Unexpected

10

ETHAN POV

"No fair. Emma gets the front seat again?" James complained, as he piled into the back with Grayson, Bryant and all the shit we had packed for the trip.

Emma turned around and gave him a huge grin. Of course my girl was gonna ride shot gun in my car. That was a given.

"I wonder why" Grayson replied, laughing to himself. I hoped he could feel the death glare I was giving him into the rear view mirror.

"Because I got here first." Emma said quickly, to cover up Grayson's remark. "Don't be so slow next time fat ass and maybe you can get the front."

"Damn Emma, you sister scorched him." Bryant said, using James lingo against him.

"Alright you guys settle down we have a 4 hour drive let's not start fighting so soon." I pulled out of the driveway and said goodbye to the house that would hold so many memories of this weekend.

Boat jumping with Emma, flips off the house with Grayson, putting Bryant in front of the camera for once, and even skin care routines with James. I don't think any of us were ready to leave, but we had filming schedules and reality to get back to and I had something up my sleeve to surprise Emma with.

Luckily I had the next four hours to plan it in my head. I wanted to take her on a date when we got back, but I just didn't know where. It couldn't be anywhere boring or typical. It had to be something on brand and totally Emma. I looked at her from the corner of my eye and caught her looking back at me. She covered a small laugh with her hand and looked away.

I wanted to put my hand on her thigh or hold her hand at least, but I couldn't. Not with all of our friends in the backseat.

Fuck. I let out a long sigh, this drive home now felt seemingly endless.

—
EMMA POV

We were only 2 hours in to our drive home and I was already exhausted. It was my own fault for staying up so late with my thoughts. It wasn't until I got the courage to sneak into Ethan's room that I finally got some sleep. Who wouldn't fall asleep to someone rubbing your back and kissing the top of your head? Pillows now paled in comparison to sleeping on his chest.

Now, with his arm lazily leaning on the arm rest, I was tempted to lay my head on his shoulder, wrap my arm around his and just sleep until we got to L.A. Instead, I had to suffer with the cold window as my only head rest.

I never thought driving could look so sexy, but the way Ethan drove with his seat reclined back and two fingers lazily turning the wheel was hot. He looked effortlessly cool in sunglasses and a tight white t shirt. Meanwhile I had overslept and was still wearing the oversized sweatshirt and athletic shorts I had gone to sleep with. To make matters worse I had already packed all my shoes so I was stuck wearing long socks with my Birkenstock sandals

Really nice Emma. I was still trying to grasp how someone so sexy was attracted to me and I had somehow managed to look homeless every time I was around him. Whatever, if he couldn't handle me at my Walmart he didn't deserve me at my Gucci...right?

—
"I'm starving" James declared as he sauntered into my dark apartment. I shut the door and followed him into the kitchen, my stomach grumbling in agreement.

"Dude same. It's 4 and I haven't eaten shit all day." I said, opening the door to the fridge. Yikes. All I had was a half empty bottle of almond milk and 3 eggs. "Well then...let me just shower and we can go get something."

"Sounds good, but don't be surprised if you come out and find buried under 30 bags of Uber eats." James flopped himself on my couch and began scrolling through his phone, a grimace on his usually smiling face.

I got the hint. 5 minutes to shower or he would eat with me. I quickly showered and changed into some pants and a crop top, it felt good look semi human again.

"Ready" I called out, walking towards the living room from the bathroom.

"Perfect." A deep voice responded. I could hear James squealing and clapping his hands so I knew it couldn't be him.

There he was, a bouquet of sunflowers in hand and a smirk on his face. Ethan. As usually he looked way better than me in his black bomber jacket and tight ripped jeans.

My eyes widen the second I saw him, this had to be a dream. There was no way I was deserving of such a sweet and romantic gesture.

"Are those for me?" I asked, walking into his outstretched arms and giving him a quick hug.

"No they're for the other girl I've been trying to convince to go on a date with me." He laughed, handing me the flowers. "Of course they're for you Emma."

"And suddenly I'm not dying for food anymore." James chimed in.

"Oh shit, were you guys about to go eat?" Ethan asked. I could tell he felt slightly nervous, like I was about to turn him down.

"No" James quickly reassured him. "I was just about to do Emma's makeup. Right Emma?"

"Um.." I didn't remember agreeing to that.

"Right! Just wait here, E." James grabbed his bag and pushed me towards me room.

The squeal he let out when we were behind closed doors was deafening.

"Ohmygodemma way to keep a secret!" He exclaimed. He forced me into my desk chair and starting spreading out all his brushes and makeup on my desk. "You're good at being lowkey I would have blabbed to the whole world about that man candy already." He was going a million miles a minute I could barely get a word in.

He began picking up products, testing swatches on the back of his hand and running around frantically.

"I don't have much time, but you have beautiful skin so I can totally sister snatch you in no time!"

"Okay but just remember I don't look good with a lot of makeup. I don't look good without it, but that's besides the point." I said looking in the mirror. Not even James could make me look good enough to stand next to Ethan and not look like a drowned rat.

"Oh my God, shut up Emma! You're gorgeous I'm gonna make you look amazing don't worry."

And he did. There wasn't a trace of sleep deprivation on my face and with the combination of makeup and excitement I was actually glowing. The girl that looked back at my in the mirror was beautiful and yet it still looked like me.

He went light on the foundation and eye makeup and had managed to give me cheekbones and dewy skin. I was shook.

"Here put this on" He said shoving a clear bottle in my hands. "Chapstick isn't gonna cut it tonight. Oh! And this." He dropped a plaid mini skirt and combat boots in my lap. "You need to change.

I reluctantly agreed. I was already comfortable in what I was wearing, but he was right. Ethan looked so nice and it was only fair to give him equal effort.

I changed and braced myself to meet Ethan. Suddenly it wasn't excitement I was feeling, it was nerves.