summer romance (e.d.)

fifteen

anna

the small knock on my window makes me shoot my eyes open, and a cold chill run through my body.

i switch on my lamp light immediately, trying to focus my eyes around the dim room.

ethan's face from my window makes me clutch my chest, slowing my panicked breathing.

i stand up and unlock the window.

"you scared me," i say as he slides it up and crawls in. "why didn't you just use the door? i keep it unlocked."

he grins at me. "what's the fun in that?"

"why're you here?" i ask, slightly annoyed as i rub the sleep from my eyes.

he looks at me like i'm dumb. "our golf lesson? i waited at the gate for like, 20 minutes."

i smack my hand against my forehead. "right. sorry."

he darts his eyes around my room quickly. "you didn't change anything in here? you're going to be here for like, two and a half more months. paint the room, get a different bedspread, add a candle," he mutters, touching things on the top of my dresser.

i smack his hand away from my necklace stand. "everything in here is perfect. why would i change it?"

he nods. "you're right. change sucks."

"change sucks," i chorus back.

it's silent for a second before i say, "you really should've tried calling me before you showed up at my window. i could've been a naked sleeper."

"one, i did call you. 10 times. texted 12. facetimed three," he lists off, and i frown at my phone on my nightstand. "and two, only guys sleep naked. i thought of it, but then realized the risk was minimal."

"still could've happened," i remark.

"well then that would've made for an awkward lesson, now wouldn't it?" he says, a glimmer of a smile in his voice.

i push his shoulders, laughing a little. "go wait in the living room. i'll get changed and meet you out there in a few."

he salutes as he exits my bedroom, and i close my window, but leave it unlocked.

in case he ever needs somewhere to escape to.

i quickly slip out of my pajama shorts and cropped tank and put on a pair of leggings and a sweatshirt instead. sometimes it gets cold at night.

like promised, i meet ethan in the living room. he scowls at me for making him wait and beats me to the door.

for the first time, he actually holds it open and doesn't let it slam on my face.

"learning common courtesy, now are we?" i tease quietly.

he glances at me. "fine, next time i will let it hit you on the way out."

"wouldn't be the first time," i remark as he swings his bag of clubs on his back.

we walk side by side the short couple of miles to the ranch, and ethan does his whole security thing.

"what if you somehow just forgot the alarm code one night?" i ask.

"i won't," he promises, pushing the doors open.

i follow him down to the patio and onto the course.

"okay," i state. "tonight's lesson: putting."

this earns a groans from him, but i say, "i know, i know. i don't really like putting either. we just gotta roll with it, e."

he blinks at the use of a nickname, but i continue on explaining.