Chapter Seven: The Price Of Being A Carter
Steve sat consumed by the mystery of Sarah's sudden
return, absently twirling a pen between his fingers. The conference room had
emptied, but he remained, surrounded by scattered papers and half-empty coffee
cups. His mind replayed the moment she had walked into the compound. The shock
of seeing her in person after so long still reverberated through him.
He stared unseeing at the smartboard, its scrawled
notes and diagrams blurring into meaningless shapes. How many times over the
years had he imagined her walking through those doors again? And now here she
was, in the suite adjacent to his, as if the past five years had never happened.
A sudden snap inches from his face jolted Steve back
to reality. He blinked rapidly, focusing on Nat’s suspicious disposition.
"Hey! Earth to Rogers," she said, lowering
her hand. "I've been talking to you for the past 20 minutes. What's up
with you today?"
Steve straightened, clearing his throat.
"Right, sorry. Just... reviewing the notes."
Nat’s eyes flicked to the untouched notepad in front
of him, then back to his face. Her lips quirked knowingly. "Sure you were.
Not like the two Carters are running through your mind at dizzying speed."
Heat crept up Steve’s neck. He busied himself
gathering his things, avoiding Nat’s too-perceptive gaze. "No, it’s not
like that. I just…”
She arched an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "Alright,
out with it," she prodded, leaning in closer. "You already told me
about the whole legal team thing. You may as well tell me what’s eating at you."
"Sarah said she came home because she couldn't
miss the wedding..."
Nat nodded. "Right, as far as we know."
"Natasha, she only found out about the wedding the
day she returned. An invitation was sent to her hotel room. The timing doesn't
add up. She's lying… Why would she lie to me?"
Before Natasha could respond, Tony entered the room,
his usual swagger slightly subdued as he glanced between the two of them.
"What are you two talking about so seriously?"
Steve seized the opportunity to address Tony. "Tony!
I think it's safe to assume you and Fury discussed Sarah's return?”
“We did.”
“Well, did he say why? 'Cause it for damn sure isn't
about the wedding."
Tony's expression faltered for a moment, guilt
flickering across his features before he quickly composed himself. He turned
away slightly, attempting to conceal his reaction from Steve and Natasha, but
Nat, observant as ever, caught the telltale signs of Tony's discomfort.
************************
Meanwhile, in the heart of the Upper East Side,
Sarah found herself ensnared in a heated debate with her formidable aunt and
manager, Lily. The surroundings of Lily's office exuded power and prestige,
with walls adorned with glamorous photographs capturing moments of triumph and
glory… Like the day Sharon received her Medal of Honour.
"I've patched things up with pretty much
everyone back home, just as I said I would," Sarah asserted, her calm
exterior almost giving way to her frustration.
But Lily's expression remained as unyielding as the
marble statues adorning the building. "And what about your sister? I've
yet to see a single photo op of the Carter sisters reunited."
"You can't be serious!" Sarah scoffed.
"Oh, as a heart attack, dear child. This
was your choice. Remember that. You denied our family's legacy
to pursue this career… But remember, you still carry the Carter name. So you'll
do whatever it takes to succeed in this industry," Lily admonished,
slamming Sarah with generations' worth of expectation.
Sarah winced at Lily's words, the far-too-familiar
sting of inadequacy eating at her. Doubt and insecurity paraded through her
mind, taunting her with questions of whether she’d ever live up to the Carter
name.
"Aunt Lily, I'm giving this my all," she
pleaded, unintentionally using the honorific.
But Lily showed no signs of backing down, delivering
yet another blow to Sarah's already fragile confidence. "You may want to
try harder, dear. We wouldn't want people thinking you're content to coast on
your looks."
Sarah felt a surge of indignation rise within her,
unable to remain silent in the face of Lily's criticism. "Hey! I have
worked hard to get to where I am right now!" she exclaimed, her voice
trembling.
"…And yet, you're typecast as nothing but a
ditzy blonde. You're rom-com fodder, Sarah," Lily stated bluntly, pushing
Sarah to the brink of tears. "This is the only way to be taken
seriously."
Feeling defeated and frustrated by the limitations
placed upon her, Sarah struggled to find the strength to push back against
Lily's expectations. But deep down, she knew that she couldn't continue to
sacrifice her authenticity for the sake of success. Even if it meant
disappointing her family, tainting the Carter name with failure.
In a trendy little restaurant nestled in the heart
of the busiest tourist district, Sharon and Steve made a public appearance,
strategically seated in the most exposed part of the establishment.
"I feel like I haven't seen much of you
since Her Majesty arrived," Sharon remarked, her tone
carrying a slight edge as she referred to her sister.
Steve chose to brush off the jab, unwilling to
engage in their sibling rivalry. "Yeah, I guess I'm still adjusting,"
he replied casually, hoping to steer the conversation away from any potential
conflict.
As Steve spoke, his mind wandered to Sarah, the
woman who had once been his closest confidante. Memories flooded back… laughter
shared, secrets exchanged, dreams discussed. But those moments felt like
distant echoes now, overshadowed by the pain of her sudden departure years ago.
He couldn't help but wonder what could have been, what they could have shared
if circumstances had been different.
"Adjusting to what, exactly?" Sharon
chuckled, attempting to sound nonchalant. "Having Sarah back or being
bombarded by constant paparazzi?"
"I don't know. Both, I guess... Nothing I can't
handle though," he offered, taking a sip of his drink to mask any unease.
"You're such a genuine soul, Steve Rogers...
But let's be honest, you're not much of a liar. So, spill. How do you really feel
about my sister's grand return? It's got to be stirring up some old emotions
and memories... We all remember how close you two were before she pulled her
vanishing act."
Steve hesitated, feeling Sharon's gaze on him as he
pondered his response. "If you really must know... I think too much time
has passed. We're on talking terms, I guess, but things feel different now. I
tell myself she's matured, grown independent... less reliant on others. But
there's something else lingering there, something I can't quite put my finger
on. Or maybe I'm just overthinking it, and we're simply two ships passing in
the night."
Sharon reclined in her seat, a soft smile on her
lips. It seemed Steve's response satisfied her curiosity, at least for now. But
deep down, Steve struggled with the persistent uncertainty that Sarah's return
had stirred within him, tugging at his heartstrings in ways he wasn’t prepared
for.
After their date, Steve dutifully escorted Sharon
back to her apartment building. As they stood outside her apartment, an
awkward tension hung between them. Not the butterflies-in-the-stomach kind of
tension one would expect after a date, but rather silence-inducing tension.
Steve shuffled his feet, hands shoved deep in his
pockets. His eyes darted everywhere but at Sharon… the crack in the doorframe, the
flickering bulb in the hallway, the little bruise on Sharon’s wrist. Anywhere
to avoid confronting the elephant in the room.
And as Sharon fiddled with her keys, the metallic
jingle filling the silence between them, her fingers tightened around the
edges.
"Thanks for dinner. It was... nice."
"Yeah, yeah, it was good. They chose a good
spot this time."
"And thank you, again, for opening up to me
about Sarah. I know it couldn't have been easy. I mean, I remember when–”
"Please," Steve interjected softly, his
expression pained. "Let's not dwell on the past. I've been trying my best
to keep those memories at bay."
Understanding his discomfort, Sharon reached out and
squeezed Steve's bicep reassuringly. "I appreciate you trusting me with
this, Steve."
He responded with a tender smile, his eyes
reflecting affection. "You're kinda the only one I can truly confide in
about all this, given our situation," he confessed, his tone laced with
vulnerability. "Not that I mind, of course. After all, you are my
fiancée," he added with a playful grin, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Ah, I'm glad to know I still hold a place in
that pretty little head of yours."
Steve shuffled his feet nervously, feeling awkward
under Sharon's loving gaze.
"Steve, come on, I'm teasing you."
Despite their attempts to lighten the mood, the
awkwardness persisted between them, their conversation falling into an uneasy
rhythm. They were far from the picture-perfect, loving couple they were
expected to be as newly-engaged partners.
"So... are you coming in...?" Sharon asked
tentatively.
Steve's response was immediate. "Yeah... because that's what couples do,
right?"
Sharon chuckled softly, her grin widening. "So
I'm told..." she teased, playfully nudging him as they made their way into
her apartment, leaving behind the awkwardness of the moment outside in the
hallway.
Watch Episode 7 Here:
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