PEACH PIT :: ETHAN DOLAN

QUINZE

Ethan stands on Phoenix's doorstep, waving to Alondra as she leaves before reaching for the handle. The door is locked, so he lets out a quiet groan and rings the bell.

It's luckily stopped storming, mostly, but he's still soaked. His phone is in his pocket so he could text her, but it's probably wet too and needs to be dried off before he uses it so it doesn't get real water damage. Phoenix was expecting him to show up at some point today anyhow.

She sure isn't expecting him to be standing there dripping on her doorstep when she opens the door though.

"Jesus Christ, what happened to you?"

"There was a storm," he hums, stepping through. "I've got clothes here somewhere, right?"

"I... yes, but you're gonna get water all over the carpet if you move, Ethan. My moms will kill me," Phoenix groans and wanders off to grab him a towel. While she's gone, he strips out of his shirt, shorts, and shoes, leaving him in just boxers. Phoenix stops short when she sees him. "I guess that works too. You know which drawer your stuff is in in my room."

"Sweet, thanks, I'll be down to hang in a minute."

He grabs the towel and brings himself up to her bedroom, opening one of the bottom drawers of her dresser. There's more of his things in there than he remembers giving her. He even spies a few of his shirts in her laundry basket and smiles at the thought of her wearing them around the house still when no one else is home.

It also feels like someone's digging their fingernails into the peach when he thinks about her wearing them while he was away, potentially on her worst nights when she couldn't even call him.

There was no evidence of that, he has to remind himself. She had Grayson and Alondra while he was away, and she can handle herself.

Ethan changes into dry clothes with a sigh, messily drying his hair. He's surprised to see that the wall behind her bed has changed--it's now covered in old newspaper clippings and stories. It's something she always talked about doing but never got around to because she couldn't commit or never had the time. He's unsure if it's a good sign or a bad one, but the wall looks nice.

Shaking his head, he throws the towel in her laundry basket before going to meet her again. When he finds her downstairs again, she's standing next to the popcorn machine scrolling on her phone.

"Hey, Nix," he smiles, garnering her attention. She gives him a small nod and returns her attention to her phone screen. Ethan furrows his brows, plucking it out of her hands. Phoenix scoffs, reaching for it again. "Hold on, are you mad at me?"

"Can I have my phone back?"

"Nix," Ethan whines. "C'mon, what did I do? Is it because I got lunch with Alondra?"

Phoenix huffs, her arms crossing over her chest. "I don't care that you got lunch with Alondra, I just don't get why you told me that. Like, you could've just said you'd come over later. But it's whatever."

"You know I love you, right?" He asks, mimicking her position. "I wasn't choosing between you guys. She just texted me first, really."

She knows it's petty to be upset that he told her the truth about why he couldn't hangout right away, but she can't help it. Ethan feels bad, but it frustrates him because what else was he supposed to say?

Perhaps she wants him to feel some of the frustration she feels toward this situation.

Phoenix bites her tongue. "You weren't choosing?"

"No, I promise."

"Maybe that's part of the problem here, Ethan. You refuse to make a decision and you just keep... you keep stringing both of us along!"