Page 57 of The Summer We Played Pretend

A voice cuts through the haze, sharp and furious. My head jerks toward the sound, and my stomach drops. Ethan stands at the edge of the garden, his face a mask of fury. Chloe stiffens in my arms.

“What the hell?” he demands.

Shit. Why is Ethan home already?

I quickly drop my hand to my side and Chloe scrambles to straighten her clothes, but I can see her top strap has slipped down her shoulder. Her hair is mussed, cheeks flushed. She looks beautiful.

And like we just had an insanely sexy make out session.

I slowly stand and face Ethan. His gaze darts between us, frowning. I watch as realization dawns, his open mouth settling into a firm line and his eyes narrowing. He balls his fists at his side.

Chloe stands up next to me and I shift slightly in front of her. The air crackles with tension, thick enough to choke on.

"What the hell is this?” Ethan gestures between us.

I raise my hands. "Ethan, I can explain—"

"Explain?" He takes two big strides toward us. "Explain why you're all over my sister when she just got dumped? Are you seriously taking advantage of her right now?"

His accusation stings, but I get it. If I were in his shoes, seeing my best friend with my little sister like this, I'd probably lose it too.

"It's not like that," I say, drawing in a deep breath and wishing Ethan would take a moment too. This is not how I wanted this to go down and it does not look good. "Chloe and I, we—"

"We what, Jackson?" Ethan's face is flushed red. "Go on, tell me how this isn't exactly what it looks like."

Chloe grips my arm, her short nails digging in. I glance at her and realize she’s fighting to figure out how to explain it too.

"This isn't me just taking advantage. I care about her, Ethan. More than you know.”

Ethan scoffs, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. "Right. Because you've always been so interested in my sister before now.When she had a boyfriend.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I can’t tell him I’ve been thinking about Chloe differently for a while now. He’d never trust me again.

"People change," I say carefully. "Feelings change. What Chloe and I have...it's real."

For a moment, I think I see a flicker of something – doubt? understanding? – in Ethan's eyes. But it's gone in an instant, replaced by a renewed surge of protective anger.

"Save it," he growls. "I want you out of here. Now."

I stand my ground, even as my insides twist with fear. Fear of losing my best friend, of hurting Chloe, of everything falling apart. But I can't back down. Not now. Not when it matters most.

Chloe loosens her grip on my arm and steps forward. "I'm not stupid, Ethan," she says, her voice steady despite the slight quiver in her hands. "I know what I'm doing."

I want to reach out and take her hand, to show Ethan how much we care for each other, but I resist. It won’t help matters right now.

Ethan's nostrils flare as he turns his attention to Chloe. "Mom told me how heartbroken you were, Chlo. You're not in the right frame of mind for this."

“Listen, man,” I say. “We were going to tell you when you got back from traveling. This isn't some spur-of-the-moment thing."

I can see the conflict in Ethan's eyes, the battle between his protective instincts and our years of friendship.

"We didn't plan this," I continue. "It just...happened. But I swear to you, I would never do anything to hurt Chloe. Or you."

Ethan's eyes narrow, his jaw clenching as he closes the gap between us. “Dude, you forget I know you. I know your past. If you think I'm going to stand by and watch you take advantage of my sister, you're dead wrong.”

The threat in his voice is clear, and I feel my own muscles tensing in response. But I stand my ground, unwavering. Chloe means too much to me to back down now.

"What Chloe and I have is real, and I'm not going to apologize for it."

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