Finally Free (Editing Slowly)

Chapter Three

"Carter is that really you?"

"Yes Ambs, it's me." He touches my face so gently as if he presses to hard I will evaporate like smoke in the air. I smile up at him as tears slowly run down my face.

"I thought that I would never see you again, you guys never came back."

Tears are falling faster now. He just pulls me into a bone crushing hug and rubs my back. I hear what sounds like a growl behind him. I pull back and look at Conner because the growl had come from his direction. He looks so angry but I do not understand why, did that growl come from him? 

"What was that?" I hate to admit it but there was a small amount of fear in my voice when I asked the question. It just slipped out and when I looked at him again I could see the hurt and anger that he was feeling. I do not know if it was towards himself or me. I bury myself into Carter hoping that I could just disappear.

When I look up at Carter he is the one with the look that could kill. I pull back slightly so that I can look at his whole face. I can hear Conner make a move towards me but Carter tightens his grip which seems to stop Conner's movements. 

"Conner that does not seem like the best idea," the teacher speaks firmly. I turn around in Carter's arms so I can see the teacher and Conner. 

He has his arms stretched out to stop Conner from reaching us,  the two boys seem to want to jump down each others throat, looking back at Carter tearing them out seems more accurate. Carter and Conner just continue to have this stare down with each other and I feel small like a little lost puppy stuck in my brothers arms unable to defend myself.

"He will not hurt me will you Carter boy?" Conner says teasingly.

He takes a step closer, and Carter's body tenses as if he is about to throw me out of the way and lunge at him. "You better watch it Conner." I held onto him tighter I did not want my brother and this guy to get into a fist fight in the middle of class. 

"Do not do something you are going to regret Carter, please." I plead with him softly as I keep my arms around him. I look up at him and he glances down to me, but as he looks into my eyes I think that he could sense my worry for him because he seems to relax a little. He does not make a move again but I still keep my arms around him. Something just dawned on me in that very moment. We are in the middle of class. An ear piercing ring goes off for about a minute and a half.

"I am so sorry Sir about all of this distraction." I said in a rush as shouts of joy were heard from around the room. I looked down at my feet feeling ashamed because all of this happened when I came into the room

"It is okay, I understand that you have not seen your brother in a long time but the next time this happens I will not be so generous okay?" he says with a light smile on his lips. He has calm eyes and as he said this they only got warmer and that makes me like this teacher even more.

"Yes sir I understand." With that said I turn toward my brother and I loop my arms with his. We start walking towards the door and I turn around to see Conner looking sad like a lost puppy in the rain. I let go of my brothers arm and walk back towards the teachers desk, when he notices me coming towards him he smiles a broad smile and all sense of the lost puppy gone. I reach my hand out to him and with out hesitation he takes it.

When our skin touch's there is a like spark and it shocks me and him for a minute it was more than the tingles in the hall way.  I continued to hold his hand anyway and he does not protest he just squeezes it lightly and makes me smile. We walk towards Carter with our hands together and I hook my arm through his again as we head out the door. 

We walk down the hallway and Conner leans down and whispers "I really like you McCreed," I blush a bright red, "I like you too Conner," the truth is that I really did, I just cannot be with him. When that thought dawned on me I grew sad.

"Wanna know what we should do?" He says quietly.

"What?" I ask

"We should make your brother mad," he whispers. 

"How?" I ask with uncertainty in my voice as I glance at Carter. When I look up at Conner there is a mischievous look in his eyes as he smiles at me. It has me anxious yet excited since I do not know what makes my brother tick and clearly he knows something that does. 

"Just follow my lead," He walks a little ahead of me and pulls my hand so I have to follow and Carter widens his step to keep up with us. When we get to the cafeteria Conner stops and spins around to face us making us stop right in front of him. 

"What are you..." Before i can finish my sentence I am yanked into his arms and he is kissing me. He is kissing me this gorgeous man is actually kissing me in the middle of everyone. Just as I was about to start kissing him back I was yanked hard by my arm and right out of  Conner's. 

"What the hell do you think you are doing?!?!?!?" My brother is pissed like red in the face pissed. I catch a glimpse of my father in his features it scares me so badly I step behind Conner so I do not have to look at his face. 

"Calm down dude I was just thanking your sister for stopping us from causing some big issues between us." He stands straighter and I feel his hand wrap around my wrist and gently pulls me in front of him. He leans down and whispers in my ear, "It is okay I will not let anyone hurt you, I promise." 

"It is okay Carter if I did not want it to happen I would have stopped it." 

"Lets just go and Conner keep your mouth to yourself." Carter stomps off ahead of us. Conner sure does know how to push his buttons and send my stomach into knots.