The Fix

Chapter 11

I find Abby and Ethan in the common area. Ethan's bent over the pool table, one eye squinted in concentration, his cue stick woven between his fingers. Abby is leaning heavily against his side, trying to throw off his angle. 

He hits the cue ball, sending the solid purple spinning into the corner pocket. He grins down at Abby and wraps an arm around her waist. 

"Nice try," he says with a smirk. She rolls her eyes. 

"You cheated."

"How could I have cheated?" he says in mock exasperation, holding back a smile. He spots me standing in the doorway and points. 

"She saw! Tell her Olivia, tell her I didn't cheat."

I sit down on the arm of the closest couch and cross my arms over my chest. 

"You definitely cheated."

"Hey!" Ethan protests. Abby laughs and slips from his arms, skipping to the corner pocket and retrieving the purple ball. She sticks her tongue out at him and places it in the center of the table. 

"That's cheating," Ethan chuckles, poking her in the ribs with his cue stick.

"Not in my book," I say. 

"Well you're reading your book upside down then darling," Ethan replies. His eyes brighten when he laughs, and his un-styled hair flops down over his eyebrows in the most adorable way. 

I bite my lip and look down at my hands. 

Ethan has a girlfriend. 

Ethan also is incredibly good looking.

And sweet. 

And funny. 

And taken. 

When I look back up, Abby is in position to hit the cue ball, and Ethan has his hands resting over both of hers, helping her set herself up. It's more cute than cringey. 

Part of me wishes that I was the one Ethan was guiding. 

No. 

You know what happened last time, I tell myself, sliding off the arm of the couch and landing on the cushions on my back, my legs sticking up in the air. I know I look ridiculous but I don't care. 

"It's fine," he says, his voice breathy in my ear. I can smell the alcohol with every exhale. 

"Not right now," I murmur drowsily, pushing his hands away, squirming beneath him. 

"But I'm bored, and this party sucks," he whines.

No.

After a few more seconds of laying on my back, I roll off the couch and grab a cue stick. 

"Mind if I join?"

"Take my place, I suck," Abby says, holding her cue stick horizontally out in front of her on open palms, ducking her head. I laugh and accept it. 

"I'll set up for a new game," Ethan says, reaching for the triangle. 

"Just keep going with this one," I reply, twirling the blue chalk on my cue stick. Ethan quirks an eyebrow. 

"You're kinda losing by a lot."

"Not for long," I say nonchalantly, shrugging and tossing the chalk. 

"Oh, we got ourselves a trash-talker, huh?" Ethan says with a grin. "Okay, okay, I can accept that. Game on."

I hit the first one in easily. Then the second. Third. By the fourth, Ethan is leaning against the wall resting his chin on the top of his cue stick. 

"What are you, some sort of professional pool-player?" he asks, shaking his head when I hit another one in. 

I only have two balls left. I miss the next one. 

Ethan pushes himself off the wall and leans over the table. He has two balls left too. He hits the first one in, the ball clattering loudly as it joins the pile in the pocket. He misses the next one. 

I hit my last two balls in easily. 

"Right corner," I say, pointing with my cue stick. I hit the cue and watch the eight ball bounce of the wall and roll into the right corner. I drop my stick on the table and grin. 

"Pretty sure you just got owned," I say with a laugh. Ethan grimaces.

"You cheated."

"That's my card!" Abby cuts in, trotting over to Ethan and jumping on his back. He laughs and steadies himself on the pool table so he doesn't fall over. Abby wraps her arms loosely around his neck and kisses the back of his head. 

I can't help but watch.

I'm jealous, no doubt about it.

But no. 

No more boys.

It never ends well.