Who would have thought?

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Everest's POV

"I hate you."

"Why?"

"I'm kidding."

He smiles. "I know."

"What if I wasn't lying?" I ask. His smile grows.

"I'll know for a fact when you hate me," he says calmly.

I head involuntarily turns sideways, and I reach for eye contact. 

He looks at the ground instead, shuffling his weight from one leg to the other. 

"I'll know if you truly hate me, because then I'll hate myself."

"Ethan-"

"No really, I could never live with myself if I knew you hated me."

"Your'e the best best friend any girl could ever have. You do know that, right?"

He finally looked up from the ground, but with his eyes.  

"Really, I'm so grateful to say the one and only, Ethan Oliver Elmers, is my best friend."

He lifts his head and gently lifts my chin with his hand. 

For a moment, I think he's going to kiss me. 

He drops his hand instead.

"I wonder what Lauren is doing right now."

The sentence hits me. Hard.

I step back and away. He awkwardly fishes out his phone from his pocket.. 

Four months ago, I replayed that moment in my head every night before I fell asleep. 

For four months straight, I kept thinking about how badly I wanted his mouth on mine. 

He never left my mind. 

To this day, he remains there. 

I'm surprised I can manage all A's.

---

"You're staring, Everest," says Hannah.

I drop the fry from my hand and glare at her. 

Ethan strides to the table. He doesn't seem to notice me -or Lauren -staring. 

Ever since the two broke up, she's claimed her spot with her friends. 

'I'm thrilled' would be an understatement. 

Ethan plops his tray next to mine, followed by Mark, Cole, and Mason. 

Ethan throws his hand under my chair and the other grips the side. He tugs me closer to him and I yelp. 

He chuckles or giggles. I'm not sure if I like the word 'giggle'.

He smirks and rests his hand on the small of my back. I jump when his hand makes contact with my body.

"I make you that nervous, huh," he says quietly. 

I reply with a shrug, trying to act nonchalant.

"How long have you two been a thing?" interrupts Mark.

Ethan and I look up at him simultaneously. 

Lately, Mark has been doing this. He'll ask about Ethan and me. He'll either directly ask us, or he'll question the others in front of us.