Chapter 54

Carter sprinted down the street, driven by fear that something terrible might have happened to Gabriella. "It's my fault; I should have picked her up from work when I knew it was late; I'll never forgive myself if anything bad happened to her," he thought, running wildly without regard for his own safety, his only concern being Gabriella's well-being.

His heart racing wildly as if it might burst from his chest, Carter continued running down the silent street until he heard someone call his name. He stopped abruptly and looked ahead, his eyes locking onto Gabriella. Overwhelmed with happiness, he felt his body relax.

"Gabriella," Carter whispered, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He loved her deeply and longed for her to confess her feelings for him, as he was utterly smitten.

Carter was so relieved to have found Gabriella that he didn't even notice Nolan standing beside her. "Carter, what are..." Gabriella started to say, but Carter interrupted, dashing the remaining distance between them and enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Oh goodness, I'm so happy nothing bad happened to you, I wouldn't have been able to take it," Carter exclaimed, his affectionate tone evident. However, Gabriella struggled to break free, feeling suffocated by the intensity of his hug, which Carter was reluctant to release, wanting her to understand the depth of his fear.

"Carter, I'm fine, as you can see, but can you please let me go? I'm already suffocating," Gabriella whispered, prompting Carter to slowly release the hug.

"I'm sorry," Carter apologized, thinking he had been overly enthusiastic.

"It's okay, Carter, but you don't have to worry about me this much. I don't want you to hurt yourself because of me," Gabriella said, unaware that her words only made Carter sadder. Nevertheless, he nodded, though he couldn't promise to stop worrying about her.

Carter's gaze shifted to Nolan, and he finally noticed him standing beside Gabriella. His eyes lingered on Nolan, wondering who he was and why he was with Gabriella.

"Oh, this is Nolan," Gabriella explained, noticing Carter's curious stare. "He's the one who saved me from the thief earlier and was walking me home before you saw us."

"Oh, thank you so much for saving her," Carter said, his expression softening slightly as soon as Gabriella finished speaking.

"My name is Carter, by the way," he added, extending his hand for a handshake. However, Nolan ignored the gesture, keeping his hands tucked into his pockets.

"It's always dangerous for girls to walk alone on this street at night," Nolan said. "Next time, I won't be there to save her, so always walk your girlfriend home."

Carter awkwardly withdrew his hand as Gabriella began to correct Nolan. "No, I'm not-"

"Thank you so much," Carter interrupted. "I'll always pick her up from now on, so you don't have to be there anymore."

Gabriella gasped in surprise. Nolan nodded and walked away without another word, leaving Gabriella and Carter behind.

A smile lingered on Carter's lips as he watched Nolan disappear from view. He was thrilled that Nolan had referred to Gabriella as his girlfriend, and he hoped that soon she would be his girlfriend for real.

Still smiling, Carter turned to see Gabriella walking away without a word. He quickly followed her, rushing to catch up. "Gabriella, wait!" he called out, attempting to grasp her hand, but she swiftly pulled away.

"Don't touch me!" Gabriella burst out, her outburst shocking Carter.

"What's wrong? Why are you angry? Are you angry at me?" Carter asked confusion etched on his face.

Gabriella's angry glance pierced him. "Why did you cut me off earlier?" she demanded.

Carter's confusion deepened. "What do you mean?"

"You obviously interrupted me before I could deny being your girlfriend. Why did you have to do that?" Gabriella's voice rose in anger, and Carter realized he had never seen her this furious before.

"I'm sorry, okay Ella? Maybe it's a misunderstanding. I didn't mean to cut you off, so calm down," Carter pleaded, attempting to soothe her, but his words fell flat.

"A misunderstanding? You could have denied it yourself, but instead, you acted like you're my boyfriend! Why did you have to come anyway? I didn't ask you to, and now you're the reason I didn't get his number. My prince charming is gone, and I don't know how to find him again. None of this would have happened if you hadn't shown up," Gabriella fumed, her words cutting deep into Carter's heart.

Carter's heart-felt shattered, and he struggled to maintain control over his emotions. His voice trembled with hurt as he asked, "Is it because you didn't get his number that you're angry about being called my girlfriend?"

Gabriella's response was laced with frustration. "Yes, because you're the reason I didn't get to collect his number. You made me miss my one chance opportunity."

Carter's voice cracked as he spoke, his words barely above a whisper. "So, you don't feel the same way I do. I'm foolish, I should have realized, but I turned a blind eye to it."

Gabriella's anger boiled over, and she scoffed. "What are you feeling? You think you like me and expect me to feel the same way? You must be joking. I've never had feelings for you. I only considered you a friend, a best friend I could trust and rely on. But you just broke that trust."

Her words cut deep, and Carter felt a stinging pain in his heart. Gabriella continued, her tone plain but firm. "Look, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but you can't expect me to like you just because you're helping me. I only see you as a friend, nothing more."

Carter's eyes welled up with tears, but he blinked them back before they could fall. His voice barely above a whisper, he muttered, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I'm sorry for everything."

With that, Carter let go of Gabriella's hand and turned away, his heart heavy with sorrow. He began walking away, leaving Gabriella standing alone. Gabriella hissed loudly in frustration before starting to walk away as well.

"How will I find Nolan again?" she muttered to herself. "I need to find him, or I'll go mad imagine his face everywhere."

•••

Carter had already entered the house, arriving before Gabriella. She stormed into the living room, still seething with anger towards Carter, only to find Athena waiting for her.

Athena's concerned expression was met with Gabriella's. "What happened to Carter? Why-"

"I don't know what happened to him," Gabriella snapped, not giving Athena a chance to finish her question.

Without another word, Gabriella hastily rushed upstairs to her room, leaving Athena stunned and bewildered.

"What the heck!" Athena muttered, shocked by Gabriella's sudden behavior. She couldn't believe what just happened: Gabriella walked out on her.