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Something daunting and feral flashes in his eyes, and his palm slides over my collarbone, fingers wrapping tenderly around the base of my throat.
Fingers wrapping tenderlyaround my throat -> swoon
A crush? My throat squeezes again. “Psssh. No I don’t.” Do I?
“That’s why you bought Olivia cinnamon buns and cheesecake and talked her into getting her face painted with you last week. That’s why you stood there with your arms around her during the tree lighting, just because she shivered, and that’s why you invited her to a party at your house, even though you never have meaningless hookups at your house. Because Olivia means something to you, and you, my friend, have a crush.”
What the hell do you do with a crush?
Fivure out if they also have a crush on you
You follow her into the bathroom, that’s what you do with a crush.
Uhm not really
“How do you know you like me?” “Besides the fact that my chest got tight whenever Garrett was touching you?” She cocks her head. “You were jealous?”
Carter. I mean, how many women have you slept with since we met?”
“None,”
Okay that's a good sign
“Look, I don’t know how to talk about this kind of stuff, which is hard for me, because I don’t filter my words before they leave my mouth, but if you give me a minute, I’ll get there.”
I do love that he's truly trying
Because I can do better, be better, and I can do it for Olivia. I want to do it for Olivia.
My world explodes with color, my hands on her face trembling with desire and need, with shock.
“Hey.” Smoothing a palm down her back, I keep her in place. “It’s okay. Just a kiss. Not a big deal.”
“You fucking kissed her,” he hisses. “She said I could,” I hiss right back. He shoves my shoulder. “Do you like her?” I jam my elbow into his ribs. “Yes, I fucking like her.”
When you love someone so wholly, it makes you weak. You risk pieces of yourself that you can’t afford to lose.
With Olivia, the ache doesn’t feel so startlingly empty. I don’t know why, but I do know that much.
Adorable
So, I guess I need to work on changing her mind, give her a reason to trust me, even if it’s slow and takes me all damn year. I’ll be her friend first, and I’ll be good.
“Mom refused to say good-bye when we left, wouldn’t look at me, hug me, nothing. But then she chased the car down the street, screaming at my dad to stop. She sobbed in my arms for twenty-seven minutes before she let me go. My dad timed it.”
It hasn’t. I do a lot of shit with Olivia I’ve never had a desire to do with anyone else.
Cutieeeee
But the thing is…I want him. I like him, as much as I know I shouldn’t. Because this can only end one way: me, heartbroken and disappointed, potentially crying into a Big Mac or a vat of cookie dough. Maybe both.
Big Mac >>>
“Hey,” he whispers. “What’s wrong? You wanna stop, we’ll stop. I’ll snuggle the shit outta you and we can watch a movie. I’m cool with that.”
Omg I need this Carter Beckett in my life he's so sweeeeett
my sword of thunder
PLEASE DONT CALL YOUR DICK YOUR 'SWORD OF THUNDER'
I swivel my hips, making him dance. “All of me is happy to see all of you.”
Okay that is a little bit of a turnoff
“You know he got well acquainted with your palace last night, right?”
Stop it please
“You-you-you—” Christ, is this really happening right now? Am I stammering? “You agreed! You said we’d talk after breakfast!”
“I’m clean,” I whisper. If I sound defeated, it’s because I fucking am. She’s never going to get over my past. “That’s
“Listen, I know I’m not boyfriend material, but I can try. Really, I can. I’ll be good. I’ll-I’ll—”
“It sure as hell doesn’t feel that way,” I bite back, because everything fucking hurts.
Consider me.
Title of fhe book
“You leaving right now doesn’t change how I feel about you, and it won’t change your feelings for me either. I know you’re hoping they’ll disappear so you don’t have to deal with the way I’ve been living my life, but they won’t. Running from things you’re afraid of won’t get you very far.”
I tuck the small gift into her surprised hands. “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”
Olivia, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I know this year will be the best one yet, because I met you. Carter
She shoves her hand in my face, an obnoxiously huge and utterly stunning diamond pressed against the tip of my nose. “Hi, maid of honor!”
Yyyeeeeeeeeesssss
Seeing Olivia on the video call two nights ago, how she couldn’t get away from me faster, it fucked me up more than I care to admit.
Sandie shoves me through the doorway. “And for the record,” she shouts, “there’s nothing going on here. He was being a gentleman and walking me back to the bar.
I love Sandie
“Oh, and Carter? You can’t fix your past, but if you want a different future, all you have to do is choose it.”
Slay
Yes, I want to choose Olivia, over and over again. I want to work for it, for us. I want to be better, not only for her, but for myself too.
is ollie ok? i don’t want her 2 be upset about that girl. does she hate me? do u think she wants to talk maybe 1 day soon? maybe i could send her flowers???? roses? sunflowers? seems like a bright flower kinda girl. i think i miss her, care. this sux.
Aaaaaaawwwww so cute
Then he launches into the living room and returns a moment later, sliding across the floor in his socks, two cookies in his hand. With a shaky grip, he holds them up to me. “Oreos.”
Omg carteeeeeerrr this is too sweet
Carter heaves what sounds like a happy sigh, flopping down on the couch.
“I can’t wait to see her at the party Saturday. Maybe I’ll line my pockets with bacon.”
Ok now he's just obsessed
Emmett: Theater 4, row L, seats 10 & 11. Tonight at 7:30. Emmett: He’s still going.
Don't you dare not show up
Hope is one of those funny things, kind of like time. Time either races or drags; I find there’s no in between.
“You came.”
You called :)
Can I touch her? I don’t know if I can touch her. I keep reaching for her hand and then letting it hang there in midair before pulling it back, dragging it over my thigh.
“Nervous? Me? Psssh.” I wave a flappy hand through the air. “Please. They call me Mr. Confident.”
This is adorable
Why am I scared of her suddenly and how do I become, like…normal again?
“Yeah, I eat when I’m nervous. And all the time, really. And I remember the day after we met you said you like sweet over salty, so I got a few bags of chocolate and candy, but we’re at the movies, so we need popcorn too. Do you like popcorn?
His rambling is adorable
“Carter.” Olivia lays her hand on my forearm. It’s soft and warm and all I can hear is my heart. “Take a breath. I love chocolate, candy, and popcorn. I like both root beer and iced tea, so I’m okay with either, but we can share if you’d like, because I don’t mind your germs. Okay?”
“Okay.” I nod. “Yeah. Good.”
He has me pouting in a good way
I stare down at her hand in mine, so tiny, so soft, so fucking warm, and when I peer up at her, she gives me a tender smile. The frantic race of my heart slows to a steady gallop, and the tension in my shoulders dissolves. “Okay.”
