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“No, my dad told me. He didn’t want me to hear it. I cried for days, Carter. It felt like my world had ended.” She wiped tears from her cheeks. “I have to go and get my stuff, although I have no idea why I should even bother.” She got up and pushed past me, slipped her shoes on, and walked to the door. “Oh, and before I forget, your neighbor returned your boxers.” She walked out the door, slamming it behind her.
I stood there in a daze. She had never gotten my message. Her father had lied to her. Lied to her to take her away from me. He really didn’t think I was good enough for her. I stood there, letting that sink in for a moment. Once the realization hit, I headed out the apartment door and across the hall, and knocked on Felice’s door, for a totally different reason than finding out why she showed up at my apartment door with another man’s boxers.
Chapter Seventeen
Carter
Ihad felt better aftertalking things through with Felice. She may be a bit of a tease, but she was my best female friend, and she knew a lot about my past relationship with Hope and what had happened. Just like my brother though, she had told me to tread lightly, not to let myself get involved with Hope, and I was doing my best to follow that advice. I had spent most of the following week out of the apartment either working or studying. But the nights we were both home proved to be the hard ones as I watched her prance around the apartment half-naked, in those tiny little shorts and tank tops. I was at the point that I couldn’t take it much more. I wanted her, and if I was in the apartment while she was still up, I could barely concentrate on anything else.
I sat at the library table. I was supposed to be studying, but instead I was stuck on her Facebook profile. I had friended her again, and now I was checking to see if I could find out her relationship status. Since the last post before her status update was one of her and Trent at the movie theatre a little over three weeks ago, I took that as she was still involved. I huffed out my disappointment, threw my phone on the table, and opened my textbook, trying to bury myself in studying. My last exam was tomorrow, and I needed to pass it in order to take the BAR exam at the end of summer. I had just gotten into the material, finally being able to shut my head off, when someone gripped my shoulder.
Hunter walked around the other side of the table, spun the chair around, and straddled it. “What are you doing here?”
“What’s it look like?”
“It’s just, you normally study at home, not here. You always complain that it’s too noisy.”
“Yeah well, it is noisy, but my apartment hasn’t exactly been quiet lately either, so I came here.”
“Is everything okay? Sounds to me you’re avoiding being at home.”
I ran my hand over my face and leaned back in my chair. If only he knew. “There may be a good possibility that I am.”
“Why?” he asked hesitantly. I looked up at him, and from the look on his face, he already knew what the problem was. “You invited her to stay, didn’t you?”
“I couldn’t help it. I went back the other night to make sure she would be okay to walk home. That was the only reason, I swear. When I got there, ole Pete was making advances, so I waited for her. I was just going to walk her home, Hunter, that is all, but then I found out where she was staying, and I couldn’t let her go back there.”
“That’s why you sent me a text at four in the morning. Carter, she is in the past for a reason. You don’t deserve to have this shit happen to you again.”
“Hunter, please, spare me the lecture and just hear me out.”
He crossed his arms in front of him. “Go ahead then.”
“She was staying in that hell hole over on Clifford. Everything inside of me screamed not to let her stay there, so I brought her to the apartment and offered her Carson’s room until she finds something else.”
Hunter closed his eyes and kept them closed, taking in a deep breath. “Awesome, Carter, just awesome. So basically, you’re planning to torture yourself all summer long, perhaps something will happen between the two of you, perhaps it won’t, but then Mr. Big Balls will come walking back into her life, and you’ll be left holding your heart again. Let me ask you, have you ever really gotten over her?”
“Yes, Hunter, I’ve gotten over her. There have been other women, many women.”
“Yes, I know, Carter. There have been many women, but none that you have been overly happy with and none that you have dated. I just think you’re making a mistake. I mean, I support you with whatever you decide. You’re my brother; I love you and I want to see you happy. Just be careful.”
One thing about my brother—he may be cocky, arrogant, and full of himself, but he always cared about me. “Look, I’ve got to study. My exam is on Friday.”
“All right, man, I have to get to class anyway. You are coming tomorrow night?”
I nodded and watched as Hunter walked away. He was right, I knew he was. She was in my past for a reason. When I had seen her that night with Trent, it was like someone had plunged a hot knife right into my heart and twisted it. We had only spent a summer together—that was it. We had never slept together, only fooled around a little. She had wanted to wait, and I respected that of her. But, no matter how much I tried to fight it, my heart was telling me it was time for us to give it another try, and sometimes you must listen, because lord knows you don’t get second chances too often.
Chapter Eighteen
Carter
“Time, pencils down.” I placedmy pencil on the desk. I stretched and looked up at the time. Four hours felt like they had flown by. I was exhausted. I had barely had enough sleep last night trying to get caught up on my studies. I let out a deep breath; I could feel the tension starting to leave my body already.
“Bring your exams up and drop them in the box on the table. Final grades will be posted in four weeks.” My stomach grumbled and flipped. I felt like I was going to be sick. If I failed this exam, I would be finished.
As I stepped out into the fresh air and made my way to the car, I turned my cell on and dialed Mike. I wanted to see if he could get out. The phone rang three times before he picked up. “Hey, buddy, are you doing anything right now?”
“Working. Training more new staff.”
