Winter [Completed]

TWENTY NINE

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December 31st
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"Love requires sacrifice...always."

—The Longest Ride

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Imani POV

I press my cheek against the cool granite counter as I watch Ethan fumble around the kitchen. "Ethan, you sure you don't want me to help with the—"

"Imani, for the last time I know how to make fajitas. Let me do this," Ethan snaps, glancing around the kitchen with narrowed eyes. "Now, where did I put my—"

"Spatula?" I ask, picking up the spatula where it lay abandoned by the stove and twirling it between my fingers.

Pink tinges his cheeks as he takes the spatula from me and avoids my gaze. "Thank you," he mumbles under his breath.

I smirk, sitting on the counter and watching him as he tries to cook. Poor thing. I pull out my phone and scroll through my Instagram feed, before Ethan's phone chimes beside me on the counter, gaining my attention.

"Hey, Mani, can you do me a favor and see who that is?" Ethan asks, pulling his head out of the fridge long enough for him to gauge my response.

"Yeah, I got you." I bite my lip as I pick up Ethan's phone and look at the notification.

I sigh when I realize it's just a text from Cheryl, and I'm about to set his phone down, when something else catches my attention: an Outlook notification. My eyes grow wide when I read the brief text in the email, informing Ethan about the approaching deadline to accept the internship.

Seven days. That's all he has left to decide if he still wants to throw everything he's worked so hard for away to be with me. My heart sinks and my stomach aches as I realize that I can't let him do that.

"Who was it?" Ethan asks, approaching me.

I quickly dismiss the email notification and lock his phone just as he reaches me. "Just Cheryl," I smile softly as Ethan stands between my legs and places his hands on my thighs.

"Oh yeah?" He smiles lazily at me, his blue eyes gleaming with curiosity. "What'd she want?"

"Just to wish us both a happy early New Year, since she and I quote 'won't be available when the ball drops'." I laugh and Ethan crinkles his nose, getting the gist.

"Gross," he says, shaking his head.

I smirk, placing my hands on his and moving them to my hips. "If I have any say in the way tonight goes, we won't be available either."

"Oh really?" Ethan asks softly as he sensually kisses my lips.

"Yeah," I smile, ruffling his hair, "either that or we'll both die from food poisoning."

Ethan smacks his lips and walks away, unamused. "Oh, you got jokes."

I laugh at him, before grabbing my phone and opening it up again. I glance a Ethan as he focuses on not setting the house on fire and frown, before locking my phone.