C: You awake?

Wake up.

Gorgeousssss

Wakey wakey.

I groan awake at the sound of my phone dinging. Low and behold Carter is blowing me up. At five fucking am.

M: What?

C: Perfect, you're awake. I was beginning to worry about you.

M: What do u want?

C: Meet me at this address at 3 pm. No questions asked, love.

M: Okay.

I shove my phone back on my nigh-stand. It doesn't help much, because when I attempt to fall asleep nothing happens. I'm wide awake.

I'm still caught up about Landon. I've been figuring out this past week what to do. He's been kinda quiet lately though. I haven't heard much from him since the party.

Which bums me out because I don't know when to tell him but I do know I have to soon.

Carter and I have already established that if Audrey puts her slimy hands anywhere near him, that Landon will know ASAP. But so far, nothing.

I grab my clothes and my toilette bag and head for the showers.

——————————

Riiiiing. Riiiiiing.

"Hey," Landon's voice says through the phone. He sounds like he's at somewhere busy. His winter break started two days ago, so I guess he's getting started on the partying now.

"Hi, Landon. How are you?" I tread lightly. I don't want to blow anything up before I drop a bomb.

"Not so good," he admits.

"Where are you?" I ask. It's super noisy.

It's lunchtime in New York right now, just after noon. He must be at lunch.

"A bar with Carter. We're playing pool."

Lovely.

"Put Carter on the phone for a second, please?" I ask.

I wait as I hear some muffled sounds before Carters sexy voice is in my ear.

"Hi, baby."

"Carter, have you told him?" I ask. I hold the phone on the shoulder as I finish up my agenda for the rest of the day.

"I'm working on it. It'll happen today or tomorrow. I promise," He reassures.

I release a thankful and stress relieving breath.

"Thank you," I say.

"Hey dude," I hear through the phone, "give me my phone before I chop your nuts off."

Men.

"I have to go, gorgeous. See you at three."

"Bye," I say.

Landon's voice is back in my ear, "sorry about that. He's fucking annoying."

"Yeah tell me about it."

I hear a muffled "I heard that" and can't help but chuckle.

"Why'd you call me, Mandy?"

Oh yes. The reason I called him in the first place.

"Uhh I forget," I fib.

"Oh okay. Bye, Mandy," he says and then he hangs up.

I sigh in relief that Carter will break it to him. I sure as hell hope Landon doesn't get too upset. Audrey is a fake, manipulative, bitch. He doesn't need her.

I care about Landon too much to be hurt.

I finish up my journaling in my agenda and finish my chai tea. It's around 1 which means I need to meet Carter at that place in a few. Hopefully, he'll tell me how it went.

—————————

Turns out, Carter sent me the address of a small Barnes and Nobles with a Starbucks inside a few blocks from campus.

It's adorable and I have to refrain from being annoyed with myself that I didn't know about it.

Carter is inside when I walk in. Snow is on my beanie when I take it off and shake it. But the cold hasn't affected Carter's handsome appearance like it has mine.

He's wearing a scarf of some sort of designer, converse, a black hoodie with a coat on top of that and simplistic pants.

His wardrobe colors are very simple with grays, blacks, and occasionally whites and beiges. But anything on him makes him look like a meal.

A very expensive, delicious, mouthwatering-

"Hi," Carter interrupts my thoughts. His blue eyes sparkling as they meet mine.

I really could stare into them for a while.

Maybe not forever cause that's a bit cheesy but still.

Maybe forever?

God. Shut it, Amanda.

"Hey," I smile back. I found that smiling around him and being a good mood comes very easily.

"So," he takes his beautiful hands out of his pockets and waves it around, "you like books and coffee. Ergo, Barnes and Nobles."

"How charming of you," I tease.

"I try my best," he smiles with a wink.

"Is this a date?" I ask.

"If you want it to be, then yes," he says confidently.

I take a second to think. Would I want this to be a date? Would I even want to date him at all?

My own fucking gut knows the answer to that stupid question.

"Sure," I say. "Why not."

Carter smiles, his cheeks slightly pink from the cold. "Okay, Miss Ivy. Take your time."

I nod at him and walk over to the Starbucks counter first. I order myself a grande latte and Carter gets himself a crumble cookie frappuccino. He claims that he's been "craving" one since last week.

You'd think he'd be 3 months pregnant.

We walk around the shelving isles for a few and I just look at the labels, waiting for one to catch my eye.

I use this app called GoodReads that tells me about the latest and most popular books. It's very helpful. And now that I have a few titles in mind, I plan on treating myself today.

"That one looks cool," Carter remarks behind me. His tall figure looms over me and bends down to my eye level before pulling out the book.

Neon Gods.

Oh shit. No. No.

"Carter," I warn and attempt to take the book from his being hands but he holds it above my head as if I'm a five year old.

Bastard.

"Lemme see. It looks cool," He says. He's so naive sometimes I honestly wonder where the hell his brains even come from and how the hell he manages to turn it on and off.

"Carter that's not the type of book your probably thinking it is," I warn.

He sips from his green straw as he examines the back of the book.

"It's a," he pauses and shrinks his eyes to read the description, "Hades and Persephone romance."

I nod my head, "yes. Hence the Gods part. Now put it back."

"What if I want to buy it?" He says.

I blink. Yeah right.

"It's just a silly little romance it's not harmful," he says. His brown hair moves as he strains his neck to read a few pages.

"Carter, I'm warning you," I say.

But by the time his eyes widen and his mouth gapes open, I already know it's too late.

"What the fuck is in here?" He asks in disbelief.

I want to mutter 'I told you so' but I let him have his moment of stupidity.

"Oh my god! Why is it so explicit?" He asks. "Is this the stuff you read?" He looks up at me with complete and utter disbelief clouding his eyes.

I have to keep myself from laughing. Really hard.

"Maybe, sometimes. It doesn't really matter," I confess.

At that, his eyebrows shoot up and his eyes widen at my dirty confession. I mean, what did he expect? A girls gotta have some smut in her life, okay?

"Wait, you're serious?" he whispers now as if to make sure no one knows of our conversation.

I roll my eyes, "Carter, it's normal. Plenty of women read dirty novels."

He smirks at me, "yeah okay, but you read dirty novels."

I shrug my shoulders, "so?"

"So?" he mocks, "that's actually kinda sexy. You read this book?" He points a finger to the blue and purple cover.

"No. I've heard it of it."

His smirk turns into a cheeky and mischievous smile. Before I can even think, he turns around, and walks to the register.

"Carter!" I whisper yell, "what are you doing?!"

"Hello," the cashier says, "is this it for today?"

"Yes, please," Carter says politely.

I slap his arm, "Carter!"

He turns to me as he sips his drink again, "yes, darling?"

"Why are you buying that book?" I whisper to him. He stays neutral as he nods towards the book now being placed into a B&N bag by the cashier.

"Because life's short. I wanna try new things," he shrugs.

Oh please.

I roll my eyes for what feels like the 50th time today. The cashier hands him his bag and Carter places his platinum card into the reader, finalizing his new purchase.

I stand there shocked, unsure of what to think of what just happened.

"You just bought a book full of sex and you're not going to deny anything?" I ask.

He shakes his head, his lips still on the straw.

I turn around and make my way back to the shelves we were previously to pick out my own books.

I grab about four books, which is enough to treat myself to. Carter takes them all on his hands, holding them as if he was a waiter and the books are the platter of food.

When we finish up at the book store, Carter smiles at me.

"What?" I ask. I attempt to hide the blush forming on my cheeks.

"How'd you like the date?" He asks. I shrug, "it was okay."

"I'm joking," I reassure him, "I had fun. Thank you."

"Anytime, gorgeous. So, does this mean you'll be open to another date anytime soon?"

He walks over to me, standing directly in front of me so I have to look up at him. His lips are smiling and his eyelashes have some snowflakes on him.

He's looks so adorable.

"Maybe. Depends on the date," I tease.

He smirks now, "what about reading these books together?"

My mouth drops. I- did he really-

"What?" I ask. "Not happening."

"Aw come on," Carter whines. Snowflakes softly fall into his dark hair now, "please?"

I raise my eyebrows in sarcasm at him.

That's when he pouts. Like as in a five year old pouting when they get a toy taken or can't get ice cream.

"Are you serious?"

He nods, still pouting.

"Oh my fucking god," I mutter understand my breath.

"Let's go," Carter says. He grabs my hand, intertwining it with mine, as he walks down the snowy sidewalk and towards the street.

The warmth of his hand brings tingles to my body. I don't know what it is, but I like it.

A lot.

And I don't pull away.