𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬: 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐊𝐇𝐈

09. | R E - I G N I T I O N

"Not really," Carter said shrugging and then reached out to her, "Come here," he said as she crawled over to him and placed her back against his chest while he wrapped his arms around her and looked at the waves crashing, "Better?" She nodded and smiled a little, kissing his arm and inhaling his scent in his sleeve.

They sat there quietly drinking champagne watching the morning sky as it slowly changed in silence for a long time before anyone spoke. Destini thought about what had happened earlier in the night and it caused her to sigh a little, wondering about the strange girl named Aiko that she had encountered in the bathroom. The way she looked at Carter was odd, the way she spoke to Destini was questionable - - like she knew something - - did she know something, thought Destini, and if she does then what? She sighed and looked up at Carter who was quiet watching the sky beginning to change colors from dark blue to a lighter paler color with other colors intertwined.

"What you thinkin' of," said Carter as he looked down at her and held her closely, kissing her cheek, "Somethin' been on your mind ever since we left the restaurant."

Destini closed her eyes as she felt his lips brush against her skin and sighed again at how Carter knew her so well; he knew when something was bothering her, "Carter," she said as she watched the birds flapping their wings across the painted skies, "Do you still find me as attractive as when you first met me?"

He looked down at her oddly, like she'd lost her marbles and curved his eyebrows at her, "What?" He said, slightly dumbfounded, "Des what kind of question is that?"

"Just answer it," she said as she stared at the ocean spray, seeing the dark blue waves curving and rolling underneath coming in with the tide, "Do you still think of me the same way you used to - - before all this?"

"Of course I do," Carter said as he turned and looked at her, making sure she could see his eyes and hear him loud and clear, "Destini for you to eva' feel like you need to doubt that is beyond me," he said, "Why would you eva' think I didn't find you as attractive as I did when I first met you? Baby, c'mon."

"Sometimes I don't know," she said, "I - - I don't I guess it was that girl," she admitted, knowing that Aiko was beautiful if she was anything - - she was a model for God's sake; Destini had seen her in a magazine a few weeks back so she definitely remembered her face and it was something odd about it all, "She acted like she knew you," Destini said as she played with Carter's fingers, "She looked at you like she knew you before tonight."

"I mean," he shrugged, "Maybe we met before and I don't remember - - I worked with her father and - -"

"Do you think she's attractive?"

"Baby, where's this goin'," said Carter, "Because I don't think I like the way it sounds, ma."

"I'm not the same size I was before the girls," she frowned, "I went like two dress sizes up," she said, "I been working my ass off but it's like I still feel the same way," Carter honestly didn't even notice, "I don't know I just feel like sometimes you do some of the things you do because you don't find me as pretty as before."

"I don't find you pretty," he said looking in her eyes, "I find you beautiful," Carter said wholeheartedly, "Destini you're the mother of my three beautiful girls, you been ridin' with me since the beginning - - since all the money, all the fame, alla that, you was there," he wiped the tear he saw in her eyes, "I got more love for you and my girls than I got for myself - - even beautiful ain't good enough for you."

"You're just sayin' that," she said sniffling, "Cause' I'm sittin' up here cryin'," Destini never really cried in front of Carter - - she always cried alone, "Like a fool."