19. Chapter 19
Beth
“ W ait, wait, wait.” Isabella clapped her hands with each word, drawing attention from others in the quad. Then she came to a complete stop and dropped her voice to a whisper. “You’re telling me he fingerbanged you in the library? And someone saw?”
“Well, I don’t know if she saw…” She definitely saw. It was the only explanation for the look of judgment she gave me when I finally helped her find her book—a look that half said she saw what I had been doing and half told me she was jealous about who I was doing it with.
Isabella squealed and clapped her hands excitedly like I’d just told her exciting news. “I can’t believe this!” She shook her head in disbelief. “You like him!”
“Yeah, I do.” I wouldn’t deny it. There was no questioning the way my heart raced when he was around or the way I craved the feeling of his skin against mine.
It was like I could smell him for hours every time he walked away, and my lips tingled every time I thought about him kissing me.
My heart sped up, and my skin tingled with anticipation just before I smelled his cologne.
“Hey, cherry,” he said when I spun around. Carter smirked at me.
I put my hands on his chest. “Hey, handsome. I missed you.” He had only left the library a few hours ago; I could still practically feel his fingers on me. When he kissed me, I assumed he missed me too.
“You two are gross.” His friend groaned, rolling his eyes dramatically like he had been forced to stop and watch. My cheeks warmed with embarrassment.
Isabella hummed her agreement and laughed. “Aren’t they? Get a room!” She giggled again.
“Who are you?” Carter’s friend stepped around him and reached his hand out toward Isabella. “I’m Anthony.”
“Isabella.” She shook his hand and when she stifled yet another giggle, I could picture the flirty look on her face. It was obvious she didn’t care anymore about Carter and me getting a room.
“What are you doing tonight?” Carter asked, hooking his finger under my chin and bringing my gaze back to meet his.
I shrugged. I only wanted to do one thing. “Whatever you want to do.”
“You already know what I want to do,” he said, winking. The butterflies racing toward my throat knew what he wanted to do too. “I’ll call you when I get home.”
“I’ll wait by the phone.” I cringed when I said it, trying not to kick myself. I’ll wait by the phone? Really? But when he chuckled and winked, the pending embarrassment slipped away.
Carter kissed me again. “Bye, cherry,” he said, fixing his bag over his shoulder before he walked away.
I caught Isabella blushing when Anthony winked and followed him.
She finally turned back around, and it was like she had forgotten that she had been digging for gossip just moments earlier.
But as soon as they were gone, she turned to face me.
“Okay, his friend is really cute.” She lifted a brow, painting a cocky look on her face that told me she’d be buying a new dress that showed more of her features before the next party she crashed. “And you and Carter?”
I blushed and brought my fingers to my lips. “I know. He’s pretty great, isn’t he?”
Isabella threw her head back and laughed. “I told you to lighten up a little, not fall in love with the king of campus!” She put her arm around me, looking at me like she was proud and surprised at the same time.
“I’m not in love with him.” Not yet, at least.
“But you said yourself you like him.” Then she pointed over her shoulder with her thumb in the direction Carter and Anthony had walked. “And obviously he is pretty into you, too.”
I sighed, hoping she was right. “I like him a lot,” I said. “Do you think it’s too fast?”
“I mean, you gave him your virginity. And you don’t regret that, right?” For a second Isabella looked concerned—or nosy.
“I don’t regret it at all.” I didn’t. I couldn’t regret the way his hands felt on me or the gentle look on his face when he thought he’d hurt me—or the way my stomach flipped when he got concerned.
Isabella smiled, using her arm around me to force me to keep walking. “Then no, it’s not too fast.”