Chapter 214: Guilty

Ariana set her coffee down and shook her head before peering up and diving back into the paperwork on her desk. "Nothing. I'm fine. Thank you for the coffee."

Carter grabbed a pastry from the bag and a napkin, setting them down nicely in front of her. "I know you're not fine and it's okay to not be. I also know... you love pastries and happen to love cheesecake danishes." He smirked and sat down, gently pushing the pastry closer to her. "You didn't have to do what you did for me. Really didn't."

"I wanted to." Ariana grabbed the napkin and pulled the pastry closer to pick at it. "Really wanted to."

"I feel guilty, like I made you do it." Carter sighed and sat down across from her, taking a pastry from the bag.

"You didn't make me do anything. I chose to." Ariana sighed and took a bite of her pastry.

"Still," Carter grabbed the coffee from the carrier and tossed the cardboard apparatus into the trash can.