Page 25 of Unfolding Ethan

I froze when both men glared at each other.Great, just what I need. I held Ethan’s fist and his mismatched eyes flickered to me, “Can we please go home?”

He was beside me in a second, cradling my face in his hands. “What is it? What happened? Are you okay? Should I call Nurse Gina?”

I let out a weak chuckle holding his hands, and stood up. He helped me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder, and I smiled, knowing I smelled like cinnamon mixed with the musky scent because I was wearing his shirt, which reached my knees.

“I’m fine, Ethan. It’s just a small headache,” I said and looked at Liam, who seemed furious staring between the two of us.

Ethan’s arm tightened around me, pulling me closer, and I leaned on his chest. “I’m just tired,” I mumbled, the headache growing worse in my head, and all I wanted to do was hibernate.

He pecked my hair. “Come on, I am taking you home.”

Everything after that was bits of a blur. I was overthinking about things I shouldn’t think about. Katherine, Volt, and Rio hugged me and said their goodbyes when I sat in the passenger seat of Ethan’s car. He smiled at me when the car started with a soft purr. I remembered him tucking me into the bed and staying with me, doing his homework and checking up on me every five minutes until my mom sent him home because he was worrying too much about me.

I vaguely remembered Ethan kissing my cheek as he left and I clutched the blanket thinking,I can’t tell him, Liam. I am sorry, Ethan.

???

I groaned when Katherine threw another one of my T-shirts over her shoulder, which fell directly over my face. I snatched it down and looked around the mess my best friend had made in my room. My mom was going to scold me if I didn’t clean it by tomorrow.

“Do I really have to go to this stupid frat party?” I asked, closing my diary and safely keeping it in my desk drawer. I picked up my cotton underwear and shoved it into the drawer of my dresser.

She turned around, her hawk-like green eyes squinting at me. “Yes, you have to! Ryan is throwing this party, and everyone from his university and everyone from our high school are going to be there.”

Of course she wants me there. I ran a hand through my hair. She thinks I have turned all sad and quiet after the incident at the pool. Especially after Alice spread a rumor that Liam pushed me in the pool because he was jealous of my relationship with Ethan. It didn’t affect me, but it did affect my mood because it was Friday and all I had done today was complete my assignments, write and read. Until Katherine showed up at my doorstep unannounced.

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I asked and looked in the mirror at my white graphic T-shirt and dark washed denim. I gasped. “Oh, shit. Ma is going to kill me for this.” I tried to scratch off the splotch of red chutney.

She snickered, continuing her hunt for a dress to wear at the party.

“Is Ethan going to be there?”

“Of course he’s invited. I hope you both do theBow-Chika-Wow-Wow!”

“You and your weird vocabulary.”

But personally, I did hope that my best friend and me would dothe Bow-Chika-Wow-Wow. After that skinny dipping, I waswaymore attracted to my best friend than I should have been.

Katherine went to my lingerie dresser and without a shame looked through the contents. She picked out a black lace bralette, “Oh-la-la, this seems exciting.”

“Uh,shukriya?”

She gave it to me, “Go wear this. Now.”

I looked down at the skimpy fabric. “Katherine, I can’t wear it to a frat party. This is a bralette and it’s too revealing.”

She rolled her eyes. “You will be wearing a jacket over it. Try it on with these jeans.”

I reluctantly took my high-waisted black denim and went to get changed. I had B cups, so it was a relief that I wouldn’t need to wear a bra for this, and I found bralettes more comfortable than wired bras. The top hugged my body and even gave my breasts a little cleavage, which was magic. The denim was high-waisted, and I tucked the hem of my bralette underneath it. It wasn’t as revealing as I thought it would be, and I looked quite classy if I said so myself. It covered all my private bits with sheer lace over my waist.

“I am wearing a jacket over it,” I said as soon as I stepped out of the bathroom.

Katherine whistled, checking me out. “I swear, if I had a dick, I would bang the shit out of you.”

“Not creepy at all.” I wore a black leather jacket that reached my torso and wore gold hoop earrings with my dainty necklace.

Katherine changed into her navy-blue dress, which ended at her knees, hugging all her curves and accentuating them. Ryan’s jaw was going to drop, and he would have a hard time keeping men and women from checking her out. She looked like she was on a mission when she curled her blond hair and added some waves in my hair.

She did my makeup because I didn’t trust myself to do smoky eyes or else I was sure I would look like a raccoon. After doing my makeup she told me to apply red lipstick, and I was surprised how much one swipe of red lipstick could change your whole look.

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