Like he’s trying to figure out how this night changes now that it’s just us. I clear my throat, my voice betraying nothing, even though my pulse is saying otherwise. “So, does this mean I finally get to know where you’re taking me next?”

Carter tilts his head slightly, then he smiles, but there’s something else behind it now. “Impatient huh?” he asks.

I roll my eyes, grateful for something normal to latch onto. “I think I’ve earned some information at this point.”

Carter hums, tapping his fingers against the table. “Hmm. Maybe.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re actually just going to keep me guessing all night, aren’t you?”

He grins, and for a second, it feels dangerous. Like he’s enjoying this too much, like he knows something I don’t. “Gotta keep you on your toes somehow, sweetheart.”

My breath catches, just for a second. Because that voice, that nickname. I’m used to it sure, he’s been calling me that since forever.

But this is different, this isn’t a message on a screen. This is real, in-person, direct, his voice lower than usual, just rough enough around the edges to sink into my skin. I reach for my drink again, needing something to busy my hands, something to keep me from thinking too hard about the way my body is reacting to him.

Carter leans forward slightly, like he’s about to say something else—then the waitress swings by with the check, breaking the moment just as fast as it started. I exhale slowly, dragging my nails against the curve of my glass as Carter grabs the receipt before I can even move.

I glare at him. “I can pay for my own food, you know.”

Carter barely glances up, signing the slip with easy confidence. “Not tonight.”

I cross my arms. “That’s not fair.” He finally looks at me, one brow arched. “And?”

I hate that I don’t have a response to that. I just huff, grabbing my bag, determined not to let this turn into something bigger than it is.

Carter stands too, and suddenly, I’m reminded just how much bigger he is than me. How he takes up more space than I thought he would, how close he feels even when he’s not touching me.

His voice is lighter when he speaks again, like he’s cutting the tension just enough. “Come on. Before you start getting ideas about paying me back.”

I roll my eyes, but follow him toward the door.

10

Carter

The walk back to the car is deceptively simple. Haven is beside me, her arms tucked into her hoodie, her fingers curled into the cuffs like she’s trying to keep the night’s chill from sneaking in. She’s quiet but not tense, relaxed but still watching me, tracking my movements like she’s trying to figure something out.