Distance

chapter twelve

Selena's POV

I awoke to my alarm blaring in my ears.

I turned it off and sat up, stretching with a yawn, just to see Carter stirring on my couch. Great.

I'd forgotten last night's events, but since I'd slept on it, I wasn't as angry as I was before. I guess the initial shock made me overreact slightly... but I wasn't about to admit that. It seemed I was always letting Carter off the hook for something. It wouldn't hurt to finally punish him.

So, I did pack my lingerie while he was still asleep. Maybe I'd get to torture him later, or maybe we'd kiss and makeup. Who knows.

I threw on a pair of black leggings and a cropped sweatshirt after washing my face and brushing my teeth. I put on a light coat of mascara before brushing my hair and letting it fall freely.

After I was ready to go, I awoke Carter by not so gently slapping him on the side of the head.

"C'mon, it's almost eight," I told him, before going to the kitchen to find myself a snack. I settled on a breakfast bar, throwing one Carter's way before grabbing a to-go cup of my pre-made coffee.

"We have to leave in like, five minutes! You couldn't have woken me up sooner?" Carter asked me while frantically getting dressed and getting his things together.

I leaned against the counter, my arms crossed over my chest and a smirk tugging at my lips.

"I could've," I responded with a tilt of my head and a sip of my coffee, "or you could've just set an alarm like a normal, functioning adult."

"Can we stop fighting? It's too early for this," Carter groaned, grabbing our bags and setting them by the door.

"I'm not fighting, I'm just saying I don't have to do everything for you."

"Okay, Selena." Carter rolled his eyes and grabbed our bags, and I followed him, drinking my coffee with a smirk on my face.

____

Carter's jet was pretty much the most expensive thing I'd ever seen with my own eyes, and I couldn't help but marvel at it. Everything was either super shiny or super plush, and there were bottles of champagne sitting in tubs of ice just like in the movies.

Of course, I headed straight for the champagne, pouring myself a glass before taking a seat in one of the big, comfy chairs.

"I could get used to this," I said with a laugh, looking up to see Carter scowling at me. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, what? You're mad at me now?"

"I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself for making you mad," he told me, sitting across from me.

I shrugged, examining his facial expression before smiling at him. "Well, honey, it is your specialty."

Carter rolled his eyes at me, but I could see the corners of his mouth tugging up, his hidden smile betraying him.

"Look, I'm not mad anymore, okay? It's done," I told him, leaning my head back and closing my eyes.

Carter frowned. "Talk to me, Selena."

I huff, opening my eyes to look at him. "We never really talked about what was going to happen between us, and that's not exactly an over-the-phone conversation. I didn't know our situation."

"Selena, you know—"

"But I don't know, Carter!" I exclaimed, frustrated. "You expect me to know every little thing you think or feel and I don't. I can't read your mind."

Carter sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Well, you didn't even ask. You just assumed."

I laughed sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "Yeah, Carter, because why wouldn't I assume you'd pick a perfect, insanely hot model over me?"

Carter looked at me, sadness in his eyes. It was almost like I'd hurt him by saying that.

"I'd never choose anyone over you, Selena."

"Yeah, you say that," I started quietly, unable to look him in the eyes. "But how am I supposed to believe it when you're groping a model on a beach for the whole world to see?"

"Because you should know what you mean to me. You should know you've been everything to me since we met," Carter told me with a shrug.

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest and giving him a death glare. "Even if I knew that, the entire human population knows how giggly and touchy you were on the beach with Adrienne."

Carter hesitated, before saying with a grin, "They haven't seen how touchy I am with you in a bed."

Immediately my cheeks flushed and I scowled at him, trying to find words to argue. Carter laughed at me, leaning back in his seat. "Got you there, Sel."

"Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore, Carter. It doesn't matter, we're about to be home. Hopefully we can be us again, like before."

Carter smiled at me, his head tilting to the side slightly. "I can't wait."

____

As we were driving over the blue drawbridge that led us to the island, I couldn't do anything but stare out the window at the beautiful paradise that was my home.

New York was foggy, gloomy and dirty, but home was sunny and smelled like the salt in the ocean.

"I haven't been here in ages," Carter said quietly from the driver's seat of the Jeep we'd rented for our stay. "But it's just the same."

"Oh, Carter. You're in for a wild ride," I told him with a grin, and he looked at me like I was crazy. Little did he know, he was even more famous on our modest island than he was in the Hollywood Hills. Everyone knew of the Anna Maria native who actually made it big.

"What do you mean?" He asked warily, giving me a cautious look.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they'd put a shrine of you right on the Pier," I told him with a laugh. "You're a god now, Car. Especially the little girls love you. They've been patiently waiting for you to come home..."

Carter rolled his eyes at me, chuckling a little. "Oh, come on, Sel. We both know you're making this shit up."

I shrugged, looking at him like I didn't know if I was telling the truth either. "Guess you'll have to wait and see, Montez."

With the wind blowing through my hair and the sun's rays greeting my pale face, I couldn't help but smile. I was finally home.

We were home.