Chapter Eleven

Savannah and Carson were both awakened by the sound of the alarm clock blaring. Savannah snuggled up closer to Carson, hoping her phone would stop buzzing. This kind of moment only happens once in a while, and she did not want to miss it. Every girl dreamed of cuddling up next to Carson.

Unfortunately, Carson did not want her to be late for her first day back. After such an amazing night, making her late was not his agenda. No matter how much he enjoyed holding her so close to him. Her hand rested perfectly on his chest, and his arm was tightly wrapped around her. He had not noticed his grip until now and relaxed it. Carson loved this moment, but he knew he had to get her up.

So he reached for her phone and turned off her alarm before gently shaking her. He watched Savannah move around with a groan. Carson could only laugh at his friend's desperate attempts to avoid getting up. He thought she was cute.

"Ugh, can I just sleep?" Savannah complained as she turned over.

Carson laughed again as he leaned over her. He missed the comfort of her body against his. "Come on Sav, you have to get up now," he said shaking her. "Don't you want to take a shower?"

She rolled over onto her back, crossing her arms. "Yeah...I'm just not ready to go back, ya know?" She looked up at him before averting her gaze. "I don't talk about it much but I'm still hurt."

Carson's face softened as he sensed the sadness radiating from her. "Aww, baby, I'm sorry," he said sweetly. "I understand it hurts right now, but I promise it will get better."

Her eyes returned to his, unsure whether his words were true. "How do you know?" She asked him quietly.

"Because they will always be with you, no matter what," he said, smiling. "And you are the strongest girl I know." He cooed, gently stroking her face.

They could not stop looking into each other's eyes, becoming lost. Carson was supposed to cheer her up, but instead, he was secretly fawning over her. Those chocolate eyes penetrated his soul. It was as if she could read his mind and feel everything he was feeling at the time. Carson would have kissed her tenderly if he had not been aware of the risks. He wanted nothing more than to feel her soft, luscious lips on his. But that was not an option.

Instead, he continued to look at her with the same smile on his face. His thumb caressed her cheek gently, wishing he could relieve her pain. He would feel it for himself if he could. Savannah was so important to him, and seeing her suffer was a stab wound to the heart. Especially since there was not anything else he could say to her.

Savannah still appreciated his sentiments, cupping his face in her hands. They had no idea they were thinking the same thing, but Savannah has grown more confident since Carson arrived. It also helped that she felt comfortable talking to him about anything. Even if it is to call him out on his nonsense.

She smirked at him as if she knew his number. "I thought you had a no-kissing policy?"

Carson chuckled. "Hmm...yeah, I did say that," he licked his lips in frustration, but left a kiss on the top of her head.

Savannah rolled her eyes as she prepared to take a shower. Her alarm went off an hour and a half early, giving her enough time to get dressed and eat some breakfast. Carson watched as she trotted to the bathroom wearing only her underwear. It made him think about last night and how much fun they had together. It was a little intense but worth every second.

When she came back out, she stood in the doorway, looking at Carson as if expecting something. He looked at her perplexed because he did not understand what she wanted from him. Was there anything on his face?

"What?" He asked her with a playful tone.

She rolled her eyes. "Aren't you going to come shower?" She wondered with her arms crossed.

Carson was surprised because she had previously requested that they shower separately. Of course, he would not argue with her, but he was curious. "Oh, now you want to shower together?" He squinted his eyes as he walked into the bathroom.

"Don't read into it," she hid her face while undressing. "Plus, my shower is big enough for two."

Carson scoffed as he followed her lead and undressed. Savannah opened the shower door for them to enter, and Carson closed it behind them. Steam filled the bathroom as they took turns testing the water. The silence was palpable, with neither wanting to say anything. Carson was doing his best to keep his penis in check. Now was not the time to get horny, but she looked great standing there.

The water cascaded down her body slowly. Her hair appeared slicked back when wet. There was one curl dangling in front of her eye, which she tried to push back but couldn't. Carson could not help but smile as he observed her beauty. His emotions were perplexing to him, but that did not change that she was his best friend.

However, his best friend has recently surprised him a lot. Every time, his confusion grew because he was caught between a rock and a hard place. Agreeing to anything would surely make Cole serve his head on a platter, but he didn't care. Carson was still going to do what he wanted, and he wanted Savannah in whatever way he could get her.

Savannah called out to him again, this time with her back to him. "Carson," she spoke quietly. "I have a wild idea if you are up for it."

Carson smirked, always willing to agree to her antics. "Okay, what is it?"

She smiled at him. "Should we be friends with benefits?" It was a long shot, but Savannah was willing to try anything. They were clearly friends, but there was much more to it. To her, this was the closest thing to dating him.

Carson, taken aback, laughed nervously at her proposition. "Huh, friends with benefits?" He asked her back. "Wha-what? Um...hmm." He struggled to find the words to say because he had never expected her to ask him that.

There were so many things to think about as he got caught up in this. Did she even fully grasp the concept of being friends with benefits? If this goes wrong, it could completely change their relationship. Carson did not want to risk losing the bond they had built over the years. Adding labels was always the primary cause of deterioration. Carson, on the other hand, may be able to work with this arrangement because it was not a binding commitment.

Still, he took too long to respond, causing Savannah to panic. "Oh no, that was stupid. I-I'm sorry," her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Carson shook his head, rolling his eyes. "It wasn't stupid. I was just caught off guard," he admitted. "I'm trying to understand why?"

"What do you mean why?" She looked at him, perplexed. "We have already slept together twice."

He could not disagree with that. "Yeah, that's-that is true," he said, stumbling slightly. "Are you certain this is what you want?" It was not ideal, but he could not deny that they might sleep together again.

Her eyes brightened. "Yes! I-I mean I don't want to seem too eager but...nothing about this will change our friendship." She was insistent.

"No, we are still just friends," Carson backed up, but it felt strange to say.

Savannah agreed. "Who occasionally sleep together."

Carson laughed at how casually she said it. "Now can I get some of the water, I'm freezing over here."

Savannah laughed and moved out of the way, allowing him to rinse off the soap. Carson could not tell whether he had made the right decision by agreeing to her antics. If he made one wrong move, Savannah would never let him forget it. How would he manage his relationship with her while also wanting to sleep with someone else? Something had to take precedence, and Carson, unfortunately, needed to learn self-control.

Following their shower, they dressed together in the most comfortable silence. Carson could not help but notice Savannah was much more at ease in his presence. She had previously refused to shower with him, but now she does. She used to kick him out of the room while she was getting dressed, but this time she was fine with it. He was not sure if it was because it was their second time having sex or if she was taking his advice to heart. Carson appreciated that she was allowing herself to breathe despite her pain.

With plenty of time, they went to the kitchen for some much-needed breakfast before Savannah left for work. Violet and Maeve were eating together, with Violet dressed in her work uniform. Carson did not see Cole anywhere and assumed he was still asleep. That was good because he did not want to deal with his staring, but Maeve did a good job filling that role.

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk with you?" Carson asked Savannah again, even though he was just playing.

Savannah smiled. “I’m already walking with Violet,” she reminded him.

Carson scoffed. “What does that have to do with me walking with you?” He mused. “Violet wouldn’t mind, right?”

"Of course not," Violet answered.

Savannah sighed. "No, and you should look for a job, remember?" She crossed her arms, a playful grin on her lips.

He rolled his eyes, but he realized she was correct. There were so many options that he was not sure where to begin. Everything was within walking distance, which would save him money on gas during the summer months. However, he did not seek employment in Arizona. He was admittedly a little lost without his parents, but he would not trade it for anything. Here he had Savannah, and that was all that mattered.

After she finished her breakfast, he said goodbye to Violet and Savannah as they left for their shifts. Carson had no idea what to do while Cole was still sleeping soundly. Carson decided to wait for him to get up because they both needed jobs. They could search together and kill two birds with one stone.

During his wait, Maeve stared at him in the most sultry ways. Carson could not help but enjoy how she threw herself at him. She was a petite creature with a divine body. He could tell she worked hard on her appearance because it was something they had in common. Nonetheless, he could not have her, no matter how tempting. Perhaps if it was just one night, but even that seemed excessive.

"Can you answer me this, Carson?" Maeve leaned against the counter, curious.

He nodded after grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. “Okay, what’s the inquiry?” He was prepared to respond to whatever she might ask.

“What’s your relationship with Savannah?” She pried.

Carson could not figure out why she was asking such a question at this time, but he responded anyway. "Well, we have been best friends since childhood," he stated with a shrug. He was not attempting to downplay their relationship, but he did not want to discuss what they had agreed on today.

However, Maeve was not convinced. From her perspective, there appeared to be more going on than either party was willing to admit. She saw how they interacted with each other. Even when the other was not speaking, their glances across the room were too obvious to miss. Maeve wanted to learn more because she wished to be in Savannah's position. She wanted to be the one who caught Carson's attention. No, she believed she deserved it and would go to any lengths to obtain it.

She shook her head as she walked towards him. “That’s it? You’ve been friends for so long and developed no kind of emotional attachment?” She continued digging.

Carson was perplexed about his feelings and unable to provide her with a straight answer. "I mean, she is attractive as hell, but that is where it ends," he explained. “I’m not one for commitment.”

Maeve smirked as her hand gently touched the bulge in his pants. "Maybe you should see me sometime," she said, biting her lip.

Carson struggled not to react to her hand placement. He believed she was doing this on purpose. “I don’t know. I don’t want to cross any lines,” he chuckled nervously.

Maeve rolled her eyes. "Nobody needs to know," she whispered in his ear as she stood on tiptoes to reach him.

Carson knew everything he needed to know from her devious smirk. Maeve was trying to get him in any way she could, and Carson found it difficult to pass up. Girls usually throw themselves all over him, but this time was different. He had not sought Maeve's attention. It was given to him the moment he met her. His twin brother was right there, and she did not pursue Cole. Something about this felt very pointed, and Carson was not going to think it through. All he saw was a girl seeking his attention.