Rumor Has It (Rumor Has It #1)(44)

“I mean, a little. It would be like a blind date. You never know what they’re gonna think, seeing you—” I feel my cheeks heat up. “I mean, meeting you for the first time.”

“I can’t believe it.” He laughs. “You’re nervous about if he’ll like what he sees.”

“Carter, it’s not that unbelievable.”

“Yes, it is, Emma.” He’s still laughing, holding on to his backpack.

I let out a defeated groan. “It’s not like I’m one of the cheerleaders. Someone like Sarah, or Natalie, or any of them.”

“Come on.” He bumps his shoulder against mine.

“Sorry, I’m not trying to say I’m hideous. I know I look good.” I feel my face go red again. “Wow, not that I’m conceited or anything, it’s just, I know I’m not ugly.”

“Knowing you’re not ugly, isn’t being conceited. It’s being confident.”

“That’s what Jen says.”

“She’s right.”

"Anyways, people like what they like, right? I could be a swimsuit model, and he may be into grunge girls who wear beanies and flannels."

He lets out another laugh. It’s infectious and starts to make me smile. “Wow, been watching 90s movies lately?”

“Yeah,” I shrug. “I watched Clueless on TV last night.”

“That’s a good one.”

“But you know what I mean? People have types.”

We get to the art building, and he leans against the wall, just waiting for the bell. As if he would remain there the entire day until I told him to leave.

“Well, he’d be an idiot to see you and not be interested.”

There it is again. I know it's flirting. But the way Carter says it, it doesn't sound like it. It sounds like an honest statement. The kind your family tells you because they're so proud of you. Because they love you so much, they couldn't imagine anyone in the world not liking you. It's wholehearted, and as much as it makes me blush and spread warmth throughout my chest, I don't understand it. How can Carter act as if he knows me so well? Like he knows who I am, inside and out, and everyone in the world is crazy if they don't see it.

I push the butterflies away and say bye. He just stands there, grinning at me as he leans against the wall until I walk through the door.

Before class starts, Ms. Hales asks me to meet Micah at the gym again, in preparation for the art show and I don’t know what I’m more nervous about - My artwork on display or showing up and seeing Carter in the gym again. Shirtless. Sweaty. Smirking at me.

Stop it, Emma.

It's not like I'm trying to think about him, but after the last couple days, my brain is frayed. He's not exactly flirting, but sometimes I think he is. He's asking me sincere questions. Not just regular stuff like how my day is, but asking about my art. Why I'm painting my abstract painting with the certain colors. He actually asked if I paint with emotions. Not colors, or brushes, or types of canvas. Emotions. It honestly threw me for a loop, making my stomach go queasy. In a good way.

“Interesting,” Ms. Hales says, taking a step behind me as she looks at Heartbreak. “So, you’ve got all this torment and catacombs of clouds.” She points to the bottom of the painting, where I’ve painted a cracking brick and a gold dahlia, the tips of the pedals are silver. “But then here, you have maybe the most important part.”

“What do you mean?”

“This.” She stares intently at the painting. “Chaos. Pain. It’s swarming all around, but there’s still something growing. Still something beautiful, trying to reach out. It reminds me of love.”

I stare at her, blinking.

“Love can be fickle. It can hurt, and torment, and sometimes we never want to feel it again. But deep inside, we do. Maybe not at first, if we’ve been hurt, but eventually there’s something inside of us growing. Yearning. May I ask what you call it?”

It’s not like she has to ask or be as polite as she is being. But that’s Ms. Hales, and it’s why she’s my favorite teacher. It still doesn’t help the shyness in my voice, as I look at the ground to answer her.

“Heartbreak.”

She stands there as the seconds tick by. Finally, I feel like I have no choice and I have to look up to meet her eyes. She gives me a sincere smile and gently squeezes my arm. “Perfect.”

After class, I meet with Jen outside of the gym, and I make a conscious effort to steady my breathing. I haven't told Jen that Carter has been walking me to class and I don't know how I'm going to try and stay calm when I see him. Now that all the rumors have unfolded and I'm getting to know him better, he seems like such a different person to me. Then again, I guess he was always that person. He just let the rumors change everyone's perception of him.

Jen gives me a flirty look, remembering the last time we were in the gym, and I smile back. It’s no use, I’m feeling … something. We walk inside and see Micah and Lana going over the paperwork, looking around.

“We got the whole gym to ourselves,” he says triumphantly.

"Oh." I look around, and disappointment hits me.

“Yeah, they have an away game.”

“Really? Carter was in history. He didn’t say anything,” I say, then immediately regret it, as Jen shoots me a look.