UNFAMOUS [BOOK ONE] (A Wattpad 'Featured Story')

Ch. 23 | Victoria Secrets

Carter’s Mercedes races down the motorway with his sound system blaring James Blake to fill the silence between us. In front of us in Ace’s Audi, Ace, Bless, Yoshi and Carmen are chatting animatedly looking as if they’re having the time of their lives and behind us in a matching Mercedes truck is Leon and Fontaine (who’s head keeps disappearing from view) and bringing up the rear in the Volkswagen GTi is Tyson and Angelica laughing and exchanging secret smiles. Everyone is enjoying a short road trip, while I feel like I’m in a temporary holding cell with a huge elephant inside of it. Truly, there is nothing for Carter and I to say to each other, but at the same time, there is too much to say. I want to ask him why he really let me come with him again because I’m unable to rid myself of the nagging feeling that it isn’t for my benefit at all.

I huff inwardly and decide to keep quiet and keep my eyes forward; watching the little white lines on the road disappear under the car is therapeutically distracting and seems to be all I can do to avoid fully acknowledging the weight of Carter’s fleeting glances every few minutes. Knowing how much Carter irks me, I put myself in this position anyway. I keep reminding myself that it’s for the greater good; I don’t like Carter, but as he is oddly in my corner -albeit for his own twisted reasons -being around him is necessary.

Eventually we turn a corner and my discomfort grows because we have reached that part of the motorway where there are no street lamps for the next few miles. My calming white lines are now only visible as far as Carter’s headlights shine, and our only guide are the cat eyes in the road that reflect ice blue light back at us. Darkness engulfed the car as the translucent white of the moonlight casts shadows all around us, making the dashboard lights more vibrant. We have entered No-Man’s Land.

I clear my throat and shifted in my seat, pulling my arms a little tighter around my frame. I can see Carter’s brilliantly discomforting smile from the corner of my eye. He reaches a manicured hand between us and turns the music down so low that it sounds like white noise. Way to make it even more uncomfortable, asshole!

“We’ll be there soon so I think it’s about time I lay down the rules,” he says.

I furrow my eyebrows, “You’re giving me rules?”

“Yes. You’re my guest so when we get inside, try and stay at my side or at least where I can see you -you’re new to the scene so you can’t just walk around like you own the place. Also, stay away from Nathaniel.” As soon as the words leave his mouth, his eyes begin to analyse my reaction.

My eyes widen and my heart rate picks up. I have avoided seeing and speaking to Nate for so long now that it is becoming slightly easier to ignore the aching emptiness in my chest. Carter is throwing me into a situation where it will be damn near impossible to avoid him and any drama he has in tow, especially as I’m showing up with the one person he tried to keep me from in the first place. As if this whole situation wasn’t awkward enough already!

I look at Carter.

“Nate's gonna be there? Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he replies keeping his eyes to the front, his smile playing around his lips, “You sound surprised. I had assumed he was part of the reason you wanted to go so bad. You're a bit obsessed with him.”

“Excuse me? I am not obsessed! And how dare you say anyone is obsessed when you tried to sleep with me all because you’re still hung up on that slut Georgia!” I fire back defensively.

All amusement leaves Carter’s face. His hazel eyes burn into mine painted with an uncompromising severity that I have never seen witnessed from him as he always donned the creepy smile. This is much more unnerving.

Carter pulls over, and then in one swift motion he closes in on me, his face hovering over mine with a look daring me to test him. I want to stand my ground and get up in his face too, but my instincts advise me against it, so instead I shrink back against the door, holding my breath.