Wedding Bells

Chapter 4

"Erin are you packed and ready to go or not?" Carter questions as he shouts from the bathroom. I shook my head to myself panicking on how I was going to get all of this crammed into my suitcase before he was finished brushing his teeth. I bite my lower lip, feeling the pain bring my brain back from it's panic state to a place where it was at least somewhat usable.

I shouldn't have bought so many clothes while here in Paris, as now they were overflowing from my suitcase and I couldn't possibly get it shut. I glanced around the room to Carter's, his was unzipped with plenty of space to add more items to it. Was he finished packing though?

"Are you done packing?" I shouted, realizing I should have left him alone. My heart was racing in my chest as if there was a time clock ticking down above my head and I would have to face the punishment if I didn't get my task done before it ran out.

I did a quick search around the room, checking every spot visible for any sign of things Carter would need to throw into his own bags. I couldn't find any. Grabbing a pile of the clothes overflowing from my bag I quickly ran over to his suitcase unzipped it, plopped my own clothes inside before zipping it back up. They fit perfectly. Once this was done I was able to rush back to my back and shove the rest of my clothes back in, finally getting the zipper on my back to shut nicely.

I collapsed on the bed, waiting for him to come out of the bathroom. My hair was in a mess on top of my head and honestly I wasn't going to do anything about it. We were going to be on a fourteen hour flight and that was all you needed to say to make me want to hate my life.

Carter finally opened the door to the restroom, walking into the room to see me laying on the bed like I had just won a war against an army.

"Are you okay?" He muttered walking over to this side of the bed to grab his bag. My heart froze in my chest as he lifted it up on the bed. I forgot he would have to put his toothbrush back. I hoped he would open a different pocket, but that hope wasn't strong enough. I quickly grabbed the sheets covering my eyes as Carter unzipped his suitcase, the pink dress I had bought this week spilling over the edge as if it possibly couldn't hold itself back any longer.

"Erin?" His words were soft and slow, as if it were the calm before the storm.

"What?" I muttered, as casually as I could in the situation.

"Why is there a pile of your clothes in my bag?" I had hoped a smile would appear to his face by this point but I was wrong yet again.

"I don't know," I muttered, trying to make myself sound like a small child.  Carter’s face contorted as he tried his best to figure out how to react to my antics. I couldn’t take my eyes off of his. They were captivating, holding my gaze as if it was the last thing I was going to see right before staring into a car accident.

“Really? You don’t know why there is a pile of small woman clothes in my bag?” He paused for a moment rubbing his thumb across his lip as he looks directly in my eyes. “That all seem to fit you perfectly,”

I shrugged my shoulders, trying my best to keep my composure. He takes a few steps towards me, closing the distance. I shook my head, doing my best to keep the stern look on my face.

“Erin, do you have no excuse for this? I mean unless you expect me to believe that somebody fell through the window and broke into our hotel room?” He pointed towards the open window, as the curtain dance in the breeze gently. The sun was shining, warming everything around us.

“That’s dangerous! We need to get out of here. What if they come back?” I felt the words fall from my lips like poison. I knew he knew I was lying but it still hurt to do that to him. Even if I was only joking.

“I better run down and tell the office right now, grab your things so we can go,” He rushes around the bed and zips his bag back up, containing all of my clothes in it’s safety.

“Nope,” I muttered blocking the door so he couldn’t leave. Carter glances up at me.

“What do you mean nope,” He walks around the edge of the bed once more, closing the distance between us quicker than I had anticipated.

“You can’t tell anyone, what if the guys come back and kill us. I mean obviously they are cold blooded criminals, throwing my clothes in your bag like that,” Carter wraps his arms around my waist as he pulls me into him, his breath grazing my neck.

“Erin, I will protect you with my life,” He whispers as he lifts me from the ground and walks towards the bed. He collapses on top of me, dropping the both of us to the sheets, his lips grazing against mine as he leans into me.

His arms held me tightly as his lips continue to dance against mine. If I could freeze this moment I would. The way his body felt up against mine as we lay there sent flames through my veins. Warming every corner of my body until I couldn’t take it anymore.

Suddenly it stopped though. Carter’s hands removed themselves my from body as he rolls over and sits up on the bed. Looking at me carefully, taking in every detail he could.

His green eyes captured mine, before he smiled, a cynical smile. His hands crashed back to my body, this time tickling every portion of skin they could find until I was twisting and contorting in every direction. Trying my best to get away from him. His fingers torturing my skin, his laughter echoing throughout the room as he held me under his grasp.

“Carter! Stop!” I begged as I tried my best to fight my way out of his grip. Nothing seemed to work though. His grasp on me tighter than I could ever imagine as he continued to work trails of flutters along my body. I was shaking at this point my voice hoarse from all the laughter. Another wave of excitement washes over me before eventually it all slowly fades. Carter had given up.

“You’re lucky I love you,” He whispered planting a soft kiss on my lips before getting up off the bed. My chest was heaving as I tried to shuffle my thoughts into an understandable order. Nothing seemed to work. My body was still trembling slightly but not nearly as bad as it had just been. I knew I would need to peel myself from this bed sooner than later, but the thought of leaving this moment scared me.

Carter and I had been so perfect together on this trip and I didn’t want anything to change that. The time we have spent together has  brought us closer than we have ever been before and it was exciting.

Finally I muster up enough energy to get off the bed. Carter works on meticulously zipping up the suitcase that now housed both his clothes and my spillover. He wasn’t happy I had bought so many clothes while shopping in Paris. I wasn’t sure what he expected from me though.

“Why am I lucky?” I mumbled, my heart aching for another flirty comment. One of those comments that sends your stomach skyrocketing because the butterflies are struggling to get away. I wipe my palms on my pants before heading towards Carter. Wrapping my arms around his neck. His eyes capture mine, and he stares at me as if it was the last time he was ever going to see me. I did the same, trying to remember every little detail of his face possible.

The freckles on his nose, the way his left eyebrow flicks at the end, and doesn’t match the right one. The way his lips curve at the end, into a perfect cupid's bow. How his eyelashes kiss against his eyelid everytime he opens them. Suddenly I felt myself reaching for my own eyelashes, they weren’t nearly as long and a little disappointed I put my hand back around him.

“Because I will forever allow you to sneak your extra clothes in my suitcase. Actually I promise to always leave you spare room in my suitcase just for that very reason,” I could feel the blush rising to my cheeks. Carter leaned forward planting a kiss on my lips, his arms tightening around my waist. After he pulls away, i’m left gasping for breath. Like the life had been sucked right out of me.

“We need to get to the airport sweetie,” Carter muttered, pulling me out of my transe. I wasn’t eager for the flight. My body aching just thinking about having to sit in those seats for over nine hours. This was the worst part of traveling. I groaned and grab my suitcase off the bed, the wheels hit the ground with a thud showing how heavy it truly was. I slip the handle out and take a few cautious steps towards the door, scanning the room to make sure we didn’t miss anything. Carter did the same with his bag before meeting me at the door of the hotel room. Giving me one last kiss, we grabbed our things and left.

*~*

“That plane ride was horrible,” I groan, getting cosy in Carter’s arms as we wait for the baggage wheel to start spinning. My eyes were heavy, the jacket wrapped around me allowing almost enough comfort to fall asleep standing in my soon to be husbands arms.

“You're telling me,” Carter whispers, doing his best to rub the lingering sleep out of his eyes. I crane my head up to look at him, the tired bags growing under his lids. He obviously didn’t sleep very well on the plane. Luckily for us we would be home soon, and even though it was time to get up in Paris, we wouldn’t find it that hard to sleep tonight.

The carousel startled me as the first large bag comes crashing down the belt and into the sidewall to keep it from falling off. I shook my head, allowing Carter to unwrap his arms from me. He takes a few steps forward. Watching carefully for our bags, just like every other overly tired passenger. I can feel a sense of anxiety piling in my chest as we wait. I always hated this part, always hated wondering if someone was going to accidentally take my bag, or if they got lost. International flights were the worst for this as everyone was so tired they can barely remember their own name, and the odds of losing your luggage are substantially higher.

Carter must have spotted something, as his shoulders quickly dropped and he moved forward to jump into action. Pulling the first bag off the belt, he then reached for the second one. Meeting me as soon as he could with both of our bags.

“Ready to go,” He mumbled pulling the handle out of his bag and heading towards the taxi pick up spot.

It was only a thirty minute drive from the airport to Carter’s house. Traffic wasn’t bad at this time of night and things seemed to flow perfectly for us. With my head leaned against the window I could barely remember more than a few seconds at a time. I was ready to get home and to get into my very own bed. Or at least Carter’s bed, the one that will soon become mine as well. Shaking my head, I did my best to keep myself awake for the last few minutes of the ride.

    The driver carefully pulled up to Carter’s driveway, and Carter was the first to get out and grab the bags from the trunk. I managed to wake my bones up just enough to pull myself out of the car. My legs were aching, my arms numb, my body stiff. Everything felt like I had been hit by a freight train. A good night's rest was exactly what I needed.

    I groaned, realizing that I had to get up in a few hours to start another day of work. I knew I would curse myself for scheduling things so close together, but I couldn’t possibly give up that extra day with Carter to just be ourselves before Hell Week was in full swing.

    The amount of prep work that was waiting for me in the  morning could scare any normal human away. But that was something I would worry about in a few hours. Right now I just needed any ounce of sleep I could possibly get.

    Carter quickly unlocks the front door and we head inside the cozy living room area. Kicking my shoes off I begin towards the bedroom. My mind was a blur and there wasn’t any time to talk. I needed sleep and I needed it a few hours ago.

    Unlike Carter I had actually managed to get a few hours on the plane. But none of it was the best, or most decent sleep in the entire world. It would help, but I needed more. Carter followed me after locking the front door and pushing our things to the side to be dealt with at another time. Pulling back the sheets of the bed he collapsed in the warm softness of the blankets, and I wasn’t too far behind him.

    I was nearly out once my head hit the pillow, I hadn’t even changed my clothes and I didn’t think I was going to. There was no reason at this point. I’d be up in a few hours, showering and getting ready for work. I’d change then.

    “Did you have fun on our trip?” Carter groans. Burrying his face into the pillow a little further. His eyes were closed so I froze for a moment trying to figure out if he was sleep talking or really asking me the question.

    “I did, I loved every second of being with you,” He smiled slightly, his face sinking further into the sheets.

    “I had another question for you, but I think I forgot what it was,” His voice was soft, and slow, his breathing matches. He was clearly falling asleep. His brain now working as well as he would like it to in this very moment. “Oh yeah,” His one eye flicks open as if he suddenly had a new wave of energy. I turned to watch him, laying myself opposite in the white blankets.

    “Well, what is it?” I don’t know if my words sounded harsh, or if they were just strewned with exhaustion.

    “When are you moving in with me?” Carter whispered, as if the question had the weight of the whole world on its shoulders. I glance towards the ceiling. Realizing I hadn’t even thought about moving. I didn’t want to make the same mistake with Carter as I had with Andrew. Moving in too early had really showed me that I wasn’t meant to be with him. But maybe we would have lasted if I had waited to move in until after the wedding. Then his mother wouldn't have viewed me like a tramp.

    But with Carter there was no fear that we would last. But for some reason I didn’t know what to tell him. My heart racing, my mind running just as fast trying to come up with an answer. I didn’t want to mess this up, but I couldn’t move in until after the wedding. That should be fine right? He should be okay with that? I practically live here already, it’s just a matter of bringing a few items over. I had really gone through everything I owned the last time I moved and thrown most of it away. Not wanting to deal with all of that again.

    “After the wedding,” I whisper. Hoping he would be asleep and not hear me. His eyes were wide open and he was staring at me as if he had seen a ghost.

    “Why wait?” He questions, his eyes flicking back and forth between mine. Like he couldn’t focus on something.

    “I just, don’t think i’m ready yet,” I realized as soon as the words slipped out of my mouth that I was going to hurt him. I quickly shot my hands over my lips, my eyes clenching shut as I mentally kicked myself. That was the worst thing I could have said. My sleep deprived mind was killing me and I really just needed to sleep. But something in the pit of my mind had messed things up for me and I wasn’t sure sleep was going to be an option tonight.

    “You aren’t ready to live with me?” Carter’s words were slow, his mind racing with so many thoughts.

    “That’s not what I meant, I’m sorry, can we please just go to bed,” I moaned, trying my best to fix the situation without having to figure it out tonight.

    “We are getting married in two weeks, and you aren’t ready to live with me,” He paused for a moment, each word hurting more than the last, “Well, are you actually going to marry me, or you going to leave me behind like Andrew, it this going to be a new trend,” I could tell he was only saying what he was due to the sleep. His words slicing through me like a knife. My heart aching at the thought of his words. He was angry, very angry.

    “I promise Carter, that’s not what I meant,” The hot tears begin to form in my eyes, my mind shutting off, I could feel the sleep taking over me. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to fight this at the moment. I needed sleep and I needed to get my mind about myself.

    But Carter wasn’t willing to wait.