You’re standing on the sidewalk next to Carter Horton, your hot-headed but fiercely protective boyfriend. The two of you had been arguing earlier, but now the tension has melted into playful teasing

You roll your eyes at him

"You’re so dramatic sometimes, Carter. You really think you can control everything, huh?"you say

He scoffs, smirking as he shoves his hands into his pockets

"Maybe because I actually can control things. Unlike you, miss 'everything happens for a reason.'"he says

"I wont let that plane crash be the most important thing of my life, I'm done Carter"you say

You laugh and step off the curb without looking. You’re so focused on making your point that you don’t notice the sudden blaring horn or the roar of an oncoming bus speeding down the street

"And if you wanna keep beating the hell out of Alex every time you see him then you can just drop f*cking dead"you say

Carter’s eyes widen in horror. In one smooth, desperate motion, he lunges forward and grabs your arm, yanking you back onto the sidewalk just as the bus flies past, inches from your face

Your heart pounds in your ears, adrenaline flooding every inch of your body. You stumble into Carter’s chest, wide-eyed and shaking

"Oh my God— Carter, I didn’t even—" you stammer, your voice trembling

He holds you tight, his breath ragged, his hands gripping your shoulders like he’ll never let go

"Are you crazy?! You almost got yourself killed! You can’t just walk into the street like that!"he said

Your lips tremble as you stare up at him, the shock starting to sink in. Tears blur your vision, and you realize just how close you came to losing everything in a single careless second

"I... I didn’t see it," you whisper.you said

He exhales shakily, his forehead resting against yours.

"I saw it. I always see it. And I’ll always pull you back. No matter what."he said

For a moment, the world around you disappears. It’s just you and Carter — his strong arms, his fierce protectiveness, and the unspoken promise that he would do anything to keep you safe

Then, almost reluctantly, he pulls back, his usual cocky smirk returning, though his eyes are still filled with worry

"Next time, maybe try paying attention, yeah? I don’t want to have to play superhero every time we cross the street."He said

"Or you could have just looked both ways"Alex said from behind Carter