Todd Dillie handed Carter a glass of Coke mixed with a bottle of vodka he had taken from his father's club the night before. It was the sixth glass she'd had since she got there. His solution to problems had never been alcohol but he was so used to serving sad people at the bar that it was his immediate reaction to her tears.
"Can you tell me what happened yet?" He had been asking that question over and over for the past two hours. The first time he asked, she walked to the corner of his living room and sat down with her back against the wall. The second time he asked she told him to go away. The third time he asked she took her right shoe off and threw it at him. After that, he fixed her a drink.
Half an hour ago he left her alone for a moment to call Zac. It was the only thing he knew to do. He was the one she wanted to talk to. Todd really had no idea why she had come to his house when Zac was the only person she could open up to.
Carter shook her head. "No. But I will take another of these." She nodded and held out her glass to him.
Todd looked down at her and frowned. "You didn't drink it yet."
Carter stared at him for a moment, her eyes glassy and red from crying. She finally looked down at her glass, shrugged, and slammed it in three big gulps. "Ok. Now I'll take another of one of these. Please." She chuckled for a second and then returned to her unblinking stare.
"Please tell me."
Carter sighed. "No. I can't."
Todd sat down on the floor in front of her and took the empty glass out of her hand. He then filled her hands with his own and stared straight into her eyes. "You know, I'm probably the best person in the world to tell what happened."
"Why?"
"Because you don't like me."
Carter shook her head and almost started to cry again. She did like him. She always wanted to hate him, it was easier that way. But deep down she always had a soft spot for Todd. She never acted on it though. That made her even angrier.
"No, really. Think about it." He began, letting go of her hands and smiling. "Sometimes it's harder to open up to people you love."
Carter shook her head.
"Ok then, do you want me to beat him up? Because I will."
She laughed lightly and pushed a tear out of the corner of her eye with her left ring finger. It was the first time in almost a year that the finger was bare. It burned her heart to think about it.
There was a loud knock at the door and Todd jumped slightly in surprise. He sighed then, knowing it was Zac and that he would be taking her away from him now.
He made his way to the door and opened it with a slight smile. "She's over there. I don't know what to do anymore."
Zac nodded and knelt down on the floor next to Carter. "Do you want to go home?"
"Is he there?"
"No. He left about 2 hours ago with Katie. What's going on?"
Carter started crying lightly again at Zac's words. He shook his head and pulled her to her feet. After giving her a long, lingering hug, he walked her to the door. "Hey thanks." He said to Todd. "How much has she had to drink?"
Todd gave him a sheepish look. "Half of the bottle of vodka. It's all I could think of."
He nodded. "Well thanks for taking care of her and calling me."
"Of course." Todd reached out to Zac and handed him Carter's engagement ring.
Zac took the ring and stared at him for a moment before turning around and walking Carter to his car. Todd shouted after him, "Take care of her, Zac."
Zac gave him a slightly confused look. "I will." He answered, as if Todd was insane for ever doubting that.
Another hour had passed when Zac found himself sitting on his bed with Carter laying down with him. She was facing him with her head on his lap. She hadn't cried anymore and he was pretty sure she was so drunk she could barely stay awake. "I need to know."
Carter stared blankly at the wall.
"Car, you have to tell me what the hell is going on." Zac stared down at her. His face was more serious than she'd ever seen before. "Why is your engagement ring in my pocket?"
Carter shook her head. "You'll hurt too."
"What do you mean, I'll hurt?"
She was having trouble getting sentences out. Zac and Katie were still dating. They had been dating for a year. She knew that he cared for her deeply and the thought of breaking his heart killed her. "Zac..." She paused and sat up. "I came home today and Taylor was kissing Katie."
Zac stared at her. His mouth fell open a little and he reached into his pocket for her ring. "So..." He took a deep breath. "Basically, this is going to get thrown out the window."
Carter stared at him. She would have smiled if she wasn't hurting so much. "I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry?" You're not the one that made out with my girlfriend." He thought about that for a second. Normally he would have made a comment like, "Although, that would have been ok." But he couldn't stand to joke. Carter was hurting but he was furious.
Zac was actually surprised at the anger that was filling him up. What surprised him more was the fact that he wasn't angry at Katie. He was angry at his brother for ruining the most perfect relationship in the world. What the hell had he been thinking. He didn't understand any of it.
"I know there's a reason." Carter swallowed back her tears. She was sick of crying. "There has to be one. Although, I've been sitting on Todd's living room floor for the past..." She paused. How long had it been? "Three years trying to figure that one out."
Zac smiled slightly. "Three years, eh?"
Carter laid her head back down on his knee. "I don't know what to do. I want to talk to him because I have to know what happened."
"Why don't you call him? Find him?"
"Because, Zac, my heart is being held together right now with rusty staples and duct tape."
"I know." Zac put his hand on her head and ran his fingers through his hair. It was getting longer. After chopping it off herself, she decided to let it all grow out for the first time in years. She forgot how fast her hair grew. It was quickly approaching the middle of her back.
Carter closed her eyes. "I want to sleep. When I wake up, it'll be over. It will have been a dream. Everything will be ok. Except, I'll be a little hung over and I'll have to pee."
Zac nodded and frowned, resting the back of his head on the wall. He wanted to laugh at her words but he didn't think he had it in him. It tore him apart to see her so depressed. "You sleep. And I will be here when you wake up."
He wasn't sure if she had heard him. She didn't answer him and it would be hours before she finally woke up. He sighed and propped himself up with pillows, closing his own eyes and drifting off into an unrestful, dreamless sleep.