Chapter 40

I was finally starting to believe that I deserved happiness, and that giving myself and my heart to Carson was the best feeling in the world. I was truly happy, not just living life as I had been for years.

The next month flew by - filled with dates, dinner with my parents, spending time with Kaden and Rylee. Carson and I easily learned how to be a couple, for real. We weren't kids anymore, and we'd both been through hard stuff. Now we were getting to experience a normal relationship, both of us for the first time. We had mutual respect for each other, along with plenty of love and lust.

His apartment felt as much mine as it was his, after only a few short weeks. We had filled it with the things from Kaden's mom's house, and things we found at thrift stores. The apartment always smelled like his cologne mixed with the smell of the auto repair shop, where he spent so much time. It was my new favourite scent. He had told me on more than one occasion that this was his first real home, and that I made it feel that way for him.

"I'd always thought I'd get out of Seaside as soon as I could," he told me, one evening, as we laid together on his bed. "When I was like thirteen, fourteen, I thought I wanted to be anywhere else, because Seaside reminded me that I didn't belong anywhere."

I leaned over to kiss his cheek, listening.

"But now I know that Seaside is where I was always meant to be. I'm so lucky that you came into my life, when you did," he went on, then adjusted his arm around me.

"You should really thank Kaden, then. He brought me into his group, a few weeks after I started ninth grade... with Dane and Tristan... and you," I told him, running lines down his arm with my fingers.

"Yeah, but they told me to stay away from you. Like I'd corrupt you, or something." He grinned, then kissed my head.

"Didn't you, though?" I teased him.

"No. You were perfect, despite me," Carson whispered. "You're still perfect."

"I'm not perfect. I was happy, because of you, Carson. I loved that I could make you smile, and take care of you, then." I paused and kissed his cheek. "I always wanted to take care of you."

"You still do," he grinned.

I sighed, shutting my eyes for a minute. I wondered how we were lucky enough to end up together again.  "So, my dad is renting a cottage just outside of Jacksonville this summer, for a few weeks."

"Yeah?"

"You want to come?" I asked.

"Of course. Yes," he said right away. "I can't believe I get another summer with you."

"You get more than that," I finished, leaning in to kiss him again.

~~

"You were right," my mom said to me, later that week.

We were having coffee together on a random weekday morning. She didn't have clients until that afternoon and I had to close at JumpFit, so I had a few hours before I had to get ready.

"About?" I asked, curious.

I'd been spending less and less time at home over those past few weeks, and her and I hadn't had much time to talk. Things definitely felt different, overall, but it was a good different.

"Carson." His name on her lips sounded strange, but then she was smiling. "You said you believed it would work out with you two. You had so much faith in him, and you were right."

I smiled back, trying not to show how happy that made me. "Yeah. I guess I just had a good feeling."

She reached over and placed her hand on top of mine, her hair falling across her shoulder. "I'm so glad to see you so happy, Arden."

"Thanks, Mom," I finished.

I wanted to tell her about how I felt with Carson. I wanted her to know that he was it for me. Now that we were together, nothing could tear us apart. But I left it be for now, because knowing she was happy for me was enough. 

~~

"I gotta get back to work," I said to Carson, who was half under a motorcycle.

He pushed himself out and stood up, pulling at my hand. "Come over when you're off?"

It was pretty much just assumed that I would be there, at the body shop, on my break, now. We'd been dating a bit over two months and a lot of things were assumed. I knew he would come to Sunday morning breakfast at my house, with my parents and Rylee. I knew how he smelled, especially if he had recently showered, or come straight to me from work. I knew how my heart sped up when I saw him, every time.

Now, he kissed me hard and Patrick, one of the guys Carson worked with, was ooohing from across the shop.

"See you tonight," Carson said, into my ear.

I nodded, kissing him quickly again before he hugged me, holding tight. Still after all this time, there were sparks between us and it felt hard to leave each other. But I knew I had to leave.

And then, just like that, all of those feelings of safeness and happiness, all of the good - it was gone in a flash.

I was just minutes from being gone, back to the mall to finish my shift. But I hadn't left yet. I was still standing close to Carson when a petite brunette with sunglasses propped up on her head - and a very round pregnant belly under her black tank top - strolled in. My heart sank. Whether it was intuition or just the look on her face, I just knew it wasn't good.

Patrick was close to the door - at the desk - and so he was the first to speak to the girl. I could see them, hear them. Carson barely looked in their direction. He was still looking at me.

"Hey, can I help you?" Patrick asked her.

She hesitated, and then looked around. I watched her as her gaze stopped on Carson just a moment later. I felt so protective of him that I almost turned and wrapped myself around him, just to show her that he was mine. But it was as if I was frozen.

"Uh, I heard that Carson Roy works here," the girl said, her voice sort of squeaky.

She seemed scared, shy even. But why was she looking for Carson?

Patrick nodded and then everything happened fast. Carson looked at her and to her belly and then practically flew across the shop, to her side. I was just frozen there, near the motorcycle he had been working on, my mouth on the floor.