At night when she would close her eyes, Allie could see the dark expanse of water all around her. A cold panic would then settle over her as her mind spun out scenarios of what would have happened if Carter hadn't saved her. She had read online that you could survive for days just floating out in the open ocean. She shivered and checked the calendar. She could still be out thereright now.
There was a knock on the door. Allie froze. Was it Bryce? She had sent the threatening emails she received from him straight into a folder so she didn't have to see them. She supposed she should have been monitoring them to see if the threats were escalating.
She pulled out the gun she kept under her bed and snuck closer to the door. She looked through the peephole and breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Carter. She stashed the gun.
He grinned at her when she opened the door. "I brought pizza!" he said.
"Why?"
"Because I like you!" he said, putting the box on the small table.
Allie munched on a piece of pizza as Carter explored her apartment. Not that there was much to see.
"This is such a tiny apartment," he marveled. "Look! I can stretch my arms out and touch both walls."
"It's cozy," Allie said. "The rent is good, and it's close to a subway line. A lot of people would kill for this apartment."
"The bathroom is right next to the kitchen," Carter said, opening the door to the tiny bathroom.
"Better than a bathtub or shower right in the kitchen," she countered.
He lay down on her bed. "Are you going to find a better apartment when you find a new job?"
She knew he was mad that she was even considering not working at Holbrook Enterprises, but she didn't want to have that argument again, so she ignored that part of the question.
"Nope," she said. "I'm already paying a ton for this one."
"So," Carter said, stretching out and looking up at her. "I'm your hero."
She leaned over and kissed him. "I'd have died if it weren't for you. Multiple times."
"You can't die multiple times."
She smiled down at him and touched his bruised face. "You're healing up," she said.
Over the next few weeks, Carter insisted on spending the night in her apartment. It was cramped, but she didn't mind since she was still worried about Bryce, even though she didn't want to admit to herself just how scared she truly was.
They didn't spend all that much time there. The internship program was coming to a close, and she, Liz and Carter were hurrying to finish up any projects they had been assigned.
Allie and Liz also had the couple's shower to plan for Brandy and Fernando as well as the rest of the wedding planning.
"Brandy is mad that her bachelorette weekend was ruined," Liz said. "We need to do an extra-good job on the couple's shower and the wedding. We can't have any more screwups."
She and Liz were crammed into Allie's tiny apartment. They were poring over the spreadsheet and the schedule for the wedding. The TV was on mute.
"Look! You and Carter are on TV!" Liz exclaimed.
Allie rolled her eyes and changed the channel. "It must be a slow news day. They're still going on and on about the crash and the speculation about—" She paused.
"Your and Carter's relationship?" Liz supplied.
"I guess."
"Speak of the devil," Allie said as she heard Carter's signature knock on her door.
After she unlocked it, Carter swooped in and kissed her.
"Hi, Carter! I'll see you tomorrow," Liz said to Allie, grabbing her purse.
