Reluctant

Chapter 9 Jess's POV

As I slowly open my eyes, Carter comes into view with his eyes still closed, his mouth open while he exhales softly. I sigh and can't help but smile at the dork that had let me sleep with him. I slowly start to move away as his arm comes up and pulls me closer. I light squeeze lets me know he's awake.

"Mornin'." He says with a low raspy voice. I smile and squeeze him back gently in response. He smiles and pulls away, yawning and stretching his long physique. I low grunt comes from his throat, and I laugh and poke him in the side. He instantly curls up and sticks his tongue at me as if he were a child. I laugh and remove the blanket from around me.

I get up slowly, make my way to the bathroom and grab an extra toothbrush from under the sink. Applying some toothpaste to it, I look at myself in the reflection in the mirror. Dark circles and dirt litter my face in addition to the already there brown freckles. The blue in my eyes stands out against the slight burn across my cheeks and forehead.

I brush my teeth and exhale as I finish and spit into the sink. It's been forever since I've had running water. Too damn long really. I walk back to Carter's room to see if he's up and find the bed empty. I walk around the room cautiously in search of my companion. From behind me the door closes and I immediately spin around to find the dark-haired boy looking at me with wide eyes.

As I sigh in relief and relax in order to form coherent words. "I'm gonna actually shower for once in who-knows-how-long. Uhm...don't wait up." I quickly open the door and walk out into the hallway. Making me way to my own room, I realize that I don't have my bag with me. I swear loudly, causing Carter to sprint out of his room and into mine. A panicked expression covers his face as he enters the room.

"What, in the hell, happened?" he pants. I shrug and kick the rug at my feet. "We don't have our bags Carter, which means, no clothes."

Carter rolls his eyes and stalks out of the room. I make my way to the bathroom and laugh to myself about the whole ordeal. I turn the water on and rummage through the cabinets for a towel. A minute and a half later, I find one and toss it onto the side of the sink while slowly stepping into the running water.

I can't help but smile at the feeling of the water beating against my back. I never thought I'd miss showers this much. I turn the knob to turn the shower hotter, making my skin a bright pink. I smile and sigh in relief as the water hits my aching back. A knock on the door alerts me to how long I've been in the shower and I switch the water off.

Grabbing the towel, I wrap it around myself and pad over to the door. I unlock it and open it to reveal Carter with a bag in his hand and an embarrassed expression on his face. He smiles sheepishly and holds out one of the two bags on his shoulders.

Hesitating, I take it and peer inside. My ratty purple shirt sits on top of a clean pair of jeans. My beat up sneakers stick out as they look brand new from a recent wash. I cautiously take the bag from him and set it on the toilet and thank him with a slight nod. He smiles and pulls the door closed as he begins walking away from me. I smile to myself and quickly sort the clothes onto the counter.

I quickly dress, making sure everything's in order, and open the door to the bathroom. I walk towards my room but stop mid-step as I hear a low noise coming from behind Carter's closed bedroom door. A low humming and some louder noise tempts me into opening the door.

Giving in, I slowly and quietly open the door and find Carter hunched over in a black t-shirt and (surprisingly) one of those hats that everyone went mad over before the accident. The bright red stands out against the dark black material of the rim on the hat. His arms tenses each time it moves as he drags a pencil over the all-but blank sheet of white paper. From behind you can see his jaw moving as a slow melody escapes his lips. His voice gets louder as he attempts to hit the higher notes in the mysterious song.

I smile at him and quietly walk over to him. A creak in the floorboards alerts him of my presence as his singing ceases to continue. He turns in his chair with a horrified expression etched onto his features as he sits there watching me come closer. A blush creeps onto his face as I applaud him slowly.

"What..erm...what're you doing in here...and what all did you...hear?" He looks into my eyes and I smile. I answer him with a wink and he sinks into his seat. "Dammit..."

"It was very lovely, I don't see what you're getting so worked up about." He replies with a quiet mumble and goes back to scribbling on the white sheet of paper. His tongue pokes out between his lips as he concentrates on dragging the pencil lead across it.

I turn to leave and head back to my room. I smile as I reach the door frame and pause in the hallway outside the bedroom. Closing the door, I hesitate and sigh. "You really shouldn't hide something so beautiful y'know."

I shut the door with a soft 'click' and shuffle away to my bedroom. Looking around, I find a book and sit on the bed to try and indulge the constant pit of boredom on my mind. A strange blue book catches my attention as I grab it off the shelf. A blue dragon guards the cover of the book and watches me as I overturn it and begin reading the first page.

Not too long after, my eyes begin to feel heavy as I start to drift off to sleep. I close the book and set it beside the lavender pillow I rest my head on. Soft singing lulls me to sleep within sheer minutes and before long, my eyes shut and I am unable to keep them open.

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A soft pressure on my cheek lulls me away from sleep. As a soft whisper slowly moves away, I open my eyes and peer into Carter's hazel eyes. A sparkle is present in his eyes as his smile comes into view.

"Breakfast is ready." Carter whispers. "If you want some that is."

A nod from me causes another smile to appear as he slowly backs away from the bed so I can swing my legs over. I slowly get up and stand in front of him as he turns and gestures for me to hop on his back. I laugh softly and hop on, wrapping my arms and legs around him. He laughs softly as I try to keep myself attached to his back.

As Carter strolls into the dining room, two steaming plates come into view. A small pile of eggs lay scrambled on the plate accompanied by two slices of bacon, a sausage link and a small glass of orange juice each. I smile and squeeze Carter softly as he lowers me onto the ground cautiously.

Carter pulls out my seat and pushes it in as I sit down and slip a napkin onto my lap. Carter takes his seat and glances up at me as I pick up my fork. As the first bite enters my mouth, an explosion of flavor bursts onto my tongue and I can't help but moan appreciatively. A chuckle from Carter startles me into looking up at his smiling face.

"This is really good." I say through a mouthful of food. Carter smiles his thanks and dives into his own meal. I shovel more food into my mouth and stand as I finish my meal to go and wash the dishes. Carter smiles as I lift his empty plate from its place and thanks me quietly with a smile. I nod and walk into the kitchen.

As I finish washing and drying the dishes, I turn around to come face-to-face with Carter. Well, if you call me having to look up at him 'face-to-face'. He smiles down and takes the dishes from my hands and raises his arms to put them into the surprisingly filled cupboard. A plate falls from his hand as he looks out the window into the murderous scene unfolding before our eyes.