The Carter Family Screw Up [Carter Brothers - Book 2]

Seventeen - "Where the hell are you going dressed like that?!"

"Are you okay?" Daniel asked me as we sat in the window of a coffee shop.

I sighed.

"Dan, I know I ask alot of questions and I'm sure it's annoying, but I have to ask you... What the hell is going on between you and my cousin?"

"I don't know how to answer that." He said.

"Why not?" I asked and he ran his hand through his hair.

"Look, it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just I don't think it's my place to."

"I'm afraid that my relationship with Jake is ruined forever and I'm going to spend the rest of my life not ever knowing why. Please, Dan. I need to know." I reached across the table and placed my hand softly on top of his. "Please."

"Okay." He said, and I sat back in my seat.

"About 2 years ago, I was dating this girl, Trudy, and she was friends with Jake. He and I were never really friends but we didn't hate eachother or anything. But after me and Trudy got together he had this hatred towards me and I didn't know why. I asked her one day and she told me that before she and I started dating, he had told her that he liked her, but she told him she didn't feel the same and wanted them to be friends. Anyway, a few months later, we broke up - nothing major, it just wasn't working and we decided to split. A few weeks after that she called me saying that she had found one of my hoodies at her place and wanted to give it back to me, so I told her to meet me at the mall later.

She was in an accident on the way to meet me. A truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and ploughed into her car. She died instantly."

"Oh my God, Dan. Im so sorry." I put my hand back onto his and he held onto it.

"I think he blames me for her death."

"But it's not your fault - You weren't driving the truck."

"I know that, but he doesn't. Thing is for a while I did blame myself, but I eventually came to accept that it was an accident. He thinks that if she hadn't of been coming to meet me then she'd still be alive. I think that's why he hates you being near me - he thinks you're going to get hurt, too."

"Okay he's scared - I get that. But that doesn't give him an excuse to speak to me the way he did." I said.

"Tell me about it. When he said that to you and I saw the look in your eyes... I honestly think I would have killed him."

We were still holding hands over the table and when he mentioned the look in my eyes, he began stroking my hand with his thumb, sending those butterflies wild.

"Although, that was one hell of a punch you gave him, though. We should get you in the ring one day." He said with a laugh.

"Oh really? What name would you give me?" I asked. He bit his lip, thinking about it for a moment.

"The Siren." He decided and I laughed.

"Why The Siren?" I asked.

"Sexy, but deadly." He smirked and my heart started beating faster.

"Sexy, huh?" I asked, mimicking his smirk.

"Definitely." He said; his eyes not leaving mine. I felt my face blush as his smirk turned into a smile.

"Would you like a refill?" The waitress asked; pulling us away from the moment.

"No, we're good thanks." Daniel told her and she walked away. "We better get going, anyway." He said.

We left to get into the car and he pulled away from the coffee shop.

"We need to go home first to pick up my bag." He said.

"Thats fine. I want to get changed anyway. Mind if I use your window - I really don't want to bump into Jake." I asked. I had taken to leaving my window unlocked incase I needed to get in from Jakes.

"Sure." He said.

We arrived at Daniel's and we walked up to his house. I saw Jakes car parked on the curb so I knew he was home. We entered Daniel's house and went straight up to his room so I could climb into mine.

As I looked on my closet, deciding what to wear, my mind fluttered back to what Jake had said me.

'Once a slut, always a slut.'

Then I had an idea.

I looked at the clock and I had just under an hour before we had to leave for the fight. Time to get ready.

I picked out a pair of pale blue high waisted skinny jeans, a black spaghetti strap fitted crop top and a thin black, fitted jacket, with elbow length sleeves.

I styled my hair in natural waves with added volume to make it a little bigger than usual, then re-did my make up with added smokey eyes, black winged liner, and some lip balm.

With a spritz of perfume, and a pair of black platformed shoes with stiletto heels, i was ready.

I threw a spare outfit in a bag - in case I get blood all over me again - and I left my room. This time I didn't go back through the window; purposely going through the house so Jake would see me.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs I saw Jake sitting on the sofa with the beginnings of a black eye developing.

Served him right.

"Where the hell are you going dressed like that?!" He yelled.

"Out with Daniel. Don't wait up." I smirked and slammed the door behind me.