I hesitantly walked toward the end of the dock where Karter was sitting with the large furry blanket around her, allowing her feet to dangle over the frozen water.
A clear silence was lingering in the cold air as I sat down next to her, leaving an appropriate distance between us.
The night sky was twinkling with stars and the frozen lake was practically glistening under the moon. Everything felt extremely calm and ethereal, especially with the sounds of the whooshing wind gathering around us and rattling the bare trees.
I looked over slightly, noticing Karter's hazel eyes directed at my bare ring finger, clearly taking in the missing ring from my finger.
A feeling of guilt oddly struck through me, not wanting to ever hurt her—even if she had hurt me severely.
Finally, I gathered enough courage to say, "Are you mad?"
It was a simple question, but I wondered—I wondered if she was mad about me and Chicago getting together. I wouldn't blame her if she was, especially since I claimed there was nothing there.
But to be fair, my feelings for Chicago grew after spending so much time with her—what I had claimed to Karter at that moment was completely true, and I stand by that. But that also doesn't mean she's obligated to stand by it too.
Karter laughed through her nose slightly, easily catching me off guard, "Mad?" she asked, allowing her hazel eyes to dart up to my own. "How could I be mad? I left you," she said, and I felt a slight relief flow through my body, feeling like I had gotten slight closure over the matter.
"Yeah?" I whispered—relieved that she wasn't impacted by any of this.
Karter smiled slightly, shaking her head to herself, "I mean it was bound to happen, Slo... I really didn't expect less."
I furrowed my brows slightly, looking over at her with clear confusion present on my features. What did she mean by that?
I pursed my lips slightly, "What... what does that mean?" I asked hesitantly.
Karter shrugged, "It means that while I believe you were truthful about your feelings—it doesn't mean Chi was truthful about hers," she said, staring directly at me as she explained her point. "And after... well, after I left you, someone had to be there, and I guess I knew it would be her. I knew you would somehow end up with her," she explained.
It felt odd to hear her talk about Chicago in that manner, or maybe more than odd... it felt like it had struck a certain nerve within me.
I tilted my head slightly, "You're making it seem like she only had a chance because you—"
"Because I left? Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying, babe," Karter said, using the familiar pet name, which easily sent shivers through my body that even I knew wasn't from the cold air.
I shook my head, feeling slightly thrown off by how she was making this entire situation look.
But sadly... even I knew that what she was saying was true.
I would've stayed if Karter had let me, and we'd probably still be together now if that was the case. It was a weird thing to say aloud, but it was true—all the prior choices had led us to this outcome.
Karter pursed her lips into a smile, shaking her head slightly, "See, you know I'm right."
I narrowed my eyes at her, "Still doesn't mean that it's valid," I pointed out.
Karter laughed, "Valid? Oh, I think the point is very valid," she said, looking over to me with full amusement clear on her features. "You were mine first, and we both know you're still mine always."
