Page 19 of Right in Front of You

“I’m sorry, Carter. No, she’s not. But she’s watching over you, I’m sure of that.”

“My feet are cold.”

“One more step.”

I pushed the door open. Predicting that I’d be dragging his ass back here again, I spread a few towels out in the foyer before heading out to the field. He stood in the middle of the hallway as I peeled the frozen coat off his body. His sweater and shirt were drenched, half-stiff from the cold. Carter’s eyes closed and opened periodically.

“Carter, I need you to follow me, please.” I took his hand and led him to the bathroom, where without asking I swiftly unbuckled his belt, unfastened the single button, and pulled the zipper down.

He didn’t seem to notice so I grabbed the top of his jeans and pulled them down his thighs. On the way to his ankles, as I crouched in front of him, my face met his crotch and my heart almost stopped.

I froze.

Eyes to a perfect V at his waist.

Lips to a lightly sprinkled, perfectly defined pelvis.

I swallowed, the saliva barely passing through my suddenly dry throat, and shook the lusty thoughts away. My breath was so close to him that he must have felt its warmth through his boxer-briefs. Still he didn’t move.

You’ve done this before, Molly.

I might have undressed him and put him to bed before. But judging by the gray shade of his skin and continuous shaking, I’d need to do much more tonight to warm him up.

I opened the tap water, setting it to cool at first.

“Let’s get you in the bath, okay?”

“Only if you’re coming with me, Daisy.”

What?

He was delusional. It was better to go along with the deception of his eyes than to try to explain to him that I wasn’t his fiancée, the woman who’d been carrying his child, and that she was dead. That they were both dead.

“I won’t get in otherwise.” He stomped his foot like a child and then stepped from one foot to another, covering his left toes with his right ones and vice-versa. Desperate to warm him up, I quickly undressed myself to my t-shirt and panties, and Carter followed me into the water.

“Hot.” Carter removed his foot from the tub as if he’d been burnt. To me, the water felt cold.

“It’s not, I promise. You need to sit down, please.”

Ignoring the chills that passed through me at the first touch, I sat at one end of the tub and guided him into my arms. He leaned back against me with a deep sigh, still shivering. I felt like I was pressed against an iceberg. “You’re beautiful, Daisy.”

“Ahm, thank you.”

“I missed you so much.” His voice was slurry. Carter sounded and appeared to be in a dream state.

“I missed you too.” I played along.

“I had a nightmare that a tornado tore through town and took you and our baby away.”

I felt trapped. How was I supposed to tell him that his nightmare was in fact a reality? My heart ached for him, and for Daisy and their unborn child.

“I’m here now, Carter.” I smoothed my fingers through his hair, and he leaned his head back, resting it on my shoulder. His body relaxed against mine. I could feel it getting warmer, but it wasn’t warm enough just yet, and so I drained some of the water and turned on the tap with the red dot.

Carter closed his eyes, his breath became steady, and his skin took on a healthier shade. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it had to be at least an hour before he opened his eyes again, and all the while I kept on warming up the bath.

“Molly?”

“Yes?”

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