Dealing with Karter

Chapter 10: Princess

"You didn't have to stick up for me, you know?" Karter said after I shut the phone off with my very worried parents. Despite his words, I could see the smile he was trying to hide.

"Karter, we've been over this. As your friend I should stick up for you even if you are not around," I sighed. "Plus, if I said anything else you would probably make me let go of your arm."

I had a death grip on his arm. Walking in the empty park after midnight was not a very pleasant experience.

Karter chuckled at that. "Are you sure it's not an excuse to hold my hand?"

I was glad it was dark out because my face had turned a dark colour of red. It's not that I didn't like holding hands with Karter, it felt nice, but at the moment my life was in danger. "No! It's your fault you're scaring me with possible threats of clowns!"

Karter laughed even harder. It was weird hearing Karter laugh, almost foreign. I couldn't help but finding myself enjoying the sound of it. It was sad he didn't laugh or smile much. It was even more sad to get so taken aback by his laughter. Oh Karter...

"Your parents are just worried about you, I'd act the same in their shoes," he said calmly. I believed him. Karter was always worrying about his sisters.

I remembered the picture in his room.

"How do you do it?" I asked earning a confused look from Karter. "How did you manage without your parents?"

He worked all the time, he raised his sisters, Harley said he doesn't like talking about them. It only made sense that they weren't in his life anymore.

Karter stopped walking. I stopped two steps ahead turning around to find him tense, a dark expression on his face.

"How do you know?" He asked. I took a cautious step forward expecting him to step back but he didn't.

"I saw the picture in your room, Harley told me you don't talk about them, I connected the dots," I said quietly waiting for him to blow up.

Instead, tears pooled in his eyes. The broken expression was breaking my heart.

"I'm not going to talk about them with you," he said sharply. I would lie if I said his tone didn't hurt, but he was hurting. It was his right.

"But you can for when you want to. I will listen anytime and any day. I'm here for you too, you know that right?" I asked, slowly reaching for his hand that was clenched at his side. He didn't rip his hand out of mine like I expected him to. He just stood there, breathing harshly.

"Let me get you home," he grit through his teeth. I nodded my head not saying anything.

It felt like forever before Karter spoke again.

"I want to thank you again for today. I know you don't like kids, but you did it anyways and I'm grateful for that," he said making me gasp. How did he know I didn't like kids? I never told him.

"H-how..."

"You looked very uncomfortable and tense," he chuckled. "You're an open book Livia."

I was happy he was no longer upset about me brining up his parents.

"And here I thought I was good at hiding my emotions," I mumbled under my breath making Karter chuckle once more.