The minute the door closed, I railed at Grey. "Why didn't you accept his help? I'm exhausted. It's enough that Chelsea bailed on us and is with Carmello because she didn't want to mess up her nails and hair. But then, when we have a strong man who can lift anything, you tell him no."
"I'm trying to help you save face." He slipped his hands into the pockets of his cargo shorts. "You couldn't stop gawking at the man like he was some sort of Egyptian God."
"Well..." I shrugged with a grin. Carter's face could easily grace the cover of any magazine.
Grey shook his head. "He’s just a man, and if you ever get your head out of those romance books you love to read, maybe you’ll find someone real.”
I folded my arms. “Maybe Carter is real.”
Grey scoffed. “He isn’t. Even if he was, he’s out of your league.” He strode toward the door. “Just finish unpacking. I’ll get the rest of the stuff off the truck.”
I stood in place, wanting to throw something at his head, though I knew Grey didn’t mean any harm. He could be brutal at times, and his thoughtless words stung. Mainly because it was the truth. No one like Carter would ever notice me. At least not the way I crave.
Instead of unpacking boxes, I walked out on my balcony. The heat and the salty smell blanketed me as I slid the door closed behind me. This was why I was willing to spend most of my savings and income from my work-study at the gym on this high-ass rent. The sights and sounds of the beach. Being with nature reminds me that there’s always something greater than me. I gripped the rails, closed my eyes, and inhaled deeply. When I exhaled, I released any negative thoughts or hurt. In a few weeks, I would turn twenty-one, and I was determined to make this the best year ever.
“Hey.” The rich timbre in his voice called from my left. For the second time today, Carter surprised me. His strong hands held the intricate ironwork as he faced me from his balcony.
Determined to maintain my ability to speak, I moved toward him. “Hey.”
“I have a question.” His brown eyes twinkled.
“Yeah?” I curved my lips, hoping he noticed my straight white teeth from years of braces and my dimples that flashed without much effort. My smile was my best feature. I guess God took a second to give me something that made me unique.
“How much longer are you going to be moving? I have a new bed being delivered any moment.”
My smile wilted. Of course, Carter wasn’t about to flirt with me. “We’re almost done. Sorry for any inconvenience.”
“Not an inconvenience, just wanted to know.” He looked toward my sliding doors before speaking again. “I also wanted to know if he’s yours.”
I pressed my hand against my chest. “Is Grey my boyfriend?”
Carter slowly nodded.
“No, he’s my best friend. Why?” I asked, hoping that this time he would say something to make me think he and I were possible.
“Just thinking how lucky he is that he gets to wake up to you every morning, Darren Brown.” His pouty lips curled on one side as he tapped the rails before backing away. “I’m sure I’ll see you later.”
I stared long after he had gone back inside his condo. I don’t know if the fact that he thought Grey was lucky or that he knew my name had me wanting to do a fucking somersault over this balcony onto the beach. Epic failure or not, I had a month before my twenty-first birthday.
A month to get Carter St. Patrick to fall in love with me.
