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Carter shifting next to me wakes me up as I feel him gently try and pull my arms from around him. With my eyes still closed, I tighten my arms around him making him laugh against my hair.

"I need to get up," he whispers in my ear.

"No."

I'm sleepy and clingy and Carter is upsetting me. He tugs me off of him and sits up in bed throwing his legs over the side and feeling around for his shirt. With a huff, I sit up and move behind him, wrapping my legs around his waist and resting my head against his back. He just laughs and squeezes my thighs.

"I need to get up, Snugglebear."

"No, stay in bed, please," I pout.

He just taps my thighs and unwraps me from around him, standing to his feet and slipping on his shirt, watching me as I sit criss-crossed on the bed looking up at him with my most convincing pouty face. All he does is smile and shake his head at me like I'm a little kid.

"I'll be back, Babygirl," he whispers picking up his phone and leaning in for a kiss.

He doesn't deserve a kiss. I know where he's going...Guys poker night that my family has every time we get together. Always at two and always kept from the women. I know they are going to try and cheat Carter out of his money. I don't trust them as far as I can throw them. And I really don't want Carter to go down there no matter how much he wants to fit in. Fuck those guys I don't want him anything like them.

"Baby, please don't leave me. I love you." I'm desperate to get him to stay in bed. So desperate that I force my voice to crack so he will second guess himself. All he does is place his hand on my chest and push me back onto the bed, pulling the covers over me and tucking me back in.

Rolling my eyes, I turn away from him and tell him to enjoy poker night with my family. I notice his moment of pause as the hand that has moved to my waist, stills its gliding motion along the curve of my body.

"You know about that?"

I don't reply. I don't want to. Call me childish if you want, but my job is to protect my baby the same way it's his job to protect me. And I do not want my boyfriend to walk into the lion's den. But he won't listen to me so I just won't say anything. He doesn't like that.

Carter's hand slips underneath my neck, gripping my nape and turning my attention to his questioning eyes that I can still see in the darkness of the room. He wants an answer and I want him to stay. Stay, please.

"Can you tell me what I'm walking into?" He asks, now crawling over me so there is no way I can get away from him. I wish I could do the same and just hold him down but my bodyweight is not made up of mostly pure muscle or anywhere close to how much he weighs.

Reluctantly, I give in and tell him the details of my family's not so secretive poker night. Basically they try to swindle the newcomer out of their money while interrogating them on their relationship with whoever they came with. It's been happening for years. And it's stupid as fuck so you may be able to understand why I don't want Carter to go. It's not because he can't handle interrogation, I'm sure he can, but I do not want him subjected to such stupidity. Then again it's his choice no matter how much I hate it, so I don't ask him to stay anymore.

"Just come back to bed as soon as possible." He nods and places a kiss to my lips before climbing off of me and heading to the door. Just before he makes it there I call out and say, "If my stepfather says something slick, just ignore it. Or punch him, either one is cool."

He chuckles and blows me a kiss before opening the door and walking out. I try to go back to sleep.

Keyword: Try.