✓ | ESCAPE ROOM ( WYATT OLEFF )

xxviii. never stopped you before

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT.
[ xxvii. never stopped you before ]
/ IRL /

     CARTER HUGGED HER arms tighter around herself, staring at Wyatt with a blank face. Her eyes traced all over his face as if she hasn't seen him in ages. Wyatt let out a breathy cackle, his lips forming a smile. Carter, however, definitely did not have a smile. Her lips turned into a frown once she small him smile.

     She turned around, facing the door. She stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets, sniffling. "Carter-"

     "No, Wyatt!" Carter yelled as she turned around, pointing her index finger at him. He was taken back by her loud voice, but kept calm. She refrained her finger, shocked at herself for raising her voice so loudly. "Leave me alone."

     "Can I just say something, please?" Wyatt pleaded, but she shook her head. She wiped her eyes with her hands, letting out a whine.

"What, you gonna tell me about your future girlfriend waiting for you in Mexico?" Carter fired back, raising her hands in defense. Wyatt stood up straighter uncomfortably, letting out a sigh. "You have nothing to say to me."

"But that's where you're wrong," Wyatt added, which internally shocked her. However, she didn't let it appear onto her facial reaction. She clenched her jaw as she stared at him from afar. "I have a million things to say to you if you would let me." Carter watched as his eyes became glossy, making her heart soften. She broke eye contact, staring at the ground. She nodded slightly, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"You have fifteen seconds," Carter croaked out as she raised her head back up. "Go." Wyatt took a deep breath.

"Erin and I broke up because she knew I wasn't over you," Wyatt quickly explained, the pain in his throat bothering him. The ginger couldn't believe what she heard, stunned entirely. Her heart felt guilty as she knew it was all her fault. She knew Erin was a nice girl who definitely didn't deserve it. He looked away for a moment to recollect himself. "I don't know what you did to me, but I can't stop thinking about you." Carter's breath hitched at his words, not wanting to believe him.

"Seven seconds," she muttered, pushing back the hair out of her face.

"I regret keeping that from you. I didn't know we'd come so close that it would have to be said." He paused, taking deep breaths. Carter let out a shaky sigh as she watched him become anxious. "I don't know anything about love, okay? I'm just . . . some awkward teenage boy who stays inside playing video games," he breathed out, cracking a chuckle. Carter his her grin by looking down. "But what I know is that I really love you."

     She froze and wanted to fall to the ground. It felt like someone punched her in the gut, but it felt good. She lifted her head up with her eyes as wide as rockets, her stomach filled with excitement. However, she was brought back to her own words: "everyone who loves me always get hurt". Carter shook her head as she disagreed. "No, no you can't. You don't."

Wyatt's breath hitched, his heart racing. He took the courage to step forward and started to walk closer to Carter. She hugged her arms closer to her chest as if she was afraid to get any closer to him. She looked away to the side as she came face to face with Wyatt. "You're the best thing that has happened to me," he whispered, which made her tear up.