Bayside Queens (BoyxMan)

13.

13.

Quinn

CJ was gone by the time I woke up, and strangely enough, I wasn't lying on the floor like I thought I would be. Instead, I was curled up in CJ's bed like I never left. Except I did. I had woken up mid morning, freezing my ass off. I had no idea CJ wasn't sleeping with me. I crawled to the end of the bed and saw his stretched out form lying uncomfortably on a make shift bed of blankets and grinned. He looked adorably innocent and young, like everyone did when they slept. But this was different. Looking down at him, he wasn't a world away. He wasn't eight years away. He was just CJ, asleep. So I joined him, snuggling right into his chest like we hadn't just had a fight about out age difference five hours ago. When I felt him unconsciously pull me closer, I smiled into his chest.

But he was gone now, and I was back in the bed. He must have carried me here, because I didn't remember a thing. Yawning, I threw the covers back and turned on the side lamp. Sitting on a napkin was one of my pills, and next to it a fresh glass of water. My heart warmed as I swallowed it down. No matter what he did, or even what he said, I knew Carter would always care for me. Whether it was making the PBJ for lunch, carrying me to bed, or making sure I took my pills, I saw CJ in everything I did. And I never wanted that to change. I wanted him to care for me and I for him forever.

But that was a pipe dream, as CJ so clearly pointed out for me last night. It's not you, it's your age, rang throughout my head for the hours it took me to fall asleep. His words burned my chest and ached throughout my bones. Age wasn't something you could change. To be honest, I would have liked it better if he had just told me I was too skinny or too sassy or too needy. Those things I could change, I would change for him. But my seventeen years of existence was what kept him from ever letting my touch him. And that was something that I couldn't do a thing about.

I sighed, dragging my feet to the door and pushing it open. Surprisingly, Luce wasn't home yet. So I grabbed a cereal box from the cabinet and plopped down on the couch, grabbing the phone Carter left for me. I dialed Val.

"Hello?" her confused voice filled my ears after a few rings. The sound of her familiar vocals sent a painfully homesick feeling through my chest.

"Valarie," I breathed into the phone with relief. She squealed.

"My baby! I was wondering when I'd hear from you, sweet cheeks. Toby misses his god daddy and I miss my best friend. When the hell are you coming home, Spin?"

"Good to hear from you too, Val," I said, chuckling. "I miss you both. I'll be home next week after I get the stitches taken out. Carter's already made the appointment," I heard myself sigh at the end, the thought of leaving him making me wilt.

"So have you two done it yet?" Was Val's very profound response. I groaned.

"Vaaalll," I whined. "You know he's a cop, right?"

"Yeah, and I also know your ass is fine. He couldn't resist that, and by the look in his eyes when he saw you in that hospital room, he isn't gonna."

"I wish you were right," I told her. "But he's barely touched me," I felt myself whisper, the subject matter touchy. "I try so hard, but he just brushes me off. He's super serious about the whole age thing."

"Well have you told him your birthday is in February? That's two months, Spin, not two years!"

"Well what can I say? He's a man of the law, two months may as well be two years," I grumbled back.

She sighed. "Well, I'm rooting for you."

The door to the apartment opened, Carter appearing in the doorway with a brown bag in his hand and a small smile on his face when he saw me. I furrowed my eyebrows, then glanced at the clock. No wonder he was already home, I had slept till 12.