Vote, Comment, Share, and Enjoy! 🤍

"All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost." — Bilbo Baggins 'The Fellowship of the Ring'
———————————————————

Chapter 9
<——————————————->

I thanked Carter as he held the door to the theater for me. As soon as we were sat, I felt the weight of someone's eyes on the back of my neck. Since Carter seemed completely oblivious to this, I allowed the feeling to pass.

"Want some?" I heard Carter whisper.

He tilted the popcorn toward me, which I gladly took. "Thank you."

He shot a sweet smile toward me before focusing his attention back on the movie. I tried to do the same but just couldn't. Maybe if I ignored whoever was staring at me, I would calm down.

Everyone else's attention was bound to the action movie while mine was elsewhere. Carter was being the perfect gentleman, but something just didn't feel right in all of this. That nagging tuition gnawing at the pit of your stomach. But perhaps I could excuse it for nerves.

Once we left my home, he asked if I had eaten yet, but I lied and told him that I had already eaten at my house. I figured that lying would help the night pass quicker. No matter what I did, I never was able to keep a conversation going for too long. The less talking, the better, I thought. After that, we left and here we were now, together in a full and dark theater.

Yep, anxiety was one cruel, tasteless bitch.

I laughed or gasped along with everyone else did at different scenes, yet my concentration was far from the movie. I felt a sense of gratitude when the movie ended.

Carter turned toward me. "That was a good movie."

We decided to stay behind. The credits rolled and the lights were turned on. We were silent for a minute as the screen began to darken.

We both stood up, scooting past the ushers. Carter's eyes raked my expression for any hint of emotion. "Everything okay?" He grabbed my hand in his.

I could hear the concern in his tone, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings by releasing his hand. We were on a date, and holding hands was one of the many normal things people did.

I gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, I'm just kind of in a shock."

His eyebrow raised. "Yeah? Why?"

"I don't know. It's just hard to think that someone like...you would want to go for someone like me," I explained, my eyes locked on the red carpet under us.

He paused in his step and I did the same. "I hope that didn't come out wrong."

"Kimberly, listen. You are literally one of the nicest girls I have ever met. And It doesn't matter what the others say. To me, you're probably the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on, inside and out," Carter admitted.

My heart awed at his reassurance. A heavy weight lifted off my chest. Perhaps we could have fun for the remainder of the night.

My hand was limp in his, despite the numerous times he squeezed it. "Thank you, Carter."

The employees locked the door of the theater behind us. Apparently we'd been in the building for awhile since there were only two cars in the parking lot, one including ours.

Carter led me to his car. "Thank you for letting me take a beautiful girl like yourself out on a date."

I blushed again, nodding my head. How could someone be so nice, I wondered.

"I knew it was a date," I said more to myself than him. "Even though I've only known you for a month."

He laughed. "Yeah, I guess that's kind of weird. But, don't worry. I would help you find our first period all over again if we ended up here in the end."

I blinked up at him. "Really?"

"Yeah," he answered, exposing white pearls to me. "Really."

I got inside of his car, which was fairly organized for a teenage boy. Carter soon followed.

We continued to talk about different things he brought up, like why I moved to Washington all of the sudden. I chose that it was best to lie that we were tired of Illinois.

I felt a sense of guilt stirring at the bottom of my stomach, but then I thought about what would happen if he found out? Who wanted to hear about a girl whose mother and other four brothers hated her?

No one; hell I didn't even like to think about it.

Another mystery clouded my judgment.

"Carter?"

He turned the steering wheel to the right even though we weren't moving. "Mm?"

I released my bottom lip long enough to ask, "How did you know where I lived?"

I never gave Carter my address. No one had it.

He paused before responding,"My aunt, she saw you guys moving in and told me there was a new girl around my age who just moved in."

I nodded, absorbing the information. I guess that did make sense, sort of.

Suddenly, his phone chirped with a notification. By the way he read it with such skepticism, I could guess that it was a text. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion once Carter's expression fell.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

Carter's eyes fell upon mine. "Yeah, I'm perfect." He attempted a smile that wasn't the strongest. But, if wasn't my business to pry.

I looked out my window. The bare branches spiked into the sky, no traces of life to be found. The lights from the theater were off. It was so dark around us that you were barely able to see where you were going unless you had a good pair of lights. The only sounds that reached our ears were of rustling bushes and the strong howl of the wind around us.

"Well." Carter turned to me, placing his phone on the dashboard. "I wanted to talk to you, actually."

My eyebrow perked up as I met his eyes. He was serious, a little too serious.

"Can we talk about it when we're back at my house?" I asked with a small laugh to follow. "I'm feeling a bit tired." That wasn't the truth. I just wanted to be in a safe environment, just in case anything transpired.

Carter shook his head, raking a large hand through his hair. "It won't take long."

I felt my head nodding, but couldn't help but notice the pressure begging to build in the pit of my stomach. Carter was sweet and the perfect gentlemen so far, but man were known for their inability to understand the word 'no.'

"I was just wondering... are you and Ryder a thing?"

"Ryder?"

"Kade."

My eyes widened in disbelief at the ridiculous question. His deadpanned expression assured that he was actually serious.

I mustered a dry laugh, pulling my dress further down further to cover my knees. "No, trust me. He hates me and the feeling is entirely mutual."

Carter laughed. "Yeah, he's a jackass. I don't understand how in the hell so many people like him. Just because he has daddy issues, he acts like such a bitch to everyone who even steps in his way."

"That's kind of judgmental, don't you think?" Reluctantly, the words left my mouth. Hell, I didn't even agree with them. At least I didn't think.

"You serious?" he looked to me as if I'd grown three heads. "Kimberly, he's an ass. You know this better then anyone. Why even defend someone like him?"

My lips pressed into a firm line at his words. I never liked talking bad about anyone's past, because I had endured it most of my life. No matter what they had done to me, never would I try to speak bad on someone's story. I'd been there, I was still there, and I wouldn't want it to happen to anyone else.

He turned to me, his back against the door. "Why do you care if I talk bad about him?" he pressured. "Did you not see the way he put his hands on me?"

"You did put your hands on him first...and everyone goes through things that others can't see," I unwillingly defended Kade even though the bile in my throat struggled to stay at bay. "He's an asshole, but his past is no one's concern but his own."

I pressed my back further against the car door once his face mirrored too many emotions to count. "Why the hell would you even defend an asshole—"

"Quit calling him names, Carter," I sighed, beginning to grow frustrated. At this point I didn't even care about defending anyone but myself.

Many emotions fluttered across his face before the surprise transitioned to anger.

I was beginning to grow annoyed by his judging tone. I didn't come on this date to talk about other people nor their trauma. That wasn't me and it would never be. Not for a boy. Not for anyone.

"Whatever," he responded, his anger barely at bay.

I rolled my eyes at his attitude, suddenly angered. I knew that it was wrong to defend someone who hated me, but I couldn't help myself. Even after everything Kade had done to me, I couldn't prevent myself from standing up for him.

I turned to the darkness then toward his face again. "Why haven't we left yet?" I asked.

The back of his head faced me, and by the way his hands gripped the steering wheel in a death hold, I knew that he was upset. I shook my head, looking out the window.

A strong hand ran through his blonde locks. "I actually brought you here to ask you to be my girlfriend," he finally responded.

The air was swept out of my lungs, the brush being his words. I stayed silent for a minute, for myself and for his feelings.

It wasn't that I disliked Carter. It was that the relationship would be toxic. I knew myself enough to know that I was in no shape or form, mentally ready for a relationship. Many factors would contribute to the destruction, including my lack of trust, my trauma, my lack of people. I didn't want to drain or drag anyone else down with me.

I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose once they began to tumble down, almost exactly my lack of confidence at the moment.

I hadn't looked at him yet but I heard Carter ask, "Why don't you just take them off?"

I raised my eyes to him. "Do you not like them?"

He looked taken aback by my question. "Oh no, I like your glasses, it's just they keep falling and it'd be easier to have them out of the way, don't you think?"

I felt my cheeks begin to darken, but disguised my hurt with agreement as I slid the glasses off of my face.

"Better?" he asked me, a smile lining his lips.

My vision instantly clouded around the edges of my surroundings. I could see everything decently, but I struggled with pointing out a correct description without them on.

"Yeah, better," I lied.

His hand caught mine in his as I went to rub my eyes. "So, back to the subject. Would you like to be my girlfriend, Kimberly?"

The last thing I wanted to do was hurt his feelings. I wanted to keep Carter as a friend, not a boyfriend. At least for right now. He had only known me for a couple of weeks. And that was only at school. How could he know what he wanted with me?

Before I had a chance to ruin the night for the both of us, he angled himself so we could be closer. I didn't mean to, but I felt my back press firmly against the seat.

"Look, I know this is sudden. I know we haven't known each other for that long, but I like you. I can feel that. I feel like we could be good together, Kimberly," he tried to persuade, a boyish grin on his face.

I had trouble finding the words to say to end this. "I-I—"

Before I could even utter a breath, he rushed forward, pressing his lips against mine. I blinked several times as my heart rate elevated to the top of the Empire State Building. That was when I realized that he was kissing me.

Carter was kissing me.

I turned my head to the side, trying to avoid his invading tongue. I felt his hand grab at my chin, a little too roughly and turn it back, only to lean forward again.

I shook my head. "Carter." My hands pushed against his chest.

I managed to yank my face from his grasp, just for him to slide his remaining hand into mine, the other on my dress.

"Stop it," I demanded, my voice firming up in fear. "I don't like this."

I felt my insides squirm with discomfort as his cold hand trailed up my thigh. Finally growing outraged, I put all of my strength into my hands as I shoved him to his side of the car.

"I said stop it, Carter!" I yelled at him. "What the hell?"

Finally, he yanked back. His eyes blazed with a torch of anger lit inside of them as he scrubbed a hand down his face. "What the fuck is wrong now?"

"When I tell you to stop, you're supposed to stop," I said, my eyes wide with fear as I stared at this complete stranger. The Carter I thought I knew was replaced with this dickwad, who couldn't take no for an answer.

"Take me home," I demanded. "Right now, Carter."

I fell into a panic as he grabbed at my hand again. I didn't want him to touch or even speak to me ever again.

My breathing increased at the pressure his actions brought along with him. I could feel sweat bathe my skin, the throbbing of my own eyes, the ringing alarm in my ears, and the erratic thumping of my heart against my chest. I couldn't hear my rapid breathing, but I could feel the oxygen flooding in and out of my lungs. Pain tortured my gut, churning my stomach in uncontrollable fear. Darkness engulfed my conscience, knocking all my other thoughts out of the ball park.

"Get the fuck away from her."

The loud growl alarmed both Carter and I. I blinked several times to lure myself out of the attack. The atmosphere was silent around us as Kade stood in front of Carter's side of the car.

"Get out," Kade hissed at me.

Carter stepped in. "She can do what she wants."

"Oh, so now you get it?" Kade chuckled. "She obviously doesn't want to fuck you. Get your money and go the fuck on."

It didn't take long for me to scramble out of Carter's car. I tried to suppress my surprise at the car next to ours. It had been the one in the parking lot with us before.

Kade flicked a thumb at the vehicle. "Get in there, and don't get out."

I did exactly that. I didn't care who took me away from here, as long as it wasn't Carter.

He was going to assault me. The bare thought left me sinking with disbelief.

My heart was too numb to take any more stabs for the night. It felt as if my mind had shut off everything else except the cold, dark fear in my heart.

Kade didn't glance my way any longer. He yanked open Carter's door. The muscles in his jaw ticked every bypassing second.

I felt my body tense as Kade reached inside, yanking Carter out like a rag doll. With no difficulty, he slammed Carter against his own car.

"Get your hands off me," Carter tried to break from the grasp, but it was no use. "The fuck is your problem, Ryder?"

Slowly, Kade's lips tipped into a smile. I might've been jumping with joy if I knew any different of him.

He leaned in so close to Carter, their noses were nearly touching. "You listen real good, Walson, because I promise you, I won't be saying this shit, again." He slammed Carter against the car so hard, it shook and trembled from the impact. "If you touch her, if you look at her, or even think about her, I will kill you with my own two hands. I don't give a fuck about the dare, I don't give a fuck about the money. I'm not them. You don't put your hands on her and you don't force yourself on anyone. Do you understand me?" Kades' words were oddly calm, hearing them be spoken that way made my nerves tingle. "Because if I have to repeat myself, I'll rip those same hands that you used to touch her right from your body without even blinking."

Fuck.

I couldn't believe that I once defended Carter, that I considered him a friend. I was humiliated, discouraged, hurt, but most of all, pissed. He was dared.

Kade left Carter in a heaving lump after slamming him into the car once more, dropping, then spitting at his feet. He went to turn around but before he did, he launched his foot back, then sent it into Carter's nose until a sickening crack sounded out in the silent lot, right before Carter's scream.

In the midst of it all, I heard him slam the door shut as he got inside. I felt so sick and nauseated, I could throw up.

How did I always end up in Kade' car?

With ease, he pulled off. The vehicle jerked forward down a darkened road, alarming me that I needed to put my seatbelt on.

Yet, I didn't. I needed something to push some type of feeling inside of me. I didn't know what I was looking for, adrenaline maybe? Anything that broke through my mind right now would help.

"Are you hungry?" His sudden speech nearly made me pass out. "I'm hungry."

"I'm not," I stated. I was before everything with Carter went down, but I didn't think my stomach could handle anything right now.

He grunted as a response, rolling his eyes. I didn't have it in me to care about what was up his ass now.

I wanted to thank him for what he did. I wasn't sure how far Carter would have went, and I didn't want to find out. I was grateful Kade was there to stop it, however the hell he ended up at the theater. But something stopped me.

Nothing with Kade had to be free.

To my millionth surprise for the night, we pulled up to a small diner aligned with a few other restaurants. The diner was a white little building, that looked cozy and calm from the outside.

Kade quickly made his way over my side and opened my door. Hell, I didn't think my heart could handle anymore shocking events tonight.

He walked ahead of me into the diner, and by his stride it seemed like he knew the place well.

He turned and caught my stare. "Hungry now?" I shook my head no in response, but the smell of burgers frying completely disagreed with me.

His eyes roamed over me before turning back to the male behind the counter. "I'll have two of your double cheeseburgers, both combos, and to go."

"Well okay," I murmured.

The chestnut haired guy behind the counter yelled out the order to the back of the building. Kade gave him the money and walked back toward my awkward stance.

I stood in the entrance of the diner, my back to the outside. I scanned the place, noting the 90's theme. It was soothing.

Checkered chairs and floors, rotating stools, everything that the typical 90's diner acquired.

Kade nodded toward the booths. "You want to sit while our order is being cooked?"

I nodded, plopping into the first seat my eyes laid on. He followed, sitting in front of me.

I trained my focus on the glued words, that were barely hanging on for dear life, on the wall. My hand swiped at my eyes once a burning sensation settled in.

"Put them on, Kimberly," Kade said, well demanded from across the table.

"What?"

He slid my glasses across the table. "Put them on."

He must have picked them up. "I'm fine for now," I tried to convince.

Kade leaned forward in the seat, his hands clasped together. I watched as his dark hair fell over his tanned forehead.

"Put them on," he told me.

In order to make him be quiet, I reached for my glasses. I slid them over my eyes, to my benefit. Finally, everything looked clearer.

Especially Kade.

"Whoa," I let the word slip past my lips as my eyes caught up with Kade's mockingly handsome face.

A heavy smirk built up on his lips. "Don't embarrass me in public by pointing out my godly looks, sweetheart."

"I didn't say it because of that," I lied, my cheeks already layered with a severe case of embarrassment.

He leaned forward with a smug expression, plopping his head in his hands. "Any other reasoning, then?" His interrogation continued to frustrate me.

I nearly clapped. "Food's here." I shut the conversation down quickly once I saw the busty waitress walking up with our food and drinks in hand.

"Here you go." She placed mine down in front of me, but when she turned to Kade, her entire demeanor switched.

Her already tiny belly squeezed in, pushing her large breasts out. Her fiery red hair was stuck in a low ponytail behind her head, adding a glow to her pretty face.

As if she was willing to break her back, she bent over our table to place Kade's change down on the table. "Here you go, sir."

He barely acknowledged the redheads pursuance toward him as he sipped on his drink. "Appreciate it."

"Do you need anything else?" she asked with a flirtatious tone.

His eyes darted between me and her, annoyance flashing across them. "That's it."

"Are you sure? I can get you some more—"

"That's it," I commented, my temper hitting its very peak now.

What was wrong with this girl?

Since I had been silent the entire time, her surprise was expressed through her reddened face. "Enjoy."

I raised my gaze to see Kade smirking.

"What?" I asked, more snapped.

He studied me before speaking, "Oh, nothing." But I didn't like the way he bit that damn fry.

I stood up with the box containing my food and my drink in hand. He followed suit, though the walk to the car was quiet.

"You know she liked you," I commented on our way to god knows where.

His big shoulders raised in a shrug, his eyes glued to the quiet road.

"Don't care, I'm guessing?" I questioned.

He glanced over at my curious self. "Nah, I fuck, that's it. I'd take a titjob from her if I was wasted, that's about it."

I rolled my eyes at his answer. "That's such a lovely reply."

"It's the truth. I promise I'll never lie to you," he stated. When I looked over, I expected a smart ass expression, but there was only a deadpanned look on his face.

His words brought a small smile on my face, though I wasn't sure why. I couldn't tear my eyes away from his face before he caught me.

"You just love to stare at me, don't you, sweetheart?"

I yanked my head the other way, nearly breaking my back. "Not at all, lose the confidence."

He chuckled under his breath, returning to being silent again.

"Silence can mean a lot," I murmured the same words I had told him the first day we met.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

It felt like we had conversations in the midst of silence. In a good way though, I didn't like to talk too much sometimes, and maybe he understood that.

The car stopped in front of my house. A small piece of me begged to go inside and go to bed before anything else went wrong tonight, but the bigger part of me longed for company.

"Kade?"

He turned toward me, a few strands of black hair falling. His full, pink lips parted as his head tilted. "Yeah?"

"Do you want to come in?"