Page 98 of Love to Hate You

Chapter Thirty

Daisy

“So,” I tilt my head and squint. “You’re not going to tell me where we’re going?”

Carter skewers me with a glance and shakes his head. A smile clings to his lips. Every so often, our eyes catch and hold, sparks of desire flaring to life, before he jerks them back to the road.

This is a first for us. We never go out in public together.

Sure, we walk to class and sit next to one another, but there’s always a distance between us. Everything about our demeanor screams friend zone. Which is exactly why girls still approach him. They flick their hair and flutter their lashes. They press their hands to his chest or trail their fingertips along his bicep. I might be standing next to him, but it’s like I’m wearing an invisibility shield. As much as I want to growl and tell them to back the hell off, I can’t.

What am I going to say?

That he’s my secret boytoy and to keep their sticky mitts off my man?

Not going to happen.

Although, Carter doesn’t encourage their behavior. He’s polite but nothing more.

It must suck to be so hot and talented. Yeah, that thought makes me laugh every time.

Poor Carter.

Wahhhhh.

It’s not lost on me that if this had happened two months ago, it wouldn’t have bothered me in the least. I would have rolled my eyes and sneered at these dumb girls for being into a guy who’s only interested in getting between their legs for the night.

And now…

It’s probably best not to go there.

We’ve yet to define what this is between us and that’s dangerous. As much as I want to remain aloof and detached, I’m not. The fact that I want to scratch these girls’ eyes out tells me everything I need to know about the situation.

And none of it is good.

“You’ll see,” he says, breaking into my thoughts.

Which is for the best. This is our first outing together, it should be light and airy. Not mired in complications.

I stare out the passenger side window of his car as we leave the city behind us. Houses set in the middle of postage stamp sized lawns on city blocks give way to fields and patches of woods that dot the picture-perfect landscape. Trees are in the middle of changing colors and the sky is a deep cornflower blue. White clouds that look like cotton candy float by.

I close my eyes and tilt my face toward the sun, enjoying the feel of it stroking my cheeks.

My aunt and uncle live on the southern tip of the city. We’re traveling north on a two-lane county road. After about fifteen miles, we hit a small town. It takes a few minutes to travel through it and then we’re picking up speed, continuing north.

A pit settles in the bottom of my gut as I realize that wherever we’re going, we won’t have to worry about being seen together. I haven’t mentioned it to Carter, but I’m no longer comfortable sneaking around. I don’t like keeping secrets from Noah. But most of all, I’m not interested in being someone’s dirty little secret.

Maybe at first it was fun and exciting.

But now…

It just feels wrong.

In the back of my mind I know that I need to end this fling. That’s all it is and all it will ever be. I don’t see us riding off into the sunset together. That thought brings a pang of sadness to my heart as I sneak a glance at Carter. My belly flutters as my gaze settles on him. It’s shocking to realize that I actually like Carter as a person. He’s funny and sweet. Not to mention, smart.

God…he’s so smart that it’s annoying.

How’s that for a kick in the pants?

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