Double Trouble

Chapter 7

Summer hit and that meant that touring was getting ready to be in session. She didn't want to leave Mike. Charlotte didn't want to leave Kenzie. The day they had to say goodbye was the worst. It was raining and Carrie and Mike decided to stay in and cuddle on the couch for a while. The girls were upstairs helping Charlotte pack.

"I wish you could come with me on the tour," Charlotte pouted to Kenzie. "It would be so much more fun. There's not ever someone my age to hang out with."

"I wish you could take me with you," Kenzie complained. "I don't want to stay here bored all summer without my best friend."

"Are you worried about my mom and your dad?" Charlotte asked kind of flipping the subject.

"Why would I be worried?" Kenzie questioned.

"They're spending practically three months apart," Charlotte reminded her. "That's a long distance relationship for a long period of time. I'm just scared they aren't going to have the patience to stay together."

"Char, I think my dad is in love with your mom," Kenzie admitted. "I can see it in his eyes the way he looks at her. He talks about her day and night."

"There's no question that my mom is in love with your dad," Charlotte admitted back. "She does the same thing and she's so much happier. Happier than I've ever seen her. I wish they would just admit that to each other."

"Maybe them being apart is going to make them realize it," Kenzie said.

"Maybe," Charlotte nodded shyly. Something was bothering Charlotte. Kenzie could tell by the look on her best friend's face.

"Hey," Kenzie said wrapping an arm around Charlotte.

Charlotte started to tear up, "I just want my mom to be happy and I-I don't want to go through what we went through last time."

MacKenzie kept her arms wrapped around Charlotte as she let her best friend cry it out. She wasn't completely sure what her and her mother went through with the last guy, but she definitely had a feeling it wasn't anything good.

-

"I love touring," Carrie stated as her head rested up on Mike's chest. "But right now I don't want to go."

"You're going to have a blast, Care," Mike told her.

"Can you just promise me one thing?" Carrie asked looking at Mike who was looking at her giving her the okay to continue on. "Promise me that we will talk every day. I don't care whether it's Skype, Facetime, text, phone calls, anything. I just need to hear from you. You're too important to not talk to every day."

Mike smiled down at his girlfriend leaning down to give her a kiss, "Of course I promise that."

"I should probably go help Charlotte bring down her stuff," Carrie said getting up out of Mike's firm grasp wishing she never had to leave it.

"I'll help ya," Mike said hopping off of the couch.

The couple made their way upstairs and down the hall. Carrie knocked on the door and entered the teenager's bedroom to reveal her daughter crying with her best friend.

"Charlotte, what's wrong, sweetie?" Carrie asked rushing over to the other side of Charlotte. Mike sat next to Carrie.

Charlotte cried, "I-I d-don't want what happened last t-time, to happen agai-ain."

Carrie wrapped her daughter up in a firm hug and whispered to her tears starting to form in her eyes, "I promise it will never happen again. I'll do anything and everything I can to make sure it won't happen. I trust Mike. I want you to too."

"If you don't mind me asking...what is this all about?" Kenzie asked. She was always so stubborn and wanted to know everything. Mike shot her a look but then realized Carrie was open about it.

"Um about a year or so ago I had a boyfriend that abused me frequently," Carrie admitted. "The night I told him I was going to press charges he beat me up and beat Charlotte too. Ever since, I think both of us have a hard time trusting guys."

Kenzie held onto her best friends hand as she started tearing up just from hearing the horrible story. Mike gently placed his hand on Carrie's knee and spoke up, "You two need to know that no matter what, I will never let anything like that happen to you. I'm here to protect you and help you. I will never harm you two just like I do to Kenzie. I'm strong in my faith and I know that's what helps me walk in that spiritual direction. I know we are all strong in our faith and I think that's what brought us all together."

"Have you ever heard the phrase 'a couple that prays together, stays together?'" Kenzie questioned.

Charlotte laughed through her cries, "Oh, I hope that's true."

Carrie and Mike looked at each other and couldn't help but smile at their daughters' words. Kenzie and Charlotte helped each other clean up their mess of tears while Mike helped Carrie with her's.

"We probably need to get your stuff downstairs, Charlotte," Carrie said.

Carrie and Mike helped each other with Charlotte's stuff as Kenzie and Charlotte did the last bit of packing. The couple loaded stuff into the car as Mike approached Carrie.

"Care," he said.

She looked up at him as his crystal blue eyes melted her.

"I love you," Mike told her.

Carrie could help but smile wide, kiss him, and burry her head into his chest as she wrapped her arms around his strong figure. "I love you too."