Her Heart

Chapter 22

Riley's POV

I pull her in my house and close the door. I take a second to admire her. I don't know what would have happened if I had lost her.

"I'm not having sex with you." I tell her while staring right into her gray eyes which seem a little darker tonight.

She frowns, "Why not?"

I slightly push her against the wall, "You're on a high."

"I'm not high." She whines.

I can't help but laugh, "That's not what I said. Your heart is beating fast you're on an adrenaline high."

"A kiss then?" Carter asks hopeful.

I hover my lips above hers, "Why don't you come and take it Mi Vida."

She doesn't need to be told twice she crashes her lips on to mine. Her lips are so soft against mine. There's this hunger, this urge to take her right here and then.

I deepen the kiss, pulling her closer, losing myself in the taste of her, in the sensation of her body pressed against mine.

For a heartbeat, time stands still, and I realize that this moment, this kiss, is everything. It's a testament to our connection, to the undeniable chemistry that keeps drawing us together like magnets.

She pulls back and walks away from me, "No SeX." she mocks.

I smile and follow after her. She sits on the couch and I sit right next to her.

I can't imagine losing her. I'm not ready for us to be official but in some way I want to let her know that we're going towards that direction.

"You know I've been thinking. I know we're not to the level of girlfriends but I would like us to be exclusive." I tell her.

"Ugh man I can't fuck other girls." She teases.

I lean forward my face inches away from hers, "Do you really want to? After what I've made you feel? I bet I've touched places they  never will."

She gulps and her face turns red, "It so hot in here."

I laugh, "That's what I thought darling."

"Is Maya asleep?" Carter asks changing the conversation.

"You wanna skip the small talk and tell me why you're not in the hospital?" I ask her and get slightly serious.

She waves her hand dismissively, "It's boring there's no hot girls." She teases again.

Even know I know she's joking a sense of jealousy rises in me. This girl has me wrapped around her finger and she doesn't even know it.

When she speaks like that I so badly want to teach her lesson but that's only for when she's fully mine, "Right. Your parents?"

Carter is the type that needs a little push to talk about her feelings so I do exactly that.

"More like Garrett." Her jaw tightens in anger.

"Your godfather?"

Her whole mood has changed, "Lo ucciderò." She says in Italian with the perfect accent which catches me off guard. I've known she can speak Italian but she's never spoke it this way. Every time she has there's been a mistake or two but this was the perfect accent the perfect everything.

"You know fluent Italian?"

"Oh umm," a knock on the door stops our conversation.

Who would be knocking this late. I get up and go towards my door. I reach out and open it.

My heart stops beating and my ears start ringing for a second.

"Hi is Carter here?"

I can't even say anything. Those ice blue eyes they look so familiar.

Carter comes up from behind me, "Mom how did you find me? It hasn't even been that long." She groans.

I snap out of my frozen state. Mom? I look behind Carter's mom and there's another woman standing behind her.

"Sweetie I'm gonna give you 2 seconds to come with us."

"Mama you tracked me?" Carter looks at her other Mom. I don't even know what to say. I keep studying the both of them. The woman with the ice blue eyes seems a little less guarded while the other one is obviously on alert but calm.

"Oh funny you asked you little shit. I tracked my car." The woman with the black eyes says but with a hint of a laugh.

"You look so familiar." I finally let the words escape me.

"Oh. I'm Avery Carter's Mom and that's my wife Megan. Have we met before?"

The woman I now know as Megan walks up and stands next to her wife. She studies me. Her demeanor doesn't give anything away. She looks so calm.

"What did you say your name was again?" She asks.

"Riley, I'm Carter's professor and well friend." I force out. So many people have blue eyes. But damn those ice blue eyes I've only seen a handful of times. I'm really letting my trauma get to me I need to stop.

Megan studies me. She looks me up and down and her eyes linger a little longer on my arm I look down and I can see a quarter of my tattoo is visible but you can't really tell what it is.

I move a little so she can't see it at all. When she looks up at me there's this curious look in her eye.

"Nice to meet you." She reaches her hand out and I shake it. Megan intensely looks at my eyes but her wife coughs and she lets go of my hand.

I turn my attention towards Carter. She looks so beautiful.

"Ry sorry for intruding I'm gonna head out with my parents."

I softly smile at her putting aside my uneasy feeling, "You're always welcomed here Mi Vida."

Carter smiles back and yawns, "I'm tired Mom."

She walks out toward her Mom but before she fully walks away she kisses my cheek. I immediately look at both of her parents. Avery looks shocked her mouth is slightly open but Megan just has a small smirk on her face like she's known all along what her daughter and I have been doing.

"Carry me Mama." She reaches towards Megan.

Avery laughs, "Honey you're a big girl."

"I'm still your kid." Carter narrows her eyes.

Avery looks towards her wife, "You think you still got it in you my love?"

Her wife gasps, "Cute eyes you underestimate me."

Megan leans down and very easily throws Carter over her shoulder. They walk away but Avery stays a little longer.

"Thank you." She says to me with a big smile.

I look at her confused, "For what?"

"Having a child who's sick makes you feel so helpless. She tries to look happy but I know she never is. But these past few months have been different the light in her eye is back and I'm guessing it's because of you."

I don't even know what to say so I stay silent.

"Whenever you're free we would love to have you over for dinner."

Again the uneasy feeling comes back but I push it away.

"I would love that." She smiles again and wishes me a goodnight and walks away.

I close the door taking several breaths.

I felt something for Carter from the very first night we slept together which is why I walked away.

I can't afford to have a weakness. That only gets you killed. But she's somehow found her way into my life again and I don't think this time I'm gonna be able to let her go.

But then what is this uneasy feeling?