Chapter Text
Carter’s POV:
I can feel Crash’s eyes on me as I watch Max, my best friend, get taken away for murdering Jared. I feel tears welling up in my eyes as he is led through the doorway and out of my sight. I meet Taylor’s eyes and see how broken she is. We both are for different reasons. I feel a tear slip down my cheek. “Carter, let's get you home. Okay? Your mom is here for Taylor and she has her car.” For the first time since we arrived at the police station, I meet Crash’s eyes as he tries to reason with me. He leans down to whisper in my ear. “I know you want to break down right now. The sooner we leave, the sooner you can do so privately.”
I’m momentarily distracted by his lips as they brush against my ear. Then I remember he’s seeing someone and mentally shake myself as he pulls away to look me in the eyes again. “Okay. Let’s go.” We turn to leave, but Taylor’s voice stops me.
“You’re seriously leaving now?” I turn around and see both our moms comforting her so I wordlessly leave and walk out the door.
As soon as I reach Crash’s truck, it feels like I’m hit by a bus. The pain of everything that’s happened this past year comes crashing down around me. Max’s arrest was just icing on the cake. I know he had to do it, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m suddenly sitting on the ground with my arms around my knees. I start sobbing as all the pain overpowers me. “Carter…” His comforting voice is coupled with his arms around me. He effortlessly lifts me up and cradles me in one arm as he unlocks the passenger door and opens it. He gently puts me down in the seat and shuts the door.
As soon as he’s in the driver’s seat, I snuggle into his side. Mercifully, he allows it and wraps an arm around me. “You’re very strong.” He laughs humorlessly and I swear I feel him press a kiss into my hair.
“It’s the boot camp training. They made sure we were strong enough to lift heavy objects off the ground.” After a moment, my sobs slow down to sniffles. He pulls his arm away and turns his truck on. “Let me get you home. It’s been a long day.” I scoot away from him despite the magnetic pull I feel inside me and buckle my seat belt.
The drive to my house is quick and filled with a comfortable silence that I only have with Crash. My mind replayed the moment we shared in his truck over and over. Was he going to kiss me earlier? It sure felt like it. I look over at him as he turns off his truck. He avoids eye contact for a moment. “Crash?” He looks over at me and something in his eyes pulls me in. How could I have ever thought I was anything other than head over heels in love with him? I know he’s done bad things, he shot Max and almost killed him. He’s so different though. His voice breaks me out of my thoughts.
“Yes, Carter?” I wordlessly lift my arms up for a hug like I did earlier today. Again, he envelopes me in a hug. I tuck my head into the crook of his neck, my lips inches from his neck. I want to close the gap, but I don’t. I stay there and enjoy the warmth and comfort his arms provide. After a few moments that feel like forever, I feel him pulling away. Our eyes meet as we separate and I see a longing in them. Before I can decipher it, he looks away. “Let’s go inside. Okay?” With that, he grabs his key and gets out.
He shuts the door and comes around to my side, opening my door for me. I stare at him for a moment. Weighing the words I want to say before I let them out. “Will you carry me inside?” He wordlessly nods and shoves his keys in his pocket before gently wrapping his arms around me. My arms go around his neck and I find myself resting my head on his shoulder as he pulls me out of his truck. We make our way to the front door and I let go of him with one of my arms to grab my keys, unlock the door, and push it open. He wordlessly carries me upstairs to my room and gently lays me down on my bed. He starts to leave, but I grab his hand. “Please stay with me?” He sighs and makes his way over to the other side of my bed.
“Of course I will.” I kick my shoes off and he does the same before laying down next to me. For a moment, we say nothing. Then I feel him wordlessly wrap an arm around me to draw me into his side. I tentatively wrap an arm around his torso and lay my head on his chest. “How are you really doing? You broke down a bit before we left the police station and now you just seem numb.” I shrug as much as I can while snuggled into his side.
“I’m just…” I drift off for a moment and sit up. Crash follows my movements and we both sit up against the pillows on my bed. I meet his eyes and he nods for me to keep talking. “...trying to keep my feet on the ground?” I say it like a question and look down at my hands. “I don’t know if that makes sense.” I see his hand take mine and am immediately comforted by the warmth. I meet his eyes again and can’t hold back anymore. I press my lips against his hesitantly and am shocked when I feel him pressing his lips closer to mine. I pull away. “Crash, wait! I’m so sorry. You’re seeing someone and–”
I’m interrupted by his lips on mine and I don’t have the power to pull away, I don’t want to. After a minute, he hesitantly pulls away. “I lied, Carter. I lied so you would talk to me about Jared without feeling weird about it.” I meet his eyes as he talks and see the sincerity in them. “I love you, Carter Wilson. I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you in that police station.” I feel my eyes well up with tears as he cups my cheek in his hand.
“I love you, Cameron Mason.” He smiles when I use his actual name and leans in to kiss me again. This time, I wrap my arms around his neck and meld my tongue with his. In between kisses, we murmur how much we love each other.
After a while, Crash pulls away and kisses my forehead. “As much as I want to keep going down this path, tonight is not the night for that.” I nod in agreement and plant one more gentle kiss on his lips before getting up. “Where are you going?” I grab my pajamas and wordlessly hold them up. He nods and I go into my bathroom to change and brush my teeth. A few minutes later, I'm laying back down and Crash is tucking me in. “Carter, I promise I will never leave you ever again. You’ve made me a better person and I’m never letting you as long as you want me. I’m never going to love anyone the way I love you.” My eyes well up with tears again as I hear the promises that I know he will keep. I’m speechless and all I can do is nod. He smiles. “I’m going to stay in your room with you until your family gets home. Okay?” I nod again and kiss him tenderly. He returns the kiss and walks around to the other side of my bed. I feel the bed dip under his weight and he’s spooning me a moment later. He wordlessly kisses the back of my neck and nuzzles it with his nose. I drift off to sleep feeling safer than I have in a long time.