Don't bless me Father

Eric’s chest tightened at her words, the emotions constricting his lungs. At the sound of her voice becoming mostly air he wanted to reach out - to touch her. “I don’t know, Car. I just-” he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, “I can’t keep on pretending you were never there. I can’t take it.” 

“I can’t promise anything, Clyde.”

When she stopped it was a step in the right direction, but Eric was still trying not to spook her for lack of a better term. He sighed and bit the corner of his bottom lip, “I know that, but c’mon Bonnie - it’s me.” He titled his head, “So, I’m not doing what you wanted, but what’s the point of keeping this up?” 

“Yes it’s you,” Carson agreed with a sigh and she tried to swallow back some of the emotions rolling through her. “It’s always you,” she added her voice barely a breath this time. “What did you except when you came? What did you want from me?”

The nervousness felt like it was rolling off of her in waves. She was good at hiding it - but Eric was an expert at reading her. As she stood he couldn’t help but stand up with her. “Carson, stop that. Please.” he called, sighing, “What isn’t fair about it?” What wasn’t fair was her running from him - running from them. He wasn’t gonna let that stop him. “Jesus - Talk to me. Don’t run from me.” 

Wanting to walk away more than anything Carson forced herself to stop when he asked her not to run. “It’s not fair because I didn’t leave because I didn’t care. I left because I did. You showing up here is just defying what I wanted. It’s just making what I did harder.”

You fell for him because his heart is no heavier than air, because he is so free of ghosts and jagged edges. And you wanted him to love you back because you wanted proof you could be air too. But you’re not, are you little one? You are a church of broken glass and hallelujahs. You are haunted like every other holy thing. What tried to destroy you didn’t have the strength. Still you stand. Sturdy and smelling of smoke.

“You’re right.” Eric admitted, holding up his hands a bit in surrender. It was obvious she wasn’t having any of it with him. “Ah, I see. I thought we were talking tourism.” He trailed off awkwardly as she responded to all of what he said with a blunt, harsh edge. “Hell no - the pizza here can’t be nearly as good as in Vancouver.” He shook his head. He was trying to joke to offset the fact that he was dancing around her question. With a sigh he responded, “C’mon, Car. Who else would I come to Luciole for?” 

“Sure,” she answered when he spoke about the pizza in response to her question. Waiting for the real answer she felt a twinge of nervousness roll through her as she heard him sigh. Immediately she found herself standing and turning away before turning back just as quickly. “You can’t just do that. You can’t show up and say things like that. It’s not fair!”

“Might sound genetic, but do you come here often?” She smirked her lips as she looked over at the person sitting next to her at the bar. “I’m actually genuinely interested because I just moved here and i’m trying to find myself some…. friends,” She said embarrassed.

“Well with that sort of conviction I may have even fell for it,” Carson retorted with a smirk of her own. “But yes I suppose I do. You’re telling me that friends don’t just flock to you? Or throw themselves at your feet? Cause I’m ready and willing.”

“It matters a little bit - don’t you think?” Eric asked. To be honest he wasn’t particularly concerned about her phone at the moment - he was more concerned with the fact that it was her sitting in front of him. He held her eyes as she spoke and chuckled, “When did you become an expert on Grecian tourist merchandise?” He opened his mouth to speak then closed it, contemplating. “It would be a bit hard to get lost and wind up in Luciole.” He ran his hand along his beard once more and shrugged, “Maybe I came looking for something.” 

“I can buy a new one,” Carson stated bluntly not really wanting to discuss her phone. “It’s the shirt the servers wear not merch,” she brushed off without laughing back. She didn’t want to laugh with him. She didn’t want to let herself get close so she could hurt him again. “You came looking for pizza?”

Eric was scrolling on his phone when he heard the person next to him drop theirs. “Ah, damn, it didn’t crack did it-” he began to ask, looking up. It was then that he saw the brunette and he felt like he might drop his phone. But he offered her a smile, “Greece is close to Italy. I could do that.” His eyes scanned her as he scratched the stubble on his jaw, but he tried to remain as nonchalant as possible. 

“It doesn’t even matter,” Carson replied as she reached for the phone and placed it right into her pocket, not bothering to check the screen. “They actually make a big deal of making fun of Italy. Their shirts say something about they may have done it first but we do it better,” she explained unable to look away from him. He looked as good as ever and she felt overwhelmed by his mere presence. “What are you doing here, Eric? Did you get lost” Carson finally blurted.

Eric looked down at his phone and cocked an eyebrow. He was currently sitting in the little park trying to find somewhere to eat. Since he’d just moved into town all of his kitchen supplies were still in boxes and eating out was just the easier option. He felt someone sit on the bench next to him and without looking up he asked, “What’s the best place to grab a bite around here? I don’t remember. I mean, there’s gotta be a good pizza joint - right?”

Not even beginning to pay attention as she sat down with her phone to her ear listening to another person and another request Carson was startled when she heard the voice. Her phone clattered to the ground. Part of her was tempted to just grab her phone and scurry away but she forced herself to remain collected. “I guess there’s the place called George’s downtown. It’s Greek though.”

Traveling is like flirting with life. It’s like saying, ‘I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station.

August came to the surface of the water following the girl that had jumped into the water. “Yeah!” He cheered and smiled. “Everyone else are just boring,” August smirked.

“Usually people are,” Carson agreed as she treaded the water until she found a place she could stand. “Luckily for you I’m Carson Ashby and somewhere in there my middle names are probably danger and excitement or something along those lines.”

“Oh, is that so? And do I happen to be on of those right people?”

“I suspect you very well could be. Care to tell me about yourself so we can find out?”

He froze at the voice - just the person he had been mulling his brain over. The sister he had spent so long searching for but now that she was here, he had no idea what he should do. She was just standing there, not knowing who she really was to him and who he was to her. How was he supposed to break it to her? “….Sorry.” He shook his head, “I was just- I had a lot on my mind, didn’t see the car coming.” 

For some reason she felt a strange sort of protective pull as he answered and she place her hand back on his shoulder. “Come on. You should never have that much on your mind. Walking in front of cars equals a dangerous amount of worrying and you either need a drink or to talk. Either way you are coming with me pal,” Carson explain as she guided him away from the street and back down the sidewalk. “Woah is that what it sounds like when you’re arresting someone? You are coming with me pal,” Carson repeated gruffly with a small smile.