Ethan's POV (Bonus Book)

Chapter 54

Damn it, Ethan. Read, the stupid question and stop looking at her.

That was the sentence I repeatedly had to keep telling myself as I lay stomach down on Mia's bed, staring down at my notes. And when I mean, repeatedly, I fucking meant, repeatedly.

After leaving school, I'd driven the two of us to Mia's house where we were now attempting to study in her room before dinner.

I use the word attempt, considering for the past hour since we'd been working, my eyes kept jumping up to catch glances of her for no apparent reason.

Okay, fine there were reasons – many actually. One of which included staring a little too hard at Mia's lips whenever she laughed at one of my jokes and another including admiring how well Mia filled out the short black elastic shorts she had changed into.

I was trying desperately to be on my best behaviour and not distract her, but as time pressed on, the urge to try to start something up was becoming that much harder to fight.

Just as I started on the next problem, Mia swivelled around in her desk chair until she was facing me.

"What did you get for number ten?" she called out.

I flicked my eyes up to meet hers amusedly. "Trying to cheat, are we Chubs?" I teased. I couldn't resist making fun, knowing full well she had been avoiding asking for my help for quite some time now, given the fact she'd been cursing at the page under her breath for the last few minutes.

If Mia, was anything, she was fucking prideful, and the competitiveness that she seemed to have towards me back when she hated me, hadn't well and truly died.

Mia huffed, her eyes narrowing. "No, I just want to compare answers, that's all!" she snapped defensively.

"Liar," I coughed under my breath.

"Shut up, you idiot, and just tell me what you got," she snapped in frustration. Her face looked a cross between a kicked puppy and something that looked very ready to pounce across the room and kill me. I liked the pouncing part, not so much the killing.

Finally deciding to give in, I let out a long playfully dramatic sigh before flipping back a page or so to get to the question she was on. I ran a finger down the page, until I got to my answer.

"I got eighty-nine-point six X," I replied back.

As I looked back at Mia, I saw her look back down at her page and then frown. I could tell instantly she hadn't gotten the answer, and I bit back from offering to help her. I wanted her to want my help.

She let out an annoyed sigh, then started scribbling away again at her page. This lasted for about a few seconds, or so before she slowly swivelled back around to face me with a small awkward smile.

"Ethan...," she sang sweetly.

I locked eyes with her, amused. "Mia...," I sang back imitating her.

"Could you please show me how you got to that answer?" she answered back slowly, and quietly.

A grin instantly stretched out on my face, more than pleased to have a subtle excuse to go over to her without making myself look suspicious.

I slid myself off her bed and then walked my way over to her. Once beside her, I leaned my lips up to her ear. "I was waiting for you to ask," I whispered.

"Don't make me regret asking," she sang tightly between slightly gritted teeth. I chuckled lightly, then assessed the situation before me. Suddenly, a plan started to form in my mind.

"Switch with me. I want to sit," I argued as I grabbed a gentle hold of her wrist and tugged her upward.

I quickly stole her chair, causing Mia to roll her eyes at me, clearly not seeing a reason as to why I wanted to be seated. I knew full fucking well, why I wanted the chair, and it had everything to do with what I was going to do in a couple of minutes.