You Can’t Stop Me Ch. 06

"Carmen, can I ask you something?"

"Oh," Carmen makes in an expectant but unhappy voice. It is almost like she's been waiting for this.

"Why did you go home over Winter Break?" Ashe asks.

"Well, I guess you know why," Carmen sighs.

"What's going on here?" I say to Ashe in a warning tone.

"Bear with me, Rob. Carmen, why did you go home?" repeats Ashe.

"I guess because I didn't want Robert's pity," Carmen responds. "That's not why I want him staying with me."

"Ashe, what the hell are you getting at?" I growl.

"Rob, Carmen's only family in Sanford died last spring. She even sold their house before coming to college. I imagine she spent her break in a hotel room."

"Carmen?" I ask. She lowers her gaze and nods her head. "I don't understand."

"I want you to be with me forever Rob. You wouldn't spend Break with me, even when I begged, but I only want it to be out of love," Carmen admits.

"Your grandparents died and you were afraid to tell me? Carmen, you could have come home with me."

"Robert, I don't want to meet your parents; I only want you," Carmen tells me.

"This wasn't what I was aiming for, you two," Ashe informs us.

"What now?" Carmen sighs again.

"Where did the money for this house come from Carmen?" Ashe persists.

"Ah," Carmen sounds surprised and somewhat embarrassed. No one says anything for several seconds.

"Rob, she gave you every penny she has. Hell, she probably can't afford to go to college next year," Ashe states.

"Why are you saying this?" Carmen asks.

"Rob deserves to know how much you are sacrificing for him, Carmen. Not telling him was probably doing you a disservice. I wanted you to cut yourself a break," Ashe informs her.

"Maybe I have been wrong about you." Carmen looks like she is going to cry. She gets up and comes over to Ashe and hugs her. I mouth a 'thank you' to my best buddy.

I walk Ashe out to her car finally happy that my life is coming together at last. I stand next to Ashe and she leans back against the door. As we breathe out puffs of cold air I smile at her.

"Thanks for being so nice to Carmen," I say.

"Rob, she's insane," Ashe states intensely. "Her grandparents died in a gas leak after she was accepted to school here. I had Vince look at some pictures of missing students and he identified one guy who went missing the week after your birthday as Carmen's attacker. Her mom went missing when all those other people died in that home invasion six years ago. Steve's dead and I have never heard that she has an alibi. All these dead people have Carmen in common."

"But you ... just now inside ... you told Carmen ..." I stammer.

"She's given you everything she has from her virginity to her life's savings. She fanatically devoted to you and will do anything for you, even without your knowledge. I'm not going to do either one of us any good if she decides that I have to go too. I can't beat her if I'm dead."

I have nothing I can say. Ashe kisses me on the cheek, gets into her car and drives away. I try not to stagger as I go inside. Here I find Carmen humming as she is cleaning up dinner so I go up behind Carmen, clear my throat so I don't surprise her and wrap my hands around her midsection.

"How are you doing?" I whisper in Carmen's ear.

"That was fun," Carmen smiles at me over her shoulder. "Having Ashe over made this place feels like a real normal family home. I hope we can do this again soon."

What the hell do I say?