𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬: 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐊𝐇𝐈

05. | Y O U N G L O V E

C H A P T E R | F I V E
YOUNG LOVE

𝙳 𝙴 𝚂 𝚃 𝙸 𝙽 𝙸 𝙼 𝙴 𝙺 𝙷 𝙸

Destini knew it was him when she heard the door opening from down the hall as she lifted the crystal glass to her lips but she didn't budge from her seat. They had already had dinner and Destini allowed the girls to watch television in the living room because they wanted to wait up for their father. But, as usual, Carter was playing the role as Johnny Come Lately being that he was nowhere near on time like he said he would be and the girls had fallen asleep.

Brooklyn had dragged herself up to her bedroom but Khloe, their oldest, refused to give up on her mission of staying awake until he came home - - she always waited for him. Even though she had fallen asleep in the process it was the thought that counted; her little body lay spread on the couch nearest the T.V. with one foot hanging off of it.

Destini couldn't say that she was surprised at Carter's absence because she knew that was the nature of the business but she wasn't pleased about it either. It wasn't that Carter wasn't a family man because in many senses he was but Carter wasn't your traditional family man because of his other obligations. He was a good father to the children but she didn't like that Carter felt like things always ran on his time - - even when it came down to things like family time which included dinner.

Sometimes Destini took offense to the fact that Carter would either come incredibly late to dinner and not eat the meal that she had prepared or, he would just skip on dinner all together - - like he did tonight - - and roll in the house whenever he pleased and she was no fool because if it wasn't business it was Carter engaging in pleasure.

Destini couldn't do a damn thing but shake her head and empty the contents of the glass in the sink after washing it out. She wordlessly went up the stairs to the bedroom through the kitchen so that she didn't have to deal with Carter when he walked past the living room, the scent of his cologne mingling with her nostrils as she felt him walking on the opposite side of the wall.

All was quiet aside from the glowing and sounds of the television in the living room that was watching Khloe instead of the other way around, inside Carter and Destini's suburban New Jersey mansion; it was about an half an hour away from New York's city life where they had both grown up. Where Carter resided was much different and slower paced than where he worked and played. He was no fool either; Carter kept his family and wife secluded from the secrets and dirty laundry that he had back in the city for good reason.

The soles of his expensive designer shoes crept inside the living room where he found Khloe sleeping. Carter stood over her, looking down at her on the couch and reached his hand down to stroke her cheek before he scooped her up in his arms and walked with her over to the T.V. to turn it off and put her in bed. The poor thing had tried so hard to fight sleep for him but the battle was obviously lost the minute she closed her eyes.

Carter headed up the stairs with a sleepy child laying on his shoulder and entered her bedroom quietly so as not to wake Brooklyn being that her bedroom was connected through the bathroom.

He pulled back the pink covers in Khloe's bed and laid her down gently and as soon as he did he saw Khloe's eyes flutter open and look up at him, "Daddy?" She rubbed her eyes and focused on his smiling face and leaned up hugging his neck, "Daddy!"