out! Did we not talk about this today? Did I not tell you what the shirt means to me?" Carrie was becoming extremely agitated by Piper's nonchalant attitude.
"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry," Piper said. "I just wish there was some way I could get you to see that everything will be okay."
"Me too," Carrie said, sniffling.
"Want me to come over?"
"No, Jason's going to pick me up soon," Carrie said while burying her head in a pillow.
"Well, when I was sad, my grandfather always used to say this," Piper said. "A penny saved is just another damn thing for the cat to knock off the dresser."
Carrie rolled over on her back and looked up at the ceiling , feeling hopeless. "How is that helpful in any way?"
"I have no idea," Piper said. "My grandfather was crazy. It's the only thing he ever said to me that made even the slightest amount of sense."
Leave it to Piper to make Carrie laugh at a time like this.
Chapter Three
When Carrie saw Jason standing on her doorstep that evening, she understood firsthand the meaning of the phrase "a sight for sore eyes." Hers were definitely sore from crying away half the afternoon, and just looking at him in his American Eagle rugby shirt and rugged FCUK denim jacket, his light brown hair perfectly tousled and his blue eyes all soulful, made her feel instantly, if not totally, better.
"I'm so glad to see you," she said, stepping out and closing the door behind her. It was pouring now, which meant that Carrie had to cuddle close to him under the awning in order to stay dry. Not that she minded. Being next to Jason's warm athlete's body always made her feel tingly all over.
Jason squirmed a bit. "Actually, I was thinking maybe I'd come in for a while."
"Would you mind if we went somewhere else? I've had such a bad day and I'd really like to shake it off," Carrie said. She didn't even bother waiting for a response. Instead Carrie pulled the hood on her rain jacket up over her face and ran down the stairs. The rain pounded against the vinyl around her ears and she ducked quickly into his Jeep, which was double-parked in front of the gate.
Jason climbed in a second later, shook his head, and groaned. "I hate rain."
"You hate it? My hair's been a frizz ball ever since it started," Carrie grumbled. If she had her T-shirt, it might not be sunny and dry, but she'd definitely look perfect right about now. "I must look awful, huh?"
She waited for him to tell her that she was crazy and that she looked amazing, but he didn't even glance in her direction. Unbelievable. Wasn't that standard boyfriend protocol? She started to feel a rumbling in her stomach-- a tell tale sign that she was getting real anxious. Carrie tried to push her concern aside and forced a smile.
"So, where're we going?" she asked, hoping he'd planned a fun evening for them. Thankfully, it was their anniversary. She needed a major distraction.
She needed romantic candlelight. She needed some big-time lovin'.
"Carrie, I'm sorry you've had a bad day . . . but I was hoping we could talk," Jason said, running his hand along the steering wheel, down, up, down, up.
He was obviously nervous. Carrie could see a little bit of sweat gleaming on his forehead.
"Okay ..." Carrie said apprehensively. "Talk about what?"
"About . . . us," Jason said, hazarding a weak glance in her direction.
Okay, bad sign. Jason wasn't a talker to begin with and tonight Carrie was planning on cracking him open and seeing what was inside. But from the look on his face, which was pretty panic-stricken, she had a strong feeling that whatever was happening in his mind was not good at all . Her emotions already raw, she felt her breath start to quicken and began wringing her hands.
"What about us?" she asked.
"I just ... I don't know if it's . . . working out," Jason mumbled while staring out at the droplets popping against the windshield.
Oh my God, this is not happening, Carrie thought.
"What's not working out?" she asked, accessing her emergency calm
"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry," Piper said. "I just wish there was some way I could get you to see that everything will be okay."
"Me too," Carrie said, sniffling.
"Want me to come over?"
"No, Jason's going to pick me up soon," Carrie said while burying her head in a pillow.
"Well, when I was sad, my grandfather always used to say this," Piper said. "A penny saved is just another damn thing for the cat to knock off the dresser."
Carrie rolled over on her back and looked up at the ceiling , feeling hopeless. "How is that helpful in any way?"
"I have no idea," Piper said. "My grandfather was crazy. It's the only thing he ever said to me that made even the slightest amount of sense."
Leave it to Piper to make Carrie laugh at a time like this.
Chapter Three
When Carrie saw Jason standing on her doorstep that evening, she understood firsthand the meaning of the phrase "a sight for sore eyes." Hers were definitely sore from crying away half the afternoon, and just looking at him in his American Eagle rugby shirt and rugged FCUK denim jacket, his light brown hair perfectly tousled and his blue eyes all soulful, made her feel instantly, if not totally, better.
"I'm so glad to see you," she said, stepping out and closing the door behind her. It was pouring now, which meant that Carrie had to cuddle close to him under the awning in order to stay dry. Not that she minded. Being next to Jason's warm athlete's body always made her feel tingly all over.
Jason squirmed a bit. "Actually, I was thinking maybe I'd come in for a while."
"Would you mind if we went somewhere else? I've had such a bad day and I'd really like to shake it off," Carrie said. She didn't even bother waiting for a response. Instead Carrie pulled the hood on her rain jacket up over her face and ran down the stairs. The rain pounded against the vinyl around her ears and she ducked quickly into his Jeep, which was double-parked in front of the gate.
Jason climbed in a second later, shook his head, and groaned. "I hate rain."
"You hate it? My hair's been a frizz ball ever since it started," Carrie grumbled. If she had her T-shirt, it might not be sunny and dry, but she'd definitely look perfect right about now. "I must look awful, huh?"
She waited for him to tell her that she was crazy and that she looked amazing, but he didn't even glance in her direction. Unbelievable. Wasn't that standard boyfriend protocol? She started to feel a rumbling in her stomach-- a tell tale sign that she was getting real anxious. Carrie tried to push her concern aside and forced a smile.
"So, where're we going?" she asked, hoping he'd planned a fun evening for them. Thankfully, it was their anniversary. She needed a major distraction.
She needed romantic candlelight. She needed some big-time lovin'.
"Carrie, I'm sorry you've had a bad day . . . but I was hoping we could talk," Jason said, running his hand along the steering wheel, down, up, down, up.
He was obviously nervous. Carrie could see a little bit of sweat gleaming on his forehead.
"Okay ..." Carrie said apprehensively. "Talk about what?"
"About . . . us," Jason said, hazarding a weak glance in her direction.
Okay, bad sign. Jason wasn't a talker to begin with and tonight Carrie was planning on cracking him open and seeing what was inside. But from the look on his face, which was pretty panic-stricken, she had a strong feeling that whatever was happening in his mind was not good at all . Her emotions already raw, she felt her breath start to quicken and began wringing her hands.
"What about us?" she asked.
"I just ... I don't know if it's . . . working out," Jason mumbled while staring out at the droplets popping against the windshield.
Oh my God, this is not happening, Carrie thought.
"What's not working out?" she asked, accessing her emergency calm
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