Message in a Bottle

Chapter Eighteen
Once I finished crying I went down to the cafeteria to get some food. I sat in the courtyard as I played around with an apple I didn’t feel like eating.
The courtyard was a beautiful and relaxing place. It was filed with flowers that attracted butterflies of all colors and had a nice little stone water fountain and pond that created a soothing sound. I kept my eyes shut and listened to the water and inhaled the fresh air but knowing that I was still in the hospital full of sick or dying people twisted my stomach and ruined any chances of tranquility.
“Morgan.”
My eyes shot open and I turned around and watched Carter as he made his way to my bench and sat beside me. I instantly stood up and walked away with my apple.
“Morgan, what’s wrong?” he called, rushing after me.
I spun around, my face livid. “Did you really just ask that question, Carter?”
“Okay, I’m sorry I haven’t spoken to you since Thursday night and I’ll explain that and I’m also sorry about Ben. Happy?”
I began breathing heavily, the rage in me just boiling. I squeezed the apple in my hand and it literally felt like it was about to burst into juice but before that happened, I wanted to throw it at Carter’s face.
“Morgan, please,” he begged, reaching his hand out.
“Don’t touch me!” I grumbled, leaning away.
“Morgan….” He whispered, reaching out again.
“I said, don’t touch me!” I yelled, throwing my apple down at the ground.
He looked back and forth across the courtyard, checking if anyone noticed the scene I was making. “It was my mom,” he said calmly. “My mom didn’t want me seeing you, okay?”
“And you listened to her?!”
“I had to, she’s my mom! Just because you’re disobedient does not mean I am! And how can you get so worked up over something like this? You’re blowing it wildly out of proportion! Will you just calm down?”
His words was like a slap in the face. “Don’t ever speak to me again,” I hissed. “I’m done with you.” I bumped him with my shoulder as I walked past him, the tears spilling over once more.
Then Carter ran in front of me, his face sincere. “Morgan, I’m sorry…. I don’t know why I was acting like that. It’s not me. Maybe it’s just because my mom is so… ugh! I’m so tired of her controlling my life. I had to sneak out just to see you and we were supposed to leave back to the mainland ten minutes ago. It’s probably because of the fact that I’m going away now, that our week together is over and only God knows when the next time I’ll see you. I’m really sorry. Please forgive me.”
He stared at me for a while as I thought about it. “I forgive you,” I whispered.
He smiled, picking me up and spun me around.
“And I’m sorry, too,” I said. “I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you like that. I guess I was just so frustrated that you weren’t there when I needed you to be and that you’re leaving today and that Ben’s cancer is getting worse. It’s just so much to cope with. It’s not like I haven’t had bad things happen to me before it’s just that there’s only so much that a single person can handle…. And I’m just not sure I can handle a relationship,” I whispered, looking up at him to see his expression. He looked down at me, confused. “There’s just so much going on in my life right now that I can’t afford being in a relationship nor can I handle a long-distance relationship. In the beginning I didn’t really think about the situation we’d be in now. I didn’t really think at all. I guess that when I read your message in the bottle the little girl in me just took over. Carter, we’ve only known each other for six and a half days. That’s hardly enough for a regular relationship between two people to even start in the friend-zone…. But our relationship isn’t regular. Something brought you to me and me to you and it wasn’t very long until I… until I fell in love with you.” His eyes widened and even I was surprised by the words that just came out of my mouth. “But the last thing I need is a relationship because each and every minute we’re together I fall even more in love and I can’t handle taking this even further and not seeing you occasionally. So it’s best just to end things off here…. I really do hope you understand, Carter.”
It took him a while for him to find his words. “Uh… yeah. I… uhm… I understand.”
“Thank you so much, Carter. I really do hope we meet again.”
He forced a smile. “Me too.”
I smiled back at him, trying to avoid his red eyes. “Goodbye, Carter,” I whispered.
“Goodbye, Morgan.”
I turned around and headed for the doors out of the courtyard and back into the hospital. Right when I turned away from him, the crying started once again and it was these tears that I couldn’t restrain. It was these tears that not even in my years of training could I hold back. It was these tears that caused me pain. And it was these tears that symbolized a broken heart.