Heart and Soul [bxb]

Chapter Forty-Two

"Hey, stranger!"

"Hey," Carter replied as Mel fell into step next to him, walking down the hallway from their AP Calculus class to the gym locker rooms. "I haven't been a stranger."

Mel smiled wittingly. "Sure you have, but it's okay. Hope it at least means you're finally fitting into the new family."

Carter smiled. "Yeah, I guess I am," he admitted. It had been gradual and subtle. He was hardly a full-fledged Santoro, but he somehow felt a little less like an odd piece out of the whole. "The whole Bella and Seth thing kind of forced us to get along," he added.

Mel raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, I was completely blindsided by that," she confessed.

"I think they surprised themselves too, to be honest," he told her.

Mel laughed. "Anyway—I'm afraid I have an ulterior motive for this totally casual conversation," she mused.

Carter shot her a curious look.

"My mom hasn't let go since you told her you'd come over for dinner, before homecoming. She keeps asking me when I'll invite you," she said. "So I thought I might break the ice and ask if you're available this Friday."

Carter took a moment. "I guess..."

"I promise my dad is over the whole ex-boyfriend thing," Mel said promptly, as she probably noticed the apprehensive look on his face. "Brianna got a boyfriend over winter break and his attention has been all on that."

Carter laughed, remembering Mel's quirky younger sister. "Good," he said. "In that case, I'd love to."

That seemed to please her. "I'll tell my mom. That means you can't turn back now." She pointed a warning finger at him.

"Understood."

Mel slowed down as they reached the locker rooms. Carter stopped next to her, noticing the look on her face. Like she meant to say something more. They stood in the hallway, face to face, for a couple of seconds until she spoke.

"You know, if you can find the time between all the family bonding, you could come hang out with us every other day," she suggested. "Jenna, Joey and I. We've been at Jenna's after school lately, because her mom is travelling. You and Seth could show up some day. Bring Bella, if she wants."

Carter nodded. "Sure."

Although he did mean it, Carter didn't show up at Jenna's to hang out with his friends on that Monday. Instead, he sat with Johnny in the library, after school, at their usual table. 

Since winter break, they spent a lot of time there like before, though not always over books and homework. On that day, Johnny had his laptop in front of him, but his eyes were on his phone. Carter looked up from his English homework as he heard the other boy breathe out a silent laugh at the screen.

"Who're you texting?"

Johnny eyed him, without fully looking up. "Why do you ask?" He copied Carter's deliberately casual tone.

Carter shrugged. "Just curious. You don't have to tell me."

Johnny smiled slyly. "It's my side piece. He's jealous because I'm always with you now."

Carter shot him a dry glare. "You really shouldn't neglect him like that," he mused.

Johnny snorted, before rolling his eyes. "It's just Lydia," he said, putting his phone on the table, screen dark. "She wants me to take her out this Friday night, so my parents can have alone time."

"Oh." Carter understood, though he wasn't thrilled to think of Coach having alone time with his wife. He was still struggling with meeting these new layers to a man whose relationship with Carter, until this year, had been so uncomplicated.