The Jock Next Door

The Unacceptable

~ Chapter 37 ~

" That bastard—moving across the street from you; not acceptable." Leo points out, while shaking his head slowly.

" Unacceptable." Taylor nods.

" Unacceptable." Melissa continues.

" Before the broken radio continues," Asher starts. "Would anyone mind telling me who that it is?" Asher says with a bored but curious tone.

" He's Ava's—" I stop Leo as we move away from the window.

I start explaining. " He's my—"

" Half-ex." Leo continues as I give him a death glare. "Sorry." He whispers realizing, I would've liked to speak on my behalf.

Suddenly, Asher chuckles.

" Find that amusing, brunette?" I stare at him.

" No." He clears his throat. "No, no—not at all. It's just that I thought you weren't allowed to have a love interest—not even a boyfriend." He shrugs.

" Oh, Prince Charming, you've got it all wrong." Melissa shakes her head, disappointedly at him.

I let Melissa do the explaining, since I know she'll do it better than any of the boys, and I don't feel like returning to the past.

" You see, once upon a time," Melissa starts as we take a seat onto the couch again. "Carter Blanc is—was" She corrects " Ava's elementary school buddy. He's the classical class nerd that grew up to fall in love with his lab partner."

I shudder at her words and cringe, intensely. Asher notices and gives me a confused expression.

" During middle school—specifically 8th grade—teenage Carter asks teenage Ava out—" Melissa is interrupted by none other than Leo, of course.

" Oh for god's sake, Melissa. Get to the point. Your peachy narrator voice isn't doing any of us any good." He bursts out impatiently.

I throw a pillow at him and he catches it at the right timing. " Shut up, and let her continue." I scowl at him.

" With all pleasure." He replies sarcastically.

" As I was saying," She gives Leo a glare then continues. "They dated for about a month until Carter's parents got divorced and he started shutting everyone out." Melissa explains.

" Everyone." Leo emphasizes, specifically to Asher and I roll my eyes.

" Everyone, including Grey." Asher whispers in realization.

Melissa nods at him, showing him that his words are completely correct.

" The guy said he needed more space, but she didn't know more space meant ignoring her texts and calls, not talking to her, and not even acknowledging her in the hallways. So she was the one to officially break things off. Smart. That's what my friend is." She finishes explaining and gives me a small smile. I smile back at her.

Smart. Was I smart to detach myself from someone who simply said they needed space? But that space was too long if I'm being quite honest and it wasn't the fair kind of space. It was a space that made you feel unwanted and unwelcomed.

I liked Carter. Carter Blanc. I've known him for most of life, but not as long Leo or Melissa. I felt loved and safe around him, but there was never that spark that you look for in a relationship.

You might be wondering why I stayed with him for a month with that fact evident to me. I stayed because I thought that spark would appear anytime sooner, but it didn't. It never did. So I decided to break it off with him at the moment I had, so I wouldn't keep him hanging for the rest of his life, to something that would never really go anywhere.