Falling into Summer

Chapter 17

"How long have you had that thing?" I ask, as I jog a couple of steps to catch up to him.

"Since I lived in Virginia," he answers like it's nothing new.

"No, I mean, how often have you brought it with you when we were hanging out?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know? What, like you're always packing heat?" I ask and it comes out more comedic than I mean it. He instantly rolls his eyes, and I'm trying to remember if I remember anything suspicious during all the times we've hung out in the past.

"Well I carry it with me for protection. It's not illegal you know, I have a permit," he responds, but it almost sounds defensive.

"No I know," I say as we come to a stop at the water's edge. It amazes me that it's after midnight, and it still feels like the middle of a summer day, the humidity thick from yesterday's rain.

"It's so I can keep us safe in the woods at night or on the beach at two in the morning," he insists looking over at me. With his words, I realize that Carter is more of a man than I even realized. Knowing he takes his role as protector so seriously, only makes me like him more, because I know without a doubt he would do anything he needed to keep us safe... and that's extremely sexy... Haley you have to stop thinking like that!... "So, what do you think?" he asks looking up at the night sky, the full moon and stars shining brightly now that the clouds have passed.

Following his gaze, I see the sky and all its beauty, and smile. "Oh wow, this is amazing. Way better than the beach," I insist noting that it's darker here than the beach, so the sky is much clearer.

"Here, let's sit," he suggest. Handing me the flashlight to hold, he unwraps the gun from the towel, tucks it into his waistband behind his back, and spreads the towel out on the dirt. We sit for a while, stargazing and talking.

We fill each other in on things we've been doing all week. He asks about the new friends I've made at school, and I share about how I've hung out with them a couple of times. When I ask him how his weekend was with Leah, he doesn't elaborate much other than to say it was ok. Then he changes the subject and tells me he's planning on going to Virginia for his birthday in a week. "I'd invite you to go but I know you have school," he insists.

"Well yeah, plus I'm sure Leah wouldn't appreciate that too much," I say, stating the more obvious reason. But he just shrugs as if he couldn't care less what Leah would think, and once again his reaction surprises me.

After our conversation moves on to easier topics, and we've seemingly finished telling each other everything we've been waiting to tell one another, Carter surprises me when he tells me "I've missed this... Being able to talk to you like this," he explains and smiles at me. "I can't talk to anyone else like I can talk to you."

Hearing him say something so honest reminds me why I'm falling for Carter so effortlessly. He has this ability to make me feel like the most special person when I'm with him. After all this time spent together, even after the last week of unpleasant conversations, he manages to make me feel like the smartest, sweetest, and most beautiful girl he knows, like I'm a rare find. The way he makes me feel gives me a confidence I've never had before. By being the way he is with me and doing things for me, it shows me he respects and thinks highly of me, and will do whatever he can to make sure I feel safe. And because I feel safe around him, I feel like I can let my guard down, and not be afraid to be who I really am. "I've missed this too," I admit.

Just as I start to relax, my fear subsiding with Carter's protection, I hear a noise in the woods to our right.

"What was that?" I whisper, as my body stiffens.