Hate to Date You (Dating #4) - Monica Murphy Page 0,41
ready to confess all.
“I’m worried about him,” Caroline continues.
I snap my mouth shut. No confession needed after all.
“Why are you worried?” I ask.
“After being so driven for the last ten years, working all the time and making oodles of money, now he’s returned home and I don’t think he’s even started looking for a job yet.” Caroline steps closer, lowering her voice. “I think he’s depressed.”
“Depressed?” I wouldn’t consider Carter depressed. He doesn’t act like he’s down around me. “Maybe he’s just tired?”
“Trust me, this isn’t normal behavior for him. He’s always been a go-getter, an overachiever. I swear, he was addicted to his job. He never made time to talk to me or our mother, or come see us. Alex pulled him out of his all-work-and-no-sleep haze, and somehow we convinced him to move back. Now that he’s here, he just seems…listless. He needs a job,” Caroline says firmly. “Alex even said he could find him something at Wilder if Carter was interested. Do you think he’d be interested?”
“I don’t know. We don’t talk about his career aspirations,” I tell Caroline, and the concerned look on her face makes me feel bad.
“He doesn’t talk about his career aspirations with anyone, Stella. And that’s what worries me. He was such a workaholic, to the point of it being unhealthy, but now it seems he’s just…given up.” Caroline grabs my shoulders and holds me still, gazing into my eyes. “Will you keep a watch on him? Report back to me if he ever acts down and out, or says something…concerning? I just want what’s best for him.”
Talk about putting me in an awkward position. I love that she’s so worried about her brother, but I don’t want to be his keeper. “I will do what I can to keep watch on him. And I will tell you if I ever see any—worrisome behavior.”
“Thank you.” She pulls me into a hug, clinging close, and I give her an extra squeeze. “It’s either me who’s doing well or Carter who’s doing well. For once, I’d like us both to find our happiness at the same time.”
It’s sweet, how much closer Caroline and Carter seem after she started dating Alex. I love that.
What I don’t love is her wanting me to keep tabs on her big brother. I’ll do my best, but really?
I just need to keep my nose out of his business.
“Kind of bummed we didn’t have any run-ins in the bathroom,” Carter says nonchalantly as we walk up the sidewalk toward our building after leaving Tuscany.
I send him a scathing look, which he most likely can’t see since it’s almost ten o’clock at night and fairly dark outside. “Run-ins in the bathroom are best avoided, I think.”
“Damn, you’re no fun.” He chuckles, the sound rippling down my spine, making me shiver. Or maybe that’s the cold air from the nearby ocean, I can’t tell. “I saw you talking to my sister. She had her serious face on.”
Is he digging right now? Should I tell him the truth? Or keep it a secret?
“I’m sure she thinks I’ve turned into some sort of unemployed loser,” he continues.
What is up with everyone accurately predicting what’s going on, with the exception of me?
“She’s—worried about you,” I say hesitantly, not wanting to reveal too much. “That’s all.”
“So you were talking about me.” He sends me a look. “I wondered if maybe you finally confessed our sins.”
“Ha. No.” God no. “Nothing will come of this, so what’s the point in telling her what happened a year ago?”
He suddenly darts in front of me, turning so he’s walking backward as he faces me. “Who says nothing will come of this?”
I roll my eyes. “Give me a break, Carter. We had sex and you bailed the very next morning without a text, a call, without a thanks, that was great, nothing. I never heard from you again until you walked into Sweet Dreams a couple of weeks ago and now you’re living with me. Why should I think we would ever try and…what? Date each other?”
Thankfully no one is around this time of night on a Monday in early spring. That’s why I’m able to speak so freely. In fact, it’s liberating, speaking freely to Carter. I’ve been holding this all in for over a year. That’s a long time. I’m surprised I haven’t completely combusted by now.
“I fucked up,” he says, his voice low, turning so we’re walking side by side once more.