Page 89 of Don't Love the Boy Next Door
“But…but he told me he wants to be friends.”
She’s quiet for a second. “Maybe he thinks that’s what you want. But don’t wait until it’s too late. Go after him, Phoenix. Be happy.”
Be happy? With Ethan?
***
I’m muttering to myself as Katie and I enter the school building the next day. I couldn’t sleep all night because I kept thinking about Ethan and telling him how I feel. I went back and forth, trying to decide if I should go through with it. What if he tells me he only sees me as a friend? Or what if he doesn’t want to be with me because of what happened with his brother and Katie?
I guess the worst that could happen is he’d say no. He already hurt me, so why not add more to the pile?
But gosh, I don’t want him to hurt me again. I think I might actually feel it deep this time.
“Stop talking yourself out of it,” Katie tells me as we walk down the hall to our lockers. “I mean, I don’t want to tell you what to do, but I wish you’d talk to him.” She tilts her head in the distance, where Ethan is with a group of fans. Again, he’s not really paying attention to them.
His head lifts and when he takes me in, a bright smile spreads on his face and his eyes light up. It’s like he’s seeing someone special. Special? Nah, I’m seeing things.
But then his smile drops, like he notices the expression of indifference on my face. It’s not how I feel…I’m just way, way too nervous to speak to him, to even see him. Telling him how I feel is so scary. What if he laughs in my face?
Katie slips her hand in mine. “He can’t keep his eyes off you, Phoenix. You can do this. Show him that his feelings aren’t one-sided. The two of you could have this crazy epic romance that you’ve wanted so badly since you were little.”
She’s right, I have. But there’s nothing romantic about Ethan and me. We’re enemies—wereenemies. And now we’re friends. That’s it.
But gosh, why does my stomach fizz when his beautiful blue eyes meet mine and hold them like he’s entrapped by me?
The girls push and tug him, but he doesn’t break his gaze from me once. He looks so…so good. So humble for some reason. I mean, he’s still the most popular guy at school, but I see it differently now. He’s not letting it go to his head. Heck, it looks like he doesn’t think he deserves it. Or wants it.
I intake a deep breath, then slowly release it. “Okay, I’m doing this.” There are only a few minutes before first bell and if I want to get this over with, then I’d better act now.
Katie hugs me. “Good luck.”
I breathe in a few more gulps of air before forcing my way over to him. This is crazy. I’m not normally this nervous. Why’s it different with him?
Ethan’s eyebrows rise as I draw nearer. But then they drop, like he assumes I’m passing by to get to class. When I stop before him, though, his eyes fill with shock.
The crowd of girls is just as massive as usual. I force a wide smile at them. “I need to talk to Ethan, so can you all please leave?”
Most glare at me, others roll their eyes. Some look confused.
“It’s about a school project,” I lie. “Ineed to talk to him.”
Ethan’s eyebrows furrow like he has no idea what I’m talking about, since we already finished our project. But he must realize I’m using it as an excuse, because he asks them to leave in the kindest and gentlest way. It makes my heart skip a few beats.
They protest, each grabbing various parts of him, but he flinches back, telling them they really need to go or he’ll fail the class and won’t be able to play football. That snaps something inside them and they slide away, talking and yelling over one another.
Ethan and I face each other. He leans against the lockers, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head back to push the hair out of his eyes. “What’s so important that you had to lie again? First the bug and now this?” He clicks his tongue. “You’re going to corrupt me.”
Normally I’d have some snappy retort, but I’m so nervous I can’t think straight. And my knees are wobbling so hard I’m not sure they can support me. I casually rest my shoulder against the locker near the one he’s leaning on.
“Sorry, but there’s no other way to get rid of them.”
He chuckles lightly.
“How do you stand it?” I roll my eyes. “Right. You love it.”
He straightens on the locker. “Actually, I don’t. I hate it.” He shrugs. “But I can’t get rid of them without sounding like a jerk. I need them to support me and the team.”
“Right.”
