Marly in Pieces by Cathrina Constantine

Author:Cathrina Constantine [Constantine, Cathrina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CHBB Publishing
Published: 2020-07-06T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Past ~ Spring 2014

* * *

Carl is in the cabin with Rae? I didn’t know what or how to react. A jolt charted through my body like a torpedo. She called Carl? Sure, she had a sloppy crush on my stepdad, but I never imagined she’d act on it.

His medical briefcase sat open on the floor, and he was placing an ice pack to her left eye. She covered his hand with hers as if to say thank you. Carl talked compassionately about his suffering patients, and no doubt, seeing my girlfriend like this tugged on his sympathies.

Carl then leaned in to get a look at her lacerated lip. The ice pack that Rae was holding against her eye dropped to her lap as she threw her arms over his shoulders. I almost blew my cookies when she kissed him. It happened fast, and for a fractional second Carl seemed taken by surprise. His fingers rounded her arms and peeled them off.

I’d known how badly she’d been crushing on him, but she’d gone too far. Her audacity had me muttering a tempest of profanity as I nudged through the thorny brambles. Resembling a storm trooper, I tramped around the cabin and threw open the door.

Carl spun on his toes, startled, and with fresh blood sullying his mouth. The kiss had reopened her cut lip. The tips of his ears reddened as he wiped his hand across his mouth.

“What are you doing?” I demanded. The kiss weighing heavy on me, though, I should have thought this through before barging in. Do I verbally assault Rae and add salt to her wounds or pretend I hadn’t seen a thing? For the moment, I chose the latter course of action because I didn’t have all the particulars.

Carl’s lips parted to speak, but it was Rae who said, “Mar, I called him. When I woke up, my head didn’t feel right. I knew you were at school and wouldn’t be able to help me. And I couldn’t stand the pain any longer and I didn’t think I could make it out of here by myself.”

Despite my budding ire, it was slow to dissipate as Rae’s battered face came into full view. “I was worried about you.” Then to Carl I said, “How did you know how to get here?”

Carl’s mouth quirked up, as did his shoulders. “You’ll have to forgive me, Marly. Years ago, I followed you girls into the woods.” My eyes hardened beneath my stern brow. “Hey, I may not be your biological father, but you are a daughter to me, and I had to be positive you kids weren’t getting into any trouble.”

I believed him. “Rae,” I went back to her, “you should have called me. I would have skipped out of school.”

“You’re probably right, but I got scared being here all by myself, in the dark.”

Carl addressed us in doctor mode. “Mind if I continue?”

Deactivating my anger altogether, I went and sat next to Rae on the cot. Carl sponged her split lip with antiseptic and then applied a gooey opaque substance.

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