Falling For My Nemesis

But Ethan hovered in the entryway like a sentinel, rigid and unwavering. “I’m sure whatever it is can wait,” he said. “Right, Carson?”

Carson closed his mouth and gave my hand a little squeeze, offering me a smile, “Uh, yeah. Sure.”

I deflated, hoping Ethan didn’t notice my disappointment, but when I turned back toward the entryway to grab my coat, his eyes were on me. I avoided his gaze the entire time as I grabbed my jacket and slipped on my boots. It wasn’t his fault I was disappointed. We got interrupted. Big deal. Carson and I could pick up where we left off. It’s not like Ethan knew what I was feeling. I hadn’t exactly been open with him about how I felt toward Carson.

It was an awkward thing—telling your best friend the boy you wanted was his brother.

???

I extended my box of Goobers toward Ethan once more, but he shook his head.

This wasn’t how it worked with us.

He always ordered a large popcorn with extra butter, and I got the Goobers, while he pretended to hate them but ended up eating half the box. We usually switched snacks a quarter of the way through. But Ethan hadn’t ordered anything except a soda, and so far, he hadn’t so much as touched a Goober.

What the heck?

I sighed and turned my attention back to the screen where the latest Marvel superhero movie played in all its HD digital glory. Ethan was a huge fan of these action flicks, and I never complained because occasionally he’d sit through one of my chick flicks. Besides, the men on these films had some serious muscles in their skintight costumes. All in all, it was worth the trade.

But today I wasn’t into it. I kept getting lost in my thoughts, wondering why Ethan was so quiet. There were no jokes between us. No laughter when one of the characters did something super unrealistic or cheesy. No Ethan leaning toward me to explain what was happening because he intrinsically knew I was confused. No stealing my candy. Nothing.

It was excruciating.

By the time the credits rolled, I was more than ready for the movie to be over.

We headed back to Ethan’s house in my car, and when I pulled up to the curb, instead of pulling into the driveway, he glanced at me like I had just punched him. “You’re not coming up to hang out?”

I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated, and suddenly annoyed at him. “I don’t know. Should I? You’re not exactly talking to me. I figured you didn’t want me around.”

A moment passed before Ethan’s gaze softened, and he was my best friend again. “Come on. When do I not want to hang out?”

I debated a second before turning off the ignition and following him out of the car and into the house.

“You hungry?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I’ll take some water, though.”

Ethan headed for the kitchen and returned with a bottle of water. “Here.” He handed it to me. “My mom says hello. She’s working on the bills at the table, or she’d come out.”

I cupped my hands around my mouth and hollered, “Hello, Mrs. Brooks.”

“You wanna take these up?” Ethan asked, nodding toward the stairs.

“Sure.”

I followed Ethan up to his bedroom, where I took a seat on the edge of his bed, cross-legged. He flopped down next to me, and the awkward silence that plagued us all evening came back.

r /> I could see the glazed-over expression he’d had all evening returning, and I couldn’t take it anymore. Something was up, and I wanted to know what. “What’s going on?”

Ethan wouldn’t meet my eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Are you serious, Ethan?” I paused, waiting to see if he’d help me out. When he didn’t, I hesitated before I took a deep breath and plunged right into what I thought was the crux of the problem. “Are you really that mad at me for hanging out with Carson?”

His eyes slid to mine, the hazel turning amber under the soft light.

But he said nothing, which only annoyed me more. “Because if you are, that’s seriously unfair. You’ve been spending time with Beth, and I’m not all bent out of shape about it.”

“That’s different,” he said.