Page 79 of Trick or Treat Nurse at My Feet
"It's okay, Tyler. Really. I've handled worse." His voice sounds calm, but the closed-off look on his face makes me worry.
"It's not okay," I insist. "The way she kept bringing up Cher and refusing to see our relationship was rude to both of us."
Ethan sighs, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Parents can be complicated. Every Christmas, my parents still send me articles about therapy at the church." He attempts a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "At least your dad was nice."
"He was, wasn't he?" Trying to focus on the bright spot in tonight’s disaster. "I think he likes you."
"He seems great," Ethan agrees. "Very supportive."
We walk to Gavin's car without speaking, both stuck in our own heads. As I unlock the doors, I glance at Ethan. The streetlight shines on his face, and he looks far away.
"Hey," I say softly. "Are we okay?"
He looks up, seeming to come back from wherever his thoughts had taken him. "Of course we are. Why wouldn't we be?"
"I don't know. You just seem... far away."
Ethan shakes his head. "I'm just processing. It brought up some stuff about my parents."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not tonight," he says, offering a small smile. "Tonight, I just want to go back to your place and forget this dinner happened."
Pulling him into my arms, I hold him close. "I can help with that," I murmur against his hair. "And Ethan? Thank you for doing this. For meeting them, even though it was hard."
He looks up at me, his green eyes serious. "I'd do much harder things for you, Tyler Landis."
The way he says it, so sure and honest, makes my chest feel strange. I lean down to kiss him, trying to show him everything I'm feeling. How thankful I am, how sorry I am about dinner, and something bigger inside me that I'm not quite ready to put into words yet.
When we break apart, I rest my forehead against his. "Let's go home."
On the drive back to campus, Ethan is quieter than usual, looking out the window as the city lights blur past. I reach over to take his hand, and he squeezes mine, but his mind seems elsewhere.
The question won't stop circling my mind. Was tonight a catastrophic mistake? Has bringing Ethan to meet my parents so early damaged the something still growing between us?
My chest feels tight just thinking about it. In a short time, Ethan has become more important to me than I ever thought possible. I can't stand the thought of losing him because my mom was so close-minded.
"I meant what I said to my mom," I say suddenly. "You'rewhat's best for me right now. I don't want you to doubt that because of anything she said."
Ethan turns to me, his expression softening. "I don't doubt you, Tyler."
But I can't shake the feeling that something's changed, that a seed of doubt has taken root. As we pull into the frat house parking lot, I make a quiet promise to myself that I'll show Ethan what we have is real, no matter what my mom or anyone else thinks.
Chapter 20
Experiment or Experience?
ETHAN
Icheck my phone for the third time in five minutes. Five texts from Tyler, each making my chest tighten with guilt.
Tyler
Morning Ethan. Miss you.
Tyler
Study session at the library later?
