My Best Friend was a Werewolf

Chapter 15: No Regrets

When I was in high school, I was invited to try out for the quiz bowl team. I got to school an hour early and I was wearing a preppy outfit that I had spent hours planning out. I wanted to be on that team so badly. I imagined how much fun I could have and the new friends I would make. I imagined one of those fancy medals around my neck in the group victory photos. The quiz bowl team had been all that was on my brain for a week. I wanted it bad.

I had made it so close. My feet were planted outside of classroom 103 where they were having their morning meeting. I could hear their voices inside, but I didn't dare look through the little square window on the door. My hand even touched the doorknob, but I couldn't turn it. I felt like I was frozen in place. I never made it in the room for my tryout.

The regret sunk into my stomach for months. I saw the students on the team have fun and I always had to wonder what it would have been like if I hadn't hesitated. Maybe my high school story would have been drastically different. It was one of those things I would never know about.

After that, I never wanted to have any regrets in my life. I wanted to go after what I wanted. That was how I ended up standing at the front door at Carver's place.

It had been a week since I had been there last and had my revelation. Those days felt like torture. I couldn't just keep it all bottled up inside any longer. I refused to have any regrets, especially with Carver. He was far more important than a high school quiz bowl team.

I was beyond nervous. The butterflies in my stomach had been stirring for days. They fluttered whenever my thoughts even brushed over Carver. I loved the feelings and emotions he could stir within me even when we were apart. There had never been a person in my life that had such an effect on me and I was addicted to it. I had never felt so excited and terrified at the same time.

Was Carver feeling that way too? I needed to find out. This was something I had to know. I couldn't live a lifetime wondering what could have been with Carver. I wanted him or closure. I needed him.

My knuckles knocked on the door and I took a deep breath. It was time to strap in for the ride. No matter what happened after that door opened, I was going through with this. This was a different door. The opportunity was here and I wasn't going to run away. I was going to give this my best shot. It mattered so much more.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting when Carver opened the door, but he always seemed to take me off guard. His brown eyes gave me attention and my heartbeat picked up with anticipation. The look on his face told me he was picking up on everything and he was familiar with the determination in my eyes.

"Amelia," he said. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

I should have been. I had barely even given my courses a thought and it was all his fault.

"I skipped," I said. I slipped past him to enter the house, surprising him. I was desperate to cross that threshold. It was a step closer to the goal I was so desperately reaching for.

"Oh," Carver said as I slipped by him. I heard him shut the door and he looked at me as if I was crazy. I was pretty sure I was.

"I just really needed to talk to you," I said quickly. I took a deep breath. I needed to slow down. If I was going to do this, I needed to do this right. The nerves were creeping though.

"About..." Carver said. He came to stand right in front of me. His eyes were studying me, like he was trying to decipher me and my abrupt actions.

I was so proud of myself, I didn't even hesitate. I threw it out there and I felt like I was soaring. Our eyes locked because I needed him to know I meant it and I needed to see anything his eyes could tell me.