Ladies Man

Nothing is ever going to be the same.

I woke up to the blaring sunlight piercing through the curtains, my head pounding like a jackhammer. My phone buzzed relentlessly on the nightstand, lighting up with an onslaught of notifications. I grabbed it, squinting against the light, and saw messages from both Maddie and Ethan. My stomach twisted as I opened Maddie's first.

"Sophia, I'm so sorry! I took a video of you dancing in the club with the cute guy. I was sending it to you and mistakenly sent it to Ethan. I didn't mean to send it to him. It was a total mistake. Please don't be mad!"

A mistake? Maddie was many things, but careless with her phone wasn't one of them. My mind immediately went into overdrive. She had to have sent it on purpose, probably thinking she was doing me a favor by stirring the pot. My irritation grew with every second.

I switched to Ethan's messages. The first one was simple, but the urgency radiated through the screen:

"Where were you last night?"

The rest followed quickly after:

"I've been calling you."

"Pick up your phone."

"I'm coming over."

I shot up in bed, my heart thudding. Ethan wasn't usually like this—calm, steady, and somewhat distant had always been his signature. But this? This was something else. A strange combination of panic and excitement rippled through me, and I had no idea what to expect when he showed up.

Before I could even process what to say, a knock rattled through my door. I jumped out of bed, hastily throwing on a hoodie and pulling my hair into a messy bun as I ran to answer. I wasn't prepared to see Ethan standing there, looking tense and more than a little aggravated. His eyes were sharper than usual, focused intently on me.

"Where were you last night?" His voice was laced with an intensity that caught me off guard.

"Uh, good morning to you too?" I quipped, trying to mask my surprise.

He didn't let up. "Sophia, I'm serious. Where were you?" His tone was tight, demanding answers.

I folded my arms across my chest, feeling my defenses rise. "Why do you care?"

He sighed in frustration, his eyes flickering with something deeper than concern. "Because I saw the video, okay? The one Maddie sent. You were with some guy, and I—" He stopped short, his jaw tightening.

I stared at him, processing the shift in his demeanor. "And what, Ethan?"

His hand ran through his hair, a telltale sign of his agitation. "You don't know guys like him," he finally said, though the edge in his voice betrayed something else. "I'm trying to protect you."

"Protect me?" I repeated, incredulous. "It was just a dance."

"Yeah, well, it didn't look like just a dance," he snapped, his jealousy bleeding through despite his attempt to cover it. "You don't know what guys like him are after."

I raised an eyebrow. "What guys like him are after? What is this, Ethan? Since when do you care who I dance with?"

He shifted his weight, his frustration evident. "This isn't about me caring," he deflected, though the lie was written all over his face. "It's about keeping you safe. I know guys like him—they don't have good intentions."

I laughed, unable to help myself. "Oh really? And you're the expert on guys like him now?"

His eyes flashed, something sharp and possessive flickering beneath the surface. "You're not taking this seriously, Sophia. I'm just trying to look out for you."

"By showing up at my door and interrogating me?" I shot back, folding my arms tighter. "What is really going on here?"

Ethan's jaw clenched, his hands balling into fists at his sides. He was jealous. It was so obvious, but he wasn't willing to admit it—not to me, not to himself. Instead, he was hiding behind this ridiculous notion of "protecting" me from some guy he didn't even know.

"Look, I just... I didn't like seeing you with him, okay?" he finally blurted out, his voice tight.

There it was. The truth, or at least the part he was willing to acknowledge.

"And why does that bother you?" I asked, my voice softening as I studied his face. "You've got Emma, remember? You should be happy."

He looked away for a moment, clearly wrestling with whatever was going on in his head. "This isn't about Emma," he said quietly, avoiding my gaze. "It's about you. I don't want you to get hurt."

I sighed, shaking my head. "I'm not some fragile little girl who needs protecting, Ethan. I can take care of myself."

"I know that," he replied quickly, his eyes snapping back to mine. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to stand by and watch you make a mistake."

"A mistake?" I repeated, my voice rising with frustration. "What mistake am I making, exactly?"

His jaw tightened again, his jealousy flaring up, though he still wouldn't give voice to it. "Just trust me on this," he said, almost pleading now. "Stay away from him."

I shook my head, incredulous. "I can't believe this. You have no right to tell me who I can or can't spend time with."

Ethan took a step back, his face hardening as if he realized he had overstepped. But even as he retreated, his eyes lingered on me, full of unspoken things he couldn't—or wouldn't—say.

"I just... I don't want you to get hurt," he repeated, his voice softer now, almost vulnerable.

I stared at him, my emotions a swirling mess. This was so unlike Ethan—this possessiveness, this protectiveness. It was unsettling, confusing, and yet... it made my heart race in a way I wasn't ready to admit.

Without another word, Ethan turned and walked away, leaving me standing in the doorway, a thousand questions spinning in my mind. Things between us had shifted. I wasn't sure where we stood anymore, but one thing was clear: nothing was ever going to be the same.