Temporary Pain

Chapter Two

I barley survived seeing Amy for the first time in her dress. But I was positive I would not survive the rest of dinner. Her legs were crossed and her dress kept sliding up her thigh. Exposing more and more skin.

I picked up a breadstick to distract myself with. "Are you gonna tell me your good news?"

Huh. I forgot. "Well, do you remember all those months you barley saw me?" I asked. "How could I forget. I only saw you five times in six months," she said glaring at me. I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"I was undercover. Working for Quince Lupo," I explained softly. She gasped. Quince Lupo was a mob boss, and responsible for more deaths in a year than there were in the last five years. "Holy shit Carson! Why the hell didn't you tell me," she said angrily

"I couldn't, not until he was arrested," I said. A smile broke out on her face. "So I was right! You were happy because you arrested someone. Oh I'm so happy for you," she said standing up. She hugged me tightly.

We ate in comfortable silence. "I can't believe it's actually been two years," Amy said suddenly. I nodded. It was a hard pill to swallow. Yesterday, two years ago, I talked to Derek like we usually did. Then the next day my phone rings, and it's my mom telling me my best friend is dead.

God I will never forget it.

My phone rang and I answered like I usually do. "Andrews," I said as the Detroit Tigers made a home run before the New York Mets could catch him. I threw my fist in the air at the victory.

"Carson, it's your mother," my mom said softly. I nodded them remembered she couldn't see me. "Hey mom, what's up?"

She choked on her words so I didn't hear her at first. "What?"

"I'm so sorry Carson, Derek is dead," she cried. The beer in my hand crashed to the floor. "W-what?"

"I'm so sorry baby," she sobbed. I sunk to the floor leaning my back against the refrigerator. The phone crashed to the floor next to me.

I placed my head in my hands. Then the anger came. I stood up and threw a plate at the wall. It shattered. So did all the rest. Just like my life. I heard my mom shouting through the phone when she heard glass break.

I fisted my hair and pulled. Allowing the pain to distract me. One pain to replace another. "Fuck!" I shouted at the room. At my life. At Derek. At God.

"Fuck fuck fuck!" I shouted again as I punched the wall with each word.

"I think he would have been proud of us. Getting this far I mean," Amy said dragging me out of my thoughts. I sighed heavily. "I think he'd be proud of you. You've done a lot of good Amy Hudson," I said honestly. Her cheeks reddened.

Damn. She's so beautiful. "I've done a lot of good? You just arrested one of the biggest criminals in America Mr Detective Man," she said laughing.

I shook my head slightly. "Oh but I've done to much bad for it to matter." Her gaze narrowed.

She knows exactly what I'm talking about. The fork in her hand bent under the amount of pressure forced upon it.

Good. She should hate me. "You are such a dumb ass Carson Andrews."

"What?" I asked. I was definitely not expecting to have my intelligence insulted. "I've told you once, I've told you twice, and I'm gonna tell you one more time. Derek was not your fault. There is nothing, nothing Carson that you could have done to change that. And for the crap that happened when you were a kid? You were raised by a piece of shit that didn't teach you any better. No one blames you for that. No one except you," she said in one breath.