𝙼𝚢 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝙼𝚛. 𝙶𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝙵𝚊𝚌𝚎

CHAPTER III

I was seated next to Tara on the living room couch. I wanted Ethan to be on the couch so I could lay my head on his lap. However, he was sitting in the chair.

I kept trying to signal him to come over, but he wasn't paying me any mind. He took too long to get up, and by then, Tara had already laid her head on my lap.

I turned my head back to the TV because Ethan wasn't giving me any attention. Anika walked by both of us. Then, finally, he locked eyes with me.

I blew a kiss to Anika, but he thought it was for him. He smiled and pretended to catch the heart.

"That was for Anika, not you," I laughed, and he pouted.

Anika laughed and tried to blow a kiss back, but Mindy ran in front of me to catch it.

"Hey! That was my kiss!" I pouted, and Mindy laughed.

"My girlfriend can only give me kisses!" Mindy teased before kissing Anika. They are so cute. I wish that could be Ethan and me.

Ethan made hand gestures, signaling me to come to him. I couldn't help but feel my stomach flutter when I looked at him.

I was about to get up to sit on the edge of the chair, but then I heard the sound of the news. That made my heart beat quickly.

"Holy shit," Mindy said, looking at all of us, then back at the TV.

"Where's Sam?" I began to panic. Ethan got up from the chair to sit next to me. He tried to calm me down as Chad quickly ran out of the apartment to go find my cousin.

A few seconds later, Sam and a cute boy walked through the front door. I smirked at my cousin before staring back at the TV. Everyone else stared at them immediately. Sam stared back, confused.

"What's going on?" Sam asked as she walked in, and Chad pointed toward the TV screen.

"Cute boy... nice," Quinn said, pointing at him. My cousin obviously didn't want us to know, but I already knew.

She walked in with hickeys one night, acting like I wouldn't see them. But let me stay focused. I continued to watch the screen.

Please don't tell me it's Ghostface.

"Holy shit, that's that dude from our film studies class," Mindy said, looking towards Tara, Ethan, and me.

You've got to be kidding me!

As the group listened to the new information coming from the TV, Tara and I looked up at Sam. Sam looked around before walking into the kitchen.

What are we going to do?

"Pack a bag. We leave in ten," Sam said as everyone's eyes followed her movements.

"Sam, wait! Sam!" Tara said as she got up from her seat to follow her sister. I stood up too because I don't want to leave New York.

I don't want to leave Ethan...

"We're getting out of the city," Sam said, making the cute boy open his mouth to speak.

"What—" he started, but was cut off by Chad.

Chad waved him off as he pushed the cute boy towards the front door. "Thank you very much, suspicious new guy, but I think we've got it from here," Chad reassured him before pushing him out the door and closing it.

I walked toward Chad and stared at him."Now that was rude," I said, rolling my eyes at Chad.

"He's suspicious, he could be a suspect," Chad suggested.

I lifted my head, looking at the older girl as Tara rushed after Sam. "Sam, you can't be serious!" I exclaimed, watching Tara and Sam in the kitchen.

Ethan turned, looking at Tara and Sam with an unreadable expression before glancing back at me. "Is Sam actually being serious?" he asked, and I shrugged.