Chapter Six

Carson found himself gazing into Savannah's bathroom mirror, much more at ease. They moved to her room to take a shower after their encounter on the couch. One by one, they would enter sequentially. They did the unimaginable, but they chose to take separate showers nonetheless. Carson would have gotten in with her if it had been up to him. But he let her decide how they were going to clean up since he was the one who decided to escalate the sex.

When he looked back, Carson was shocked at himself. As much as he desperately needed an escape, he felt guilty for prodding her on. He did not think she would consent to his requests. That being said, it appeared that she shared his desire for it. He was still plagued by guilt. As though he was taking advantage of her, which is not his intention at all.

But when he saw the size of the scar she left on his neck in the mirror, he could not help but smile to himself. It was not in a location that was easily concealed. He was also unable to use his hair as a shield because it was cut short. He was aware that his brother would eventually question him, and he did not want to engage in that conversation. Carson was not interested in listening to Cole, who was a lecturer. Even though he knew what he did was wrong, he could not help but feel proud of himself.

Savannah was more than just any old girl he slept with. He felt a connection to her, and even though their actions were intended to distract him from their feelings, they intensified them. Carson had never considered Savannah as a potential sex partner before today. It was a thought that escaped his mind constantly because their relationship was so brittle. The desire to do it again was overwhelming him at this point.

Carson handed Savannah a towel as the water turned off and then turned to face the mirror again. Her work impressed him so much that he forced himself to look at it. It was going to get him into trouble, but none of that mattered.

He joked, "Damn, baby, hickeys got to be your specialty."

Wrapping a towel around her body, Savannah approached him. When she realized what she had done, her eyes widened.

"Shit, I did not think it would be that huge."Her mouth dropped.

Carson laughed. "Hey, it doesn't matter to me," he cooed. "But this needs to be covered up."

Her fingers snapped. "Oh, I know!" Her eyes brightened and she riffled through a drawer. "It's not an exact match, but we could blend it a bit."

Carson's eyes slid down to the foundation she was holding. The color was way too light for it to be hers. Maeve's skin tone matched it better, and she was even paler than Carson. However, this was their best attempt to conceal the proof of their day. Carson complied since Savannah appeared to know what she was doing.

Carson made every effort to look away from her while she was putting it on. He struggled to resist the need to touch her. His thoughts drifted back to how he had sat there with her in his arms when they were done. It felt like they were breathing together, her hair soft against his bare chest. He would have immediately kicked her off of him if she had been anyone else. But he refrained since he was attached to her. She seemed content to be on his chest, which was exactly where he wanted her to be.

He took a deep breath and looked down at his friend, who appeared concerned. Although he did not want to delve too far into her mind, he was interested in learning what was going on. Something seemed to be bothering her, and Carson began to second-guess his earlier decisions.

Strangely enough, Savannah bravely spoke up. "Carson," her delicate voice called out to him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Baby, of course." He grinned. "What's up?"

Fearing what he might say, she licked her lips. "Why do you have a no-kissing policy?"

Carson had to take a moment to process that, stunned. To be honest, he did not mind kissing in general. It was a gesture associated with frequent sexual activity. He thought of it and said it aloud when he offered to help Savannah. Her lips felt good on his skin, and looking back, he would not have objected to feeling them against his. But if he would kiss her, he did not think he could stop himself.

Without wanting to field any more questions he could not answer, he was unable to tell her that. Rather, he assumed he would devise an alternative justification. Savannah was patient with him and never made fun of his strange habits. It felt like a betrayal of their friendship to tell her the truth.

Attempting to maintain composure, Carson chuckled while running his fingers through his hair. "I'm just not one for kissing," he lied. "I have never been interested in it."

Incredulous, Savannah scrunched up her nose. "Are you positive? Because I remember catching you making out with a multitude of girls." Shit. "Not to mention we even kissed once."

That memory had slipped Carson's mind until she spoke. "That was only because you were freaking out about Danny Inglewood being your first kiss," he recalled. "And in six years, people can change." He turned what she said against her.

She was finishing the makeup on his neck when silence descended upon them. He did not mean to deceive her, but what other option did he have? It did not seem wise to tell the truth because she would wonder why he would not kiss her. He wanted desperately for their tongues to fight for their lives, but he was unable to do so. He had just returned to New York, and their friendship was too important to ignore. He wanted to enjoy his friend, something he had missed out on for six years, rather than complicating matters with labels.

Carson could see the distress she was trying to hide in her eyes. She turned toward the mirror, brushing her wet hair with gel to curl it up.

Unaware that they would have a confrontation, Carson was at a loss for what to do at this particular moment. He didn't want things to be weird, and she promised she wouldn't make it. Carson was aware of her emotional instability, though. His mistake was assuming she would act in such a composed manner.

With a silent sigh, he removes the brush from her grasp and raises her to sit on the counter. Now she was at eye level with him, her arms folded in frustration. Carson tried not to laugh, but the way she was pouting with her big, dark orbs made him full of glee. It was not the appropriate time to make jokes, but he could not resist. He thought she looked so cute.

Savannah grew angrier and huffed. "Carson, what is so funny?" she asked, flushed.

He shook his head and laughed even harder.

"You just made me realize how adorable you are in an angry mood," he cried. In a baby voice, he said, "Just an adorable baby."

She snickered, "You are an asshole."

"Perhaps, yet you cherish me," he dismissed.

"However, can we not start fighting already?" A sigh escaped his lips. "I recently returned home. We ought to be enjoying ourselves."

Savannah felt the gravity in his gaze and looked back at him. She did not want to ruin their time together in any way. It was ineffective for her to let her feelings run wild because she had not been sincere with him. She was aware that he was correct and that their argument over something so trivial was not worth it.

Furthermore, as time passes, people do indeed change. Savannah was most aware of that.

Eventually, frustrated, she dashed across the counter to change into new clothes. "Right, I was thinking we could visit Sugar Cafe after we went to Central Park."

Grinning affectionately at his friend, Carson leaned against the door frame. "Will you be in a dress once more?" He was curious.

The girl with dark hair looked at him, perplexed. "Perhaps, why?" She could not understand why he would pose such a query.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, I'm not sure," Carson trailed off. "I think they suit you well."

Pointing to her door, Savannah tried not to smile. "Leave." Since she was not going to dress in front of him, she demanded it.

He obliged, leaving her room so she can change into her clothes. Before she eventually came out, he treated himself to one more biscuit. She emerged in a stunning sundress that flowed beautifully as she walked, just as he had anticipated. She had wet curls cascading down her back, but they framed her face so beautifully.

As his friend put on her sandals, Carson could not help but stare in fascination. Kill me now, he thought to himself.

After she was dressed, they left and strolled towards Central Park. Given the warm weather and proximity to her residence, Carson felt compelled to engage in physical activity.

Savannah's apartment was conveniently located without requiring a long walk to get anywhere.

It had been a long time since Carson had seen anything like this, so he was in awe as he took in his former hometown. He sighed with satisfaction as he admired the view. Carson at last felt at home, from the leaf-filled trees to the jogging people all around him. He was relieved to be back because this was not at all like Arizona.

Carson looked over to the bridge as they strolled along the path. They observed the splendor of nature while standing there for a moment.

Leaning against the ledge, Carson experienced a wave of calmness. He can not recall the last time he was outside feeling this at ease. It was pleasant.

With a clear throat, he glanced over at Savannah, who was having fun despite her constant gaze over this bridge. There was no other way Carson would have wanted to spend his day. His heart was always content when he was with Savannah.

"So, how excited are you about your date?" Unable to resist asking, Carson did.

He observed Savannah rolling her eyes. "If everyone is coming, it is not a date," she said. "I still don't want to go on a date with anyone regardless."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Carson got to his feet. "What makes going on a date so wrong?"

"It's not about it being wrong," she said. "I fear that my thoughts will be too consumed with other things."

Carson saw her face and was struck by how open she was about her emotions at all times. He was lacking that and desired to acquire it. He found it difficult to be sincere with himself about his feelings. Despite appearing petty and nonsensical, Savannah did not give a damn. She did not feel guilty about how she felt. Something

Carson desired to personally encounter.

He replied sluggishly, "Whatever it is, just don't think about it."

Savannah chuckled. "You speak as though it is easy." She grinned.

He gave a nod. "Yes, it is. Make a self-promise not to do it, and then follow through on it," he said. "Please try to have fun; we are all coming with you. At the very least, you should treat yourself to that much."

She gave her friend a kind look as she lightly tapped his arm. "We should start heading to Sugar," she said. "Violet and Maeve are almost out."

After agreeing, Carson took out his phone. "I'll tell Cole to meet us there."

Carson told Cole what they were going to do, and they walked back the way they had come. The day was full of surprises, and they wouldn't stop there.