there's no way | ethma

Eleven

Emma's POV

The next two weeks were interesting. School started, and Ethan is in my psych 2 class. I guess it didn't occur to me that psychology fits into medical school and law school.

Two of my classes are Monday/Wednesday, and two are Tuesday/Thursday. That meant I had two classes everyday, and no Friday classes.

I scheduled my classes so they all started after 10, which made it so I could still go running with Ethan and Grayson everyday.

I made the dance team and I was selected as a co-captain, and assistant choreographer. We had practice twice a week, but I still practiced in my studio everyday, with the company of Olivia and Ethan, and sometimes just Ethan. I also tried my best to visit Luke every few days. Him and I were starting to make amends.

Ethan and I only hung out a little bit in the last two weeks, but little things kept happening that made me feel like I was slowly starting to slip away from Luke.

For example, the other day, Ethan was hanging out with me while I was practicing in my dance studio, and we ended up dancing together to Fleetwood Mac. He looked at me, and we almost kissed, but my phone started ringing, so I stepped away.

Anytime we've gotten food together in the past two weeks, he's still insisted on paying for mine.

Sometimes I would catch him staring at me, and then when I looked back at him he would look away, but he couldn't contain his smile.

Little moments like those, all further confirmation of how I feel towards him. My desire for Ethan was starting to grow stronger every time I was around him.

Raw sexual tension was starting to build between him and I. I mean, that day that he danced with me in my studio, just the feeling of his hand on my lower back and his eyes glued to mine made me want to melt. I felt my heartbeat in my stomach, and every fiber of my being felt like I was on fire just because his hand was on the small of my back.

I just had to see if Luke and I stood a chance before I could further explore the feeling.

Luke got released today, and we decided to talk over pizza. It's Friday, so I don't have practice or class.

I pulled my car into the parking lot, and took a deep breath before I got out of my car and walked in.

Luke was already sitting in a booth when I arrived, and he got up to give me a hug.

"Hey, Emma." He said as we breathed each other in. I honestly missed his scent. It made me feel like he was back for real. Not the Luke that treated me terrible. But my Luke. My Luke that I had so much fun with in high school. My Luke that was my best friend when we first started dating.

"Hi. Ugh I missed you."

"I missed you too, Em. Hey, I already ordered our pizza. I got your favorite." He said as we sat down across from each other.

"Green peppers and Italian sausage?"

"That's the one."

"Thanks, Luke."

"Hey, I'm really sorry about everything. I really hope we can make this work."

"We'll see how it goes. How are you?"

"I'm feeling really good. I've been going to a lot of therapy sessions, and I've found different ways to deal with my emotions. It's been really good for me."

"That's good. I've been running a lot, and I've been practicing dance non-stop."

"Do you still have your storage unit?"

I smiled at the thought of the storage unit. How Ethan always tags along to see me practice. Why am I thinking about Ethan right now?

"Yeah. I still use it."

-

Luke and I talked while we ate our pizza, and I ended up inviting him back to my place.

I know what you're thinking.

Emma, this is a bad idea.

Well, I need to know how I feel for sure, which means I need this boy out of my system.

Once we got back to my apartment, I jumped up so that I was sitting on the counter, and Luke stood in between my legs. Our arms wrapped around each other, and I leaned to whisper in his ear.

"I've been needing this for weeks."

He let out a low growl that made me want him. "Oooh does Emma need some sugar?" He whispered.

I craned my head down to press my lips to his neck. "Maybe a spoonful or two." I said, starting to lightly nibble on his skin.

Why am I thinking about Ethan right now?

As Luke's hands slowly traveled around my body, I realized that they're not Ethan's calloused hands.

When Luke picked me up and put me over his shoulder before walking into my bedroom and laying me down, why did it remind me of when Ethan did the same when we were gonna take a nap after running?

Why when Luke was kissing my neck and chest because I had a tank top on, did I have to stop myself from saying Ethan's name instead of Luke when he found a tender spot?

Why was I only wanting Ethan as Luke's kisses traveled to the low neckline of my shirt?

That's when it hit me.

"Luke, stop. We can't do this." I said.

He moved from his hovering position over me to sitting up next to me on the bed as I sat up as well.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm in love with someone else. I didn't know for sure I was in love with someone else until I couldn't stop thinking about him just now. I thought that if I got you out of my system that I'd have everything figured out, but I just realized it was obvious before, and I just didn't admit it to myself. Maybe I just thought I needed to give us a chance to see if what I knew before was what I wanted. I think that I only wanted to see if I felt the same way because I was used to feeling it. I don't feel what I used to feel with you anymore. We're not going to work. I'm sorry."

"Emma, I understand. It's all a part of growing up. People change. Relationships change. Desires change. It's only human sometimes for feelings to evolve. Go get 'em, Em."

"Thanks, Luke. I'm sorry it didn't work out between us. You'll always have a place in my heart."

"Just because two people love each other doesn't mean they're right for each other. Good luck with your guy." He said, standing up and starting to walk out.

"You'll find her someday, Luke. You'll find your girl."

"Thanks, Emma. See you around."

And that was it. Luke's name was crossed off the list, and Ethan's was circled in bright red.

I'm in love with Ethan. Maybe I'll be ready for that Dodgers game soon.