crush (1) - ethan payne

PART 1

SET IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

BEFORE

"Yeah, later," Lindsey grinned as she held the phone against her ear, struggling to hang up the line because she was so giddy with excitement.

A laugh on the other side of the table brought the girl back to reality, to this moment in this bar with these friends. "God, you're such a girl." Simon was laughing, one lanky arm folded on the hightop table that stood between them. The other hand was lifting a pint to his lips as he smugly smirked at Josh, who was giggling.

"Stuff it, losers." Lindsey gave them a glare, popping the collar of her leather jacket at her friends and flashing a pose. "You're just mad that I'm finally the one pulling a man tonight."

Simon let out a scoff, "Hardly! He's a total prick."

"He is a bit of a skeez, Linds." Josh shrugged in agreement, as if he regretted having to agree with Simon's harsh words.

"Okay, so you two can meet up with hot Tinder girls with nothing else to offer, but the second I do, it's a mark on my character?" She copped, planting both hands on her hips and raising her eyebrows at the boys. 

"Don't go all feminist-y on us, let me speak first," Simon interrupted in a level voice that still hinted at a laugh. He held both hands up as if to calm Lindsey down and leveled her gaze as he started explaining his reasoning. "We can hold our own with clingy girls. We just want to make sure you can hold your own with potentially aggressive boys."

"I'm around JJ and Ethan all the time, and no doubt either of them could snap my wrist with little to no effort." Lindsey argued, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. "Listen, I have both of you on speed dial if I need you."

"But if you're even slightly concerned that you'll need us, it means you probably shouldn't go." Josh reasoned, lifting his shoulder in a shrug as metaphorical daggers whizzed across the table at his head.

There was a moment of silence - only between the three friends, though, as the rest of the pub was loud and active with voices and dancing. "God, you two ruin everything!" Lindsey groaned, throwing her hands up and smacking them down on the table.

Simon and Josh both laughed jovially, but Lindsey could tell that they were relieved she wasn't going to be leaving alone to go meet some rando she'd never seen beyond a phone screen. "You know there's only two reasons why I'll be dying alone?"

"Yeah?" Simon quipped, giving Josh an amused look before glancing back over to Lindsey, "And what might those reasons be?"

"Reason one," She pointed square at his chest, before rolling her gaze over to the bearded lad beside him, "and reason two."

Their laughter was loud, loud enough that it greeted the other boys as they entered the pub. JJ and Vik started off towards the sound of the trio they were meeting, while Harry went in search of the toilets. Ethan entered last, an exasperated sigh leaving his lips as he heard the familiar feminine pitch of Lindsey's laugh over the sound of Simon and Josh.

He'd never liked Lindsey. Well, that wasn't quite true.

When Ethan had first met her, he'd liked her right away. She was witty, and outspoken, and she had the kind of laugh that made you want to laugh too, even when the joke hadn't been that funny. And she was pretty, with skin the shade of hot chocolate that always looked soft and smooth, and hair that she sometimes did in fun, bouncy curls or cute twists or long braids, and her confidence changed with her hair styles. But the other guys had liked her too, and soon it had become like an obsession that irritated Ethan to no end. Lindsey was invited to this, Lindsey that, she was here, she'd be there, and it was like Ethan couldn't get a god damned second away from her.

"Hey, lads." He reached out, slapping Simon's hand into a shake and then Josh's, giving Lindsey a nod which was returned with a blank look, the girl pursing her lips and leaning closer into Simon's side.

"Lindsey," Ethan said in recognition, straightening up and squaring his shoulders.

"Hmmm," She hummed in response and gave him a nod and a quick dart of the eyes over his body. He was frustratingly attractive, but that'd been part of what set her off of him when they'd first met - after shedding off a few kilos, Ethan couldn't pass a reflective surface without getting whiplash.

He'd been a bit standoffish the first few times they'd met, and that paired with his inability to stop flexing, checking his appearance, and pulling off physical feats intended to be impressive at all times spelled "douche-bag" to Lindsey. She knew it as fact: Ethan Payne didn't like her because he thought he was too good for her.