Page 51 of Unhinged Kallie

“I don’t know what to believe anymore,” I said and closed my eyes as Carter kissed the top of my head. “Can you tell me about my mom? I remember so little of her,” I said, relaxing my head onto his chest and listening to his heartbeat as he spoke. I wasn’t like the kids at school, and no matter how hard I tried, I was only partially like my dad. It made me feel like I didn’t belong anywhere.

These brief moments I shared with Carter were the only times I felt like I belonged. He wasn’t a killer and didn’t have the urges the rest of us did, but he understood me better than anyone else.

I couldn’t let him go. I would never let him go.

Chapter Nineteen

KALLIE

JULY 19

I didn’t think things could get more strained between Carter and me, but they did when he accepted an offer from the University of Virginia and said he was moving out. Since then, he’d been, what he called, prepping. What the hell did that even mean?

“Today’s going suck,” I mumbled and tossed my stress ball—an eyeball replica—into the air and caught it.

The door opened, and I couldn’t be bothered looking over.

“Wow, who pissed in your cereal this morning and on your birthday,” Carter asked, and I slowly rolled my head in his direction.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, genuinely shocked he wasn’t hanging out with whatever girl he was dating this week. There wasn’t even a point in chasing them away anymore. He was doing a fine job of that all on his own.

“It’s your birthday. Of course, I’m going to be around for that.” He walked into the room, shirtless with only swim trunks on. His new workout was evident, and I didn’t hide my gawking, taking a second to appreciate the view. He’d also gotten a full-sleeve tattoo that looked sick on him. “No.”

“What?”

“I know what you’re thinking, and just because you’re officially sixteen….”

“Blah, blah, blah,” I finished for him. “You’re becoming a bore, Carter,” I said, annoyed that he could still make my heart pound and my blood sing. He had succeeded in keeping me at arm’s length, and now he would be living over an hour away.

I tossed the eye into the air, and he snatched it, smirking at me, his eyes full of mischief. I hadn’t seen him this relaxed in awhile.

“The sex you got last night must have been good for you to be this chill.”

“Wasn’t bad, actually.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure. Can I have my ball back, and can you leave my room now? I prefer to spend my birthday alone.”

“Not a chance. We’re going out,” he smiled and squeezed the ball, distorting the eye. I was suddenly curious if a real eye would act the same way when squished.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Fuck you’re annoying.”

He whipped the squishy eyeball at me, and I squealed, laughing as I blocked it, and it sailed across the room. Jumping up, I ran at Carter, who sprinted out the door and down the hall to his room.

“I’m going to get you.”

“You can try,” he said, sticking his tongue out to taunt me. This felt normal. It was like we’d been transported back in time when we hung out all day, laughed freely and didn’t care what the world thought.

I expected him to slam the door in my face, but he didn’t, and I ran into his room, skidding to a stop as I stared at the pretty little box he held in his hand. He cocked his brow at me in challenge, and I smiled back, running at him to try and grab my gift.

We ended up in a crazy game of me trying to grab him, but for someone so tall, he was surprisingly fast and agile. He jumped over his bed, and I hopped up on it.