Finding Carrie by C. E. Snyder

get off the elevator, keep your hand in front of your face. I will take care of the rest,” he said and slipped some sunglasses on her face.
    “Why do I have to do that?” she asked, looking up at him though the dark glasses.
    “I will explain when we are in the car,” he said just as the doors opened. She did what he told her, and he pushed her out the door. Just before they reached the door, Isaac bent down. He whispered something in her ear. Aishite imasu . She didn’t recognize the words, but they were somewhat familiar to her.
    They continued out the door. That is when the flashing started, and the people yelled and screamed her name.
    “Carrie, how are you doing?” she heard a voice ask. “Do you remember anything of the attack?” another voice asked. She didn’t say anything. She was confused. Why were these people coming at her with cameras and sticking things in her face? Isaac hurried as fast as he could through the crowd of reporters. She heard Isaac say, “No comment,” many times. She had to close her eyes from the flashes. She kept her head down and her face covered with her hands. She felt Isaac pick her up and put her in the car. Isaac hurried in and shut the door behind him. He looked over at her face. It was confused and worried at the same time.
    “What was that?” she managed to get out, as the car drove away.
    “Those were reporters trying to get your account on the attack,” he said casually.
    “But why would they want that?” she asked, noticing that it didn’t seem to worry him.
    “You are a famous writer, Carrie. This kind of thing happens a lot, especially when you’re releasing a new book,” he said with a shrug.
    “I’m a famous writer?” she asked with an excited look on her face.
    “Yes, you are,” he said, putting on his seat belt and making sure she did the same.
    “Wow.” She leaned back on the seat, wincing from the pain. She turned to look out the window and suddenly remembered the words he whispered to her. She turned her head and looked at him again. “What were those words you whispered to me when we were going out the door?” He turned his head up to her and she could see the worry in his eyes.
    “Do you remember them?” Isaac asked.
    “No, but they seem familiar,” she said, waiting for the answer.
    “They were Japanese,” he said. “I’m half Japanese.”
    “You are?” she asked with a tone of excitement. “I thought that your sister was something like that. You don’t look Japanese, though,” she said, looking closely at his eyes and then away.
    “Yeah well, I have my father’s eyes. I’m the only one who didn’t get my mother’s,” he said, looking down at her hand. It was inches away from his, and he scooped it up to hold it.
    “Oh yeah, I remember your father when he came to see me last night,” she said and looked back at him. “What do the words mean? Did I know them before?”
    “Yes, you did know what they mean, and we used to say them to each other all the time,” he said, looking back out the window. She pulled her hand out of his grip and forced his face back to look at her. He was avoiding telling her what the words meant, and she really wanted to know. They seemed to be something beautiful.
    “Isaac.” It was the first time she’d said his name since her attack. He loved the way she said his name, and he desperately missed it. “Tell me what the words mean. I really want to know.”
    “The words mean ‘I love you,’” he said, and then he turned to look out the window, not wanting to see her face.
    “Oh,” she said. She nodded and returned to look out the window.

 
    Chapter 8
    P ulling up to the entrance of the hotel, Isaac made a sound of disgust at the crowd waiting by the door. “They just don’t know how to stay away, do they?” Isaac asked, turning to look at Carrie. She was wide eyed at the crowd watching the car approach.
    “I’m that famous?” she asked, shifting her gaze to Isaac’s