Carlton ✔

32| The Unsettling Claim

Dedicated to:@ashl3nn

Thanks for all the lovely votes on my book! I hope my story keeps your interest till the end! :):)

"Brave girl, promise me, you will not shrink yourself in order to make others feel comfortable."

~ wherenext.blog

Carlton's POV

We landed in Boston, driving straight to the Price Villa. Explaining myself was a task way tougher than anything I had ever done, combined.

Pressing my hands on my ears, I ambled right past Damien who was scolding me. I could only thank God for Raymond's absence, or we would end up breaking each other's bones.

He was out somewhere. Could he get any more suspicious than that?

I practically dragged Bree into the room so she wouldn't get attacked instead.

"I told you they were gonna get mad," I sighed, placing my hands on my waist and letting my head hang with frustration.

Breanna's lips pursed into a thin line. "They'll be alright."

Squeezing my eyes shut, I gave my forehead a self-consolatory massage.

She came closer. Her hand reached for my hair strands and she tucked them away. "You're hurt. You don't need this right now. I want you to rest; I'll take care of it."

I stared into her twinkling eyes, studying her face and promptly making an impulsive decision. "There's a change of plans."

Her pupils dilated.

"I'm changing your position."

Her hand faltered a little bit, dropping back on her side as she maintained a flabbergasted glare.

Thanks to Breanna's sad-as-fuck, Icarus story, I was forced to alter my plans to suit her survival. Initially, she was going to join Raymond, Ace, and Dylan on the day of the big conference event.

I grinned. "You will sit in the car outside and wait till we return."

She gasped loudly, stumbling away from me. Her feminist instincts kicked in faster than I had expected. "You can't do this!"

"Sorry, I already did."

She looked like a very pissed off feline, ready to tear me apart any second. "Why?! Is it because I'm a girl?! Let me tell you this bastard, I can knock you out right now!"

Her fists were already up in the air. Suppressing a chuckle, I placed my hands on her shoulders. "No, Bree, it's not because you're a girl. It's because you're my girl."

That seemed to her calm down just a little. But her eyebrows still furrowed downwards, making me mark my every word.

I trailed my hands up to her face, cupping her angry, puffed cheeks. "I'm doing this for you, Bree. If anything were to happen to you, there would be no point of all this."

Her features relaxed in an understanding nuance. Leaning up, she touched our foreheads together. "You really like me a lot, don't you, Carlton?"

I felt something sharp prick my heart. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. As if there was a silent warning that was masked in there.

"I do. Like...a lot."

I couldn't see it, but I felt her smile and breathe a sigh of relief. Craning her neck, her eyes fluttered close. My heartbeat fastened when I felt her warm hands on my chest. I felt her body heat seep into my skin from her closeness.