One month later...

Abby walked through the door of her apartment. She felt hands close over her eyes.
"Guess who?" She heard an accented voice call from behind her.
She giggled. "Ummm, Yosh?"
Luka uncovered her eyes and spun her around to give her a kiss on the lips.
"Good day?" He asked.
"Yeah." Abby smiled.
"Abby, can we talk?" Luka’s expression turned serious.
"Sure." Abby said non-chalantly.
Luka lead her over to the couch and they sat down.
"Um, we’ve been dating a long time. And I think by now that we have...strong feelings so each other." He started. Abby nodded her head.
"And, I just want to say, that, I love you." Luka looked into her eyes. He waited.
Abby bit her lip and struggled to say the words back. "I love you too." She said finally.
"Abby, will you marry me?" Luka looked at her with his big eyes.
Abby’s mind raced a million miles a minute. She gasped. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She thought about what it would be like married to Luka.
"No Carter." She thought. She’d never be able to kiss him again. Make love to him again. They’d never be able to touch again. They could only be friends. If even that. "This is what you wanted." She told herself. "To be with Luka, and be friends with Carter. He’d eventually get over you, forgive you, it could be just like it used to be. And you’ll be happy like that."
"Yes. I will marry you." Abby said in the most non-fearful voice she could muster.
Luka grinned and pulled out the most expensive wedding ring Abby ever saw.
"Wow..." She managed to spit out.
They smiled and laughed. Then they made love. And the whole time all Abby could think of was Carter’s face when he found out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Congratulations, Abby!" Chuny exclaimed.
"Wow, that is one big rock!" Randi said, staring over Abby’s shoulder at the ring.
"Yeah, I know." Abby responded. She looked up and caught sight of Carter walking into the lounge.
"Uh, excuse me." She said to the growing crowd of people around her and headed to the lounge.
Abby entered the lounge and walked over to Carter, who was scrounging in his locker.
"Carter, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"What’s up?"
"I...Carter, Luka and I are getting married."
Carter stood up so quickly Abby jumped.
"What?"
"We’re getting married." Abby said again, in a small voice.
"Why? What? Abby!"
"What?!"
"Abby, why are you doing this?"
"Because I can’t spend my life mourning over you!" Abby cried out.
"It was your decision for us to not be together."
"I made the right choice."
"I disagree with that." Carter said resignedly. "I don’t know what else to do, or say."
"Say you’re happy for me."
"Maybe when hell freezes over."
"Please don’t do this." Abby said.
"Fine then, this conversation is over." Carter said and stocked out of the lounge.
"Carter.." Abby flinched when she heard the door bang shut. "That sure went well." Abby told herself and sighed. What was she going to do?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple days later...

Carter walked up to Abby as she waited for the elevator.
"Hey."
Abby looked over at him. "Hey, Carter."
"I just wanted to say I’m not going to be a pain about this. I’ll just try to be happy for you." Carter said, making it fairly obvious he didn’t want to say it.
"Thank you." Abby said. The elevator doors opened. "I’ll see you around Carter."
"Yeah, see ya." Carter replied and Abby stepped into the elevator, leaving him standing alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So when do you want to get married?" Luka asked Abby over lunch at Doc Magoo’s.
"As soon as possible." Abby smiled, thinking "The sooner I get married to Luka, the sooner I can stop thinking about Carter."
"Do you want a small wedding?" Luka questioned.
"Yeah. Just a few people. A simple wedding."
Luka smiled. "Whatever you want."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over the next few months, Abby busied herself with wedding plans. Everything seemed to be falling into place. Abby was sure she could love Luka. She did in a way. He was so sweet. They would be happy together. She never talked to Carter that much after their last talk. And never about anything personal. He still had that sad look in his eyes whenever he looked at her.
It was two days before the wedding. And Abby had never been so unsure in her life.