Page 4 of Next Level Up
I blink, throat tight. “Who?”
She snorts. “The one whose hoodie you’re wearing. The one you keep looking at your phone for. The one who’s going to go nuclear when he finds out about the tournament.”
I swallow hard, heart already racing.
Her voice is gentle, like she’s trying not to spook the truth out of me. Then she stands, stretching as she grabs her keys from the counter. “I’m crashing at James’ tonight.”
I blink up at her. “Thanks,” I say, voice quiet.
Cassie crosses the room, pulls me into a hug, and kisses the side of my head. “Go melt your boyfriends brains.”
Then she’s gone. My apartment is quiet again. Just me, the noise of the TV, and the weight of what I’m about to do pressing against my ribs like a loaded gun. I don’t let myself overthink it. I pick up my phone and Carter’s contact. I hit call, it rings once before he answers.
“Hey.” his voice is low, sleepy and warm as ever.
I press my knees to my chest, my voice catching a little. “Did I wake you?” Please say no. Please don’t make me feel worse.
There’s a rustle on the other end—sheets, maybe. A breath followed by a groan. “Nah. Was just lying here thinking about you. I was gonna call but figured you were with Cassie.”
“I was,” I say. “She just left.”
Silence stretches for a second. He doesn’t push, I almost wish he would.
“I need to tell you something,” I say finally, the words sliding out faster than I expected. “Something kind of important.”
Carter’s breath sharpens, but he keeps his voice gentle. “Okay.”
“I got placed on a team for the Aim High tournament.” My chest grows tighter by the second.
“That’s amazing. Wait—you didn’t tell me you signed up.”
“I wasn’t going to at first,” I admit. “I needed to do something for me. Something that didn’t involve you or Tate or… anyone. Just me.”
“Okay,” he says again, and I can hear the smile in his voice even as it collides with something else. “I get that. Who’s on your team, do you know any of them?”
I hesitate.
“Haven,” he says softly. “Talk to me.”
I close my eyes. “It’s… Dylan…”
There’s a pause before he repeats the name out loud. “Wait. That’s—” His voice cuts off.
I wait.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Carter’s voice doesn’t rise, but it doesn’t have to. The weight behind it says everything. I can hear the shift, the way his breath changes, like someone flipped a switch and everything soft in him is suddenly burning. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
“I wish I was.” He’s going to think I hid it. God, I should’ve said something.
His inhale is sharp. “He’s on the list?”
“Yes.”
“And you can’t drop out?”
“No Carter,” I whisper. “It’s locked.”
A pause, another breath. “Fuck, Haven.”
