red | e.d

thirty eight

EDEN-JADE THURLOW

The bell rang and I smiled as I laced my fingers together with Ethan's, looking up at him with a smile. He grinned down at me, all before looking beside me at Mackenzie and Katie, and at Luke.

We were back together again, finally. It had felt like far too long since I had been able to be with all four of my best-friends at once, and I was unbelievably happier than I was when I had first arrived this morning. But it wasn't hard to be.

Ethan let go of my hand and walked towards his car with Mackenzie and Katie, leaving me behind with Luke, who was now walking a little slower. I knew that we needed to talk privately, and I had been anxious for this moment all day.

" Jade, I'm going to skip the bullshit. I don't like you, never have, never will. It was a spur of the moment thing and it was gross as hell. Okay? " Luke said this so fast that a laugh left my lips afterwards, surprised by his slightly offensive words.
" Wow, thanks- " I smirked, somewhat understanding what he meant, although it definitely sounded odd at first.
That was when Luke's eyes widened at the realisation that he had just called me disgusting, and he quickly shook his head, waving around his hand.
" No no no- You're like, hot as hell and a super good kisser but- " Luke tried to correct himself, glancing over at Ethan, who was watching him with a sharp glare, arms crossed against his chest.
My best friend threw his hands into the air towards Ethan, surrendering, making me laugh. But that was when he let out a breath, and continued with what he was saying.
" What I mean is that you're like my sister, and you have been since you threw cake in Jeremy Fields' face. And it's weird, like, really fucking weird to kiss your sister. That's why it's gross. So what I'm trying to say is that it was a mistake and- "

I cut Luke off by hugging him, making him fall silent. I couldn't have agreed more, nodding my head against his chest before I took a step back, and looking up at him with a smile.
" I know. I'm not letting it ruin our friendship, because I wasted that god damn cake- " I joked, the boy rolling his eyes and shoving my shoulder at this, as we started to walk back towards Ethan's car.
" Shut up, bitch "

RED

Ethan had dropped off all of our friends at their houses on the way back from school, mine being the last. He parked his car up against my drive and when I turned my body to face him and he did the same, I pursed my lips into a straight line.

" Do you want to come in? " I asked in a soft voice, watching Ethan's eyebrow raise, as he glanced towards my front door.
I could tell what he was thinking, and when I had let out a gentle laugh and placed my hand against his leg, his eyes snapped back towards my own.
" I don't care what my brother thinks. Besides, he was the one that made me go to the school to apologise, the day that I got suspended. I think he'll be okay " I told him, his eyes softening slightly before I opened the car door, climbing out.

I heard Ethan let out a shaky breath before the sound of a car door shutting was heard, and I turned around to see that he was now standing behind me.
I held out my hand and he instantly took it, intertwining his fingers with my own, warmth radiating across my body.

We reached my front door and I instantly pushed it open, bringing the nervous boy inside. I spotted my brother sitting on the sofa, next to a middle aged woman, clutching a stack of what looked to be paper work.

My eyebrows furrowed out of confusion and when my brother spotted us at the door, his attention averted to Ethan and I, hand in hand. The woman stopped speaking about god knows what and waited for my brother to acknowledge her, but instead, he looked at the two of us, and ever so simply, ever so surprisingly, nodded his head.