Chapter 27

Carter parked the car along the side of the road. When it came to a stop, there was a clear hesitancy in both of us. Ultimately, Carter kept his seat belt buckled and looked at me with a strained smile.

“Have a wonderful night, Paisley. And thank you again for accompanying me to the dinner.”

“Of course.” I brushed my hair behind my hair. With a smile, I thought back to the dinner. “I hope it was less boring this time, for better or worse.”

“Having you there made it better, no matter the circumstances.” Carter smiled, a hint of sadness in his gaze. “We made quite the team, you and I.”

“We did, didn’t we?” I bumped my shoulder with his before opening the door. Carter's wrist caught mine before I could let go of my grip on the car door.

“Don’t be a stranger, alright?” He looked seriously at me. I smiled tensely. “We’re friends, remember?” He gave me a sad smile. I tried to nod but felt a little too guilty.

Was it bad of me that I wanted him to walk me to my door again? To hold me in h