EVERYTHING - GD

13

ETHAN POV

After I sent my snap, I lock my phone again and look at Claire. She looks like she is performing surgery on her food, almost dissecting everything. She looks up and laughs.

"Sorry, I'm a picky eater," she says, blushing but I just laugh.

"It's okay," I smile and take a bite out of my avocado toast. "Just pick something easier like this next time." I tease her and she rolls her eyes.

"So, what do you want to do today?" she suddenly says, and I shrug.

"I don't know," I say. "Whatever you want."

"Okay yeah that's easy," she laughs.

"Yeah well it's your vacay so whatever you want," I smile.

"I mean-," she starts but bites her lip and waits. "Is this a date-date?"

I feel my stomach flutter but try to push it away and clear my throat.

"Do you want it to be?" I ask but feel my cheeks burn.

"I don't know," she says and looks right at me. Her eyes pierce through mine and suddenly I feel uncomfortable.

"Why?"

"Well, we're leaving in three weeks," she says. "I want it to be a date, but I don't want it to be a date, you know?"

I shake my head. "No, I don't."

"Like I want it to be a date because I like you so much and I'm slightly obsessed with you," she chuckles, and I shake my head laughing.

"Okay, thank you I guess," I smile.

"But like I don't want it to be a date because we leave and then it fucking hurts to leave," she sighs. "And you will forget me faster than I will forget you."

"Why do you think that?" I say, feeling hurt.

"Because that's how it always goes," she almost whispers. "Because you are you and I am me. For me, this is new that someone like you likes me but there are millions of girls who would kill to be me."

I sigh and grab her hand to comfort her as much as I can. It hurts me to see her like this but maybe it hurts more that she thinks of me that way.

"Listen," I sigh. "I don't know what will happen, okay? All I know is that right now I really fucking like you, otherwise I wouldn't do this with you or accepted both of you in our homes like this."

I stop to see her reaction, but she just looks at me with her big eyes, waiting for what I will say.

"I just don't think it's fair to assume all this based on how many girls like me. This is also new for me and I don't think you can be forgotten easily. So far, I have never been this chill with a girl before who I also like-like. So, can we please just enjoy everything in these three weeks and from there on we'll see what happens."

She nods and squeezes my hand.

"Sorry," she says. "For assuming. I'm just still overwhelmed that we're actually like on a date."

I chuckle and nod. "Me too."

"Can we just go home after this?" she says. "We could go out tonight with Gray and Jules?"

"Like a double date?" I wiggle my eyebrows.

"I guess," she chuckles. "Has Grayson told you a lot about their situation?"

I shrug. "Don't know if I'm allowed to tell you."

"Jules just told me about her doubt but not much after that," she shrugs. "I don't know."

"I mean in her defense you fell asleep yesterday and they left way before us," I chuckle. "Don't worry about it I bet she'll tell you everything when they get back."

She nods but then looks right at me again.

"So, what did Grayson say," she raises one eyebrow and grins.

"Okay fine, not much but he was scared he pushed her away by accidentally kissing her, and I saw him bringing her breakfast this morning. That's all so far," I say, or maybe I lie. I'm not telling her everything, Grayson is perfectly capable to do it herself one day.

She laughs, knowing that I'm withholding information, but she accepts it.

"Let's go home?" I ask and she nods. I ask the waiter to pay and we're off.

//

CLAIRE POV

The drive home was really calm. There wasn't a lot of traffic and we were just vibing to music while his hand rested on my leg. We drive past our house and I see a bike parked in the front.

"Hey, they're at our house," I say to Ethan.

"Do you wanna scare them?" He asks as he pulls in our driveway.

"Don't think I have a choice," I chuckle, and we get out of the car. I walk to the door and try to open it but it's locked. I grab my key and try to unlock it as silent as I possibly can.

"Look at you, lil ninja," Ethan whispers and I have to bite my lip not to laugh. We go inside and walk on our toes to find them.

"I hear the shower," I mouth at Ethan who nods. He tiptoes to the living room/kitchen and he shrugs, telling me that he can't find them. I gesture to him to follow me to our rooms. As we get to Julia's bedroom, I grab the door handle, but Ethan shoves himself in front of me. I look at him offended.

"What if he's naked," he whispers, and I shake my head.

"Nah he wouldn't be, right?" I whisper back but Ethan already opens the door.

"ETHAN!" I hear a squeal coming from Grayson and see Ethan with big eyes looking back at him.

"OH, CLAIRE HE IS," Ethan shouts and starts laughing like a maniac.

I stand next to Ethan and see Grayson with a red face and a pillow in front of his lady parts, looking very, very, dissatisfied. He groans and shouts at Ethan random swear words. I laugh but quickly stop as Julia stands in the door opening of her bathroom, with an annoyed raised eyebrow and a towel around her body.

"Seriously, guys?" she sighs and shakes her head. I look at her and see in her eyes that she really wants to laugh though. Her eyes meet mine and she chuckles.

"Oh, so it is funny to you, Julia?" Grayson looks at her with a tilted head and a displeased look at his face.

"Well, no," she says and picks herself up. "But the sound you made was."

He rolls his eyes and gets off the bed, still the pillow in front of his ding-a-dong and disappears into the bathroom. Julia is holding in her laugh, but Ethan is just calling him out for this while laughing like crazy.

"So, did you?" I ask, raising my eyebrow at Julia and she nods. Ethan his eyes grow wide and he looks at her with his mouth wide open.

"Okay, so now we know, thank you," she laughs and shoving us out of the door. "Can I please get dressed now?"

"We on for tonight?" Ethan asks. She nods and she closes the door.

I walk to the kitchen to get a drink, but Ethan stops me. I frown at him and he comes closer. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I look at him. He lifts my chin with his fingers and kisses me. I stop breathing and kiss him back, surprised by his action.

"It's not a real date without a real kiss," he says.

//