I could hardly focus from all this sudden attention.

When my shift ended, I cursed as we got ready to leave and said, “I don’t know how I’m going to survive Winter Break away from classes. I’m going to be on the verge of a breakdown if I’m not busy doing something.”

“Come out and party with me then,” she urged with a wink. “It’ll take your mind off the dick and your break will fly by when you’re too busy having fun.”

“Somehow drinking doesn’t sound all that great right now.”

“You say that, but when it comes time, you’re going to be glad you did. Sometimes it’s nice to just forget.” She said this with a strange look in her eye that had me wondering what problems she was having.

“Come on,” she pleaded. “We’ll have a night out in town and who knows? Maybe we’ll have so much fun, it’ll be our thing.”

“As long as it’s just us.”

She nodded fervently. “Oh, yeah. I’m not going out with the boys again. Fuck ‘em.”

My eyes widened at her flash of anger. “You alright?”

She looked away. “Yeah, I’m good.”

“Well, I’d love to go out then. There’s no harm trying to forget some things.”

We walked out of the bar and went our separate ways. I saw Rome’s jeep parked on the side of the road, but he wasn’t in it. I waited in the cold for a few minutes, leaning my back against the car when he finally emerged out of the bar. I hadn’t even realized he was in it! So distracted by Carter, I’d neglected a lot of people lately.

He came out side by side with Carter and they were chatting heavily about something. I felt a shift in the air as they approached. It wasn’t bad per-say, but they seemed like they were discussing important things.

Probably the band.

When Carter stiffly nodded, Rome beamed and gave him a friendly pat on the back. That was also surprising. Since when did they act so…friendly?

Whatever had been said, Rome was now on top of the world. They immediately fell quiet about it when they got near to me, and Rome pat my hair roughly, messing up my updo, and said, “Hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

I shrugged absently. “Typical of you to keep me out in the freezing cold. I can’t feel my hands.”

He rubbed his index and thumb together. “You hear that, Leah? That’s the sound of the world’s smallest violin.”

I rolled my eyes and he laughed.

I felt Carter’s presence nearing me. I shifted away, and when Rome unlocked the car, I opened the backseat door without looking at Carter. Even if I did, all I’d see were those girls in his lap.

I slid into the back and didn’t have time to shut the door before he slid in next to me. I looked up at him in surprise, and he stared back, raising his brows, challenging me.

“What?” he asked innocently. “Do you have claim to the backseats, Leah?”

I looked to the empty front seat, half-tempted to crawl out of mine and into it. But once again, he was trying to agitate and inconvenience me. I moved over to the other side, as far away from him, until my body was flushed against the door and answered, “No, Carter. Go on and enjoy yourself.”

Rome shook his head, hearing us as he began to drive.

During the ride, Carter inched his way to me, until I could feel him against my free side.

Part of me wanted to open the door and jump out.

The other part wanted him to stay right where he was.

Twenty

Carter tried to bridge the gap, but I shunned him.

He couldn’t just decide when things would get better. Fuck no. Not after having to witness him with all those women every single night.

“Where are you going?” he asked, standing at the doorway of the bathroom, watching me put on a splash of make-up.

He was actually talking to me in the apartment. This was strange. I almost forgot I was visible around here again. I ignored his question and tried to shut the door, but he stuck his foot in before it closed and forced it open.

“Where are you going?” he repeated calmly.

“Out,” I simply answered, glancing at the frown on his face.

“Out?”

“What? Is it illegal to go out, Carter?”

“Do you want me to come with you?”

I froze and raised a brow at him. “Why would I want you to come with me?”

“To look out for you. You can’t be serious going out looking the way you do and not get bad attention.”

I glimpsed down at my skinny jeans and black top. This ensemble was excruciatingly tame, and it would not garner bad attention. I was certain of that. If anyone was at risk for bad attention, it was Melanie.

“Calm your tits,” I countered. “We’re not cruising through the West Side. It’s just a night out with a few drinks. I don’t even know why I’m telling you. You’re usually not home, anyway.”

“I was thinking about what I said to you at the bar in front of Jared a couple days ago.” He sighed and looked down at the floor. “I realize how I sounded, and I was jerk.”

“Well, I’ve forgotten all about it.” Total lie. “It doesn’t even matter.”

I went to walk past him, but he stood in my way, looking down at me with a serious expression.

“How about you stay? We’ll order pizza and spend time together. I have something I want to tell you. Something important.”

His whole demeanour was all strange. He was acting vulnerable, and his pleading blue eyes were melting the ice around my heart. I looked away from him, thinking of Melanie and our night out together.

“I can’t,” I replied quietly. “Melanie’s probably waiting for me already. It’s way too last minute.”

He sighed unhappily, and let me through. I grabbed my clutch off the kitchen counter and pulled out my phone to text her.

Me: How far away are you?

Mel: Five minutes.

Me: I’ll be waiting outside.

“Have a good night, Carter,” I told him.

When he didn’t respond, I looked over my shoulder and saw him standing a few feet behind me, looking dejected as ever. I couldn’t understand it. Wasn’t he having a field day with all those chicks? How was this fair?

I got angry just thinking about it.

I opened the door and got out of there before my heart could tell me otherwise.