Careful: twists and turns up ahead.
Love has never worked out for Ann in the past, and she's long since sworn off of it. But, when her brother starts bringing around a new friend named Ether, everything changes.
At first, they acknowledge their mut...
WARNING: This chapter contains sexual content that is not appropriate for audiences under the age of 17.
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A candid silence stretched between us now. I don't think either of us wanted to risk ruining the mood before it even fully started. So, we sat there, woven in thick tension as he drove. Busying myself with the scurrying landscape, I noticed that we drove past my apartment complex and continued down the highway that would lead us to the next city over. It wasn't far, but I always assumed that he lived closer since he came over so often.
No more than ten minutes later, he parked in front of a complex that looked similar to mine and we got out in succession. No words needed to be spoken besides Ether softly telling me that his apartment was on the third floor.
It might have been forever, it might have been two minutes, but eventually we were standing in front of a gray paneled door as Ether fished his keys out of his pocket.
"Is anyone home?" I whispered, now realizing that I was about to enter foreign territory.
"No." Was the only answer that Ether supplied. Strange, but it wasn't as if my mom was the most present parent in the world.
The door opened all at once and a fresh gust of air greeted me before we even crossed the threshold. Everyone's house has a smell, and his smelled like him and another well-rounded odor that seemed to dominate even his. The other smell, though bellicose, was soft to my senses.
Ether strode forward into the apartment disappearing somewhere in one of the rooms and I stood there awkwardly until I heard his voice call out from wherever he was.
"Please relax yourself." His honeyed tone was more than enticing. Accepting his invitation, I settled into a modular sofa in a shade of what could only be described as blue-gray. It reminded me of my great aunt's sofa, except hers had been completely suffocated in plastic and I was pretty sure the only people welcome to sit on it were actually ghosts because I sure the hell wasn't.
But his couch was devoid of plastic and much softer than it looked, it looked worn too—not in a nasty way, more so in a loved way. I couldn't explain why that notion made a part of my chest ache, but the feeling was gone the moment he re-entered the living space.
"Can I get you something to eat or drink?"
As much as I wanted to deny it, I was still a little hungry after his semi-failed attempt at getting me something sustainable to eat earlier. "I'll just take some crackers and water if you have any."
"Just crackers? I can do better than that, princess."
His tall figure that had been standing over me retreated to a nearby kitchen and there was the sound of him rustling through cabinets before he reappeared holding a bottled water and a plate with a spread of pita crackers and what I could only hope was red pepper hummus.
