I nod. "I need you here all weekend." I press my forehead to his. "Promise you'll stay."
His voice is sweet, earnest. "You need me here?"
"Yes."
"Then I promise I'll be here." He presses his lips to mine.
I sigh as I pull back. Ethan will be here, in my apartment, all weekend. We have a whole weekend to explore New York City and to christen my bed as ours.
This is good.
No, this is great.
I turn the lock, open the door for Ethan, and step inside.
Athena is sitting in our tiny living room on the couch. Her long hair is in a ponytail. She's wearing makeup—something she never does when she's home alone.
She takes us in with a knowing look. "You were right. He is hotter in person. Especially as a Yankees fan."
Ethan laughs as he takes his baseball cap off. "Afraid I prefer the Angels."
"That's okay. Different leagues. Besides, we could kick your ass any day of the week."
"Those are fighting words," he says.
"Bring it on." She holds up her hands as fists in a playful let's go stance. "I'm not a guitarist. I don't have to worry about my hands." She winks at me. "Though, I guess Violet worries about your hands too so—"
"Oh God." My cheeks turn red. I hide behind my hands for a moment then I collect my senses. "Athena, this is Ethan. Ethan, this is Athena. She lives right there." I point to her door. "She goes to NYU too, but undergrad."
They shake hands and exchange hellos.
She turns to me. Her voice shifts to that tone that means she's up to something. "You know, Violet, it's rude to ignore your best friend." Athena looks to Ethan with approval. "I understand your reasons, but I can't excuse them. I just want you to know that you earned the embarrassment you're about to receive."
Oh God.
Ethan's eyes light up. "Did she?"
"Oh, she did." Athena leans against the wall. Her eyes meet Ethan's. "The first time we talked about you, it was because I caught sight of Violet's 'Dangerous Noise' Google alert. I was gushing about how hot your lead singer is—"
Ethan laughs. "We get that a lot."
"The way he sings all breathy and groaning. It's—" She fans herself. "I know he's your brother, but you must realize it."
Again, Ethan laughs.
"Violet let me go on and on. She sat there nodding, until she blurted out that the two of you used to date."
Ethan laughs. "Did she?"
"Turns out, she also has a Google alert just for you."
Ethan looks at me. He raises a brow to say is this true?
I keep my lips zipped. It's bad enough my cheeks are burning.
"I had to talk her down a few times after she saw you photographed with a lingerie model." Athena laughs. "She was so jealous I thought she'd turn green."
"You were jealous?" Ethan's voice is earnest.