Lydia | ✔️

(8)

"You come to vouch for your friend?" Lydia bit, shrugging out of Carter's hold.

"What? Of course not." He told her, not deterred by her harsh tone. Instead he slid his hands into his pocket and kept up with her fast pace.

She had no idea where she was going. She just knew that she needed to walk off the overwhelming emotion that made her equal parts angry and upset.

Her thoughts swam with ways that she could have handled the situation differently. Perhaps she should have said nothing. Perhaps she should have topped the speech off with a slap across the face. Maybe she should have heard him out...

"Lydia!"

"Lydia!"

She became vaguely aware of the voice calling her name just as a hand roughly gripped her arm and pulled her back into a solid chest. A car drove past a millisecond later, a strong breeze from the moving vehicle flicking her hair around and blowing her skirt up. She realised that she'd been close to getting hit and as she stared up at Carter who had her frame in his strong hold, she became startled at his harsh scowl.

"Shit Lyds. Watch where you're going!"

She didn't respond. In truth, she felt a little embarrassed that she'd been so worked up to the point that she'd almost stepped in front of a car. When she took a moment to take in her surroundings, she realised that she'd walked right off school property and was about to cross the main road.

"Hey," Carter spoke softer, his finger coming up under her chin to tip her face upwards. "Are you alright?"

"I'd like to think so," she sighed, running a hand through her fresh coloured locks. "I suppose I'm not though."

"Do you want a ride home?"

"School isn't done," Lydia half heartedly declined the offer. Taking off was an alluring offer that she'd have given into if he attempted to convince her any further.

"Talk to Nathan," he suggested and placed a hand on the lower of her back, guiding her back towards the weather worn school gate. "He'll cover for you if you explain what happened."

"No," she shook her head but she couldn't ignore how his hand hovering on her lower spine made her feel. "No, I don't want to use Nathan like that and I don't want to ditch because that prick got to me."

"Respect."

Lydia glanced up and for the first time since she stormed out of school, she paid attention to Carter, who removed his hand from her back and slid it into his leather jacket pocket. The soft grey hood was up, hiding his disheveled brown hair. His maroon tie and white school shirt peeked our from beneath the expensive leather and she had to admit that as hot as he looked in his causal clothes, he could pull of a tie just as well.

"Ya wanna hang out this weekend?" He asked her, his lips curled up in a devious grin and he titled his head as he stared down with a cunning expression.

"Hang out?" Lydia cocked a brow but she was more intrigued than she wanted to let on. "What would we be doing?"

"Can't tell you that," Carter stopped and leaned against the hood of a car that was parked almost right beside the exit. She hadn't realised that it was his until she paid closer attention and set sights on the familiar mustang.