Page 17 of Trick or Treat Nurse at My Feet
His eyes are on my chest as he stumbles over his words. The way his gaze lingers, even if just for a moment, makes me think I have a chance if I can get up the nerve to ask him out.
Ethan still holds my hoodie, his glittery costume catching the outdoor lights. I hesitate before taking it, my mind racing.
I don't want him to leave yet. This is my chance.
"Thanks for letting me join in," he says with a smile that makes my chest tight. "That was fun."
"You were a natural," I say, noticing how the rest of the guys are still laughing and joking about how his date bolted. I clutch the hoodie, searching for some reason to keep him here. "We could use another person inside for half an hour or so. One of our guys had to leave early for a midterm study session."
While I'm figuring out what to say next, Gavin saves the day. He's followed us out of the tent; he always does when there's chaos. The furry face and bloody axe of his werewolf-lumberjack costume should be terrifying, but his grin ruins the effect. Gavin grins at me when he sees the back of Ethan's costume.
"Dude, you were epic in there!" Gavin booms, slapping Ethan on the back. "The way you howled. Pure genius!" He looks from Ethan to me, a sly grin on his face. "VP here is right, we're shorthanded tonight. Could definitely use someone with your, uh, theatrical talents."
Play it cool, Tyler. Don't seem desperate.
"Only if you want to," I add with a casual shrug that I hope doesn't look as forced as it feels. "No pressure."
Ethan looks over at Gavin, and I immediately notice his eyes widen slightly. Dammit. I know that look. Everyone has it when they first see Gavin; it's like watching someone spot a celebrity.
He's beaming that big smile that makes all the girls sigh, and it seems to have the same effect on Ethan. I don't like him smiling at Gavin like that. At all.Fuck, I want him to look at me like that, not stupid Gavin. Okay, he's not stupid. But damn, give me a chance.
I move closer to Ethan, positioning myself subtly between them. It's not that I don't trust Gavin; he's my bestfriend and straight, but I've spent weeks working up the courage to talk to this guy, and now Gavin's massive presence is pulling focus.
"You should totally hang out with us tonight after too!" Gavin beams, steamrolling over the fact that Ethan hasn't agreed to anything yet.
I hold my breath, watching Ethan's reaction. His eyes dart between us, then sweep across the group of frat brothers. I've seen that cautious look before from girls invited to a party with us; the mental gymnastics of whether a group of frat guys is safe. But then something shifts. His shoulders relax, and a new spark in his eyes makes my stomach flip.
"Uh, yeah, I'd love to," he answers, his hesitation still there but calming down.
Gavin pulls Ethan against his side with an easy familiarity. "We're having a Halloween party at the frat house," he explains. "You just have to come so we can protect you from other scaredy-cat boyfriends."
"Ex-boyfriend," Ethan corrects, emphasizing the 'ex' with surprising firmness.
Gavin grins. "Even better! Then it's settled." He pulls a laughing, if slightly confused, Ethan along, throwing a wink at me over Ethan's head. "I got you," he mouths silently.
"Thank you," I mouth back, relieved.
Ethan is still taking covert glances at my chest, his eyes darting away when I catch him looking. Something hot flickers through me, a feeling I've only had with a few guys. My skin tingles, and I instinctively puff out my chest a little. I've left the hoodie open, and I can see his eyes dart across my chest again.
"So it's a plan? Twenty more minutes of scaring, then party time?" I ask, my voice coming out a touch deeper than usual.
He still looks unsure until Gavin pulls his patented retriever-begging puppy eyes, a look no one can resist. Taj, who'd been taking tickets at the tent's door, chimes in, too, "You've got a wicked yell! It would be awesome if you stayed."
"Free drinks for the night," Taj adds with a tempting grin.
"I don't drink much," Ethan admits.
"No pressure. Just stay, hang out, have fun."
With both Gavin's puppy eyes and the guys' friendly smiles, Ethan finally nods in agreement. He steals one more glance at me, lingering a half-second longer this time, and a thrill shoots through my body. And just like that, my night has taken an unexpected and awesome turn.
As the three of us head back into the fun house tent, Gavin adopts a terrible British accent and nudges me.
"I see you managed to get your shirt off!" Gavin says with an exaggerated wink. We watched Galaxy Quest a few weeks ago, and I swear he's trying to drive us crazy with his imitations of the late, great Alan Rickman. "Works every time, doesn't it?"
My face heats up, and I'm sure it’s turning red. "Shut up, Gav. It's part of the costume."
Ethan glances between us, fighting a smile. "Wait, did you... plan to be shirtless?"
