"So he's a good kisser?" Chloe asks as we I hold open the door to her dorm.

"Well, obviously. I wouldn't be with him if he wasn't," I joke.

"I think he's more than good at kissing," Abby says with a hint of laughter in her voice. I slap her on the arm.

Chloe jumps on her bed, her red hair vibrant on her white bedsheets. She shifts her body so her neck hangs on the side of her bed, looking at is upside down.

"I need a girls night!" She exclaims. Abby and I nod in sync.

"New Years Eve is tomorrow," Abby says as she sips her iced coffee, "wanna go shopping?"

I frown, "we shop way too much."

Abby look at me like I just announced Hitler was still alive, "you can never shop too much."

I roll my eyes and don't fight her on the topic. Shopping is held way too close to her heart and mental health.

"I wish I had a kiss tomorrow night. Mandy has a sexy, rich, supermodel to smooch her," Chloe whines. I smile to conceal my blush.

"Where is Carter anyway?" Abby asks. She grabs one of Chloe's many stuffed animals and holds it in her lap.

"Somewhere with Landon. Probably watching soccer and hitting on girls," I shrug. Chloe smiles at my trashing.

Obviously, Carter would never do that.

And he knows that if he ever did, his dick would be chopped in half. But I like to think he doesn't want to.

"With that broken wrist I'm sure he's a charmer," Abby sighs with an eye roll.

"Abby do we get to meet your Mr. Mysterious tomorrow night?" Chloe asks.

Abby blushes, "maybe. But we've only kissed like twice."

"I thought you guys have slept together?"

"Well, yes. But only twice."

I nod slowly. That makes sense but it doesn't.

"Wanna watch a movie? I bought this new one about a hot bad boy and his summer crush meeting again," Chloe sequels as she sits up.

I sit next to her on the bed and play with the tips of her hair, "sure."

—————————

I sit on the couch beside Carter as he plays guitar quietly. I found a lot of peace within myself when he plays. I truly don't know why.

He argues about wearing his cast as he plays. He can move his fingers, but not his wrist, so he only messes with the chords until his hand gets better.

He's more talented than he gives himself credit for. He says he has a whole collection somewhere at his grandparents house and when he takes me to LA, he'll show me every single one.

"Move in with me?" Carter asks. I stop my sipping on my water and look at him. His blue eyes hold some sort of childish innocence in them that makes me immediately want to say yes.

When I don't answer, Carter lays down his guitar and puts his hand together in pleasing. "Come on, please?" he urges.

"I'll think about it." I say.

"But there's not that much to think about," he rolls his eyes, "it's a yes or no answer."

I don't hate the idea, but I'm content with my dorm and being close to Chloe.

"I'm happy on campus right now," I explain. I leave the living room and open the fridge, grabbing out a package of pre-cut mangos.

"I know but I want to be close to you, like forever," Carter whines. If a little boy ever whines about not being able to play with his toy cars, it would be the same equivalent as Carters whining.

"I know," I shrug, "but we'll take it slow. One step at a time, okay?"

He lays his chin on my shoulder and places his hands on the counter beside my hips. "Fine," he whispers in defeat.

I pop a piece of mango into his mouth and he kisses my cheek, "Are we still on for tomorrow night?"

"The party?" I ask. "Yeah, why?"

"I don't know," he shrugs. "Maybe you wanted to stay in and do the whole hot New Year's eve sex thing," Carter says. He uses air quotations at the sex part and I laugh mid chew.

"By the way!" Carter yells as he walks to his bed room, "We have to watch Cooper for a week. Landon's heading somewhere on New Year's day."

I missed Cooper. He was so cute and cuddly and I hadn't seen him since my birthday. "Okay!"

When I turn around to grab a water, I'm stunned when I see Carter holding a bright colored, cylinder like object in his hand.

"What's this?" he asks.

I gape at him, "you seriously don't know what that is?"

He shakes his head.

"It's a tampon, Carter." I clarify.

His mouth opens to an "O" shape in realization, "is that a problem?" I ask. "I just brought over a box incase it happened here."

He shakes his head, "no, no. Of course not. I'm just now remembering that you have a period that's all," he shrugs.

I snort as he unwraps the tampon and plays with it like a yo-yo by the string.

So hot. But so stupid.

—————————-

In the cab on the way to Mission NYC - the hot place for college clubbing - Carter, Chloe, and I are bopping our heads to the radio.

We were extremely lucky to even get a cab tonight considering New York is on of the worst places on New Year's eve to be in.

Abby is in the front seat applying more dark red lipstick. Landon is already there. He informed Carter and I he got all of us a booth.

It's actually kind of cool how we've all become a group of friends now. Starting off, I really only had Chloe and Abby who wasn't even in New York to begin with.

Now I have three best friends and the love of my life. All in the same place.

"Just so you know," Carter whispers in my ear. His lips rub again my silver hoop earring. "This dress will be coming off later."

I blush at his promise. I chose a more tight fitted dress, one that accentuated my breast shape and curves. It was a few inches above my knees, a shiny ruby red, and the arms were long sleeves. While I was outside, I chose to wear a black leather jacket to go with it.

Carter argued I might as well just sit naked on the bed for him but I threw a shoe at him and he calmed down about the topic.

The one thing I truly loved about Carter? He was never overbearing.

He supported me, showed me I was beautiful, and made me feel confident. He never controlled what I wore, who I hung out with, or where I went.

He was the perfect mixture of a best friend and a lover.

The cab comes to a holt and Chloe gets out first. I scoot out the backseat behind her, Carter following.

"Holy hot mommas it's cold!" Chloe sequels. Abby runs to my side and grabs Chloe's hand as we all walk in.

The club is filled with bright, flashing lights. A huge dance floor sits right in the middle and there are already at least fifty people rocking out to the sick DJ and a band behind them.

"Chloe!" I yell, "You should head up there and remix!"

She slaps my arm with a smile as Landon comes up behind her and hugs her tightly. Him and Carter do that weird fist pump hug thing dudes normally do and then Landon hugs me with a squeeze.

"I haven't seen you in so long!" I say over the music. Landon's perfect teeth smile down at me and his cold beer brushes my arm, "Seriously! I'm sorry, I've been so busy."

I shrug, "You're off the hook."

Landon leads all of us to the reserved booth. The black leather seats are comfy and we get a perfect view of the dance floor and band ahead.

"I want a martini!" Chloe asks Landon. He smiles with a nod and a waiter walks over to us.

"You drinking tonight, love?" Carter asks. I think about it for a second before nodding. "Yeah sure why not?"

"Two beers, please," Carter holds up two fingers and the waiter writes down our orders.

"Sex On The Beach for me," Abby says. Her favorite cocktail of all time.

Carter wraps his arm around the back of the book just above my shoulders and I lean into him. He smells so good - per usual - and I have to bite back the urge to climb on his lap.

"So," Chloe says, "Where's Mr. Mysterious?"

Abby's eyes become sad, "I don't think he'll be able to make it tonight." I frown, she was so excited to see him and she doesn't even get a midnight kiss?

"No!" Chloe whines. Abby nods sadly. "Will you tell us who it is then?" Carter asks.

Abby shrugs and sighs, "I guess."

Chloe squeals and claps beside me and when I look at Landon, there is no expression on his face.

He's biting the inside of his mouth and staring at the beer in his hand. He looks almost... jealous? Annoyed?

I couldn't put a finger on it.

"His name is Jason and he is apart of my TCU group on our trip but I'm not sure if it'll work between us," Abby explains.

"Well that's fucking dumb!" Chloe says. Carter and I laugh at her burst. "You're fucking hot and amazing, Abby. You'll find someone right. I know it," she says.

"Agreed," I say with a salute of my beer bottle. Abby is now smiling, her beautiful red lips shining from the candle on the table top.

We all raise our drinks in cheers, but I don't get to drink mine because Chloe pulls me and Abbys hand and takes us to the dance floor.

We dance and jump and I feel like my life has finally come together.

I finally feel happy.

I feel like I'm enough. I view the world so much differently now.

"Holy shit!" Chloe yells.

"It's already almost midnight and I don't have a kiss!" she exclaims.

"Go kiss a stranger!" Abby smiles. "Why the fuck not?!"

"Really?!" Chloe asks. Her satin pink dress sways as we all jump up and down to the music.

"Yes!" I say.

"Mind if I steal her for a second?" Carter says behind me. "Two minutes till midnight."

Abby and Chloe smirk as they jump away and I turn around, meeting Carters blue eyes.

Everyone huddles ip in the crowd around us and the wide screen displays the ball dropping in Times Square.

"Next year, I'll kiss you in front of it," Carter whispers in my ear as I wrap my arms around his neck.

I'm sweaty and I probably smell of sweat but I don't care. Holding Carter means more to me.

"10!" People yell around us.

"9!"

"8!"

"I love you," Carter whispers in my ear.

"7!"

"6!"

I smile up at him.

"5!"

"4!"

"I love you too," I whisper back. Our noses touch and I feel his smile against my lips.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

Carter presses his lips to mine and I kiss him back, consuming everything. His arms wrap around my torso as I lift up on my tippy toes and I cup his face in my hands.

"Happy New Year!" Everyone screams.

Carter doesn't stop kissing me. He leave pecks on my lips and starts laying pecks all over my face, making me laugh.

"Let's get out of here?" he asks.

I smirk up at him, "fine by me."

We both walk over to the booth so I can grab my bag, but when I look over, Landon is gone and Chloe is kissing a tall, dark haired guy with facial hair I don't recognize in front of us. Abby is beside her laughing her ass off.

"Chloe's a wild one," Carter says. I nod, "yup."

But I don't look back as Carter pulls my hand towards the exit and twirls me as we walk out the door.