"Did you tell Landon?" I ask Carter as he grabs out tomato paste and tomato's from the fridge.

We now sit in his apartment and he insisted that he'd make spaghetti. I hid my books under my hoodie on his couch, hoping he'll forget about them.

He grabs a large nice and begins chopping the tomato's, "kind of."

"Kind of? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I told him but I can't say anything about it," he says.

"What? Why?" I ask, slightly pissed off.

"Bro code, honey," Carter says as he grabs a handful of the chopped tomato's and puts them into a pot where he's making the sauce.

"Bro code? Seriously? Are you guys 12 years old?" I accuse.

His blue eyes look at me, a flash of hurt in them, "hey. leave the bro code alone."

I roll my eyes, "Carter, what did he say?"

"I can't tell you."

I groan, "Come on! He's my friend too."

He washes his hands in the sink and looks at me, "I can tell you his reaction but I won't tell you what he said."

I sigh. If that's all I'm gonna get then I'm not going to push it, "fine."

"He was actually very chill about it," Carter says as he crosses his arms, "He just kinda looked at me and didn't really care."

Huh?

"But I thought he liked this girl," I say, confused.

Carter shrugs, "guess not so much."

"Huh," I huff. "Well I guess that's out of the way then?"

He nods.

"Why don't you come cook the noodles for me," he asks.

I freeze. I cant cook. One time I tried back at home and my mom was furious when she found our oven completely burnt. It was a costly dent to her bank account.

"I don't know," I say hesitantly.

Carter strides over to me and grabs my hands, pulling me up, "darling, you've gotta learn at some point. Might as well try now."

I feel nervousness consume my body when he hands me a spatula that has a claw on the end and the box of pasta.

"What's wrong?" He asks me.

"It's just, I can't cook. At all," I confess. I feel so stupid telling him this in all honestly but I've become comfortable around him.

That doesn't mean that I don't get nervous though.

"It's not that hard, we're actually starting with the basics."

"How do you know how to cook so well?" I ask.

A small smile forms on his lips, "I lived with my grandparents for a few years in high school."

My eyebrows shoot up, "your grandparents are alive?"

He chuckles, "yes. In their mid sixties now but still going."

I can't help but smile because that's actually adorable.

"Why'd you live with your grandparents?" I ask as he pours the box of spaghetti into the pot of water.

An expression I haven't recognized on his beautiful face before takes form. It seems so... hurt.

"There was some conflict with Charlotte and myself. I didn't want to live there anymore," he says. Charlotte is his step mom. I almost forgot that small detail.

"Have you been back home since?" I ask. I don't know why I'm asking so many personal questions but I'm actually very curious.

"To my grandparents house, yes. To my fathers house, no."

"Him and Charlotte are still married?" I ask. He nods in response.

"It was never a happy marriage though," Carter says, "it probably still isn't."

I stay quiet as he gently grabs my wrist and leads me to stand in front of him and the pot of pasta.

"It's cooking right now," he says. "See? not so hard." I feel a sarcastic smile on my lips and hope he can't see it.

"Well then what are we cooking?" I ask. His arms wrap around my torso and he laces his fingers together. His chin rests on my shoulder and I feel his breath tingle my ear.

"That depends. You can help with the sauce?" He asks.

I nod as I feel his cheek against mine. It's so odd and so intimate of me, but I lay my cheek against his.

Being with Carter is so natural. I don't have to try and be someone I don't want to, I don't have to watch my attitude, and I certainly don't have to prove myself to him like I've done my entire life to my mother.

I feel so free and calm. I feel like myself.

There's something about him that makes me feel safe too.

He starts to sway our bodies and a small chuckle escapes my lips. "Okay then, show me how to cook the sauce," I say.

He keeps his arms around me as he moves us both two steps in front of the pot with the tomato sauce. He grabs a small table spoon from a drawer and hands it to me.

"Stir," he says. I do just that. "You can add salt and pepper too," he informs me.

"I know, I know," I say. His laugh echos in my ear and his smell... his smell is so consuming. It's like a fresh combination of sea salt and some sort of forest like wood.

I really am swooning over a fucking smell.

Ring.

You're fucking joking.

Ring. Ring.

"I got it," Carter grabs his phone from the counter beside us but still leave his arm around my stomach.

"Hello?" Carter asks. I hear a muffled voice through the phone but I cant make out what their saying.

Carter huffs a sigh, "can I get it done tomorrow then? I'm busy right now."

I stir the sauce, letting Carter finish his conversation before he hangs up.

"What was that about?"

"Work," he lays his chin back onto my shoulder.

"You work?" I ask surprised, "Where?"

"I'm Pre-Med so I take an internship at the NYU Langone Health center," he says. I nod. God, that's so hot.

He dishes our dinner and we sit together as we eat. I sit on the counter top while Carter stands between my legs with his bowl in his hand.

I nearly fall asleep when I'm done. Carter eats some ice cream, feeding me some as my eyes become droopy with sleepiness.

He offers to take me home but I insist I'm fine.

"Goodnight, gorgeous," he hugs me goodbye.

"Goodnight."

He pinches my side and I giggle as he opens the door for me. I feel his eyes on me as I walk down the hall to the elevator and I'll admit, a small blush takes over my face at the thought he may be checking me out.

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I sit in class bored as shit.

English again, is not my number one subject. Surprisingly though, I've read most of Hamlet as required but with Carter taking up my time, I haven't finished it yet.

Speaking of Carter, he isn't in class today. Which is odd, because he's always in class.

Abby and Chloe want to catch lunch but I tell them I'm going to stop by Carter's place for a few minutes. They gave me smirks and Chloe insinuated if we were going to do a "quickie" to which I slapped her arm and Abby laughed her ass off.

I feel giddy as I walk out of the elevator and make my way to his door.

I knock once. No answer.

Odd.

I knock twice. Again no answer.

Is he okay?

"Carter?" I yell loud enough that he'll hear me through the door, "are you in there?"

I hear a muffled voice and then a second one. Who is-

Carter opens the door with a very pissed off and angered expression until he meets my eyes, realizing it's me. His face contorts from happy to alarmed.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" He asks confused.

"You weren't at school so I wanted to visit you," I say. I try to hold back a smile but looking at his messy hair I can't help it.

"I'm a bit late," he chuckles.

I'm about to say something before a female voice from inside of his apartment speaks. "Carter!"

I stand there stunned to speechlessness. Carter looks at me with a worried face but I don't make any movement.

I nearly pass out when I see Audrey standing in the doorway after opening the door further. And she's dressed in the sluttiest outfit I've ever seen.

What in the fuck?

We both make eye contact and she looks absolutely pissed off. Well, guess what bitch, I am too.

"Who is this?" She asks. Her eyes roam up and down with a disgusted sneer that makes me want to pull her hair extensions out.

"This is Mandy," Carter says. I don't look at him. My eyes are too fixed on this slut in the doorway. It takes a moment for me to process the confusion that overwhelms my brain. Followed by hurt.

I look at Carter who's blue eyes are full of confusion.

"What the hell is going on?" I ask Carter.

"Mandy, it's not what you think," he says and that answer is enough to make me scoff and walk away.

I really thought he liked me.

And fuck just as I started to like this asshole? What the fuck is wrong with me? I should've known someone like him would pull something like this.

He wasted me time and now I've made a huge fucking mistake because there's a small dent in my chest.

"Mandy!" Carter yells down the hall. I hear his footsteps come up behind me as he runs towards me. I'm already marching to the elevator.

"Fuck off, Carter," I sneer.

He grabs my wrist to turn me around but I break free of his grip.

"Please, Amanda. It's not what it looks like.

Please let me explain," he begs. His face is full of sadness now, but honestly, I don't give a fuck.

"I think her standing there half naked is enough of an explanation for me," I say. I press the down button on the elevator and it immediately opens.

I turn just in time to see Carter follow me inside but I hold my hand up, "stop."

He pauses.

"Don't. Follow me." I say. He stands there speechless and regretful as the elevator doors close.

I bite my lip to hold back the quivering. But a few small tears make their way down my cheeks.

I really thought.

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