nothing, or maybe I was just more aware that this felt more like a dream than real life. Nothing good ever happened to me. Right? Marshall was just too good to be true...

He pulled into the parking garage for my apartment complex, and actually pulled in to park.

"What's the matter?" I asked before he cut me off.

"Please tell me what's wrong... " he began. "We haven't stopped talking since we met. What's going on that you're not telling me?"

What was I supposed to say? 'Oh, sorry, I'm just contemplating if you're an actual real person who is super sweet and fun to be with, or if I'm just dreaming all of this. Please, call me crazy. Because I am.'

"Nothing is wrong, Marshall," I replied with the confused face I had mastered so very long ago. "I'm fine."

"Bullshit, Carly, and you know it. Please don't ever lie to me. Just tell me what's going on."

Sighing, I crossed my arms in defeat, trying to keep my eyes away from his. I didn't want to see his face when I actually said it out loud.

"I'm scared that when you leave New York, all these feelings and words will be forgotten... That I won't even be on your radar."

"Carly, look at me," he tried, and I could feel his body shift towards me.

I continued to look down at my feet out of shame... I knew I'd feel bad about it.

"Please, look at me."

His voice always brought me back to reality, because there was just some sort of gravity to it. Hearing my name roll off of his tongue made my entire body shiver. It was a good feeling. I turned my head to look at him right into those deep baby blues that I adored so much.

"I think we need to just be honest with each other so that we can actually enjoy the rest of the time I'm here, okay? I'm not so good at this relationship shit... But I want to be. I don't want you to feel that way. It's gonna be tough, but I want to make this work, Carly. We've only known each other for three days, but there's this crazy connection that I feel that scares the hell outta me, and I'd be a fucking idiot to let this go. I'm gonna do whatever I have to do to see you once I go back, cause you're my girl."

I could feel myself getting flushed at the fact that Marshall had just basically said that he wanted to make a relationship work with me. He was really serious about us, and where the future was going to take us. It scared me too, if I was being completely honest. The only person I had ever connected with so much was my dad, and he was gone.