On the Edge of Love (CarlxAlan)

Chapter 30: Alan

The day before break was always chaos. Teachers pretended they still had expectations, but everyone knew nothing real was getting done. People brought in junk food and wore pajama pants and dared to test the limits of the dress code. The air in the halls buzzed with relief—almost like the building knew it could breathe again for a few days.

Carl was waiting by my locker after third period, leaning against it like he hadn't just come from the most boring math class on Earth. I could always tell when he spotted me—his whole expression lit up, like someone turned the brightness up behind his eyes.

"You still alive?" he asked.

"Barely. My psych teacher gave us a ten-page packet like we're not all already checked out."

Carl grinned. "You'll survive. Or I'll carry you out like a war hero."

I smirked and grabbed my books, nudging him with my shoulder. "You planning on rescuing me over break too, or is it a one-time deal?"

That was when he leaned a little closer, voice quieter now. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something."

My stomach flipped. His voice did that to me now—whenever he dropped into that careful, quiet tone meant just for me, like the rest of the world didn't need to know what we were saying.

"What's up?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "So... my parents are going to my aunt's place in Michigan for Thanksgiving. It's a whole thing, lots of extended family, and I'm not going. Didn't feel like it."

I raised an eyebrow. "You skipping Thanksgiving with your family?"

"They're cool with it. I told them I wanted to stay back to rest and work. Which isn't a total lie—I picked up a couple shifts at the Y." He paused, then looked at me. "But mostly I didn't want to be gone. And I was kinda hoping you'd want to come over. Just hang out. Maybe stay the night or something."

I felt the heat rise in my chest before I could stop it. "You want me to stay over?"

"Only if you want to," he said quickly. "Like, I'm not trying to be weird. We'd just chill. My parents trust me and everything, and I figured—" He broke off, face going a little red. "I just thought it'd be nice. Just us. Without having to worry about who's watching."

I closed my locker a little too loudly and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd love to."

His whole face relaxed. That little crooked smile appeared—the one that only showed up when he wasn't trying to be charming but just was.

"You sure?"

"Completely." I bumped his arm. "Might even bring a pie."

"You bake?"

"No, but I'm good at stealing from my mom's kitchen."

He laughed then, a real one, and I felt the weight of the school building disappear for a second.

We didn't make a big deal out of it around other people. At lunch, we still sat the way we usually did—close but not suspicious. Elie gave us her usual knowing look like she was just waiting for us to finally kiss in front of everyone, and I kept pretending I didn't notice.

Summer hadn't brought up the rumor again. No one really had. A few people probably still whispered, but it felt like we were finally settling into this rhythm where we could be us—quietly, carefully—and it was enough.

Later, in the hallway before last period, Carl grabbed my wrist gently and tugged me toward a side hallway. It was empty, just a row of lockers and a broken vending machine.

"I forgot to ask," he said, voice lower. "You okay with telling your parents where you'll be?"

"Yeah," I said. "They think I'm just hanging out with friends. Which is true."

He nodded slowly. "I just don't want you to get in trouble or anything."

"I won't. They don't ask questions as long as I'm not being stupid." I tilted my head, smiling at him. "And you're not exactly the kind of guy they'd think I'd get in trouble with."

He raised a brow. "That a challenge?"

"No," I said, stepping a little closer. "It's a compliment."

His eyes flicked down to my mouth for half a second, then back up, and I felt every nerve in my skin light up. He didn't kiss me, but he didn't have to. The space between us buzzed with it.

I pulled back first, careful and slow, and he let out a breath like he'd been holding it the whole time.

"Thursday, then," I said, already smiling.

"Yeah." He smiled too. "Thursday."

And as I walked back into the hallway traffic, back into the noise and the crowd, I already knew: this break couldn't come soon enough. Not because I needed a vacation. But because I needed him. Just us, for a little while, no one else watching.