Walls Between Us

10 | no more us

✩

A M A Y A

After the meeting with the Rigby's, which was pretty useless if you ask me considering no party came to an agreement, Carter guides me with a hand on the small of my back towards a cafe.

Dawson chose to stay in the car after Carter threw him a glare and it makes me wonder what is going on in Carter's head.

"What are we doing here? Is there another meeting?" I ask him, tilting my head up to find him smiling to himself.

The sunlight catches a side of his profile, brightening the handsome face.

"No, I just thought we could talk. There is time." He looks at his watch and shows me the time which strikes my afternoon lunchtime. "Think of it as a date."

I purse my lips, annoyed by the thought instantly. Before we can proceed further, I stop and push his hand off my body. He looks startled but composes himself as he stands facing me.

"I'm not interested in going on dates with you, Carter," I say curtly.

Something flashes in his irises but Carter keeps his genial smile on. Tucking his hands inside his pockets, he takes a step closer to me so that he is backing me against the cafe while leaving the door free for other customers to enter.

"Fine, not a date then," he remarks. "Just let me buy you something. We need to talk anyway."

My eyebrows rise to my forehead at his suggestion. Whatever he is planning to do isn't going to be that easy. I am past the stage of falling under Carter Bell's charms.

"Talk about what?"

"About Parker and us."

He moves away from me and opens the door to the cafe. I step inside while throwing him a glare. He follows me inside after holding the door open for me.

Inside, the smell of coffee beans and roasted buns catch my nose. The place is a cozy accommodation with Victorian-style furniture, and paintings occupying the walls. The waiters are busy taking orders while customers around wooden, round tables chatter in leisure.

We grab seats at a far corner with two seats and Carter places an order for sandwiches and espresso.

"Your taste hasn't changed, right?" he asks, smirking like he caught me doing something wrong red-handed.

I huff and turn away from him, instead focusing on the outside view where people are walking along the pavement.

"Look at me, Am. This is important." Carter sits with one foot resting over his other knee while his one arm stays stretched on the table above. His eyes are fixed on me, making me stay put. "Where's Parker?"

"You don't need to know," I tell him just as our waitress arrives and places our order in front of us.

"Enjoy!" She winks at Carter and he gives her a grin that makes her giggle before she scurries away.

"Looks like I still got the charm," he comments, turning to take another look at the waitress before turning back to me. "Wonder why it doesn't work on you."

"Maybe because I know the asshole you're underneath those muscles."

He throws his head back, my insult making him let out a deep laugh which shakes his chest. The sound is unfamiliar to me after all these years and yet, my stomach squeezes, loving every second of it.

"Oh, God...you haven't changed one bit." His eyes meet mine with a bright sparkle. "You're still the snippy I met on the bus that day."

I suck in a breath, recalling the moments of that day. It was the day we first met, first spoke to each other. He thought I couldn't speak and then went on to tag me with the nickname. Then he hit Kyle Dickson in the school's canteen when the guy was bullying me and for some reason, I still believe that he did it for me.