To Write Love On Her Arms (COMPLETE!:)

Chapter 15

*AUTHOR'S NOTE: PLEASE READ* Okay, I am OFFICIALLY two chapters away from finishing the rough draft of To Write Love On Her Arms. :) However, to keep this kind of popping up, I'm going to upload a chapter every Monday until I reach the last chapter (currently 19) when I upload it and the epilogue together. Never fear though, To Write Love On Her Arms WILL be finished soon. :) End Author's note!

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Ethan

It was a long week before Christmas day arrived. That morning, I snuck into my bedroom where Sarah was currently asleep in my bed. Since all of the guest bedrooms were currently being used and Abby’s room couldn’t fit three people, I’d offered to sleep on the couch and let Sarah take my room.

It wasn’t a predicament I was very happy with, but it’d kept Gran off my back about Casen. The past week had been nothing but ranting about how Christmas time was for family and family only whenever I tried to see Casen and about how Southern girls were uncivilized heartbreakers. Because of this, I hadn’t been able to see Casen since she’d left after dinner that Saturday.

So, last night after Gran had gone to bed, I’d talked to mom and she’d agreed to let me go talk to Casen about making plans this morning. We’d both agreed semi-early morning would be the best time to see each other and since my mom was an early riser, she’d woke me up so I could get ready.

To me, I moved too slow as I got ready as quietly as possible. I couldn’t wait to get out of the house for a while. Right now, I felt suffocated in my own home. Not just because Gran was harassing me, but because Sarah was there; things were awkward between us. Every time the family was together, she and I would just eye each other quietly while Gran tried to get us to talk to each other.

I paused in pulling on a fresh t-shirt when I felt someone watching me. I turned around to see Sarah sitting up, watching me with sleepy, hooded eyes. “Ethan?” she murmured, her voice sleep laden. I didn’t respond, just finished putting on my t-shirt.

“Are you going somewhere?” she asked.

“Yeah, out.” Was my curt reply.

The corners of her mouth twisted into a half frown. “But it’s Christmas morning. Where on earth would you be going?”

Sighing, I said, “If you really wanna know, I’m going out to see Casen.”

“Why? Isn’t she supposed to be coming over for dinner tonight anyway?”

“I want some alone time with my girlfriend, Sarah. Without anybody else around to harass us.” I didn’t miss the subtle flash of what might have been hatred in Sarah’s eyes as her frown turned severe and her eyebrows crinkled in a way I remembered all too well. “You never wanted us to have any alone time without anybody else around,” she said, “What’s so different about her?

She’s not you, that’s what.

The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I decided against them. What was the point, anyway? Sarah wouldn’t understand. In truth, what was different about Casen was that she knew me. Unlike Sarah, she knew my dark side; had seen it. Sarah hadn’t gone to the same junior high that I had. She’d transferred to my old high school second semester of my freshman year.  The only reason I’d started talking to her was because I’d accidentally crashed into her when I was late to one of my classes on her first day. As it turned out, we’d had the same class and I’d ended up showing her around. 

She hadn’t known anything about my past, so as far as she was concerned, I’d never done drugs or taken alcohol. But I guess that’s what had attracted me to her in the first place; her ignorance to that.