Chapter 4

It had already been two hours since Angela had left and Daniel went to his room, Carter felt awkward, he sat on the couch waiting to see if Daniel would come out but nothing. he wondered what he could possibly do to make up for his fiancée's tantrum but he wasn't sure what to do, what could possibly make up for the way she had acted?

Carter couldn't think of anything. He was sure Daniel would never forgive him for what happened but just as he was sure he would lose his only friend, Daniel came out of his room.

"Danny?" Carter called out when he saw the man and jumped up from his spot on the couch.

"Yeah," Daniel said with a small smile he walked over and flopped down on the couch, Carter nervously took a seat next to him - with how he was acting Daniel couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"Chuckling? So you aren't that mad at me?" Carter asked with a hopeful smile.

"Why would I be mad at you?" Daniel asked, causing Carter to cock his head to the side, his smile wavering a little.

"... Angela," Carter said softly, not sure how to continue his words.

"Ah yeah her... well I am upset sure but I am upset with her but not with you," Daniel said with a shrug, "you know, I have always been quite curious about why you would be with her? like if you love her totally get it I guess? but I know you well enough to know that you don't usually like people who act like her" Daniel asked, he knew he was probably overstepping but he couldn't comprehend why Carter would like someone who acted so entitled.

"Hmm... After my dad passed and left the company to me and my brother, I got so focused on the company that I completely disregarded my life outside of work, I had no social life and the only time I got out was to go to parties for work, so when my mom started worrying about me ending up alone she started setting me up on blind dates, and the worse the dates went the more stressed she became" Carter started to explain.

Daniel had met Carter's mother before and she was one who would easily get worried about her children.

"So with the last date she set me up on I just gave in and started dating her and it turned out to be Angela, I just kept going with it until my mom started talking about when I would be getting married so I proposed, I know I am an ass for just going with it when I don't really feel much for her but I can't imagine life if I were to break up with her since we have been together for about eight years now" Carter completed his explanation.

Daniel sat there speechless for a bit, it started making sense, Carter just gave her whatever she wanted and never cared for what she really did, it probably helped him feel less guilty for not even loving the woman he was meant to marry.

"But from now on, if she ever yells at you like that or makes any offhand comments tell me okay? regardless of your sexuality you are my friend and if she can't seem to understand you aren't here to try and seduce me then I don't think she should be around much longer" Carter said seriously which was a bit of a surprise to Daniel, Carter was willing to end an eight-year-long relationship for him - his friend.

"You know now that we are getting all vulnerable with one another and spilling secrets, why didn't you contact your family when your sister left Andrea on your doorstep? I mean you never speak about them, I just know that you have some siblings but that's about it" Carter asked curiously.

It had been in the back of his mind since the previous day, why was he the first person Daniel contacted and not his family?

"I have siblings... a lot of them, I am the oldest of six siblings, I have a mom and a stepdad, my mom got pregnant in her last year of high school and my father apparently didn't take it all that well and gave up all his parental rights to me, so my mom raised me on her own." Daniel started resting his head back as he thought about the time he was still a young child not being able to do anything for him or his mom.

"My mom gave up a lot to care for me, her family disowned her because she kept me, and then when I was sixteen... she got married again, Abigail - Andrea's mother was the second oldest and a child from my step fathers previous marriage, at first it was just the two of us so we got along quite well but then our parents had more and more children and we became babysitters, we both just wanted to escape, I graduated and moved here and came to the university over here to get away from everything that was too overwhelming to live with" Daniel said with a small chuckle at the end.

"They had more kids once I left and slowly our contact with one another stopped, we never explicitly cut contact but they were more interested in their children together than the two of us so neither of us wanted to be around that, Abi probably left as soon as possible as well and when she got pregnant she didn't know what else to do or who to turn to... she knew I would do anything for her even if we hadn't talked in ages... I am just happy she trusted me enough to leave such a precious gift with me" Daniel said, Carter listened intently, he never knew Daniel grew up in such an environment and it kind of broke his heart because he always found Daniel to be endearing and loving.

"So you didn't contact them because you knew they wouldn't really care?" Carter asked and Daniel nodded.

"It hurts that Abi had to deal with that, but I also know if I had told those two they would only act like it didn't happen so I just decided I would do it, I live here, if Abi ever wants to see Andrea again she can just come to me and I will let her see her daughter," Daniel said with a small smile which Carter mirrored without knowing.

"Such a good big brother, how about we invite her over for dinner at some point? you two can catch up again and she can see Andrea is doing well here" Carter suggested, and Daniel thought about it for a bit.

"That sounds good, I will try and arrange something with her and let you know," Daniel said and Carter nodded a little with a smile.

Daniel already felt thankful for Carter but after being able to be vulnerable with him and tell him about everything, it made him feel even more thankful than before.

The two's cozy and comforting bubble was broken when Carter's phone suddenly started ringing, Carter was sure it would be Angela - he was sure she was calling to complain again - but when he picked up his phone he was surprised to see that it was actually his mother calling him.

He excused himself and went to take the call while Daniel just sat on the couch a little more thinking about everything.

Carter was the first person he had ever told about what his home life was like, he often struggled with guilt, his mother gave up a lot for him to be here but she also always held it over him expecting him to do whatever she wanted without feeling hurt by it.

Daniel didn't have much time to stew over his own feelings when Carter returned with a big smile.

"My mom invited the three of us to dinner," he said leaving Daniel surprised - three of them? 

"My sister-in-law is visiting my mother with my nephews and mentioned Andrea to her and now she wants to meet the little one" Carter explained and Daniel nodded a little, Carter's mother was someone who was quite nurturing so it made sense.

"When?" Daniel asked hoping he would have time to prepare himself mentally.

"Tonight~" Carter sang - leaving Daniel a little shocked, his brain went completely blank with those words.