Maybe

Chapter 9 Buttlerflies

After finishing their tasks, everyone settled down for the night. Ethan and his father ventured out for some last-minute errands, leaving Hannah and her mother to reminisce over their old photo albums. As they flipped through the pages, Hannah suddenly spotted Nina passing by and warmly invited her to join them. Nina happily accepted the invitation and settled in beside Hannah, eager to share in the memories and stories of their family's past.

_______

__Nina__

I sat down beside them, feeling a bit of distance since we weren't that close yet, but somehow it already felt like we were family. Everything felt comfortable, especially since my own family members were so busy; being an only child meant I often felt alone.

Hannah showed me a picture and introduced, "This is Ethan." Taking the photo, I couldn't help but react, "No way!"

Her mother chimed in, "Yes, indeed."

"Oh my goodness, he's adorable!" I exclaimed.

"Isn't he? I used to collect stones, and he'd steal them every time!" Hannah chuckled.

"He sounds quite clumsy, huh?" I grinned.

"Yeah! One time, he brought me a flower box. It seemed sweet at first, but when I opened it beside my bed, it was full of spiders and ants! I screamed so loud, I couldn't talk properly for a week," Hannah recalled, and I burst into laughter uncontrollably. Her mother excused herself to attend to some work.

"He should've added some cockroaches too; you might have had a heart attack!" I managed to say between laughs, trying to regain my composure.

"Now you're taking his side," she retorted, her tone edged with frustration. "He was such an asshole."

As I scrolled through more pictures, a pang of longing hit me. He looked too cute; I found myself wanting to go back and hold him. Amidst the photos, I stumbled upon a recent picture of him. I stared at it, struck by how handsome he looked and his infectious smile.

"After all, he's actually a good person," Hannah remarked thoughtfully. "He's really clumsy and playful, but some girls in his class say he comes off as cold. They rarely see him laugh."

"But the thing is, he doesn't like girls who act overly girly around him, calling him 'baby boo' and such. He's hated that kind of attention since childhood. He hardly talks to girls. But when you came into his life, something changed. He would do anything for you, protect you no matter what. He's not a player or someone who would... um, keep a picture," she said to me, her tone serious. "No, it's—" I started to protest.

"Just keep it as a memory of us," she insisted.

The doorbell rang. "Maybe they're here. I'm so excited for tomorrow," she exclaimed, rising from her seat. I kept the picture with me and headed to the kitchen to help her mom.

"Hey," she greeted me as she whipped up brownies. "This smells so good!" I complimented.

"Oh, thanks. I haven't made them in ages," she replied with a smile.

"This reminds me of my grandmother," I reminisced with a smile. "She used to make these whenever I was sad. Eating them became my way of pretending not to be sad."

"Haha, where does she live?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, umm..." I hesitated, the memory catching in my throat. "She passed away when I was 11."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she replied softly.

"No, it's okay," I reassured her quickly. "She was so caring. I only had her beside me."

"Your parents?"

"They're in Paris," I explained. "So, yeah, I'm here alone."

"Oh, so after graduation, you'll go to Paris?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "But feel free to come visit whenever you want."

"It's fine," she said gently.

Just then, Ethan's father walked in and playfully hugged her from behind. I startled at the suddenness of his arrival, quickly looking away to give them their moment. Absentmindedly, I walked out, my eyes cast downward. Lost in thought, I accidentally bumped into someone. Looking up, I saw Ethan standing in front of me.

"Where is mom?" he asked, his brow furrowing with concern.

I gently took his hand in mine and replied, "They're busy."

He seemed to understand and silently led me into his room. With a decisive click, he closed the door behind us, pressing me firmly against it.

"What the hell, Ethan?" I protested, feeling the unexpected closeness.

"They're occupied, so shouldn't we be occupied too?" he murmured, his voice low and teasing.

"Hell no! Let go of me," I retorted, trying to wriggle free.

"Hmm, okay. But first, answer my questions, and you have to be honest," he insisted, his gaze steady.

"Ugh," I groaned, resigned to his interrogation.

"Do you trust me?" he began, his tone unexpectedly serious.

"Of course not!" I shot back defensively.

"If I told you to stay away from Dylan, would you?" he asked pointedly.

"Why though?" I countered, bewildered by his sudden concern.

"His intentions aren't good," Ethan explained cryptically.

"How do you know?" I pressed, genuinely curious.

"I just know," he replied vaguely. 

"Now, tell me what you did to Emily." I echoed.

"Emily?" he asks, caught off guard by the shift in topic. 

"Yeah, I didn't see her anywhere."

"I warned her and told her to stay away from you," he admitted, his voice tinged with a protective edge.

"How did you warn her?" I inquired, sensing there was more to the story.

"What do you mean?" he deflected, avoiding the specifics.

"Why are you asking about her now? She's not here anymore, right?" He pressed further.

"I don't know what's going on between you two," I remarked casually. "She called you a cringy baby."

"So you're jealous?" he teased, unable to resist a smile.

"What? Me, jealous? Nice joke," I scoffed, attempting to play it off.

"Oh, my baby is jealous," he teased further, enjoying my reaction.

"No, I'm not. I'm just happy she's out of our... I mean, out of my way," I corrected himself, stumbling over my words.

"Come on, you can't deny you're into me," he teased playfully, testing the waters.

"Huh, I'm not into you," I insisted, a hint of vulnerability slipping through his confident voice.

He leaned in close, his voice barely above a whisper as he said, "Ely, I know you like me." His deep voice and the warmth of his breath sent a shiver down my spine. My heart raced as I hesitantly replied, "Ethan..."

"Yeah," he confirmed softly.

I felt intoxicated by the moment, wanting to surrender to the feelings swirling inside me. Just as I was about to lose myself, someone called his name from outside. He abruptly opened the door and left, leaving me stunned in the sudden return to reality. "What just happened?" I wondered in a mix of disbelief and embarrassment, my stomach filled with fluttering butterflies. In the days that followed, my attraction to him only deepened, the memory of that moment haunting my thoughts.