Summary: Carter seems to get into a lot of trouble lately and this last time you're just glad he was around to save you.
Wordcount: 1.6K
Warning: attempted sexual assault
Masterlist
I sit in the most uncomfortable chair possible in the police station waiting for Carter. The door opens and out comes Carter looking as sheepish as ever.
“You bailed me out?” He asks. I stand up and walk over to him.
“I seem to be doing a lot of that lately.” I mutter, with an eyebrow raised. “You should stop hanging out with Oreana. She’s bad news.”
“She’s not so bad.”
“She got you arrested twice now. I don’t really see the good in her.”
“Well it’s hard being in a new town where nobody wants to hang out with you.”
Ouch.
“I do.” I mumble.
“Yeah, but we’re just friends.”
Not getting any better.
“Okay, well I guess you’ll call me when you're once again arrested because of her.” I say, turning for the door.
“Y/N, come on, it’s not that bad-...” I refuse to stay and listen to the rest of his rant, it’s not going to change my mind. I jump in my car and drive off. I watch Carter in my rearview mirror, changing from the size of a man to an ant and sigh loudly. When is he going to realize that I’ve been here since the first day his family moved to Rio Paloma?
We barely speak the next couple of weeks, but when my phone rings with an unknown number, I groan and roll my head back. I pick up the phone with a simple, “Yeah?”
“Y/N, it’s uh…It’s Carter.”
“I figured.”
“I got arrested again. I know I shouldn’t ask for your help, not after the last two times, but could you please bail me out. I don’t want my parents to know about this.” I roll my eyes and sigh.
“Sure. I’m on my way.”
“Thanks.”
“Mhmm.” I don’t say anything more and just end the phone call, hoping he finally learned his lesson and will stay away from Oreana.
I step inside the police station and head to the front desk. “I’m here to bail out Carter Wheeler-Dutton.” The man nods and types away on his computer. He tells me the amount that has to be paid and I swipe my card. After all the paperwork is done, I go sit in the uncomfortable chair once again. It takes a good thirty minutes before a police officer escorts Carter out.
“Thanks.” He mutters, looking anywhere but at me. “Again.”
“What did you do this time?” I ask, annoyance clear in my voice. Carter rubs a hand over his face and looks ashamed. “What?”
“Might have broken into the country club a town over.”
"Seriously?" I turn away from him for a second, before facing him again. “That could hold some serious jail time. Do you even realize that?”
“I know. I know.”
“No, you don’t! She is dragging you down a path that one day you won't be able to come back from.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Carter, once is an accident, twice is coincidence and three times is a pattern. A pattern you need to unlearn. Fast.”
“You just don’t get it.”
“What? That you’re in love and can’t think with anything other than your dick?” I yell out, earning me a glare from the police officer at the front desk.
“You’re taking this thing way too serious.” He says, now annoyed with me. I shake my head exasperated.
“Well, if you know so well, figure it out on your own. Don’t call me again.” I storm out of the police station and get into my car. Angry tears are forming in the corners of my eyes. I don’t want to lose Carter, especially when he means so much to me, but it can’t go on like this.
It’s the weekend and time for the local rodeo. I drive my car to the arena and park it quite some distance away, due to the high amount of vehicles trying to find a parking spot. Normally Carter and I would go together, but that obviously wasn’t going to happen, so I make my way to the stands alone.
As I sit down, I look around the arena. I don’t want to look for Carter in the crowd, but my eyes slide over the public on their own accord. I find him sitting on the other side next to Oreana and I heave a heavy sigh.
A guy sits down next to me and bumps my shoulder. “You seem very concerned. Anyone joining the rodeo team that you’re worried about?” He asks. The guy is clearly older than me and I feel a bit uncomfortable but figure I should stay polite.
“No, just thinking about something else.” I mutter.
“Something I can help you take your mind off of?” My brows furrow at his suggestion. “My car is out back, we could just sneak away for a moment.”
“Uhm, no, thank you.” I tell him wearily. “‘Scuse me, I got to go.”
I stand up and try to move past him, but he grabs my arm and gets up himself.
“Come on, sweetheart. You’ll enjoy it.” I pull my arm out of his grasp and start to walk away. “You bitch, get back here.” He says as I pass through the exit and onto the parking lot. He grabs my hair and pulls hard, making me fall backwards. I cry out loudly and when he gets on top of me I fight with everything I have. I scratch at his face and punch at his chest and arms. My legs kick around as hard as I can and I hear him groan at some point, so I’m sure I hit something sensitive at some point. He rips at my shirt and I hear it tear due to the force he uses. His hands come around my neck and he starts to squeeze hard. I claw at his fingers as I feel my windpipe close and black dots appear in my vision.
“Get off her!” Carter yells as he grabs the guy around the neck and pulls him off of me. I crawl backwards away from the fight, clasping my hands around my throat as I am finally able to get a full breath of air.
Once my vision comes back fully and I am able to see my surroundings, I notice Carter beating the shit out of the guy. “Carter!” He doesn’t respond and just keeps going. “Stop!” I yell as I get up from the ground and stumble over to him. I pull at his arm. “You’re going to get arrested again. Stop!”
Carter keeps going nonetheless. “Stop for me!” And finally he seems to come to his senses. He lets the guy go, who falls to the ground, completely knocked out. “We need to get you out of here.” I tell him. I grab his hand and pull him along behind me.
We get to my car and I search my purse for the keys, frantically. Carter’s hands cup mine. “Take a breath.” He tells me and I do just that. Breathing deep through my nose and out through my mouth. It’s then that I notice his hand. His knuckles are bloodied and bruised and his hand must be killing him.
“Are you okay?” I ask him.
“Me? You’re the one who just got attacked. Your neck is already bruising up.” He says as he softly touched the skin around my throat. I wince at his touch, but don’t pull away. He takes off his flannel and hands it to me. When I look confused he motions to my chest. My shirt is ripped from top to bottom and my bra is completely visible. I gratefully take the flannel and drape it over my now thorn shirt.
“How did you know that would happen?”
“I watched you from across the arena. You looked uncomfortable and I saw him grab your arm and follow you out.”
“You were with Oreana. Why would you leave her?”
“Because when I got here, you were the only person I had eyes for. I’m sorry I fucked up so much lately, but I am going to do better.” I search his eyes for any kind of deceit, but find none.
I get on my tippy toes and place my hands around the back of his neck, pulling him down and connecting our lips. He seems to hold back and I think of pulling away, but then his hands come down on my hips and he kisses back hungrily. His tongue slides over my lip and I open up without hesitation. His hands roam up my body and I wince when he ends up on my neck.
“Ouch.”
“Sorry, I forgot.” He mutters as his hands go back down to my waist.
“S’okay.”
I pull him in for another kiss when I hear sirens blaring in the distance. “We should go. You can’t be here.”
“Give me the keys, I’ll drive.” He says. I place a quick peck on his lips and hand him the keys. We both get in on our respective sides and I glance his way once more.
“Thanks for driving. What about Oleana?”
“She met up with her douchebag of a boyfriend.” He says unbothered. “Let’s get you home.”
“Let’s just try not to get arrested.” I tell him smugly.
“You are in no state to say such things.” I grab his hand over the center console and smile at him.
“Thank you for saving me. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if you weren’t there.”
“But I was.” He picks up my hand and kisses the back of it. “And I always will be.”
