UNMASKED.

chapter 4.

although he was enjoying his night, there was still a lingering feeling of loneliness that surrounded carter. he noticed chad, surrounded by various girls, laughing and flirting. meanwhile, he was just on his own, feeling a tinge of envy at his ease with women. as a bit of jealousy began to set, carter found himself gravitating towards the party's bar in pursuit of another drink.

as he approached the bar, carter's mind began to dwell on the fact that he was still single. this was something that never really bothered him before, but being surrounded by numerous people in relationships or hooking up made him realize how alone he truly was. his heart filled with a sense of longing as he watched chad flirting with various girls, making it seem so effortless.

while he stood at the bar, carter's emotions were a mixture of loneliness, jealousy and a hint of anger. with no one to talk to and no one to console him, his mind began to spiral into dark thoughts. as carter stood there, drinking from his beer, he let out an sigh.

however, his dark thoughts were abruptly interrupted as he noticed a familiar figure walking towards him. when carter recognized them, his heart skipped a beat. out of all the people at the party, it was her.

he stood there, frozen in his spot as she approached him, her gaze holding mine. carter had seen her hanging around chad and his crowd, but they had hardly exchanged any words. suddenly, she was standing in front of him, her hands resting on her hips. despite being slightly tipsy, carter noticed that every detail of her was perfect. from her silky blonde hair to her sparkling eyes, everything about her was captivating.

when elena approached him, the moment felt like a scene from one of those cheesy romance movies. despite being slightly intoxicated, carter was still taken back by her beauty. standing there, their eyes locked with each other, for a moment, time seemed to stand still.

just as he was beginning to let his guard down, elena spoke. "i've seen you around, haven't i?" her voice was like music to his ears, with a flirty tone that instantly caught carter's attention.

"yeah, you're part of chad's crowd, right?" he replied, feeling even more drawn to her presence. she smirked and shook her head slightly, "chad's crowd? hmm, that's an interesting way of putting it. anyways, what's your name?"

"i'm carter, and you?" he introduced himself, feeling a bit surprised at her attitude. she seemed a lot more carefree and outspoken than he expected, given her association with chad and his circle of friends.