Chapter seven. Carly laughed when she bit down on the lime wedge, the tartness nearly bringing tears to her eyes.

Carly laughed when she bit down on the lime wedge, the tartness nearly bringing tears to her eyes.

" God, I can't remember the last time I've done tequila shots." She placed the lime wedge inside the empty shot glass and reached for her beer mug instead.

" Me, either. College? "

They were sitting on the floor of Carly's crowded apartment, catching up. Elsa Sanchez had gotten there early that morning and Carly had helped move her things to the apartment next door. Elsa was nowhere near settled in but they had called it a day and ordered pizza instead. Now, empty beer bottles and a half-eaten pizza lay scattered on the floor around them.

Maybe it was the tequila or maybe it was just being around Elsa after all this time, but the mention of college brought back a flood of unpleasant memories.

" Jesus, Carly, that still get to you? "

Carly nodded.

" I'm sorry, chica. But it's been nearly ten years."

" And it could be a hundred years and it would still get to me."

" But the last time we talked about it, in Austin, you said you didn't even think about it anymore."

" I don't think about it, Elsa, but that doesn't mean that it's not still there. It'll always be there."

Elsa shook her head sadly. After all these years, her friend still couldn't let go of the pain and betrayal.

" She's taken so much of your life, Carly. Why can't you just let it go? "

" I have let it go, I just haven't forgotten."

" And that's why there's been no one else? "

" There'll never be anyone else." Carly sighed. Yes, Carol had taken so much of her life, nearly all of it, she remembered. She looked up and met Elsa's eyes. " Did you know I almost killed myself? " she asked in a whisper.

" Over her? "

Carly nodded. " A few months after she left, I had a bottle...I hadn't been sleeping...I had a prescription...and I had all the pills in my hand, a bottle of whiskey and I just wanted it to be over, " she said quietly.

" Mi Dios, " Elsa whispered.

" She had already taken everything else. My money, my love, my dignity, not to mention a car, furniture and jewelry, why not my life? "

" What happened? "

Carly smiled. " My mother called."

Elsa squeezed her hand.

" Mom could always make me feel better, no matter what. That time was no different." Carly leaned back against the sofa and brushed her hair away from her face. " But I decided that night that I would never, ever give myself to someone again. I will never be used like that again. She took every last shred of dignity I had, Elsa. And she laughed about it. God, I remember how she laughed. I was so stupid. So naï ve. No, I'll never do that again."

" You'll meet someone, " Elsa insisted.

" No. I won't. I don't want to. My life is full. Especially now. I've got this wonderful project here, I'm close to my family again. They've included me in everything. I don't need anyone else in my life. I know that, I've accepted that. Any love I have to give, I give to my nieces and nephews. I'm happy with that."

" Carly, everyone needs someone."

" You're single, " Carly stated.

" Yes, but only because I haven't found Mr. Right. It's not because I've decided there is no Mr. Right and I've quit looking. He's out there somewhere. I just know it."

" Well, I hope you find him. But for me, no. I just can't take that chance again. I lost too much the first time."

Elsa nodded and patted Carly's hand lightly.

" Enough of that. Let's have one more, then I'll flip you for the last piece of pizza, " Elsa suggested.

" Oh, no. No more. I'll feel like hell the way it is. I'm meeting a photographer in the morning. Remember I was telling you about Rachel Yearwood, she's one of our major donors. Well, she said that her niece has volunteered to shoot the promotional material we need, as well as some photos for the Visitor's Center."

" Is she a real photographer or just your weekend variety? "

" I think she's real. Rachel said she does it for a living, " Carly said as she began cleaning up their mess.

" That's wonderful, then. I think it's great that so many people are volunteering for this project."

" Yes. It is coming together, isn't it? "

" Do you need me to come with you? "

" No, no. You have plenty to do here. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll take you on the grand tour. Martin will have all the blueprints. They've run cables and all, but you'll need to take a look and see if there's anything we missed."

" Okay, " Elsa said as she reached for the last piece of pizza. " You weren't going to eat this, were you? "

" My God, we ate a large pizza, " Carly stated. Then she looked at the tequila bottle, nearly half gone. " You're a very bad influence, Elsa Sanchez."

" Be quiet, " she said and shoved the rest of the pizza in Carly's mouth.