Behind Your Walls

21 | a conversation

"We should stop," I mumble to Carter when his lips move from my lips to my neck where he sucks softly before covering the spot with his tongue.

His hands are on either side of my waist and mine are on his shirt, pulling him closer and closer. He has me pressed against the wall beside the door to his house. We didn't get a chance to even enter the house because Carter had me in his arms and was kissing me before we could.

"I don't think I can," he murmurs against my collarbone. I moan at his touch and feel my legs going numb. "Fuck...we should skip classes every day."

"Shut up..."

The words trail off to a moan as I grip his shirt tighter, the feel of his body pressed to me driving me mad. I feel his smile against my skin before he pulls back. I look up to find him smiling and it makes me cock an eyebrow at him.

"What?" I ask breathlessly.

"Nothing." He shakes his head and leans down to kiss me again. I return his gesture just as desperately. "This doesn't feel real, snippy...This is too good to be true."

I tangle my fingers in the traces of his hair and am about to deepen the kiss when the vibration of his phone in his pocket makes me stop for a moment.

"Won't you pick that up?"

Carter avoids my question, showering my face with more kisses while his hands explore the curve of my waist, moving up till I feel his fingers on the sides of my breasts. He lingers for a moment and then trails his hand upwards to the nape of my neck, pulling me back and kissing me again.

"Leave it. It's not important."

He pecks my lips, pulling the bottom lip between his teeth. I groan and deepen the kiss. I should be worried about him and warn him about Panther but the more I get closer to him, the harder it becomes to speak.

"Carter!"

The door slams open, making us pull back with a start. I find Melody standing on the porch with her phone in one hand and a plastic bag in the other. I can't see the contents of it but it looks heavy. She is wearing a blue full-sleeved dress and her blonde hair is messy, the short strands coming out haphazardly. She looks somewhere between extremely worried and extremely upset.

"Melody, what's wrong?" Carter asks, pulling away from me and walking toward her.

"Why won't you pick up your phone? I have been calling for hours!"

The color drains from Carter's face and I find him reaching for his phone in his pocket.

"What happened?" he questions as he pulls out his phone and scrolls through the screen.

"It's your dad. He's in the hospital," Melody informs and my heart gives a jolt.

I gasp, putting my hands over my mouth. I can't see the expression on Carter's face but I find him reaching for the plastic bag in Melody's hand which she hands over to him quickly. Carter rushes past me and my eyes follow his movements as he hangs the bag on the handlebar of his motorcycle and puts his helmet on.

He starts the engine without speaking a single word but I think I can almost hear the frantic beating of his heart. The motorcycle comes to life and Carter hits the road.

The phone call was important after all.

***

I spend the rest of the day worrying about Mr. Bell and checking my phone for any messages from Carter. There are none. It is 8 pm by the time I change into a pair of black trousers and a green sweatshirt after completing my homework. I walk into the sitting room to find Melody there. Thinking for the best, I walk to the kitchen and make two cups of coffee before heading over to her.