On the Edge of Love (CarlxAlan)

Chapter 24: Carl

Monday morning felt different.

I couldn't pinpoint exactly why, but there was something lighter about the way Alan walked next to me as we headed toward the school entrance. He didn't keep an unnecessary amount of space between us, didn't glance around nervously like he was checking to see who was watching. He was just... there. Right beside me.

And I noticed.

I noticed when his shoulder brushed against mine as we pushed through the crowded hallway. I noticed when he didn't flinch away from me like he usually would when people were around. And I definitely noticed when, at one point, our hands bumped, and instead of shoving his into his pocket, he let his fingers linger against mine for half a second longer than necessary.

It wasn't obvious.

To anyone else, it probably looked like nothing.

But to me, it meant everything.

At my locker, I fumbled with my combination, still thrown off by how normal this was starting to feel. Alan leaned against the locker next to mine, arms crossed, watching me with that lazy sort of smirk he got when he thought he was being funny.

"You look suspiciously awake for a Monday," he commented.

"That's because I actually slept," I said, pulling out my history book.

Alan snorted. "Yeah, I was there, remember? You were out cold."

I rolled my eyes, but my face felt warm. "Shut up."

He grinned and bumped my shoulder with his. It was such a small thing—stupidly small—but it sent a jolt through me anyway.

We weren't being obvious.

We weren't making a scene.

But Alan wasn't acting like I didn't exist, either.

And that was more than I could've asked for.

Then I saw Summer.

She was a few lockers down, pulling books from her bag, but I could feel her gaze flicker toward us every so often.

My stomach tensed.

She hadn't said anything about what she'd seen at Elie's party, but that didn't mean she hadn't been thinking about it.

Alan hadn't noticed her yet, still preoccupied with messing with one of my hoodie strings. But then I saw it—the moment his eyes darted up and landed on her.

His fingers stilled.

Summer met his gaze, then mine.

I held my breath.

But then, after a long second, she simply gave us a look—not exactly questioning, not exactly judging, but something in between. And then she turned back to her locker like nothing had happened.

Alan let out a breath.

I closed mine back into my chest.

Neither of us said anything as the bell rang, signaling the start of first period.

Alan shot me a quick glance, then, to my surprise, reached out and tugged at my hoodie string one last time before stepping back.

"See you at lunch?" he asked, like everything was fine.

I hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah."

And as he walked away, I found myself replaying the moment in my head—his hand in my hoodie, the way Summer had seen us together, and the way Alan had stayed.