Just Friends. (A falling in love with my best friend story)

Chapter 31: Persuaded to go back

 Genna's POV:

I was really taken aback. I didn't even know how to react. It was....different than when Parker kissed me because I swear my heart just skipped a beat and my stomach did a flip flop.

He must've realized I was just standing there and not kissing back so he pulled away.

        "Urm.....sorry." He said awkwardly. I smiled and said "No, it's....really okay." I said, blushing. He smiled and his hands found their way to mine and our fingers intertwined. I felt stupid for not immediately kissing back, but I was just caught off guard. We stood there on the grass next to the bleachers with our foreheads pressed up against each other holding hands.

        "Gen?" He asked. I realized that I was squeezing his hands and I let go, realizing my fingers were shaking. He held them again. "Hm?" I asked.

        "It's gonna be okay." He said, looking into my eyes.

        "I just don't want things to be....awkward. Like there's always going to be that....feeling there that they pretty much did everything for me and I just got up and left." I said. He sighed and his breath smelled like the ham sandwich he had. I'd just breathe out of my mouth for a few minutes.

        "People make mistakes Genevieve. Your mistakes don't define you. If they're as good of a family as they seem then they'll forgive you." He said. 

I sighed, forgetting that my breath probably smells like a vegetarian chinese dish that Mary made. And probably didn't smell as good as it tasted.

        "Okay." I said. He smiled at me and pecked me on the nose.

        "Can I say something that'll completely ruin this romantic moment?" I asked. He nodded.

        "Better you than me." He said.

        "Good. Your breath don't smell too good." I said. He laughed.

        "Yours isn't any better I bet." He said. I laughed too and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, hugging him.

        "Stay with me?" I asked, just on instinct. I really liked Carter, and I didn't wanna lose him just yet.

He didn't answer for a while, and I was worried that I might've scared him away by asking that. But he hugged me tighter and I could've sworn I felt him nod.

        "Of course." He said.

I smiled, letting my shoulders relax in relief. He let me go and nodded, telling me it was time to go fess up.  And...which was a surprise to me, with Chelsea as well.

        "She's soooo pissed off you should've seen her when she found out you chose to run away. She's lost enough friends and you seemed like someone that wouldn't." He said.

I frowned, feeling guilty all over again. I followed him silently to the car and we got in, the hot sticky heat hitting me again. I wouldn't mind having another cooler of melted ice to sit in. Maybe I'd die of hypothermia.

I was about to respond with how I was able to do that, but as I was about to respond, I scratched my hair and the sleeve fell down, exposing the inside of my forearms to Carter.

He's never even looked at them, and the idea seemed to be just introduced to him. And they probably looked even worse these days because I ran out of cleaning supplies so some were starting to get infected and....well I haven't exactly stopped.

        I was pressed backwards into my seat as the car suddenly roared to life and he practically tore out into the road. I sat there in silent shock for a minute, and dared a look over at him.

His eyebrows were furrowed in determination and his eyes looked...terrified.

        "Carter?" I asked, my voice sounding shakier than I wanted it to. His eyes flicked towards me for a second and his shoulders relaxed and he eased up on the pedal a bit so I could unstick myself from the seat.

        "Sorry. That's...that's just freaky." He said, motioning his head where my arm was a minute ago. I sighed, looking at them and staring. 

        "I suppose you just get used to it after a while." I say. He grits his teeth.

        "Let's just get you back to your house." he said.