AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I messed up,” she whispered.
Carson gazed at her, really looked. She was beautiful, even though she didn’t wear a speck of makeup, and her eyes were red, and she was trembling. He hated that she was in pain, hurting, and he wanted to somehow fix it. Tell me what to do, he wished he could say.
“You didn’t mess up,” he said finally, wanting to pull her into his arms, but she’d ignored all of his communication for the past two days. So he was treading carefully here.
She sniffled and brushed at her eyes. “I did, and I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me.”
“Evie,” he rasped. “I could never hate you.” He wanted to reach out, to touch her, to somehow comfort her, but he didn’t want to push her.
Her watery eyes met his. “Everything you did in Prosper was to help me. You confronted my brothers. You helped me realize the things that happened in school weren’t right. You . . . believed in me.”
Could a heart break while someone was still standing upright? “I still believe in you, sweetness.”
“But I ghosted you, and you still texted me last night, and you’re still . . . you.” She motioned to his person. “You’re the best guy I know other than my brothers—who could learn a lot from you. Even before you knew me, you actually cared, and you’re . . . I don’t know, maybe too good to be true.”
The weight of her words was crushing his heart. How could she think so little of herself and so much of him?
“I thought that maybe I like you so much because you’re my first kiss.” Her cheeks flushed pink as she said this. “So I thought I’d come back to campus. Get some distance from my family, from Prosper, even from you. But it wouldn’t go away.”
When she didn’t elaborate, Carson asked, “What wouldn’t go away?”
“My feelings for you,” she whispered, looking down as if she were embarrassed by her confession. “I thought it was a crush, but I’ve had a bunch of those, and you’re way more than a crush.”
Carson couldn’t help smiling, even though he probably shouldn’t. In fact, he wanted to laugh, then pull her into a tight hug. And when she was done crying, he’d kiss her senseless.
“That’s the best thing I’ve heard in a long time, Evie—maybe ever,” he said.
Her gaze snapped to his. “You don’t hate me?”
“Why would I hate you?” he said, brushing her fingers with his.
“Because I’m a train wreck, and I’m painfully naïve, and I need someone to fight my battles for me.”
He threaded their fingers together, and her hand tightened about his. “You’re already fighting your own battles, Evie, I’m just carrying your sword when it gets a little too heavy to wield alone.”
Her blue eyes filled with tears again, but this time, Carson didn’t keep his distance. He leaned close and pressed a kiss on her forehead.
Evie’s arms slipped around his waist, and she buried her face in his chest. She wasn’t crying, but she was trembling. He drew her flush against him and rested his chin atop her head.
She clung to him for a long time, and Carson didn’t mind in the least. He moved his hand along her back, stroking until her trembling stopped, and her breathing calmed.
“Want to come inside?” he asked after a long while.
No one had come up or down the stairs, but that could change soon.
“Okay,” she murmured, then drew away.
She still looked like she’d been crying, but there was a softness about her expression now.
“And if you can wait a few minutes, I’ll shower, and we can go get breakfast.”
The smallest smile appeared. “You are kind of . . . fragrant.”
Carson chuckled. “No doubt. Sorry about that.”
She shook her head, her smile growing. “Don’t apologize. You give the best hugs. Sweaty or not.”
Carson would take her smile any day. He reached past her and unlocked his door, then pushed it open. He followed her inside, flipping on the lights. He didn’t have a roommate; that had all changed when he transferred schools. He wasn’t interested in keeping track of another person’s social life or fighting for time to himself.
