I'm sorry for ghosting yall. I've been busy with school and work, and frankly I kinda lost my flow with writing and not really inspired nor motivated.
When I open the door to Carter's house with the spare keys he had given me I could hear hurried footsteps accompanied by nails clacking against the dark wooden floor.
Bumblebee comes around the corner first full speed, and giving me no time to react when she jumps on me.
I stumble backwards holding onto the excited golden retriever as she barks with her tail swinging ecstatically. I grimace moving my head back when she tries to lick me.
"Bumblebee, down." A swift whistle makes her ears perk before she is back on all fours.
The command is deeply appreciated until I was released from one animal to be in the hold of another.
Carter's arms enclosed around my waist, and he lifts me off the floor as his face burrows in the crook of my neck. I hook my legs around his waist as I wrap my arms around his neck.
"Cariño." I laugh as he peppers kisses along my neck, squirming in his hold.
"I missed you." His voice muffled.
"I missed you too." I smile, running my fingers through his dark strands.
He silently starts walking the living room and I gasp when he tosses me on the couch, but not a second later he was laying in between my legs with his head on my chest and hands rubbing up and down my waist.
As much as I enjoy the cuddling session I really had to pee, and his heavy body pressing down on me wasn't helping my bladder.
"Carver, I gotta get up. I gotta pee." I tap his shoulder. I thought he didn't hear me but then he releases an annoyed sigh as he pushes himself off of me, and allowing me to stand up.
"Can I come with you?" He asked.
I laughed lightly, thinking he was joking, but I realized he was serious when he didn't laugh. I shrug, "Sure."
He almost hops off the couch, to which I laugh again at his unusual enthusiasm.
I walk up stairs with the man falling behind, and I feel the fingers of his warm, callous hand interlock with mine.
When we get to his room my fingers slip from his and I walk into the bathroom. I was going to handle my business like we wasn't even here, and I did. After pulling up my pants I let down the lid of the toilet before flushing.
His eyes drift away from me as he leans against the doorframe, "Astryd moved out of the penthouse." With his tone I couldn't tell if it was a question or a statement.
"How'd you know?" I look at him through the mirror as I rinse my hands under the cold water before pumping soap into my hand.
"Leo threw a fit, and I helped with minor damages along with being emotionally supportive." He walks further into the bathroom as I lather the soup on my hands, and he leans against the counter with his back facing the mirror.
"Supportive how?" I glance at him furrowing my brows and pursing my lips.
The slight wrinkle between his brows as he pinches them together created a look of defensiveness, despite the amusement in his voice. "What's that look for? You do not think I can be emotionally supportive?"
I stayed silent washing my hands.
He scoffs with a chuckle hidden underneath. I shrug, "Just answer the question."
"I told him I feel no sympathy for him as Astryd moving out was his fault to begin with." He mutters glancing away to the more interesting glass shower.
"Oh, forgive me for my assumptions. How wrong it was for me to think you, Carter Moretti, were anything but supportive. They should give you a 'Emotionally Supportive Human' vest." I top my exaggeration with a shameful sigh, and turning off the sink water before drying my hands off.
"Shut up." He chuckles, and follows me out the bathroom turning off the light.
"I'm sorry, cariño, but I wouldn't really describe that as emotionally supportive. I don't think anyone would." I stop to turn around and face him.
"I was being honest, and that is suppose to be the best policy." His hands automatically latch onto my hips pulling me closer to him.
"Sometimes you don't need to be honest. You just needed to be his friend. I'm sure Leo already knows he played a significant part of Astryd leaving so you didn't have to rub it in." I cup his face.
His calloused hands wrap around my wrist, and his thumbs caresses the back of my hands. Intently, his golden eyes were searching mine as a smile tips at his lips.
"You are good." He says looking at me as if I was fascinating.
"Good? At what?"
"Nothing. You are just beautifully good." He spoke again, softer this time with a rasp in his voice as if the words pained him, but he had this look in his eyes that were anything but pain. The look was soft and gentle and an another look I wanna describe as a storm desperation, but it calm as it was chaotic; passionate.
I still didn't understand what he meant or the look in his eyes, but it made a sense of nerves crash over me, and the gentle kiss to my cheek made them flush.
I was going to to say something but the sound of light pattering from outside catches my attention.
It was raining.
I slip from Carter's grasp, walking to the window, and pulling back the curtains.
The sky was a marble of dark grey with light peeking behind the gloomy clouds as water droplets fall wetting everything below.
"I love the rain it's so calming. Do you?"
"No."
"Why?" I ask and I shift my gaze from the window, to him, and finding him directly behind me.
His hands latch to my waist, "I don't like getting wet by anything other than a shower and you."
"You have a pool in your backyard." I laugh.
"It was there when I bought the house." He shrugs.
"You're telling me you never used that pool?"
"Not until you did." He tilts his head slightly as his hands travel lower, "Jump."
I place my hand on his chest as I take a small step back, laughing lightly. I would love to be held in his arms, chest to chest, being embraced by his warmth, and feeling every breath enter and leave his body; but I really wanted to go out and watch the rain.
"I wanna go outside." I said walking around him and to his closet.
"Why?" I glance over my shoulder to catch the look of distaste as he looks from me to his tall window where rain was pouring down outside.
"Because I like it." That was the only answer I could give. Despite being wet, and sometimes awfully cold, the rain was like a comforting blanket. Every time it rains time moves slower and I feel safer because everyone's a little more cautious when it rains.
"I will go outside with you." He declares forcefully and hesitant, as his eyes fall back onto the rain falling out the windows. A personal grudge shining in his eyes.
"But you just said you don't like the rain."
"I love the rain." The lies seemed to have choked him as he breeze pass me and grabs an giant winter coat.
I grab a simple hoodie.
"But you—"
He turned on his heels leaving me with an incomplete sentence as he leaves the closet. I laugh.
I throw on the hoodie and slip on some shoes before turning around to find him an umbrella in my boyfriend's hand.
"Carter you won't need that. We'll be under the shade." I laugh.
His eyes narrowed as he turns on his heels leaving the room, and I follow him.
We walk to the kitchen in silence the only noise was our steps and Carter's coat that made a noise with every movement he made, along with the umbrella brushing against his long legs with every step.
We get to the back door and Carter holds the handle with hesitant movements to twist and pull the knob, but he does opening the door.
Immediately the sound of the rain intensifies, scratching an itch in my brain. The wild and calm sound of the droplets falling on whatever surfaces they land on tempted me to close my eyes.
I glance to Carter who already had the umbrella open standing under the patio cover. Rain wasn't even falling on him as he held the driest umbrella over his head.
"Cariño." I stand next in front of him with my hand on his chest— well where his chest would be under this heavy winter coat. "What's the matter?"
He sigh with a look of embarrassment and discomfort on his face, "When I was younger I hated thunderstorms, they scared me being unnecessarily loud and unpredictable. Of course I have grown out of it, but even the rain makes me on edge."
My hand moves from his chest to cupping the side of his face as my lips tip downward, "You don't have to be out here if it makes you uncomfortable." I said softly.
"I know." He nods, "I want to be out here with you."
I smile. I stand on the tip of my toes reaching for the dry umbrella in his hand, and he lets the handle slip out of his grasp and into mine.
"Lemme distract you." I offer closing the umbrella and setting it down.
A gleam flashes in his eyes as he looks around with a smirk, "Girasole. The neighbors may not—"
I laugh shoving his shoulder lightly, "That's not what I meant!"
He wince grabbing his shoulder as his face contorts into pain, "That hurts, girasole."
"Did it?" I deadpanned. "I'm surprised you can feel anything with this giant coat on."
"I can and it did hurt. I think I need a kiss to feel better." He steps closer, and his voice lowering in volume.
I can't help it when my body gravitates towards him till our chest or pressed together and his hand no longer clutching his shoulder, but the dip of my hip, "Do you?"
"Desperately." He exhale.
I smile pressing a kiss to his cheek, and my smile brightens as he groans in frustration dropping his head on my shoulder.
"You know how to dance?" I ask.
He shakes his head, "I don't dance. Never bothered to."
I shrug my shoulders and he lifts his head pinning me with a narrowing gaze.
"Here. Let me teach you." I smile taking his hand in mine as I fix my posture and square my shoulders.
"Put your other hand on my lower back." I instruct.
His hand slithers under the hoodie I'm wearing, and his callous hand gently glides from my hip to my lower back; my skin burning hot at his touch.
I now realize how close our faces were when I feel his breath fan my forehead as he watches me intently like my next words are life-saving information.
"Then you're gonna take a toward and I backwards with your right." I instructed softly as I take a step back with my left foot.
"And then take a step to the left." I continue to how to do the basic routine, and I never look down. I don't look at our moving feet, even as he steps and stumbles slightly on my own. I admire his face. The adorable wrinkle between his eyebrows as he pinches them together in concentration; the rest of his face completely relaxed.
His movements came to a stop and his eyes meet mine, "This is difficult."
"I've observed."
He rolls his eyes, his hand slipping from mine and onto my hips under the hoodie I'm wearing. Both his hands caress my the hip of my back, and my hot skin prickles.
"You know what would be more fun?" He pulls me closer and a smile tips at my lips.
"What?" I tilt my head looking up at him.
His hands travel higher to the side of my midsection, lifting the hoodie, and exposing my lower stomach. "You and I..." He draws out slowly, "In my bed, preferably naked, me making you moan, and you looking heavenly while I do it."
I couldn't deny the smile that widens at the idea, or the slight hope churning in my stomach, but I couldn't be too easy. "Or you and I..." I trail off slowly taking a step back and he follows with a step forward, "in the rain—"
"No."
"You didn't even let me finish." I huff taking another step back and he follows.
"You want to finish? Come to bed and I will help you." A smirk lies on his lips as his fingers under my hoodie skims the underside of my breast, and I grab his wrists.
"But the rain is so—" I didn't have anything else, so I try pull him as I almost step from under the shade, but he barely budged. The cool wind breezes past me and howls as if laughing at my failed attempt.
Carter's hands grab mine and he yanks me to him, closer this time, way closer. My chest was pressed against the material of the coat. I could feel the warmth through the material of the hoodie, and his breath fanning the top of my forehead. And with no surprise his hands are back under the hoodie securing me to him, and I shiver against him.
"You are absolutely infuriating." I would believe him if it weren't for the softness his tone and the gentle look in his eyes.
"You love it." My voice was hushed. This close of a proximity it felt wrong to speak above a whisper.
"I love you." The words left his lips in a rasp as if they made his throat constrict so tightly even air was unreachable.
I think time stopped. I could no longer hear the rain, nor feel the wind, but I could hear my heart drumming loudly in my ears accompanied by the beat of my pulse working overtime. He loves me.
My vision no longer focused. My minds completely melted away, and I can not form a thought. It was blank. I've never been told "I love you" in a romantic sense; only friends and family.
With his hands tightening there grip on my hips I was reeled back into reality, and in his eyes I could see the sheer shock and...fear?
"Say something." He demands in a whisper, voice deep and raspy.
"Please." I mutter, "Will you say something, please?" I correct him.
His chest rumbles as he laughs quietly, and I let my head fall his chest as my face burns from embarrassment.
My shoulders tense slightly before relaxing when I feel his lips brush against the shell of my ear, "My apologies." His deep chuckles enters my ears and if they weren't already close they would flutter. "Will you say something please, girasole?"
What do I say besides the words bouncing off the wall in my brain right now.
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<3☔️