summer romance (e.d.)

nineteen

anna

thursday night, i wash the golf cart. ethan and i haven't talked in a couple of days since the whole liam thing, because he's an asshole about it.

i sigh, wringing out the sponge in the soapy water. the cart isn't even dirty at all, but i don't want to make another mistake around here.

"anna," i hear.

turning around, i see ethan walking up the pathway to the guest house.

rolling my eyes, i answer, "what?"

he wrinkles his nose as he inspects the soapy water dripping from the vehicle. "why are you washing this? it didn't have anything on it."

"your mom said thursdays are wash days. simply following the rules," i huff, blowing a strand of hair out of my face as i wipe the windshield.

"okay."

after a few moment, i throw the sponge in the bucket and turn to face him. "why're you here?" i ask angrily.

he shrugs. "it looked like you needed some help."

"i don't need any of your help," i spit, focusing back on scrubbing.

"okay. if you insist..." he says, but from the corner of my eye, i see him walk to the other side.

"hey what're you—"

my words are cut off as i scream from the cold, blasting water from the hose pelts my body.

"stop!" i scream, hearing ethan's laughter as i try to dodge the stream.

"ethan stop!" i yell again, lunging forward at him. he ducks away from my grasp and continues to spray me.

water gets in my eyes and mouth as i lamely attempt to block it with my hands in front of my face.

"you're making me choke on the water!" i yell out, spitting it from my mouth.

the hose immediately stops and i wipe my eyes to see a concerned looking ethan.

he drops the house, rushing over to me. "wait are you okay?"

i give him a fierce look before placing my hands on his shoulders and kneeing him in the stomach, watching proudly as he crumbles to the ground.

"why the hell would you do that?" he struggles to say, groaning in pain and clutching his abdomen.

instead of answering, i pick up the hose from where he dropped it and turn it on to the same level of blast he did for me.

"you're lucky i didn't aim for lower!" i yell as the water pelts his back.

i stop only after a couple seconds, because i know the water is cold and i already kneed him, so we're probably even by now.

he rolls on the ground, defeated and wet.

but i'm literally soaking.

"even?" i ask, offering my hand to help him up.

he gets an evil glint in his eye, and before i can pull my hand away, he grabs it and yanks me down to the ground next to him.

i land on the soft grass, giggling a little.

he clutches his stomach from the hit, but also because he erupts in contagious laughter as well.

we both sigh at the same time, then turn our heads to each other.

his long eyelashes bat when he blinks slowly, and his lips part when he catches my eye.

"now we're good?" i whisper, holding out my pinkie.

he looks at it for a moment, then interlocks his.

"fine."

we both sit up, and i immediately pull my soaking shirt over my head.

"um," he says, looking away immediately.

"it's just a sports bra, ethan," i mutter, wringing the fabric out on the grass. "relax."

he nods, meeting my eyes again.

"so i need help drying the cart," i laugh a little. "think your services are available?"

he thinks for a moment, then sighs. "fine. consider this my apology."

"for what?" i ask, standing to my feet. he follows shortly after.

"for... the liam thing. i'm sorry," he breathes out, and i smirk at how hard it was for him to say. "even though i'm right," he says quietly when he thinks i've stopped listening.

i simply shrug it off, not wanting to fight anymore.

"there's uh... there's a club party next week," ethan mumbles, drying off his side of the cart. "you should come."

"oh i know," i respond. "liam told me."

he's quiet, then nods. "have you called him?"

"yes," i answer quietly. "he said he was sorry."

ethan looks like he wants to say something, but shuts his mouth instead.

"what do you have against him, anyway?" i ask.

"he's self centered. manipulative. misogynistic."

"hardly," i snort. "i haven't seen him do anything of the sort."

he locks his eyes with mine. "good luck, then."