[color=silver][indent][indent][indent][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/NxZozoR.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/VxkDXT8.png[/img]   [img]https://i.imgur.com/r53ihdS.gif[/img]   [img]https://i.imgur.com/MEKRXGD.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/NxZozoR.png[/img]
[sub]A [@metanoia] & [@Ejected] Collaboration
[i]Featuring[/i] [color=CCC6EA]Carter[/color] ♥ [color=pink]Stella[/color][/sub]
[b][color=#CCC6EA]_[/color][color=#CDC2E5]_[/color][color=#CEBFE1]_[/color][color=#CFBBDD]_[/color][color=#D0B8D9]_[/color][color=#D2B5D4]_[/color][color=#D3B1D0]_[/color][color=#D4AECC]_[/color][color=#D5AAC8]_[/color][color=#D6A7C3]_[/color][color=#D8A4BF]_[/color][color=#D9A0BB]_[/color][color=#DA9DB7]_[/color][color=#DB9AB2]_[/color][color=#DD96AE]_[/color][color=#DE93AA]_[/color][color=#DF8FA6]_[/color][color=#E08CA1]_[/color][color=#E1899D]_[/color][color=#E38599]_[/color][color=#E48295]_[/color][color=#E57F90]_[/color][color=#E67B8C]_[/color][color=#E77888]_[/color][color=#E97484]_[/color][color=#EA7180]_[/color][color=#EB6E7B]_[/color][color=#EC6A77]_[/color][color=#EE6773]_[/color][color=#EF636F]_[/color][color=#F0606A]_[/color][color=#F15D66]_[/color][color=#F25962]_[/color][color=#F4565E]_[/color][color=#F55359]_[/color][color=#F64F55]_[/color][color=#F74C51]_[/color][color=#F8484D]_[/color][color=#FA4548]_[/color][color=#FB4244]_[/color][color=#FC3E40]_[/color][color=#FD3B3C]_[/color][color=#FF3837]♥[/color][color=#FF3B3B]_[/color][color=#FF3E3E]_[/color][color=#FF4142]_[/color][color=#FF4445]_[/color][color=#FF4849]_[/color][color=#FF4B4C]_[/color][color=#FF4E50]_[/color][color=#FF5153]_[/color][color=#FF5557]_[/color][color=#FF585A]_[/color][color=#FF5B5E]_[/color][color=#FF5E61]_[/color][color=#FF6265]_[/color][color=#FF6568]_[/color][color=#FF686C]_[/color][color=#FF6B6F]_[/color][color=#FF6F73]_[/color][color=#FF7276]_[/color][color=#FF757A]_[/color][color=#FF787D]_[/color][color=#FF7C81]_[/color][color=#FF7F84]_[/color][color=#FF8288]_[/color][color=#FF858B]_[/color][color=#FF888F]_[/color][color=#FF8C92]_[/color][color=#FF8F96]_[/color][color=#FF9299]_[/color][color=#FF959D]_[/color][color=#FF99A0]_[/color][color=#FF9CA4]_[/color][color=#FF9FA7]_[/color][color=#FFA2AB]_[/color][color=#FFA6AE]_[/color][color=#FFA9B2]_[/color][color=#FFACB5]_[/color][color=#FFAFB9]_[/color][color=#FFB3BC]_[/color][color=#FFB6C0]_[/color][color=#FFB9C3]_[/color][color=#FFBCC7]_[/color][color=#FFC0CA]_[/color][/b][/center]

While Carter talked, without a doubt doing his best to offer a helpful perspective, Stella couldn’t help but feel uncertain about most of it. Her and Chrissie have had a tough time as of late. From the moment she got back from her Paris trip to before leaving for the dance, it seemed like their tropical storm of a relationship elevated into a category five hurricane. 

The arguments they’ve had over the course of the past couple of months ranged from backhanded comments at the dinner table to occasional screaming matches that diffused whenever her mother put her foot down. In the beginning, their fights were motivated by how hurt Stella was by Chrissie’s betrayal and how Chrissie didn’t see it as such but it eventually escalated to actual cruelty towards each other. Even after the fact where Stella immediately felt waves of immense guilt, the damage had been done every time.

[color=pink][i]And then there was today…[/i][/color]

Yes, who could forget all of what happened today? 

It was easily the worst thing she could say to anyone. It wasn’t even the fact that it was to Chrissie, but telling someone to go back where they came from was vile and hurtful and honest to god, Stella knew she shouldn’t have said it. She honestly was done at that point that saying the worst thing she could let slip out. Nothing helped cure the pinching feeling in her gut, not even Carter trying his best to convince her things would be okay. 

After taking a few slow moments of silence for herself, to take in everything, she finally looked at her boyfriend, squeezing his hand band as if to try and alleviate some of her inner turmoil.[color=pink] “Thank you, Carter. I’m still not sure and I want to hope that someday she and I can finally work this out and move past it, but--”[/color] She stopped herself from rambling like she usually did. [color=pink]“--Just thank you. I needed this right now,”[/color] she said softly, smiling at him. [color=pink]“I just kind of want to go home.”[/color]

Carter knew that Stella wasn't too convinced by his answer, and he completely understood why. After all, it did seem like her relationship with Chrissie had reached the point of no return. But although what she was going through at that moment was something he'd never experienced himself, he figured that he could at least be there for her whenever she needed him to be, even if it's just to offer his optimistic outlook on the situation to try and ease her mind.

Offering Stella a brief nod and half-smile, Carter squeezed Stella's hand and nodded his head towards the exit. [color=#CCC6EA]"Come on, I'll give you a ride on my way home. I'll just send Nicole a quick text to let her know."[/color] Carter briefly scanned the crowd for the young woman, his eyebrow raising when he didn't find her as quickly as he usually did. One quick glance at his cell phone, however, told him that she'd already gotten a ride home with Jack.

[color=pink]“Is everything okay? We can wait for Nicole if she needs a ride too,”[/color] Stella said, [color=pink]“I don’t mind!”[/color] She added as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze and smiled towards him. [color=pink]“What did the text say?”[/color]

[color=#CCC6EA]"Won't be necessary,"[/color] Carter said with a shrug as he turned his phone so that Stella could see. [color=#CCC6EA]"Nicole has already left the building..."[/color] As the young man spoke, he looked in the direction of both Santiago and April, who seemed to be having a pretty deep discussion by where they'd originally left them. [color=#CCC6EA]"Maybe you should let Santiago know that you're headed out, too?"[/color]

In the middle of a step towards the exit, Stella’s mouth had opened, making something that sounded like it was going to be words, instead coming to a complete stop the minute she was reminded of Santiago. [color=pink]“And I oop--”[/color] She could only look at Carter with the sort of expression that was both grateful for refreshing her memory about her date. [color=pink]“--Yeah, I’ll do that now,”[/color] she mused, pulling her hand free from her boyfriends and sending a quick text to her date.

It read: [color=pink]’Hey! Carter’s taking me home! Hope you and April have a fun night! 
Xoxo, Stel 💕[/color]

As she placed her phone back inside her purse, her hand returned where it was and she smiled. [color=pink]“Okay! [i]Now[/i] we can go!”[/color] Her voice trailed off into a giggle.
 
Letting out a light chuckle at Stella's reaction, Carter began walking once more, leading the way out of the country club and toward the parking lot. He slipped his hand out of Stella's when they came to a stop next to his bright red Lexus, only to pull open the passenger side door for her to climb inside. And it was after closing the door and settling into the driver's seat that he started the ignition, turned the radio on low, and prepared to pull out of the lot. [color=#CCC6EA]"Tonight was pretty nice, don't you think?"[/color] he asked Stella, [color=#CCC6EA]"Aside from... you know. Hopefully you still had a good time?"[/color]

She cheerfully nodded, making sure he saw the satisfaction on her face. [color=pink]“How could I not?”[/color] Stella chortled and let her arm fall on the armrest between them. [color=pink]“Santiago was great, which I’m still pretty shook about how great things have become for him and I, especially with how much I loathed him.”[/color] Even saying it out loud generated a visible, almost guilty expression to consume her former grin. [color=pink]“It’s in the past now and I couldn’t be happier. And besides, I don’t need to dwell on the past of some guy I was into for all of five minutes or anyone who may have been someone of interest -- because I have you now, right?”[/color] She flashed a smile at him, feeling all sorts of butterfly-like wings flapping inside her stomach and the feeling increased the longer she looked at his beautiful face. Whether it was Oliver or Marcel, she knew they knew it was Carter she wanted to be with and that thought brought such a bright smile to her face.

Of course, Carter returned Stella's smile for a few moments before refocusing his gaze on the road. [color=#CCC6EA]"Of course you have me,"[/color] Carter said, reaching for Stella's hand once more. [color=#CCC6EA]"No doubt about it."[/color]

It wasn’t that she had doubted it for a second, but she’d always felt better when she heard double, triple, quadruple, quintuple reassurances. Whether it was how much was in her bank account from her weekly allowance, her grades, or even that she was loved, Stella needed that for her own sake. Shaky Stella is what they used to call her and that was because her faith could easily be rocked by the smallest of inconveniences, but maybe now that she had Carter and that he had her, those days would not only be past her but maybe it could be the first step of many in leading her down the path of growth she’s due for.

And maybe after some time has passed, she and Chrissie could--[color=pink][i]Easy girl, that’s still a marathon away.[/i][/color] She had to remind herself that [i]she[/i] was the one who had ruined things, so small, baby steps had to be taken.

As she came out of her own thoughts and refocused them on Carter, she faced forward, knowing that no matter what pains came her way, with him by her side, there was nothing she couldn’t handle.[/indent][/indent][/indent][/color]