Loving Carter (BWWM/INTERRACIAL)

Chapter Five

"How was physical therapy?" Carlos asked after he came into our room, throwing his duffel bag in his closet.

"It was good." I said in shock. I was surprised he had even asked at all. I knew this was just as hard for him as it was for me. "How was your workout?"

"It was kinda borin' without you, bro." He shrugged his shoulders. "I just hate that you got in—never mind."

He was doing it again.

"That I got injured?" I raised my eyebrows, nodding towards my ankle.

He was silent.

"Carlos?" I pressed, yet he still didn't answer me.

"I'm not about to go through this. I know how you get. Carlos, you don't have to act like that with me, bro. It's just an injury, I will recover. It is no big deal." I explained to him.

I was telling him that it was no big deal, yet I wasn't sure if I was trying to assure him or myself.

"Carter, just be quiet." He mumbled, picking some clean clothes out of his closet.

"No, I'm not gonna be quiet. Are we gonna talk about this?" I sighed. "I just don't want you to treat me differently."

"I'm not treatin' you differently."

"Then, why won't you even acknowledge that I have an injury. The injury isn't hurting my feelings, but the fact that my best friend won't talk to me about it is."

"Fine!" He shrieked. "Man, your whole soccer career is over. I wanted for us to succeed together into the big leagues, but that dream is gone now. I'm just upset that my best friend won't get to live his dream of playing professional soccer. This injury gone slow you down and I just . . . I just wish it was someone else."

It was heartwarming to know that he cared. He wasn't like any of our other teammates. He cared when one of his teammates were down, unlike the others, who only cared about getting better themselves.

"Carlos," I said quietly, "thanks for caring. But bro, don't let me hold you back. You better continue to work hard and grind. Because I believe you're gonna make it."

However, what he had said about my career being over before it even started, it stuck in the back of my mind like a leech. I didn't even want to think of that as a possibility, but he was only being a realist.

"Alright, you know how I feel 'bout it now." He waved me off. "Can we just stop talkin' about it?"

"Yeah." I nodded my head with a smirk. "If you promise me one thing."

"And what's that?" He narrowed his eyes at me.

"You have to come to my next session with me."

"No." He shook his head. "Not goin'."

"Bro, I will stop pestering you, if you just come with me to one."

"No."

"Awe come on, it's a super pretty chick that I think you might like." I smirked.

"Well, when you put it that way." He smirked. "I just might come to see how she looks."

"Definitely your type." I nodded my head.

Although, something was bugging me. I didn't really want him to meet her, it was just a way to get him to tag along with me. Nina McGee seemed to be too much of a woman for him, nothing at all what he could handle. She seemed so sophisticated, and Carlos was a playful person. I was setting my best friend up for failure because somehow I knew she wouldn't give him the time of day. I didn't seem to mind that either.