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After a long wait, the last part of The Way I Feel has arrived. I'm ready to be done. This one is slightly longer, but not too long. I worked pretty hard on it, and I hope it's a good ending.
As per usual, thanks to the CC makers. My story wouldn't be much without them! Keep it up guys.
Read on!
As per usual, thanks to the CC makers. My story wouldn't be much without them! Keep it up guys.
Read on! "I dare ya." Carter grins. A tremble rushes through me as I stare at the foreboding ship. No way. Uh uh.
"Only if it's a double dare!" I tease. Carter can't actually WANT to go on that... that... thing.
"Deal." His reply suprises me. He must notice the look of absolute terror on my face, because he takes my hand in his.
"Don't worry, I'll be there for you." My fear is immediately replaced with an unmistakable warmth. "Last one there is a rotten egg!" He yells, dashing toward the boat. I laugh, and follow at my own leisurely pace. I marvel at the changes that have occured in that guy in the last year. I shake my head in disbelief. If I didn't known better, I would think that someone had stuffed Carter in a closet and replaced him with this person darting through the sand joyfully. When he first came to my house, never had I thought I would be watching him frolick. Yes, frolick. When I finally muster up the courage to get on the boat, I find him fencing with a fake person. "Hey, watch where you put that thing!" I laugh. He grunts, and thrusts his "sword" at the stick's "stomach". He misses by four inches.
I laugh. "Yep, you're definitely winning." He makes a face and returns the sword to its spot.
"Let's try something else." He says, and heads over to the plank. "You're not gonna..." I say, my eyes widening. What he's going to do, I'm not even sure, but I am sure I don't like it.
"Oh yes I am!" He declares, and begins inching his way out on the slab of wood.
"Are you absolutely sure that's a good idea?" I mumble, my eyes fixed on his feet.
"Not at all." He says, taking another step. And he slips. His feet fly out from under him, and my heart leaps to my throat.
"Carter!" I scream, as he fumbles for a grip in the air. I am certain he's headed straight for the water. But on the way down, the plank catches him straight in the butt. His hands slap onto the sides, holding himself on with a death grip. I begin shaking all over. "Let's not do that again," He says uneasliy, backing off the plank. I just nod, barely able to comprehend the close call. "Now, this is more my speed. No risk of any damage whatsoever." Carter spins the wheel playfully.
"You know, when I look at you, I don't see the same kid that climbed out of my parent's van a year ago," I say breathily. "I see a completely different kid, more of a man. No doubt a much better person." He stays silent for a moment. "I'm not the same kid. I've grown a lot, and though you may deny it, and it may seem weird, you have a whole lot to do with it." He smiles, turning the wheel once more. I grin, and he turns around. Our gazes lock, and the emotion exchanged is beyond words and beyond understanding. I don't even know what it was. All I know is that is gave me a rush from my toes to my head. After our experience being captain, I find a door leading deeper into the ship. "I wonder what is in here?" I ask out loud, to know one in particular. Carter follows me slowly.
"Are you sure it's safe?" He questions, still a little wary after his adventure on the plank.
"Nope, but I will tell you when I get back." I walk briskly, yet somehow tentatively through the door. "Fawn? Are you okay in there?" Carter calls out. I take a quick look around the empty room, before coming back out. "Not TOO much. I'm just not sure if someone so fainthearted as you can handle it." I wink, brushing my shoulder, feigning arrogance. He furrows his brow, but soon realizes I'm joking.
"Ooh, you little!" He says lunging for me. I shriek and dart across the ship and down the stairs, with Carter hot on my heels. Years later I told everyone that was the first time I noticed him chasing me. We are still laughing hysterically as we arrive back at the hotel. I am no longer sure what exactly was funny anymore, but I am certainly enjoying myself. But the moment becomes more intense as Carter places his hand on my shoulder and leans in. "You know, I was wondering," he begins. I can feel his hand trembling on my arm. "Would you consider going out for dinner with me tonight?"
I raise my eyebrows. "Like, on a date?" I say playfully.
"Well, yeah, I guess you could call it a date," he mumbles, looking at the ground. "Of course," I say, and Carter looks relieved. As he removes his hand, I rub the warm spot on my arm. I'm not even totally sure why. Later in the afternoon, after we had both gotten completely ready, Carter comes up to me and asks simply, "Are you ready to go?" I nod, and we set off on the short walk to the nearby restaurant. The walk to the restaurant is a blast. Carter and I have a weird ability to carry on any kind of conversation: comfortable, hilarious, serious, awkward, whatever. In this case, we just wanted to have a good time. So we did!
When we arrive, Carter approaches the greeter and we are seated. I admire the warm atmosphere of the room around me. The booths are a nice cream colour, and they compliment the white tablecloth. There are even little roses in vases on every table. I smile like a little kid as I realize the class of the restaurant. After we had ordered and had been served, Carter strikes up another conversation, this time with more seriousness.
"I wanted to clarify that I really meant what I said earlier." I furrow my brow. "You really have contributed to my, improvement, I guess. I know I wasn't too nice for the first few months I lived with you, and that lead to not many interactions, but these past several weeks have done wonders for me." I blush. "Really," he adds. "I think I've changed too. I used to be a fairly reserved girl, and I didn't get the chance to interact with a lot of kids my age. But after you and Laura moved in, that all changed." I grin. "For the better, that is." We chuckle together.
"Time certainly works wonders. I can't imagine what my life would have been like if I hadn't come to live with your family. I would not be half of who I am now. And I wouldn't have met you." I smile softly. Who knew Carter is such a charmer? The rest of our dinner remains fairly lighthearted. The food is just delicious, and I can't imagine what the bill must look like. We share jokes, and a lot of stories from our childhood. Carter makes me laugh when he explains some of the tricks he and Laura pulled when they were younger. I begin to see how much the death of his mother really impacted him. When he was young, he was an outgoing, playful kid. But after his mother died, he turned into a really shy, almost depressed child. My heart is just filled to know that he has returned to his old self. After our plates have been cleared, there is a somewhat awkward silence. We seemed to have exhausted all "safe" topics.
"What's your greatest fear?" Carter asks, out of the blue. I jump slightly, wondering where that had come from. "I'm just curious." he adds, seeing my confusion.
"Well, I'm always worried whether or not I'll be accepted. I strive for approval, and when I don't seem to get it, that scares me a lot. It creates anxiety for me when I'm in a new situation with no friends. I wonder if I'll be liked, not liked, invited or involved, whatever." I say thoughtfully. "What about you?" I ask, and Carter pauses. He looks up for a moment, thinking hard.
"I'll tell you later," he says slyly.
"No, now! You asked me, so it's my turn to ask you!" I laugh. Carter just shakes his head. He glances out the window behind us.
"Hey, look, it's getting dark. Do you want to go out on the patio?" he says and I nod. I know he's just changing the subject, but I don't care a whole lot. We watch the sunset together, and before we know it, it's dark. I smile at him. "That was gorgeous, wasn't it?" I say slowly, not wanting to ruin the moment.
"Not as gorgeous as you," he says, looking at me sideways. I blush furiously. "Do you have any idea how much I like you?" he asks, grabbing my arm gently. I smile for a moment, thinking his question over.
"Prove it," I say, challenging him. "Are you sure?" he says, moving closer. I nod, trembling all over. His touch sends electric shots up my arm. "Okay," he says breathily. He leans in, and without taking his hand off my arm, touches his lips to mine. If I thought his touch was electric, this is high voltage. All uncertainty of his feelings flee. His kiss leaves no room for questions. I close my eyes and lean into the kiss. He pulls away slightly. "Was that enough proof?" he says huskily.
With my eyes still closed, I say, "Show me again." "With pleasure." He places his hand on the back of my neck and draws me in once more. If his first kiss was high voltage, this kiss should have left me dead. Even in these few moments, I can't believe this is actually happening. Never had I thought... "I believe you now," I say, after we finally move apart slightly. I grab his hand, and he strokes my thumb with his. He moves his hand from mine up my arm all the way to my chin. He caresses it gently.
"You know what my greatest fear is?" he says, staring right in my eyes.
"No," I mumble, lost in the moment. He brings me slightly closer. "I am afraid of being alone. Totally alone. After my mother died, I was terrified that some day, I would be on my own, and scares me to death."
"Carter, as long as I live, I will never let you be alone," I say. I may be mistaken, but I think I notice wetness gathering in the corners of his eyes. "Never."
"Promise?" he asks. "Promise." ~~~THE END~~~
Hope you enjoyed this final part. I wasn't entirely sure where I would end when I began, but this just seemed right. You may find these characters in my future stories with cameo appearances, you never know! Please give me feedback, I want to know what to improve in my next stories. Thanks for reading!
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19 Comment(s) posted so far
On May 28, 2008 babygrl12345 wrote:
Love this story, worth the long wait! kinda sad it's over!
On May 28, 2008 FathomDesigns wrote:
Very good story! I love the ending. It may just be a preference for me, but I think at the beginning, your characters were almost too well-spoken. They almost seemed too old for their age. Maybe that was the impression you were trying to make. It's not that it sounded bad. You write beautifully, but at times it seemed like it could be a tad more "casual". Thanks so much for a wonderful story! I can't wait for others from you soon
(5.0 BTW. I'd give you a 10 if I could!)
On May 29, 2008 wrote:
ahh so cute i love carter!
On May 29, 2008 wrote:
I'm sad it's ending, it was really good though!
On May 29, 2008 arc1801 wrote:
On May 29, 2008 plyangel456 wrote:
Very cute ending! -plyangel456-
On May 29, 2008 cpyle822 wrote:
Beautiful
Great shots :P, wonderful storytelling 
. Keep up the Excellent work 
On May 29, 2008 cpyle822 wrote:
Oops forget to rate...
5.0
On May 29, 2008 Kungfuchicken wrote:
omg omg a clear 5.0!!!!! Well done i have loved reading them!
On May 29, 2008 thekewlestnerd wrote:
sorry to see it end! really enjoyed reading this!
On May 29, 2008 lyndsyy wrote:
On May 31, 2008 aslynstrena wrote:
On Jun 8, 2008 kittykat100 wrote:
On Jun 12, 2008 civetinja wrote:
Great story ! Thanks for sharing !
On Jun 13, 2008 jayb04 wrote:
On Jun 30, 2008 wrote:
I LOVE this story!! So far, it's the best one I've read on this website! I like Time and Trust too, but I have a soft spot for cliches, and this one was a cliche with a twist. And the characters were so cute. Laura was my favorite.
On Jul 2, 2008 xox*LuvRocs*xox wrote:
sweet ending i was exited for the ending and it turned out 2 be awsomely kewl
On Jul 2, 2008 xox*LuvRocs*xox wrote:
On Jul 4, 2008 SuperStar94 wrote:
Awww!
Such a great ending, I am looking forward to reading more of your creations 