Serendipity

CHAPTER 2

I grab a handful of Kitkats from my stash and keep it in the corner of my backpack. I'll be needing them because Ethan hates Kitkats and I don't think I'll be able to stay a day without my babies.

I meet my parents in the living room, Mom worrying about the last minute checks and Dad just sitting there, glancing at his watch every few seconds.

"Are you running late?" I ask, to which he gives me a 'duh' expression.

"Janet, done yet?" he shouts.

"Yes!" she comes outside and smiles. "We can go now."

She comes to me and pulls me into a hug. "Take care of yourself, okay?" I nod and then wrap my arms around Dad. "Behave good, Cassie, " he warns, a secret smile on his face. "No promises!" I laugh.

They drop me to Ethan's house on their way. His house is barely a fifteen-minute drive from my house. I spot him outside and he waves at me. However, he is not alone.

There are a few people too; two small girls, probably five years old, who look really alike; another girl in her early twenties, and a guy, who is staring at me. He looks really familiar, but I can't point out where I've seen him.

Ethan comes over to me and takes my bag. "Cassie! Hey! These are my cousins. They are spending a few days here."

He starts introducing me to them. "This is Riley, " he points to one of the small girls, who's dressed in a pink dress, hair tied into two ponytails. She smiles shyly at me.

"Chloe, Riley's twin, " he points to the other girl, dressed in a plain orange T-shirt and shorts, hair left down with a clip on each side to pull it away from her face. There is a stitch on her forehead, which has almost healed but will definitely leave a mark. She smiles at me and even waves at me.

Wow. These girls are totally opposite, but they are like best friends, which can be told by their intertwined hands.

"Mia, " he points at the elder girl with blonde hair and pretty green eyes. She gives me a warm smile and pulls me into a hug. "I've heard so much about you!" she says, her eyes shining with sincerity. I smile back.

I can feel a pair of eyes staring at me. When I look in that direction, our eyes meet and my heart skips a beat. His eyes are familiar. He is familiar.

The intensity of the stare of his forest green eyes hits me so hard, I'm breathing hard only after, like, three seconds of eye contact. I look away and cough awkwardly.

"And this is Noah, " Ethan says and my heart stops beating. Shit. It really is him. I cannot believe this.

My mind wanders back to the trip to New York I'd taken last November, to explore the city. It was supposed to be for exploring, but what I ended up doing was exploring my guilty pleasures with this beautiful stranger I met at a bar. The stranger who I then came to know as Noah Parker. Apparently, Ethan's cousin.

What are the fuckin' odds?

Well, I did roam around, walked through the 'City That Never Sleeps', ate food at crowded little diners that sold delicious food, but everything with Noah. He was like my travel guide and he was really good at it. He did it for free and the heavy makeout sessions in narrow alleys were an added bonus. Sad it didn't last long.

"Let's head inside, shall we?" Ethan drags me in and the others follow.

Ethan's parents are really successful lawyers. So, he lives in a mansion, dying of loneliness if it hadn't been for Cat. Cat is Ethan's dog, a black and tan German Shephard, and Ethan's brother. I told him countless times to change the name, but he denied, telling me that Cat loved the name.

As soon as we enter the house, Cat comes running straight to me, and I bend down to give him a hug and pet his head, while he starts licking my face.

"Okay, okay, stop Cat!" I laugh. "I know you're fed up of Ethan's company, I'm here now, don't worry." 

Ethan snorts and Riley giggles.

Ethan takes my luggage to the room I always crash in while I stay at his house. I begin taking clothes out of the suitcase and arranging them in the wardrobe.

There's a knock on the door. It's Noah, holding my phone.

"Uh, you left this downstairs, " he tells me, looking straight into my eyes.

Why does his stare have to be so intense?

My cheeks tinge red at the sight of him. "Oh, thanks, " I try to appear nonchalant, but I fail. My voice comes out low and shaky.

He notices it and a small smirk tugs at his lips. "I'll see you later. This is going to be so much fun."

Well, shit.

***

Here's the second chapter, Y'all. Now you know whom to ship ;)

What do you think? Don't hesitate in letting me know.