Page 8 of Unfolding Ethan

Taking my sheet notes from the holder, I carefully kept them in my backpack. Writing them was one of the hardest things in the world and I didn’t want any of them to crumple.

“No, Paul. I don’t want to date anyone right now.”

He stood up with me, his tall frame towering over me. “We can be friends with benefits if that’s what you want.”

“Sure, when cows can fly,” I said. “See you on Wednesday.”

I didn’t want to go out with him because as soon as I stepped out of the room, he was flirting with my other classmate. Or it was because he was in the swim team of Winter High and both the teams, Summer High and Winter High, had been enemies ever since I could remember.

Ethan had his swim practice and we would go home together in his car, so I decided to wait for him on the bleachers like always. I was surprised to see Katherine sitting beside my seat, sketching in her diary. Waving at Ms. Bennet, who was scolding Lee Chong for being late, I walked toward the bleachers and plopped beside Katherine.

“So, this is how it’s going to happen,” she started, closing her diary. “I talked with Ryan and he’s nice enough to let you two stay at the farmhouse—”

“Isn’t he on vacation?”

“Well, he and his friends are. Not the point. You and your dicker boy can stay there for the night.Alone,” she emphasized.

A chuckle bubbled out of my throat. “Whatever you’re thinking won’t happen, Kat. We are best friends and he just had his heart broken.”

“Ever heard of rebound sex?”

“Yes, but it won’t happen.”

“While you’re busy talking to me, he is staring at you.” Before I could witness, she hissed at me, “Don’t look!”

I laughed nervously, my cheeks getting warm. “Hahaha, really? Can I check?”

“Yes, really. No, wait, Rio is talking to him and he—oh,shoot, he caught me staring at him.”

I shot my friend a glare. “Way to go, Katherine.”

A smile tugged the corner of my lips when I found Ethan gazing at me, his cheeks turning red when I waved at him. His cap was removed, so when he ran a hand through his damp thick hair, it sleeked back. Except for one strand that stuck to his forehead, and it was so distractingly hot that I wanted to run there, tuck it back, and run back here.

I sighed and shuffled in my seat when he turned to Rio—oh, fuck.

My butt slipped from the seat and a sharp sting of pain shot through my left elbow when I awkwardly saved my ass by supporting my weight on the elbow. Katherine let out a loud chortle while I hid my red face behind my hair, sitting back on the chair.

“Quit it,” I muttered, rubbing my elbow.

“You both are so whipped!” she said, wiping a tear.

I ran a hand over my face and looked back at him, watching in awe as his muscles tensed and relaxed when he rolled his shoulders.

“Not both, Kat.” I sighed. “Just me.”

“Okay, but don’t forget to shave everything. You know what I mean?”

“What?”

“Shave. Everything.”

“Katherine, we are not going to touch each other or do the deed. Get those things out of your dirty mind.”

“Whose dirty mind?” Rio asked, a boyish grin tugging his lips.

His hair was damp after the shower, so I figured Ethan must be in the showers. And now I was having very dirty thoughts about my naked best friend wet with water—

Shut.

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