Page 112 of Steeling Her
I sit on the other side of TJ, lifting Ellie up slightly so she can fall asleep on top of me. TJ’s hand moves from his lap to around my shoulders to pull me closer to his body and kiss my head. I smile into the crook of his neck. I’m happy that Nick didn’t move away from us, he sat there and talked to him like normal as I just stared at TJ, who looks so happy to be talking with Nick again.
God, I’m so deep with him.
This guy is the love of my life and he likes me back. I feel so ecstatic right now. It’s Christmas day, and I have everyone I love around me. I look around to my family who are so engrossed in watching The Grinch, with Jim Carey, of course. All smiles and everyone happy.
Everyone except my dad.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Mine
Carter
“So, I’ll come around to the dorm and pick you up at around seven? That cool?” Nick asks through the phone. The soft voice he once had turned into a little nervous shake when he asked the question. It’s cute, and I can tell he’s so nervous about tonight. It’s finally the day. My first date with Nick, and Nick’s first ever date with any girl, and he has met a few girls in his life.
I arrived back here yesterday. He, TJ, and Haley are coming back today. They left an hour ago and will be here in a little while, but he called me to check on me again. He did the same last night and early this morning. He’s so adorable when he does that with me. It’s like he actually worries about me
“That’s fine, yeah! Is there something in particular I should wear? Like, should I be fancy or casual?” I ask, flicking though my laptop on Netflix to watch something in the meantime. It’s four hours away until we have our date. I’m so nervous right now. I don’t think I’ll be able to concentrate until I’m getting ready or in his company. I have been on a handful of dates, so I have a little more experience than him; only by a little.
“It’s not really fancy, it’s not casual either; it’s a little in between.” He laughs anxiously. I know he’s rubbing the back of his neck right now. I can almost see him through the phone. I can see that withering smile on his face when he’s thinking so hard about this entire thing. This could be the worst date I’ve ever been on but I’d still be smiling because I’m with him. We’re out together in each other’s company, and that’s all I want. Just me and him with some alone time.
“Okay . . . would jeans and a simple top be okay? It’s a little chilly outside right now,” I ask him to make double sure that I’m on the right track. I don’t want to be too over or under dressed. That would be embarrassing.
“Perfect! You could literally wear anything and it would be perfect,” he compliments me and I start to blush and smile like a crazy lady on crack. I slap my hand over my face like he’s watching me in my room and grin from ear to ear. “Are you blushing right now?” he teases me and I groan.
“No,” I deny, but I very much am blushing right now. I can feel the heat on my face growing hotter with every passing second.
“I don’t believe you. Not for even a second. I know you’re blushing right now, Carter.” The truncated chuckle escaping his mouth vibrates through the phone and down to my stomach, causing it to pinch in excitement.
“Shut up!” I whine playfully at him. I try not to giggle at our little play fight because I’m so giddy today. I’m so excited and nervous about tonight, and I hope he still likes me after it. This is a make or break situation in my eyes. Either he’ll still like me or won’t. The thought that he might not like me afterwards is slowly bringing my mood down.
“Alright, I’m almost there. I’m about a half hour—forty-five minutes away. I’ll come by and pick you up, so be ready at seven and wear something comfortable,” he says to me and I listen to every single detail he’s giving me so I’m not late or don’t wear anything ridiculous.
Got it.
“Okay, cool! I’ll be ready to go by then.” I smile to myself, knowing he can’t see me right now, and I face palm myself. I’m doing such stupid stuff today. This date has my mind all over the place right now. The heart palpitations, the sweaty palms, the pacing around the living room that I’m currently doing right now. I’m on edge about it all, but nothing I do is stopping them.
We say goodbye to each other as I go back into my room and throw my phone back onto my sheets. Once it hits the covers, I scream incredulously because I still can’t believe this is actually happening right now. I, Carter Steel, am the girl—the first ever girl—that Nick Jackson has decided to take on a date. I’m the girl. Not Maya, not any other girl.
Me.
“Okay, it’s time to unpack, Carter, so you actually have something to wear tonight. I don’t think people would appreciate you walking into . . . wherever you’re going, in your birthday suit.” I grimace at that embarrassing thought. Once I calm myself down to a respectable level, I continue to unpack and place my clothes that I wasn’t energetic enough to do last night when I arrived back inside of my wardrobe and drawers like I did last semester. Danielle and Haley should be back today too. I still am not sure about Haley these days, we haven’t spoken to each other over the break, but I can’t wait to see Danielle.
An hour passes, and I hear the front door open just as I’ve put my toiletries in the bathroom. I’m silently hoping it’s Danielle, I don’t know how awkward it’s going to be between me and Haley. I know she knows that Nick is taking me out tonight, and I can only imagine how unhappy she is about it. Bracing myself for a risk and reward, I poke my head out the door and see a blonde hair dragging and kicking her bags in. I walk outside and she sees me come into view.
“You need some help?” I ask her. She puffs her rosy-red cheeks out and nods.
“Yes, please! I didn’t know the elevator’s broken, so I had to carry these up myself. The boys left me because they knew I could take it and didn’t know about the elevator. So annoying.” She rolls her eyes and I grin at how normal she’s acting right now. No tension, just like the old times. I’m not going to say anything to mess this all up right now. I’ll take baby steps with her.
I reach over and hold the door open to allow her to tread inside the dorm while I take the other suitcase she has outside and wheel it in to help her out. When I enter back into the living room, I watch her open her own door and slide the wheels of her case inside her room. I follow behind her and do the same, stopping myself and the bag once I’m inside. It’s been a while since I’ve been in here. It still smells like rose petals mixed with honey.
“Thanks!” she says over her shoulder while she kicks one of the bags and proceeds to open up the contents inside. I smile at her and push the other bag towards her so she can do the same. “Um . . . Can we talk?” those words were the only words that I’d never thought I’d ever hear her say to me for the next few months.
Staring at her like a deer in headlights, I quickly realize I haven’t said anything to her. So, I nod and watch her jump on the bed and pat the space across from her. I do as I’m told because I don’t want our precarious relationship to fall even more.
“So . . . I spoke to Nick over Christmas . . .” Haley begins, and I can feel the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach at what she’s possibly going to tell me. I’m a little unnerved by all of this right now, I don’t know where to look. “He told me about you two . . . like how you met and stuff . . . I know my brother can be stupid with girls, that’s why I got defensive with you and him when I saw you both at the house. I know what he is . . . what hewaslike . . .” She sighs and picks on the sleeve of her pastel-pink jumper out of discomfort. “I just didn’t want to get hurt again, because I really do like you, and I like being friends with you and Danielle. I haven’t had friends like you two ever. The only girls who talk to me only do it to get to Nick, and I thought that you did the same.”
“I promise, that’s not what I wanted to do, Haley, I swear,” I interrupt her and defend myself.
