"Carter, is it?" Carter saw the shadow fell over him before he heard the voice. He looked up towards the looming figure and found a calm, self-content face staring back at him.

"You know who I am," Carter replied, returning his attention back to the book he was reading. Seconds later, it was ripped away from his hand and thrown at the table in front of him, falling with a heavy thud. "Hey! What's your problem?"

"Oh, I have no problem," Levi sat down across from him, dragging the chair forward to sit a little closer, "Well, not right now at least..." he continued, looking at the book before focusing back on Carter.

Carter had gotten out of the shower 15 minutes prior to coming to the library to read, to let his mind escape somewhere else, even for just a little bit. His hair fell down his forehead in slightly wet strands, almost reaching his eyes. He hadn't bothered to sweep them off his face, which only made Levi notice his eyes, dark and stormy. Just like the weather outside.

Carter's hair was longer at the back, reaching a little further down the nape, Levi followed the trail, ignoring the purple bruises before his eyes rested on the tattoo peeking from his sweater.

"Tell me about the ink," Levi asked, more like commanded.

"What?" Carter stared dumbly at him.

"Your tattoo..." Levi sighed, already tired.

"Oh!" Carter's hand instinctively flew to his tattoo and touched it. "It's nothing."

"Hmm, I don't think so," Levi said, "Don't bullshit me. You're not the type to just get it for fun," he rolled his eyes, "What does it symbolize?" Levi spoke every word slowly, emphasizing it.

Carter's posture slumped slightly in defeat, he knew he was in the presence of a man he could not fool. I have to tread carefully, he thought as he pulled down the neckline of the sweater, revealing his tattoo.

There, in jet-Black and bold ink was what looked like a combination of a star and a ship's wheel, blending together in a blur of ink, wrapping around each other intimately.

Levi's eyebrows pulled together as he focused on what he was seeing, beyond intrigued now, "What is it?" He whispered, still studying the tattoo.

"Chaos," Carter stated quietly as Levi looked at him sharply.

"Why?"

"To... represent the first half of my life,"

Levi felt something tug at his heart... sorrow? No, no that can't be it. Why would he feel that way towards a boy he barely knew? He leaned back in his chair, taking his time studying Carter.

"Do you have any more of them?"

Carter shook his head and then asked, "What do you want?"

"To question you."

"About?"

"Eric's murder obviously."

Carter's heart rate picked up at that word. Murder. Thrown around so easily. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, letting his emotions get the best of him as he felt his mouth go dry.

Taking a deep breath, he said, "What has that got to do with me?"

"Maybe nothing... Maybe everything," Levi said with a shrug of his shoulders, seeming nonchalant but his eyes said otherwise. "Do you need some water?" He asked Carter who looked a little pale now.

He must be suspecting me...

"No. I'm fine," Carter cleared his throat, sitting up straighter, and trying his best to resist the urge to wipe his slightly sweaty palms on his jeans.

"Ok," Levi was not convinced. But then again, he never was. "Shall we start then?"

"Why are you doing this alone? Shouldn't Detective Matteo be with you?"

A scowl instantly graced Levi's face, making him look much younger than his 40 years of age. "You're the third person I'll be interviewing today. Why do you think I'm moving so fast?" Levi stared at Carter for two whole seconds before answering himself, "It's because I don't want to share this investigation with that stupid man!"

Matteo had clearly gotten under his skin but Levi would never admit it. "Especially, if the case is so fun!" Levi smirked, but then remembered who he was sitting with and quickly composed his delight, "Oh, uh sorry," he coughed. Shit... Charlotte would never let me hear the end of it if she found out.

Carter stared at him, his mouth slightly ajar, eyes wide open as he felt his annoyance for the man grow. So insensitive.

"Let's focus on the important matter at hand, okay? So, Eric's murder, who do you think did it?" Levi asked bluntly, eyebrows raised.

Murder.

That vile word again.

"Do you really expect me to point fingers at my friends?"

"Yes, that would be really helpful."

Carter clenched his jaw, "I don't know who could have done it."

"Is it because you, yourself are the murderer?" Levi inquired casually.

Carter heard his jaw tick as he clenched it tighter, almost painfully, eyes filled to the brim with anger as he tried to reign it in. "No, but I might just become one if you don't shut that mouth of yours."

"Oh?" Levi smirked, still completely relaxed. He was starting to enjoy it.

"I've seen how you looked at Emma," Levi watched him carefully, "You like her," he stated as a matter of fact.

"And how is it related to the murder?"

"Love is a strong motive to kill."

"I didn't kill him," Carter said, each word coming out bold.

"Why should I believe you?" Levi was leaning forward now, hundreds of ideas racing through his mind.

"Don't. Do you think I care?"

"You should. One word from me and you could be in jail," Levi tilted his head to the side, Icy-blue eyes glinting dangerously, "Don't try to be smart. Behave, and I just might be nice to you."

Carter shut his mouth at that. He's right, he admitted begrudgingly. "What do you want to know?"

Levi smiled slowly, satisfied that Carter had read between the lines. "How was your friendship with Eric like?"

Negative

Toxic

Undermining

"It was fine," Carter replied curtly.

"Just... fine?" Levi was disappointed, "I was hoping you could elaborate?"

What's there to elaborate on? Carter thought as old memories came rushing back to him, all in a span of a few short seconds.

Carter watched with a heavy heart as Eric and Emma walked in front of him. Next to him, Scarlett and Anthony were bickering about something to which Carter gave zero attention. All he could focus now was the arm that Eric had very casually slung across Emma's shoulder, bringing her close as he whispered something in her ear and then laughed as he turned back and looked at Carter.

Emma had a disapproving frown on her face as rolled her eyes at him and then shrugged his arm off. Was Eric making fun of me? Why had he looked at me then? What about Emma? She didn't look too happy...

Anger rose inside Carter like a volcano ready to erupt, he didn't take kindly to people laughing at him. All his life, he had been mocked, ridiculed, and now this? It was enough. He couldn't control it when he was a child and his mother was his source of embarrassment, but now he had made a name of himself, so why, why was he still being laughed at?

Calm down... maybe he wasn't laughing at you?

Still... Eric was still a hurdle when it came to Emma and himself. How could he even think of approaching her when Eric didn't even leave her side? Sure, they said there was nothing between them, but what if there was?

Couldn't he be selfish for just once in his life? Take whatever he wanted. Didn't he deserve happiness too?

Something needed to be done, and fast...

Carter blinked slowly, his face stoic, "There was nothing special about our friendship. We weren't particularly close if that's what you're asking."

"Because of Emma?"

Emma

Money

Family...

"She wasn't the only reason," Carter answered truthfully.

"Where did those bruises come from?" Levi asked, pointing to the marks on the sides of his neck. He was bored talking about Emma and needed a change in topic.

Carter's eyes widened and Levi thought he saw a flash of panic across them. Damn it, he's definitely going to suspect me now... "Eric and I... we, we got into a fight yesterday morning," Was it yesterday morning? It seems like ages ago...

"Finally something interesting! What was the fight about?"

Carter frowned, what was it about? "I-It was stupid. I confronted him about why he'd been a jerk since the trip started, and he flew into a rage."

Carter felt sadness settle deep into the core of his body once again, it had subsided when he had been reading the book, but it was back now. Hitting him with full force. And he just couldn't seem to shake it off.

Carter didn't understand, he tried to convince himself that Eric's death didn't matter to him. But it did. Eric was still his friend at the end of the day and whether he liked it or not, Carter had come to care for him, deeply. So odd... I liked him but hated him at the same time?

However, Carter knew why he cared for him... had cared for him. It was all the nighters they had pulled off together. Only they both had shared the common interest of murder mysteries, found fascination in gore details and used to stay up all night telling each other stories they had heard.

These were the nights when Carter would abandon all of his differences with Eric and just let himself enjoy his company, it was hard not to. But now Eric was gone, dead.

Murdered.

Who will I go to with my true crime stories now? Carter felt himself being engulfed in a stormy sea of misery and sorrow, the two things he would never had expected himself to feel.

His bruises were the only thing that connected him to Eric now, having turned a bittersweet sentiment for him. Carter scoffed, how pitiful... I'm holding on to bruises.

Levi said nothing for a while as he patiently watched Carter, trying his best to decipher the play of emotions that his face went through is a matter of a few seconds. He knew what they were.

Pain, remorse, guilt.

"Done wandering in the past?" Levi asked in a bored tone, completely negating what he really felt for the boy, sympathy.

Carter snapped out of his trance when he heard the detective's words, irritation presiding over all his other emotions. "Are we done?" asked Carter, picking his book and standing up.

Levi sat back in his chair so he wouldn't have to break his neck trying to look at his face, "Just one last thing, did you kill Eric?"

Carter felt his face growing hot, he clenched his fist hard, feeling the nails digging painfully into his skin, "I did not!" He said in a low voice, slowly.

"Then who the hell did?!" Levi shouted, standing abruptly and coming face to face with him, looking directly in his eyes.

"I told you, I don't know! For the thousandth time, I. Don't. Know!" Levi's shouting triggered Carter's, his breath coming out quick and short.

"I know you did it! Just confess!"

"I didn't kill him!"

"Then who did?!"

"Scarlett!" Carter shouted and then gasped, eyes bulging as shock ran through his veins. The fire inside him doused as he realized what he had said in the moment of heat. No, no, no... I was supposed to talk to her first!

"Thank you," Levi said, eyes twinkling.

He did it on purpose, riled me up... Carter seethed internally.

"Thank you, indeed," were the last words before Levi turned and walked towards the door leisurely, whistling softly.

What have I done?

***

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Also, guys, I hit 1k reads!! Thank you all so much :")