To Write Love On Her Arms (COMPLETE!:)

Chapter 11

Ethan

“Remind me, where did you mom, dad, and sister all go again?” Casen asked as we lounged around lazily in my room that following Saturday. It was the last weekend before first semester ended and winter break began. Casen had come over earlier this morning so we could get all make-up work and new homework finished. Now that that was done, we were unwinding and hanging out in my room.

“Abby’s spending the night as a friend’s house and mom and dad are having a night out for the first time since we moved here,” I told her, rolling over on my side to face her. It surprised me that my parents had agreed to let her stay over here while they were out, leaving the two of us at home alone. But what surprised me most was that Casen seemed to be comfortable being in the house with me without my parents or sister around. All things considered, I would have thought she’d have gone home when my parents had left.

Then again . . .

Maybe it shouldn’t surprise me so much.

It occurred to me, even though I’d never really given much thought to it before, it’d never been this way with Sarah. Me and her had been friends for a while and we’d known each other pretty well before I’d finally decided to ask her out, but we’d never had the . . . connection that Case and I shared. My parents had never let her stay over when they’d had to go out and I’d never trusted myself enough back then to let her come over when it was just me, especially when she tried to get us alone. It’d been a never ending source of frustration for Sarah and she’d constantly made sure I knew it, too. Casen didn’t seem to mind, though. But maybe that was because I was completely open with Casen. She knew the truth about Shawn and unlike Sarah she saw past my faults and my mistakes and didn’t judge me for them.

The realization brought a smile to my lips as I rolled over and wrapped an arm around her waist to draw her close to me. She stiffened and instantly chided myself. She seemed so comfortable around me now that I forgot she still wasn’t used to physical intimacy of any sort. There were times when she was turned on enough to get a little adventurous but when she wasn’t expecting anything, I still managed to surprise her.

“Sorry,” I murmured sincerely, loosening my hold.

To my complete surprise, she curled up closer against me, tugging my arm back around her, and using my right bicep as a pillow. “Don’t apologize,” she whispered, lacing our fingers together, “I just need to learn to get used this. I like when you hold me after I get past the initial shock.”

“Alright,” I breathed, “Now what do you wanna do while we have the house to ourselves for a little bit?”

“Nah,” she responded, “I just want to lay here. You’re arm makes a comfy pillow.

“Well, I’m glad,” I chuckled at her mumbled words and pulled her closer, enjoying the peace and quiet. These were the moments with Casen I cherished the most. When the world seemed to melt away, leaving just the two of us with no expectations or demands.

We lay like that for a while and just as I was about to fall asleep, my cell phone went off, startling the both of us.

“Who’s that?” Casen grumbled. Smiling at the note of irritation in her voice, I rolled over to pull my cell phone out of my back pocket and glanced at the caller ID. “It’s Abby,” I said, my brows furrowing before I flipped my phone open and pressed it to my ear. “What is it, Abbs?” I asked.

“E-Ethan?”

I sat up at her tearful tone. “Abby?” I demanded, “What’s wrong?”

“C-can you come get m-me?” she asked quietly. In the background, I could hear the muted sound of music and people. My frown deepened.

“Where are you?”