Stone II
(One Shot)

Samiam has signed on

Tooralooraloora has signed on

Samiam: so what are you wearing for your date?

Tooralooraloora: he’s sick, we cancelled.

Samiam: aw, babe that sucks. So are you coming out with me then?

Tooralooraloora: lol, nah, I don’t think I want to

Samiam: come on!

Samiam: it’ll be fun!

Tooralooraloora: I don’t really feel like getting plastered

Tooralooraloora: so a bunch of assholes can feel me up

Samiam: lol, it won’t be like that.

Tooralooraloora: you say that every time

Samiam: but I mean it this time.

Samiam: its bobby rocks party

Samiam: he’s always responsible

Tooralooraloora: after he’s had his lay

Samiam: Lil will be there

Tooralooraloora: with her gorgeous hunk of a boyfriend

Tooralooraloora: Joshua Stone, god of our school

Samiam: Lol, yep, they’ll be there

Tooralooraloora: Oh joy

Tooralooraloora: So not only do you want me to come to a testosterone filled party

Tooralooraloora: But you want me to watch lil and josh make out all night

Tooralooraloora: Joy of joys

Samiam: It won’t be that bad

Samiam: They usually find a room alone

Tooralooraloora: But the image will be burned in my mind

Samiam: For no apparent reason

Samiam: I still don’t understand why you don’t like him

Tooralooraloora: Because his cousin is an ass

Samiam: Luke?

Tooralooraloora: Nope, other cousin

Samiam: Ethan?

Tooralooraloora: Yep, him

Samiam: I know I’ve said this before

Tooralooraloora: So you’re making me hear it again?

Samiam: Yes

Tooralooraloora: Please continue

Samiam: But it still amazes me that one family could produce such drool worthy males

Tooralooraloora: Isn’t that the truth?

Samiam: Duh, I just said it was!

Tooralooraloora: Lol, well I still think Ethan’s a prat

Samiam: Compared to his cousins? He’s a sweet heart

Tooralooraloora: w/e, you’d say that about anyone

Samiam: nope, just him

Tooralooraloora: well I’m blocking that from my mind forever

Samiam: you do that

Samiam: it’s still true

Tooralooraloora: sure, sure

Samiam: You know, if I wasn’t your best friend

Samiam: And just an innocent third-party bystander

Samiam: I would swear you had a thing for him

Tooralooraloora: Who?

Samiam: Ethan

Tooralooraloora: Lmao

Tooralooraloora: Are you serious?

Samiam: yes, I can definitely see a connection between you two

Samiam: and you can’t seem to stop talking about him

Tooralooraloora: you mean yelling at him

Tooralooraloora: complaining about him

Tooralooraloora: avoiding him at all cost

Samiam: see, you totally have a thing for him

Tooralooraloora: I’m not even allowing that a response

Samiam: Because you know I’m right

Tooralooraloora: Or not…

Samiam: lol, well I’m sorry your date was cancelled.

Samiam: I’m going to get ready now

Samiam: call me if you change your mind.

Tooralooraloora: will do

Samiam has signed off

Tooralooraloora is idle

I sighed at the computer screen and ran my hands through my short hair. Friday night and I was stuck at home because my date came down with mono. I don’t know how he got mono or who gave it to him but I had a feeling I wasn’t missing out on much. Other than the fact that half my friends had plans involving a huge football crazed party.

I pushed away from my desk in frustration and stood from my chair. Feeling my stomach growl I left my room and slowly padded my way downstairs towards the kitchen where I knew my mom had recently gone shopping. I opened the fridge, scanning the articles inside to see if anything caught my eye.

“Pigging out on a Friday night, Weslie?” a deep sarcastic voice murmured from over my shoulder.

I jumped in surprise and clutched my chest with my hand as my pulse sped up. I hated when people surprised me like that. It was the one reason I could never get through a haunted house. I heard his calm chuckle echo behind me and glared toward the fresh lettuce.

“What are you doing here?” I snapped towards him as I grabbed a soda from the top ledge. He stepped up behind me to grab one himself as I slammed the door shut. Unfortunately he managed to pull his fingers out of the way before they got caught.

“Your sister invited me over.” He replied with a cocky grin.

My head snapped up at his response and I almost choked on my mouth full of coke.

My sister did what?

“What? Willie? Why?” I hissed towards him. My little sister was a freshman at our high school whereas the asshole standing in front of me and myself were seniors. She was fascinated by him and didn’t understand why I harbored such a hatred for everything he stood for. I actually hated all of that plus everything he wasn’t ballsy enough to stand for.

“Well your obviously the only one who thinks I’m a, how did you phrase it again? Pendulum-swinging-sarcastic-ass?” he smirked as dimples appeared on either side of his mouth.

“To put it lightly,” I hissed gripping my soda can to prevent myself from wringing his neck. Okay, so technically I had called him that, but he totally deserved it. His metro-sexual shopping habits, sharp tongue, sexual drive for anything with a vagina, and cursed good looks make him the highlight of our school next to his cousins. I’m probably the only one at that blasted place that could see what lied beneath his sweet demeanor and polite manners.

“So, your little sister has obviously succumbed to my charm and invited me over to watch a movie. Does that bother you, Weslie?” He grinned as the microwave went off; I hadn’t even realized it was running. At the same time my sister walked into the kitchen. She had a bright wide smile on her face but her eyes glanced nervously between the two of us. Everyone and their dog know that I, Weslie Jay Tale, and Ethan James Stone, do not get along.

At all.

“Hey, Weslie,” my sister greeted slowly as she pulled the bag of popcorn from the microwave and shook the kernels inside. I pulled an empty bowl from the cupboard and handed it to her so she could put the popcorn in it. I caught his eye as his eyebrow rose towards me. I narrowed my eyes in response him but didn’t say anything.

“Wes, I thought you were going out with Michael tonight?” she sounded almost nervous as she said that. I pulled my eyes away from his and gave her a tight forced smile.

“He’s sick so we had to reschedule.” I replied attempting to keep my tone nice as Ethan snorted beside my sister. I was quickly growing annoyed towards them both. Michael is the guy I’ve been semi-dating for the last few weeks. We’re not an official couple and I’m not even sure we’re going to work out but he’s a nice guy none the less. A lot better than the one who stood in front of me grinning at my cancelled plans.

“Oh, well what are you going to do then?” I looked at my sister in anger. Did she honestly want to be alone with this creep? Why was I the only X-chromosome carrying species able to see his bad side? He even charmed parents into liking him! I saw my sister give me a frantic wide-eyed look which meant she wanted me gone. Well tough luck, she’s way too cute for me to leave her alone with him!

My sister, Willie, was a competitive swimmer with a body of stone and enough muscles to beat the shit out of me. She, like myself, had a short temper to match her sea green eyes, blonde curls that fell past her shoulders and a splash of freckles across her nose and cheeks. My sister was leaving the cute stage and entering borderline hotness.

I wasn’t jealous though.

Sure, my body had given out on swimming two years ago when I’d pulled and torn both shoulders which forced me into a permanent retirement where I added on twenty pounds my first year off. Hey, it’s hard to change an entire lifestyle in a week. My flat mud brown hair was short and choppy at my chin and my eyes were a dull grey blandness.

In comparison to my gorgeous little sister I was the ugly duckling.

But I wasn’t jealous.

“I don’t know; what are you planning on doing?” I asked putting on an air of naivety and innocence which I knew pissed her off.

“James and I are going to watch a movie.” She said with a tense smile as she picked up the bowl of popcorn to leave.

“Really, Ethan?” I said turning towards him and watching the smile flicker from his face. I was the only one who called him by his first name. Everyone else called him James and he hated that I didn’t. “Are you watching a family friendly movie with my little sister?” I was taunting him and he knew it.

“Yeah, Wes; Got a problem with that?” he replied shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Not at all,” I murmured through my clenched smile. Of course it bothered me, but I wasn’t about to tell him that.

“Grow up, Wes.” Willie muttered rolling her eyes and leaving the kitchen. I followed her out and hissed towards her.

“Do mom and dad know about this?”

“Yes, I asked.”

“Who did you ask?” I knew how Willie worked.

“Dad, he said it was fine as long as we stayed in the family room.” I rolled my eyes at her response. Willie had my dad wrapped around her finger. Added to the fact that he was completely oblivious to our generation and was quickly losing his hearing, he was always the one to ask things from. My mother was the complete opposite. Very un-trusting of our friends and dates, likes to know where we are at all times, doesn’t even attempt to be our friend but repeatedly reminds us that she is the parent. She definitely wouldn’t have approved of this event, even if it was Ethan, because she knows about the history I have with him. A history I’ve worked hard to keep from my little sister.

“Way to take the easy way out.” I hissed.

“Oh shut up!” she replied snarling towards me.

“Seriously Willie, this is a bad idea.” I grabbed her upper arm and pulled her around to face me. Her eyes narrowed and I saw them flash with anger.

“Why? Because you’re jealous that he doesn’t want to be with you?” she hissed ripping her arm from my grasp. My mouth fell open in a gape as I stared at my little sister. Sometimes she could be such a bitch.

“I wouldn’t want Ethan even if I had the choice,” I replied

“Sure you wouldn’t. That’s obviously the reason you swoon over him every time he’s around.” I felt like slapping her at that second. I did not swoon when Ethan was around.

“I don’t swoon.” I defended myself while narrowing my own eyes. If she was going to play dirty then so was I.

“Whatever Wes, we all know you have a major thing for Ethan but guess what, he doesn’t want you!” Willie replied with a dry laugh.

“This isn’t about wanting Ethan, which I don’t, this is about you not getting hurt.” I said attempting to keep my voice calm and steady without yelling so Ethan, who was still in the kitchen, would hear.

“I’m not going to get hurt.” She said rolling her eyes towards me. “I’m a lot smarter than you like to think I am.”

“That’s not—”

“Are you two finished fighting over me?” Ethan interrupted walking into the family room behind us with two sodas in his hands. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared towards him as he handed one of the sodas to my little sister. She grinned and accepted it as she took a seat on the couch. I rolled my eyes and walked back to the kitchen in annoyance.

I took a few steadying breaths in order to calm my nerves. My phone vibrated in my back pocket signaling that I’d received a text message. I pulled it out and flipped it open and saw that Bobby Rocks of all people had sent me a message.

To: WeslieJay

From: BobbyB

Hope your coming to my shindig!

I laughed at his message but didn’t reply to it. I still hadn’t decided whether I wanted to go out or not. Though with my little sister schmoozing up to Ethan in the other room I doubted I wanted to stay there much longer.

“You’re much prettier when you’re not jealous.” Ethan whispered which made me jump.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed and turned around to face him as he walked towards where I stood clutching the island counter. I didn’t realize he was in such close proximity with me until he bumped into my crossed arms.

“Chips,” he said as he wrapped his arms around my frame. I backed up against the counter and released my arms at my sides before I realized he was reaching around me.

“Chips? I didn’t mean what are you doing in my kitchen, I meant what are you doing here, at my house, with my little sister?” I glared uncomfortably crossing my arms over my chest again since he was incredibly close to me. I could smell the cologne and stale cigarette smoke that lingered on his clothes. If I leaned forward our bodies would touch and our faces would be…

“Don’t think—” he said stopping me from whatever crazy thought was running through my fucked up mind. At the same time he pressed his pelvis against mine and caused a small gasp to escape my lips as I grabbed the counter behind me for support. What was he doing? “—that for any second I’m here because of you.”

That certainly made me even more annoyed and—disappointed? Dammit. I’m usually immune to Ethan and his rude comments which are always somehow directed towards me. I mean I’m probably the only one Ethan actually cares enough about to go out of his way to be impolite to. He’s got everyone else wrapped around his little finger.

He backed away from me with the bag of chips in his hand and left the kitchen with an emotionless face. I couldn’t read it. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking or what was running through his demented mind and it drove me insane. But I certainly wasn’t going to sit in my room all night. I turned on my heel and walked back upstairs, grabbed my cell phone and called Samantha.

An hour later the doorbell rang downstairs.

I smoothed my outfit over one more time, added another layer of lip gloss, fluffed my hair for good measure, and took a deep breath. I left my room and descended the stairs slowly. I hadn’t worn my black spiked heels since last years winter formal. Needles to say I’d stepped on way too many feet. But now I had to wear them because they were the only things fit to complete my outfit. A slinky black spaghetti strapped dress that stopped a little past my ass and helped boost my breasts. My makeup was dark and seductive and my hair flipped out. All in all I looked pretty damn good.

Willie’s head turned towards me, her eyes narrowed, as she passed me from where she had opened the door. She returned to the living room as I greeted one of my best friends Samantha Dale. She looked cute in a short plaid skirt and white tank top, her blonde hair curled and pulled back in a high ponytail. She greeted me with a quick hug and a set of air kisses as she stepped into the house.

“Someone’s trying to get some tonight.” I joked looking her up and down with approval.

“Trevor doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into tonight.” She winked with a flirtatious smile. Samantha had been casually dating/having sex with this Trevor guy for the last year. No one knew if they were ever going to become official or not but she wasn’t complaining about the situation.

“Ready?” she asked jiggling her car keys in her hand.

“Sure, let me grab my clutch real quick.” I responded turning towards the living room. I hadn’t meant to leave it in there, I hadn’t even planned on using it that night, but the situation seemed to call for it.

I walked into the living room to see Willie and Ethan sitting beside each other on the couch. He had his arm slung casually across the back which was conveniently around Willie’s shoulders. I would have glared had I not been so happy about going out. This would beat anything my sister could pull off.

When I entered the room Ethan and Willie began to shift away from each other. He pulled his arm away from her and folded his hands into his lap as Willie crossed her arms over her chest. I smiled on the inside but gave them a blank stare.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.” I said walking to the coffee table in front of them and grabbing my clutch. I felt Ethan’s eyes following my figure as I bent over and picked it up, my chest giving him a better view than the movie. I may have done that on purpose.

“Where are you going?” Ethan asked as I straightened to leave.

“Oh,” I paused and faced him as if I hadn’t realized he would inquire as to my life. “Well Samantha and I have a few parties to drop in on, so we’re going to be heading out. Hope you two have fun here.”

I turned and left the living room, swaying my hips as I did so, and had a small smile on my face as I grinned over the fact that the Ethan Stone was stuck in my living room on a Friday night watching PG movies with my little sister.

“Well maybe we’ll join you when we’re done.” Ethan spoke up with a smile. I turned to see he had followed me out into the entry way. My hand fell from the doorknob as I answered.

“You might have to re-think that plan,” I smiled wincing quickly. “Willie’s curfew is ten o’clock and it’s—ten fifteen already—looks like she’s staying in. The sweet and caring Ethan wouldn’t ditch his date. Would he?” I taunted stepping closer to him as my hips swayed. His eyes roamed my body and he pursed his lips together. I could see he was rethinking his decision of underage dating.

“It’s not a date.” He shrugged shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Sure, does Willie know that?” I asked raising my eyebrows towards him. He opened his mouth to respond but the car horn interrupted him. “Samantha’s waiting. Have fun babysitting, Ethan.”

I smirked as I turned and sauntered out of my house. I know I should have been nicer towards my sister. She was, after all, the only one I had. But she was trying to grow up faster than she should and I wasn’t going to have it. I would cut her down to save her if that was the only way to prevent her from making a mistake.

She wouldn’t fall for Ethan like I did.

“Weslie!” the greetings called as I led the way into Bobby Rocks house. I smiled at everyone as I walked around the room giving hugs and receiving kisses on the cheek. I was pretty well known around school, definitely not the most popular or prettiest by far, but well known and liked by just about everyone. I was everyone’s friend and little sister.

“Bobby!” I greeted walking up to him and becoming engulfed in his hug. He was easily twice my size and a head taller than me but he held me like I was a porcelain doll. Not too grabby or clumsy with enough support and love to fill a pool. Bobby was like a big teddy bear that I couldn’t get enough of and our friendship had survived a lot. He, Ethan and I had been diaper babies together, we’d been tight once but middle school changed all of us. Now Bobby was like the older brother I never had and Ethan was the guy that I would always harbor feelings for yet never have the guts to do anything about; again.

“Hey Wes,” he greeted in response setting me down on the floor before turning towards Samantha and quickly looking her up and down with a blush. He’d had a crush on her since fifth grade but had always been too shy to tell her. Now his feelings had grown worse, to the point where he stuttered and blushed in her presence and she was completely oblivious to them all. “Samantha,”

“Hey Bobby,” she replied nonchalantly while looking around the room. Most likely scoping out her prey, er—I mean make-out buddy, for the night.

“I’m glad you guys could make it.” he directed the statement towards me, since I was the easier one to speak to, but his eyes danced between the two of us a

“Of course,” I replied with a bright smile that didn’t exactly reach my eyes. I thought about my little sister sitting at home on our couch beside Ethan. I would’ve given anything to be in her position at that moment instead of surrounded by a hundred of my closest acquaintances while drinking to forget our lives. Bobby’s expression faltered for a second when he saw my reaction.

“You okay?” he asked placing a hand gently on my elbow and guiding me away from the next group walking through the door.

“Uh, yeah, I’m good.” I nodded crossing my arms over my chest shyly while looking him in the eye. Bobby would know if I was lying if I didn’t look him in the eye. He probably knew I was lying either way but if I looked at him then he would know less that I was lying. It was a weird procedure.

“No you’re not.” He muttered with a smile, seeing as now was probably not the time to talk about what was bothering me.

“I’ll be okay once I get a few drinks in me.” I said putting on my best smile and patting him on the arm.

“Sounds like a plan!” he agreed with a tight smile as his eyes went past mine. I followed his eye line and saw Samantha embracing Trevor in a lustful kiss.

“Lead the way, babe.” I muttered pulling his attention back from the scene and focusing on the topic at hand, which happened to be getting wasted.

Hours later the small gathering had turned into a full blown out party. Football players were never good at keeping things small. They liked having many many girls in small outfits so they could ogle at them. We seniors, who have been going to school together since Pre-K, stopped dating each other in eighth grade so it didn’t really bother us that underclassman were there. It just meant we wouldn’t have to fend off our own friends and create a bunch of awkward situations the next morning.

Except for Ethan.

He’s the exception to everything. I mean look at him standing there in a pair of vintage washed jeans, black polo and converse. His hair spiked and gelled up with a wild sweep off to the side look. He was looking damn good.

Wait…

Why was Ethan standing right in front of me with a smirk on his face?

What was Ethan doing at this party in the first place when he should have been watching sappy movies with my little sister?

“What are you doing here?” I hissed walking towards him with a little stumble courtesy of my heels and the help of a little alcohol. Ethan let loose a chuckle and caught my arm to steady me. I pulled my arm from his grasp once I got my footing and glared.

“Nice to see you too,” he said with a smile.

“No, it’s not.” I replied before I paused and shook my head because I’m pretty sure I just dissed myself. The couple of beers I’d had must be getting to me. Or maybe it was the jello shots? Who cared—the point was Ethan stood in front of me and not at my house with my little sister. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be rocking the cradle on my family tree?”

“Shouldn’t you be adding another pound of makeup to your face?” he retorted.

“I would but you took the last of my concealer.”

“Well then maybe you should eat some more Ding-Dongs and add a few more rolls to your stomach.” Ouch. That hurt. Shake it off, Weslie. It’s nothing you haven’t heard before.

“I don’t feel that I have to conform to the views of the media, something you apparently live by.”

“There’s nothing wrong with knowing your good looking and living up to it.” he said cheekily.

“By the way how’s your pendulum behaving?” I asked tilting my head to the side.

“Just because I dress better than you do doesn’t mean you should be jealous.” He smirked. Okay, he did dress better than me but only because he had a crap load of money to spend on clothes and accessories.

“Okay, whatever. But seriously, did you ditch my sister for another stupid party you could attend any other weekend of the school year?” I asked annoyed at his presence.

“You could say that.” he shrugged surveying the room behind me. I hated when he did that. He could never concentrate on one conversation but had to constantly focus on what everyone else was doing. He couldn’t be content with just being.

“Really?” I muttered in reply raising my eyebrows towards him. “That’s pretty pathetic, even for you.”

“Why is that?”

“Because you can’t spend one night not being the center of attention.” I murmured taking another sip of my beer, or rather a gulp. I was the only girl at that party, at our school really, who could down a beer in ten seconds flat with only one breath. Seriously, I had one amazing set of lungs and could hold almost twice as much alcohol as the other guys because they were all made of muscle and didn’t have any fat on their bones, which made them drunk off of less, and I had more to spread around.

“Well, your parents came home and your mom basically kicked me out. I see now where you get your bitchiness from.” He responded with a similar glare.

“I always knew my mom was good at throwing away trash.” I murmured as a smile played on my lips.

“Besides, why would I pass up the opportunity to see you at your best?” he grinned. Suddenly there was a flash in my face which blinded me momentarily as I tried to process what he meant. When I did I realized he’d taken a picture of me with his digital camera that appeared out of nowhere. I shrieked and attempted to grab it from his hands to erase whatever embarrassing picture he’d just gotten, but alas he was too tall and in my drunken state I did nothing but wobble on my legs.

“I hate you!” I said in a shrill voice sounding like all those cheerleaders that I hated.

“I know,” Ethan replied with a sigh and a small grin as he fiddled with his camera. He lifted it slowly and aimed it towards me with a crooked grin. I waited for him to do something without retaliating and eventually he took another picture of me. I let him without complaint since I found that it was always easier to let him have his way than fight.

“Why do you have to make it so hard?” I whispered trying to keep my emotions under control. When we were alone, when it was just Ethan and I in those rare moments like now, at a party or in a deserted hallway at school, when he wasn’t attempting to show off for those around us in order to look like the cool, uncaring asshole that he was portrayed as. In those precious moments when his real self came out, I fell for him harder.

“Because, it’s easier making things difficult then keeping things dull.” He smirked with a shrug. “Why would I kiss the beast when I can have the beauty?” The smile fell from my face and set into a thin line. The bastard. I pulled my hand back without thinking and slapped him across the face.

It sounded like the music in the room stopped as I waited for his reaction. He clenched his jaw and set his lips in a thin line as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I did the same and tried to calm my breathing that was beginning to speed up with nervousness and anticipation. I couldn’t predict how he was going to react and it scared me.

“What the fuck Weslie?” Ethan yelled towards me as he grabbed my wrist which alerted the attention of a few tipsy football players and half dressed under-aged girls. I stumbled from the sudden weight unbalance as Ethan pulled me closer to himself. My body bumped into his and the beer in my hand sloshed around in the Solo cup as I tried to regain my footing. I did and attempted to pull my wrist out of his grip. He held on strong though and continued to glare towards me.

“Let me go,” I said in a low hiss as my eyes began to water. I was not going to cry in front of Ethan, but I had to admit I was scared. The alcohol in my system didn’t help my mind rationalize what was going on. All I knew was that my wrist was beginning to burn from the pressure of Ethan’s hand tightening around it. I squealed a little bit as the pressure built and turned to him with desperate eyes. I doubted he would truly hurt me, but in my alcohol induced state everything seemed more dramatic and scary. It didn’t help that I still harbored feelings for him. That I still dreamt of him every night and wished things hadn’t ended so badly.

“I want you,” Ethan said softly as his voice dropped to a low, seductive, octave. His face softened from the hard, angered one to a comforting, understanding one. He looked pained and confused at the same time. I shook my head and tried to pull away from him again. I could feel the tears in my eyes start to spill over my eyelashes. I didn’t want to hear these things from him. I didn’t want to hear about his wants, not then, not when I was drunk.

“You’re never going to want me in the same way I want you.” I said with a deep breath. This was it, this was the moment I’d agonized over for the past three years, and I couldn’t deal with it. “I can’t do this.” I muttered tugging at my wrist. He still wouldn’t let up though and instead pulled me closer towards him, wrapping his free arm around my waist and burying his head in my hair. I inhaled his familiar scent which sent another wave of longing throughout my body. My stomach was turning itself in circles and my chest was heaving with desire.

“Weslie,” he whispered leaning down and pressing his cheek against mine. I took a deep breath to steady my voice and attempted to clear my head. Maybe drinking so much hadn’t been a good idea.

“Please don’t do this,” I hesitated in saying. Anything that came out of my mouth at that moment could be the wrong thing. If I let any slip of emotion past in my voice then he would know. He would know that I still cared for him and wanted to be with him. Ethan was always good at pinning down my feelings. He always knew when I was lying.

“I miss you.” He continued letting go of my wrist quickly and wrapping both arms around my shoulders tightly before I could escape. I clutched my hands into fists and held them against his chest while he refused to let me go. I couldn’t stand being in such close proximity to him. It hadn’t been like this since freshman year. “I miss the way we use to be with each other.”

“It’s been three years, Ethan.” I whimpered into his chest still trying to push him away. “Why now? Why?”

“I can’t help it,” he chuckled “I can’t help seeing something I want and not being able to reach out and take it.”

“You can’t have me,” I muttered without missing a beat.

“James, let go of Weslie.” Bobby demanded walking up between the two of us and staring him down. Bobby never drank; he just supplied the house and the opportunity to drink, so he was sober and trustworthy. I knew that he knew that the situation I was in, even though it was Ethan, wasn’t a good one and wasn’t something I could handle at that second.

Ethan seemed to realize what he was doing to me as Bobby placed a thick hand on his shoulder. Bobby was easily twice the size of Ethan as he was one of the school’s best linebackers and Ethan was just the wide receiver. Ethan released me and took a step away, his eyes never leaving my face. I held my wrist in my free hand and rubbed the red spot that was slowly forming a bruise from his fingers. A few tears escaped my eyes and trickled down my face. Damn, I’d been so good at keeping them in. I almost made it home free.

I turned and stumbled away from Ethan, Bobby and the crowded living room that had grown silent while watching our dramatic scene. Bobby said something to everyone and the noise started up again as the music was turned back up and the conversations flowed. They rumors had probably already spread about what just happened. Cell phones were a cruel invention for our high school.

I heard a voice call after me as I pushed past a couple making out and found my clutch on the entryway table. My car keys weren’t inside it. I panicked for a second before I remembered that Samantha had driven me here. She was probably having sex with Trevor in one of the deserted rooms upstairs. A lost cause, in other words.

“Weslie,” That voice. It was a voice that had haunted my dreams since sixth grade when I realized boys didn’t have cooties and I wanted to be more than best friends with Ethan. When I realized in order to keep his friendship I would have to keep my mouth shut and forget any feelings I might harbor for him. Because Ethan didn’t like girls like that.

He liked girls of course. He just liked leggy blondes with a chest for miles and no sense of morality. I’d made a promise to myself a long time ago that I wasn’t going to be one of those girls. Until my first drunken experience freshman year I’d kept that promise.

Now, it was like it was all flooding back to me. Freshman year, I’d gotten wasted with Ethan on rum and coke, confessed that I had a crush on him and made out with him half the night, fell asleep in his arms and woke up with to have him tell me that it meant nothing to him. We haven’t been cordial to each other since.

“Weslie, wait. You’re plastered.” He said reaching out and touching my shoulder. I flinched and moved away from him, stumbling against the table and falling into the corner of the wall.

“Don’t touch me.” I hissed grabbing the wall and pressing against it as if my life depended on its support. Man, the alcohol was really hitting me now, like seriously hitting me.

“Weslie calm down.” Ethan continued to move towards me and attempted to pull me into a standing position. My legs were going in two different directions from my arms which were still holding up the wall. I think I looked worse than I thought I did. But I knew I didn’t want Ethan to touch me. Every time he did it was like ice being pressed against my burning skin.

“Leave me alone, Ethan.” I whimpered as my voice got louder and more desperate.

“Let me get her, Ethan.” Bobby said pushing past him to where I was sliding down the wall in my little corner. I smiled as Bobby scoped me up in his arms and started to carry me to the living room.

“Bobby!” I squealed throwing my arms around his neck and giving him a haphazard hug. “I’m so glad you saved me again!”

“I’ll always save you, Wes.” He said with a grin depositing me on the couch and sitting beside me. He pulled a water bottle out of thin air and handed it to me after opening it.

“I know,” I sighed and let my head drop onto his shoulder as I continued to slur my words and listen to Bobby’s deep chuckle. “I can always count on you. Even after everything that’s happened the last bazillion years.”

I looked up and saw Ethan watching the two of us from the entryway of the living room. He was leaning against the wall with his hands shoved into his pockets and a broody look on his face.

“What’s with Ethan?” I asked suddenly. I sat up so quickly my head began to spin a little bit. I grabbed it so it would stop and turned to look at Bobby with an annoyed look on my face. I wasn’t annoyed at him; I was annoyed at Ethan and directing my look toward him. “Oh my gosh; do you know he’s trying to hook up with my little sister?”

“Willie?” Bobby asked giving Ethan a couple of quick glances as he listened to my ramble.

“Yes!” I continued growing more eager in my ramble as my voice got louder. “He came over tonight and watched a movie with her! A fucking movie with my fourteen-year-old sister! Who the fuck does he think he is?”

“I doubt Ethan is trying to hook up with your sister,” Bobby continued.

“Oh no, he is. He’s trying to use her just like he used me freshman year.” I continued getting worked up now. I pointed a finger toward Bobby as if it were going to get my point across better. “I don’t know why he’s trying to destroy my life but I’ll be damned if I let him. He’s not getting ten feet within my little sister again. I’ll fucking castrate the bastard if it means saving her.”

“Wes, seriously, Ethan wouldn’t do that to you.” Bobby tried to shake off my angry rant.

“Oh yes he would.”

“Why would he go for your little sister?”

“Because she’s absolutely gorgeous!” I said extravagantly waving my arms in the air. “She is fucking gorgeous! I’m like the ugly duckling compared to her. I’m like the step-sister while she’s Cinderella. I’m Ursula and she’s Ariel! I’m Ashlee and she’s Jessica.”

“Ashlee Simpson is just as pretty as Jessica.”

“I’m Ashlee pre-nose surgery.” I corrected myself as he chuckled. “I’m Jennifer and she’s Angelina fucking Jolie!”

“Okay Weslie, I get the point, you think you’re ugly.”

“I don’t think, I know I’m ugly.” I said with a smile. For some reason talking about how unattractive I was seemed hilarious at the time. I couldn’t believe I was talking to Bobby of all people about this. We hadn’t had a real conversation in three years. Not since we went our separate way freshman year.

“Weslie, you’re not ugly and you’re not the ugly sister in your family.”

“I’m fat.” He rolled his eyes at that

“You are not fat.”

“Compared to Willie?”

“You and your sister are two completely different people, you just need to accept that and move on. Stop comparing yourself to her all the time, it’s not healthy.”

“Ethan said I was fat.”

“Ethan is a fucking bastard who doesn’t know a good thing when it’s staring him in the face.” Bobby grew angry and pursed his lips together as he wrapped his arm around my frame and pulled me against his chest. I cuddled into his stomach and smiled. He really was the big brother I never had.

“Why do I have to like him so much?” I whispered after a few minutes of silence in which I was able to review my thoughts and realize I would end up subconsciously forgiving Ethan. Because I always did, even back then. I would forgive him for everything wrong that he did because I was in love with him, and when you’re in love with someone you forgive them for all of their faults. You forgive them for everything they do if it means you get to spend another day being by their side. I’d realized that freshman year and Samantha has done all in her power to get me to wake up from the blinded dream I was in and see his true self. But I couldn’t and even if I could I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to erase the feelings and memories I had of him, whether they’re good or bad.

“Because we can’t choose who we love.” Bobby replied kissing the top of my head. I sighed and almost felt like crying but I was sobering up a little bit after all the drama died down.

“Wanna know something?” I asked as if I was really giving him a choice on the matter.

“Sure,”

“I think tonight was the first time I’ve ever been jealous of my little sister.” I stated while turning to look at his reaction. “I would’ve given anything to have been sitting on that couch with his arm around me. I don’t care what we would’ve watched or even that we were only friends. Just to have him there would’ve been enough for me.”

“I know,” Bobby said a few minutes later when we’d both soaked in what I’d said. With a deep sigh he disentangled himself from me and stood up. “Do you want me to drive you home?”

I smiled and held my arms out toward him so he could pull me off the couch. I didn’t need to worry about informing Samantha about leaving, she was probably too occupied either way. Bobby led me out towards his car and set me in the passenger seat. I stared towards his house which had just about every light on inside. I couldn’t make out any of my classmates amongst the shadows and was glad of that. I didn’t want to see him and confirm that I was indeed pathetic.

“Holy Mary,” I groaned the next morning as I woke up to find myself lying on my stomach, a towel beneath me and a nice pool of vomit on top of it, half of which was cemented in my hair. Bobby must have set me up with the towel since he knew I was terrible at holding my liquor.

I groaned again and pushed myself up in an attempt to not fall in my own vomit. I stepped off the bed and turned around but tripped over my dress that was balled up on the floor. I cursed and grabbed onto the edge of my desk to catch my balance. I saw a rubber band lying there which I grabbed and used to pull back my hair until I could take a shower. My mouth tasted disgusting, like sour milk and…vomit.

I folded up the towel from my bed, cleaned up the stuff that missed the trash can and landed on my floor, before opening my door a crack and peeking out. The house was unbearably quiet for a Saturday afternoon which I was both grateful and suspicious of. I quickly tiptoed to the laundry room at the end of the hall where I started a load with my towel. I made my way back to the bathroom shivering in my pink bra and underwear ensemble against the air conditioning in our house.

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” A deep chuckle brought me from my focus as I jumped in surprise. Jesus I really hated when he did that.

“What are you doing here?” I asked confused as my eyes darted wildly around the hallway looking for an escape. I didn’t understand why he felt the need to invade my home life all the time. I thought I’d taken care of that last night. Most of my conversation with him, or anyone for that matter, was a blur to remember. But I was pretty sure I’d breached the topic of leaving my little sister alone. Yet here he was on a Saturday afternoon staring at me as if I were a piece of meat.

Of course that’s when I realized I was in my underwear and quickly crossed my arms over my chest. I saw his eyes lower from my face as I’d drawn attention to my attire by making such a drastic move. His smile faded and his eyes grew wide as he scanned my body slowly, drinking in my figure as if he hadn’t seen it naked before. Of course the last time he had I was skinny with a body like my sisters.

“Ethan, what are you doing here?” I asked again pulling his eyes back towards my face.

“Um, I was—you have something on your cheek.” He stammered pointing towards my face. I blushed even more and swept my hand up to feel the crusty vomit that did indeed take up part of my cheek and neck. “Rough night?”

“You could say that.” I muttered in reply. A silence overcame us as we stood there watching each other. I could smell the light cologne and body wash radiating off of him from when he’d taken a shower. He wore a simple pair of jeans, black t-shirt and Pumas. His hair was damp and had a small curl to it from being left un-styled.

“Listen, Weslie, I wanted to apologize—” he began before I interrupted him.

“I have to take a shower,” I blurted to stop whatever he was going to say. I didn’t know how big of a fool I made of myself last night but if it had anything to do with Ethan apologizing for something then I wanted nothing to do with it.

Ethan had a shocked look on his face as he watched me. I’m sure he wasn’t use to me acting shy and timid, which I was at that moment, but I could feel the not so flat and toned portions of my body hanging out for him to comment on and couldn’t bring myself to be in his presence any longer. Instead of waiting for his reply I nodded quickly before sliding around him and hurrying towards the bathroom.

My back hit the door as soon as it shut and my hands found my face. I couldn’t believe Ethan was here, in my house, to see my little sister again and had caught me in my underwear with crap all over my face. I turned and grabbed the edge of the sink as I stared at my reflection. Jesus, I looked terrible. My hair was matted and looked like a rats nest. My makeup had spread and made my eyes look like I’d been punched. Everything about me was a mess.

I shook out my arms to calm my nerves and ran the water in the shower as I started to strip. Stepping under the warm stream was like heaven in a basket. The steam enveloped me as I sighed. I was quick to wash my hair and scrub my neck and cheek but then stood under the water and just relaxed. Twenty minutes later the door flew open and I gasped from behind the curtain.

“Sorry Weslie,” Willie said apologetically. “James has to use the restroom and you know the one downstairs is under construction.”

“What? Can’t he wait?” I said loudly as I emphasized the fact that I did not agree.

“No, it’ll only take a minute, relax.” Willie said before closing the door again. I assumed she’d left me with Ethan since I soon heard the sound of him relieving himself. I leaned back against the wall, as far as I could get from Ethan, and waited it out.

“Sorry about this Wes.” Ethan said zipping up his pants before flushing the toilet. I scowled at him through the shower curtain as the water cooled down for a few seconds but didn’t respond. I waited for the door to open and close to signal that he’d left but the sound never came. Why wasn’t he leaving? “Listen Weslie,” he said confirming for me that he was still there.

“Please leave, Ethan.” I muttered crossing my arms over my chest and heaving a deep sigh.

“Why won’t you just hear me out for a second instead of avoiding the situation?” he snapped. I could tell he was annoyed even though I couldn’t see his face. I didn’t respond again which seemed to be enough permission for him to continue talking. “I’m sorry about last night.” He paused and waited to see if I was going to say anything but I’d already decided that I wasn’t going to respond to anything he had to say. “It was stupid of me to react that way and I never meant to scare you or hurt you and I just—I’m sorry for everything.”

He waited again as the silence lagged between us. I couldn’t find words to say to him as memories of what happened muddled together in my mind. I looked down and saw the bruise around my wrist which was tender to the touch. I crossed my arms over my chest and slid down the wall so I was sitting in the bathtub with the shower pounding over my head, drowning out anything else he had to say.

I started to cry as my tears mixed with the water around me and buried my head in my knees to hide the sobs that were escaping. I wasn’t really sure what I was crying about, the fact that I’d made an idiot of myself or the realization that I was never going to have Ethan and needed to start forgetting about him.

“Weslie,” Ethan murmured softly. I heard him dropping the lid of the toilet seat down and assumed he took a seat on top of it. My sobs began to mix together as I poured out my soul in the shower. I probably sounded like an idiot at that moment but I couldn’t compose myself enough to care. “Please, don’t cry.” He pleaded, his voice cracking with compassion. I couldn’t stand how nice he was being at that second. It was times like this that made my heart ache for him and made me realize that I would continue aching for him to no end.

“Just go, Ethan.” I murmured through my tears as I chocked on my breath.

“I don’t want to—”

“Go!” I screamed watching him through the hazy curtain. I could feel my temper shortening with every second he continued to sit there. I couldn’t stand to have him around me. I didn’t want to feel his presence so close and to know that I would never be able to hold him.

I walked into the diner and saw Bobby sitting in the large circular booth in the very corner. He smiled and gave me a quick wave as I weaved my way through the tables to reach him.

“Good afternoon, sunshine.” He greeted as I slid in beside him. I groaned and pushed my sunglasses onto the top of my head as I picked up the menu. I’d eventually left the shower once I knew Ethan had evacuated the bathroom which was the same time Bobby called and asked if I wanted to grab breakfast. When I’d left the house Willie and Ethan were in the living room talking in low whispers. I didn’t want to interrupt them since I’d decided that I was going to rid Ethan from my mind, so I grabbed my keys and wallet and left quickly.

“Hey,” I greeted softly. “Thanks for helping me home last night.” The waitress came over and I ordered a coffee and large sampler plate. I was always starving after a night of drinking.

“No problem, I’m always happy to help.” He grinned patting my hand reassuringly. I sighed and ran my hands over my face in frustration. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I replied softly not quite sure how to breach the fact that I was ready to finally let Ethan go.

“How are you feeling?” he asked sipping his own coffee.

“Okay, a little hung over, but none the less fine.” I murmured with a smile. Bobby laughed at that nervously and took another large gulp of his drink. Something felt off about his behavior. I mean I know we hadn’t hung out a lot in the past few years because of our social differences, but I still knew him enough to realize when he was acting funny.

“Something wrong?” I asked causing him to jump in his seat. He must’ve been off in this own world when I interrupted him.

“No, nope,” he muttered with a nervous smile. “Nothing wrong at all.”

“Really?” I replied not believing a word he said. “Because if I didn’t know any better I’d think—”

“Can I ask you something?” he interrupted before I could continue. I blanched a little bit since Bobby never interrupted anyone for anything. He was one of those really good listeners who could give amazing advice and always saw a situation from both sides before giving advice.

“Um, sure.” I shrugged not really knowing where this was going.

“What are your feelings for Ethan?” he asked focusing all of his attention on my response. It was kind of unnerving the way his stared towards me and waited. I didn’t know how to answer him. If he’d asked me two days ago how I was feeling the answer would’ve been simple; I was in love with him. But now, now I couldn’t decide how I felt about him. The only decision I’d really made was that I wanted to move on with my life and finally put him behind me.

“If you’d asked me that yesterday then I would’ve said I’m in love with him. But now I think I finally woke up and saw the light.” A small laugh escaped my mouth as I thought about how I’ve brooded over him for the past century of my life.

“What do you mean?” Bobby asked scrunching his nose in confusion.

“I mean, I don’t know, it’s like I’ve finally realized that Ethan is never going to harbor the same feelings for me that I have for him and my energy could be spent on something or someone more important.” I grinned as if hearing the words out loud was even better than hearing them in my head. The waitress returned with our drinks and I took a sip of my coffee with glee. “I think I’m finally able to move on from this fantasy world I’ve been living in.”

“Oh shit,” Bobby muttered staring at the coffee mug he gripped in his hands. I was confused as to his reaction. He looked worried about the information I’d shared with him. My heart started to thud against my chest and my pulse sped up in anxiety of what was wrong.

“What?” I asked staring at him in worry. “Bobby, what is it?”

“Wes,” he replied looking up at me as if it pained him to say what he was about to. “Wes, Ethan isn’t acting the way he has been because he doesn’t like you.”

I stared at him in confusion as he stared back at me. What in the world was he talking about? “I don’t understand.” I said narrowing my eyes. What exactly was Bobby saying?

“Wes, Ethan is crazy about—”

“Hey, sorry I’m late.” I looked up to see Ethan sliding into the booth beside me, forcing me to slide over to the middle. Bobby sighed and gave me a look that said he was sorry he hadn’t spoken faster or sooner. I stared at him with my eyes wide as I clamped my mouth shut in anger. How had it slipped his mind to mention that Ethan was going to be joining us?

“I thought you were going to pick up Wes?” Bobby said quietly while focusing all of his attention on the coffee cup in front of him. I think my eyes were going to bug out of my head as I digested what he’d just said. Had Ethan been at my house to pick me up?

“I was but she had to take a shower and then she just slipped out without informing Willie or me.” Ethan replied ordering a coffee and sampler for himself as the waitress came around for refills on our drinks.

“I didn’t realize you were my keeper today, Ethan.” I hissed through my clenched teeth while avoiding both of their glances and clutching my coffee cup for dear life. I was definitely growing uncomfortable while sitting in between the two of them. Ethan because I didn’t want to be near him and Bobby because he hadn’t informed me of the events happening right now.

“Sorry to disappoint you.” Ethan replied with a wide smile ignoring the fact that I was having compulsions at that moment. I gave a tight smile in reply before excusing myself through Bobby’s side of the booth. I could feel both of their eyes on my back as I hunched my shoulders to make myself smaller as I escaped from the diner. This could not possibly be happening to me!

“Weslie!” Ethan shouted following me out of the diner as I started walking faster away from it. “Weslie, stop!” I felt him grab my arm and spin me around to face him. I scowled and pulled my arm from his grasp with a deep, steadying breath.

“What do you want!” I screamed towards him as the agitation and frustration built up inside of me. My temper flared and I couldn’t hold everything in anymore. “What the hell could you possibly want now? You have my sister, you have everyone, can’t you be satisfied and stay away from me!”

“Because I don’t have you!” he shouted just as loud and angrily as I had shouted at him. His statement made me back up a few spaces and stare at him. My mouth fell open in a gape and I had to stare at him really hard in order to process everything.

“What?” I gasped.

Ethan ran his hands through his hair and turned around in a circle before facing me again. He seemed embarrassed and unsure about letting that spill. “I made a mistake.”

“That’s an understatement.”

“Shut up and let me finish.”

“Hurry up and speak.”

“Is there some pressing engagement you have to be at?”

“As a matter of fact I have a mani-pedi at two.”

“I doubt anyone would touch your feet.”

“Hilarious, didn’t you have something to say.”

“Not anymore.” He growled turning to go inside.

“Well, fine.” I shouted slowly crossing my arms over my chest and glaring towards his back. He paused at the door of the diner and turned back towards me.

“Fine,” he shouted just as immaturely as I did.

“Good, asshole.” Was my awesome reply yet again towards his back.

“You are so stubborn!” he yelled turning around one more time. He stalked towards me and made me back up a few feet to keep some distance between us.

“So are you!” I replied just to say something. I knew I was stubborn but why was that something incredibly important to Ethan?

“Three years ago, freshman year, when I’d told you it meant nothing, I lied. I made a mistake and I’m sorry.” He said calming down which stopped me in my tracks.

“You made a mistake?” I hissed slowly with a low growl as I narrowed my eyes towards him.

“Yes,” he said with a deep sigh as if holding in his secret had been killing him.

“How can you tell me after all these years that you’d made a fucking mistake!” I screamed raising my voice again. I cannot believe he was bringing this up.

“Because I did!” he yelled. It was ridiculous that we were standing in front of the diner shouting at each other.

“How? How did you make a mistake?”

“Because it meant something to me.” he shouted stepping towards me as I backed up. “It meant something and I couldn’t tell you because I was afraid that it would ruin everything we had.”

“What exactly did we have, Ethan?” I hissed glaring at him. “A friendship? Because we don’t even have that thanks to you!”

“It’s not my fault you shut me completely out of your life!”

“What was I supposed to do? I confessed everything to you! I told you how I felt and you threw it back in my face. Did you seriously expect me to continue being your friend?”

“Yes—no, I have no idea!”

“Well guess what Ethan. People don’t work like a machine. You can’t just program a person to do and feel what you want them to because it’s convenient for you.”

“I never thought of you like that.”

“Sure, you just wanted the physical without everything else, right?”

“No, that isn’t what I wanted.”

“Then what did you want? What were you expecting?”

“I don’t know. I have no idea what I was thinking but now—”

“Now, now what?”

“Now, I can’t stop thinking about you, or thinking about how much I want you.”

“Well I’m sorry Ethan, but now is just too late.” I muttered backing up some more. I pulled my keys out of my pocket and turned away from him as I jogged quickly towards my car. I sat inside and placed my head against the steering wheel, waiting for my tears to start falling. I was still waiting once I reached my house and parked my car and I was still waiting when my little sister attacked me inside.

“What the hell did you do to Ethan!” she shrieked jumping on my back and tackling me to the floor. I yelled in surprise and hit my chin against the carpet as she grabbed my hair and began to pull. My little sister was a vicious squirrel when she wanted to be.

“What the fu—” I replied flipping onto my back and slamming her beneath me. Those extra pounds I’d added on after my failed swimming career really worked in a fight. I turned over and sat on top of her as her arms flailed wildly around us. I grabbed onto them and pinned her wrists above her head. “What is wrong with you!”

“Ethan called me in a hysterical saying you’d denied him, are you insane!” she yelled kicking and squirming with her pelvis and legs in order to get me off of her. We wrestled back and forth on the floor while yelling at each other.

“I didn’t deny him anything that he can’t get from someone else!”

“He doesn’t want it from someone else he wants it from you!”

“It’s too late for that!”

“Well you better change your mind quickly!”

“Well why have you been flirting with him the last couple of days?”

“Because I like him!”

“Then take him!”

“I would if he wasn’t so obsessed with you!”

“Well how the hell am I supposed to know that!”

“You could open your eyes for starters!”

“You’re insane!”

“You’re ridiculous!”

“I really hate you sometimes!”

“Ahem—” Willie and I looked up from our wrestling on the floor to see none other than Ethan standing in our living room watching up with a coy smile on his face. He leaned against the wall with his arms and ankles crossed and I felt like slapping him. “There’s just something I love about coming over to this house and finding you two in a compromising position.”

“Shut up” Willie said with a roll of her eyes.

“Pig,” I muttered pushing Willie off of me from where she’d had me pinned.

“I’ll leave you to it, then.” Willie said slapping me on the butt before leaving the room. I glared towards her before turning back to Ethan with a scowl.

“Didn’t we just finish our conversation?” I asked with a snarl.

“No, I don’t think we did.”

“Really? Because it was pretty much finished to me.”

“I wasn’t ready for it to be over.”

“Tough, you don’t always get what you want in life.”

“Obviously.”

“Can I help you with something?”

“You could ask me what I want?”

“I don’t care about what you want.”

“Ouch, that one hurt.”

“Good, go find someone who cares.”

“Come on Weslie, have a heart.”

“Sorry, you broke it freshman year.”

“How cliché of you.”

“I know, right?”

“I really hate when you say that.”

“Good, it’ll become my new slogan in life.”

“Could you seriously stop being so wishy-washy for one second and listen to me?”

“Wishy-washy? How am I being the wishy-washy one?”

“Because you don’t have a backbone. You like to pretend you do but in reality you’re a second away from breaking down.” He said finally pushing off the wall and walking towards me. I was still sitting on the floor of my living room and started to crab crawl backwards when he got closer.

“I. Hate. You.” I hissed emphasizing each word specifically so he wouldn’t be misunderstood about what I said or how I meant it.

“I know.” He said nodding his head understandingly but completely ignoring me at the same time. He’d backed me up against my wall as he stood over me in an intimidating nature. The next thing I knew he’d crouched down in front of me and cupped my head in his hands. I gasped as he pulled me closer towards him and pressed his forehead against mine. I closed my eyes and waited for his next move.

He kissed me harder than I’d expected him to. Harder and with more urging than he had three years ago. I melted at the touch of his lips against mine. I couldn’t help wanting to forgive him for everything. I wanted to forget what he’d done and start over, clean slate, new year.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down against me. He fell back onto the floor and sprawled his legs out in front of him as I pressed my pelvis against his. He leaned back on the carpet so I was lying on top of him as our mouths urged each other forward. His hands went beneath my shirt as his fingers massaged my skin. I pressed my tongue against his teeth and demanded entrance inside.

“Holy shit—” Willie shrieked walking back into the family room. She spun around immediately and threw her arms over her eyes as she did so.

“Jesus,” I hissed pushing myself off of Ethan and scrambling away from him. He sighed in aggravation and jumped off of the ground as well before turning towards both of us.

“If you guys were going to devour each other you could’ve given me some warning, or at least gone to your room.” Willie insisted refusing to turn around or uncover her eyes.

“Relax, we’re light years away from each other again.” Ethan muttered towards Willie as he glared towards me.

“What are you glaring at me for?” I insisted scowling towards him and placing my hands on my hips.

“No reason,” he muttered

“Probably because you’re going to accuse him of jumping your bones.” Willie snorted while still staring at the wall.

“He did jump my bones!” I insisted pointing towards him while looking at Willie who was a lost cause. “Would you turn around and face us!”

“No way, you guys are probably undressing each other with your eyes.” She said with a growl.

“We are not”

“I am now.” Ethan insisted staring me up and down slowly.

“Stop it you ass.” I hissed towards him.

“She’s the one who suggested it.”

“Right, because you do everything my little sister tells you to do.”

“Not anymore since this plan worked out so well.”

“You weren’t supposed to tell her!” Willie yelled turning around to finally face us.

“Plan? What plan?” I demanded of both of them not knowing who to send my death glare towards.

“It was nothing, and yes it did work since you two were sucking face a few minutes ago.”

“Lapse of bad judgment, don’t think it’ll ever happen again.” I muttered choosing to glare towards Ethan.

“See, this is why you’re so wishy-washy.” He growled running his hands through his hair and pointing towards me. My mouth fell open in a gape as I stared at him. He couldn’t be serious, right? I was so not wishy-washy for heaven sake.

“How the hell am I wishy-washy, Ethan?”

“You were making out with me a second ago—” he started to explain

“Ew, ew, ew!” Willie yelled covering her ears with her hands. I rolled my eyes towards her and turned back to listen to Ethan explanation.

“—and you were obviously just as into it as I was because, lets face it babe, you weren’t exactly pushing me off or anything, and now you’re claiming it was bad judgment and you’ll never let it happen again. When we both know you will.”

“Doubt it.” I challenged him. “Just because I got caught up in the moment doesn’t mean I’m a wishy-washy person.”

“Yes you are, and I’m probably the only one who’s going to put up with it. So you have no choice but to suck it up and date me.” he grinned as if he’d won some victory.

“You can’t demand that I date you,” I snapped

“Oh yes I can,” he replied with a snort.

“How do you think you’ll swing that one?”

“I’ll just tell everyone you’re off limits. And with my popularity and that of my cousins, word will get around the entire school and pretty soon it’ll be known that you’re mine.”

“It is possible to date someone outside of school, you do know that right?” I said triumphantly. I couldn’t believe Ethan and I were having this argument. It seemed like something that would happen in the twilight zone. I mean it’s not like we’ve talked at all in the past three years and now we’re arguing about dating. Unbelievable.

“But you won’t.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Stop making things so difficult, Weslie!” Willie shouted from her corner where she stood with her arms crossed. I saw her roll her eyes towards me and I narrowed mine towards her with a low growl.

“I’m not making things difficult; though I’m sure they’d be easier if Ethan here hadn’t schmoozed up to you all weekend. Then I wouldn’t have to picture the two of you having sex on the couch.”

“Oh please,” Willie replied with another eye roll. I swear they were going to get stuck like that if she did it enough. “Ethan’s too crazy about you to do anything with me. He wasn’t about to jeopardize that. And on another note he was only over here last night to see you but you were too stubborn to stay in and instead left.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, you kept saying—” I stated pointing towards her before she interrupted.

“Just because I didn’t want you there doesn’t mean he didn’t.” she said pointing towards Ethan instead. I shot a glance towards him and he flashed me an innocent smile. I grimaced and turned back towards my little sister.

“Forget this, I’m leaving for good this time and when I come back I hope you two have this settled.” Willie said turning and leaving the room. I almost wanted to call her back in here because being alone with Ethan only meant trouble. I could tell.

We stood in front of each other staring without talking. Neither of us seemed to want to make the first move. I already said my bit earlier and I was standing firm to my decision. Especially because I didn’t trust him with an ounce of my life.

“Would you stop glaring towards me.” he snapped towards me placing his hands low on his hips while watching me.

“I’m not glaring.” I replied raising my eyebrows.

“Fine, you’re not glaring, but would you stop being so stubborn—”

“I’m not being stubborn.” I demanded almost stamping my foot in frustration.

“Yes you are.” Ethan replied walking towards me slowly. I stood my ground and watched his movements, ready to leap out of the way if he were to try anything again. “If you would stop this little tantrum you have going and just—just agree to go on a date with me. That’s all I ask.”

“Why should I give you anything? Even one date, after what you did to me?”

“Because everyone deserves to be forgiven at some point in their life. I’m honestly sorry and regretful for what I did to you freshman year. I was young and immature and that I was a hot shot like my cousins who both play it off a lot better than I do.”

“Isn’t that the truth?” I snorted turning up to look at him. I hadn’t realized he’d stopped directly in front of me until that second. I took a deep sigh and smelled the Calvin Klein cologne he was wearing. The sensation caused my breath come out slow and shaky as my pulse sped up. Ethan reached forward and ran his finger along my jaw line before cupping my face with his palm and tilting it upwards. “One date,”

“Mmhmm,” he replied leaning towards me and lightly pressing his lips against mine. It was sweet and sultry at the same time. My mind was running in circles and couldn’t seem to concentrate on Ethan Stone standing in my living room, kissing me of all people.

A/N: Another one shot that I've had stored away in the depths of my computer. I pulled it out and finished it because of boredom and lack on inspiration for my other stories. But they shall be updated shortly. I'm forcing myself to write for the rest of the week since I'm not working and not taking summer classes...I've been very lazy this summer. Oh well, Hope you all enjoy and thank you dearly for the reviews!