Accidentally in Love

Apples

Carter

I couldn't believe it.

I was pacing in front of Harper's bedroom door, waiting for any signs to show that she might be awake, fighting off the urge to actually press my ear against her door. I'm sure I looked like a complete moron, walking back and fourth in front of her door, instead of waiting around in my room like a normal person. Hell, I wasn't even sure what I was going to say to her, or do to her, when she opened her door.

The only thing I knew was that when I woke up, I had this undeniable desire to see her. And I felt this strange aching in my heart as if she was too far away, even though she was right down the hall from me, and that it had been too long since I've seen her, even though my lips were still puffy from all the kissing we had done last night.

"What are you doing?" A voice behind me asked.

I turned around to find Charlotte standing there, running her fingers through her short, wet hair. Her eyes traveled to my bare chest, then back up to my eyes, and I could see the confusion behind hers.

I sighed to myself. "I think I left something in her room last night while we were watching a movie, and I wanted to see if she was up so I could check."

I couldn't believe how the lie just rolled off my tongue. It immediately made me feel guilty. Charlotte was my best friend. I never used to lie to her or keep things from her, and it seemed like lately that I was all I was doing. We had to just tell her, and soon, cause I wouldn't be able to take this much longer.

She looked behind me at Harper's door, as if she could see through it. "She's probably still asleep, sorry. The good news is mom is making some pancakes, if you want to come down and eat."

"If I want to come down and eat?"

She laughed. "My mistake. As if you would ever turn down food."

"Especially your mom's pancakes," I reminded her, forcing myself to leave Harper's door and start walking down the hall with Charlotte.

"With the amount of food you consume on a daily basis, you should be three hundred pounds," she pointed out to me.

"I know how to burn off those calories."

She looked up at me, rolling her grey eyes. "Carter seriously, TMI."

"No, I don't mean it like that. I mean working out, in the gym. You know, lifting weights and running," I rushed out in one breath.

It threw me off how quickly I was explaining myself. It was like I was trying to get on her good side, which I guess I was, considering I wanted to be with her sister.

"Sure Carter, the gym," she said, holding up her fingers in air quotes.

We walked down stairs and made our way into the kitchen, into the normal morning routine at the Jones' house. I smiled as I watched Laura go back and fourth from making pancakes to flipping over bacon, to making homemade orange juice. Yes, homemade orange juice. Jack sat at the table, sipping his coffee, glancing at the bacon he wouldn't be allowed to eat. Emily was already at the table, digging into a pancake, because she's a smart girl.

Growing up, there was nothing I loved more than spending mornings here. They were always so busy, so loud, so filled with love and laughter, as corny as that sounds. Not that my house didn't have love or laughter, but it was such a different feeling, probably because there was only three of us. Plus, not that I'd ever tell this to her, the kind of breakfast my mom made were never up to this level.

"Good morning," Charlotte said, kissing her dad on head before offering her mom a smile. She poured herself some juice, put two pancakes on her plate and sat down.