Her Dad My Daddy ✓

Chapter Five | That Kind of Club

Karter couldn't sleep.

It wasn't abnormal for him to wake up in the middle of the night unable to fall into a peaceful slumber again. Most nights he's spent restlessly awake tossing and turning in a lumpy mattress.

Even as a kid he had issues with sleeping. Nightmares that were so realistic that they made him question reality. Then there were nights where he was either so tired he felt drugged or wired with so much anxiety he couldn't lay down. There was simply no in-between.

He kicked off his sheets and pulled on some pants before he snuck out of his room. It was late and the last thing he wanted was to wake Flynn. Karter learned long ago that his cousin didn't like his "beauty sleep" interrupted before work.

Karter grabbed his shoes and walked out the door ignoring the fact it was cold out and he was only in a t-shirt and jeans.

Most nights he liked to go for walks and explore the city. Not the brightest thing to do in a busy city with little to no self-defense knowledge.

There was just something about being out at night that felt good and reckless in a way. It made him nervous and calm at the same time. The passerby's, even at all hours or the bright lights made him feel safe in a way.

Growing up he was always told to stay in at night because it was dangerous out there. To be fair he did live in the mountains and there were both wild animals nearby along with some questionable people.

However, in New York it was different, sure there were still more than enough crazy stories to tell about his encounters with creeps, but that was part of the adventure.

The lonely streets were eerie, making them look beautiful to Karter's eyes. He found the "creepy" things of life the most interesting and appealing. He loved when people looked at pictures he took of the city and slowly questioned his sanity. He fed off their fear.

The night's walk prompted the thought that his life was going by too quickly as if he would blink and he would be an old man dying alone. The anxieties he held in, often dragged him down on nights like this. Growing up, moving on, messing up; they all went hand and hand to him.

It was going to be his second year of college, the college he was told he'd never get into by his teachers and counselors.

It was his second year without seeing his parents. When he was barely a teenager his family had to move for a year for his mom's job. That year didn't last as long as he would have liked.

When they lived in New York things were better. No stupid arguments or guilt about not being a better son. They all got along better than they ever had, they were happy.

Until they moved back to his hometown.

A week after Karter turned nineteen he moved out.

It was one of the worst times of his life, yet there was still a weight off his chest. A freedom he didn't know existed.

He sighed at the thought. The only thing that made him question the decision was his younger sister. He missed her the most, she was one of the few that didn't judge him and what did he do? Just left her there with that judgemental ass family.

They were nice to her.
But what happens when they turn on her too?

He wasn't paying attention to what was going on and was suddenly walking into a bar or club with a group of people. The bouncer must have thought he was with them because she didn't even ask for his ID or a cover charge.

It was nice inside and a lot warmer, it reminded him of how cold he got outside. However, part of him enjoyed just feeling cold, a comforting feeling to get his mind off his mind.

"Here ya go sweety," a tall woman said with a smirk. She handed Karter a glowing pink bracelet after looking him up and down.