choices || e.d.

chapter three

CHAPTER THREE

looking into the mirror, i checked out my outfit for the millionth time in the last hour. ethan texted me earlier to dress casual and that there was no need for anything fancy. i didn't know exactly what to wear, so i decided on high-waisted skinny jeans with a crop top and i would bring a light jacket if it got chilly out.

"y/n, you look fine," corinna said, pulling me away from the mirror. corinna was here to help me before my date with ethan, doing my hair and makeup and overall, just making me look good. i haven't been on a date since my last relationship of two years, which was a total mess from start to finish.

in my school, i was quite the popular kid, but not the kind of popular that likes to bully everyone that stands in their way, but the kind of popular that everyone knows and wants to be friends with. in my school, i've liked this one guy ever since first grade and i could never get over it. his name was chris jackson and he was the kind of popular that everyone hated, but despite that, i still fell for him, so when he asked me out unexpectedly one day, i immediately agreed, happy that my crush of nine years just asked me out. all of my friends had a bad feeling about this, but i completely ignored them, thinking nothing bad could happen with him. a month into us dating, i found out that he was just using me to make his ex jealous, so when he got what he wanted, he called it off with me. this really broke my heart, considering it was my first heartbreak and i was a complete mess. a couple weeks later, he asked me if i wanted to get back together with him since he and his ex didn't work out, and i agreed, my feelings for him clearly still there. my friends hated that i do this to myself, but i really couldn't help myself. so since then, we dated for two years, and i was so happy. at the end of two years, i found out that he asked me to get back together for a bet. so each month we stayed together, he would get fifty dollars, making him filthy rich. especially when one of his friends told him he would give him 100 dollars to have sex with me, and that was how i lost my virginity. i called it off with him, and i haven't dated anyone else since, scared that i would get used again. you could say i kind of have trust issues.

"do you think i'll get used again?" i asked, "like chris used me?" i went to sit next to corinna on the bed, as i bit my nails in nervousness. saying i was nervous was an understatement. i was so past nervous that my heart was beating out of my chest and i could feel myself shaking, and i hoped it wasn't visible.

"i'm going to be honest with you, i have absolutely no idea," corinna said, taking my hands in hers, doing her best to comfort me. "i don't know him, but if he does use you, trust me, he won't see the light of day again, and that's a promise." she patted my hands, and gave me a small smile, that calmed my nervousness down just a little. "just go out and have fun. nothing could go wrong on a first date. you can worry about this later, okay?" i nodded, and took a deep breath, calming myself down.

a ding came from my phone, followed by more, signaling that i got text messages. i got up and picked my phone up from my nightstand, checking my texts. most of them were from our group chat, my friends wishing me good luck on my date, which i found sweet of them, and some were from my mom, telling me to be careful and to not do anything stupid. i frowned when i didn't see a text from ethan. he told me he would be here around six for our date, but it was three minutes past six. he wasn't late, was he?

the doorbell went off, slightly making me jump. corinna gave me a look, obviously confused because who would be at my house at six? we both went downstairs to the living room. the doorbell went off again, which meant we were taking too long to answer the door.

i went to open the door, revealing ethan standing on my front porch holding a bouquet of flowers. "hi," i said, leaning against the doorframe and giving him a smile. "i didn't know you were coming to my door, i thought you were going to text me to let me know you were here or something." it's 2017, and nowadays, people don't ring the doorbell anymore, they just text, and i guess i was just used to it because i was not expecting this.