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"Are you nervous?" Rydel asked me, straightening a piece of my hair.
I shook my head and glanced at her from the mirror. "Not really. I mean we really hit it off at the party, so this shouldn't be any different."
"Do you think he's gonna kiss you." She questioned, grinning.
I froze and it was as if my mind went blank. Ethan kissing me? That thought hadn't even crossed my mind. I mean, we just met, so he wouldn't kiss me, right? Well, Ross and I did have sex just after a few weeks of knowing each other, and we weren't even dating. But neither were Ethan and I.
My life was so fucking complicated.
"I don't know." I finally admitted. "I didn't really think about it." I tapped my fingers nervously on my knee and bit my lip as I thought about Ethan trying to kiss me.
She finished straightening the last piece of hair and shut off the flat iron, placing it on the table beside her. "Do you want him to kiss you?" I shrugged in response, not knowing the answer myself. "Well, you like him, right?"
"I think so." I replied. "I've never actually liked someone before, let alone been on a date."
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You've never been on a date?" I shook my head. "That doesn't make any sense since you're so beautiful." Cue my blush. "But I guess you're losing your first date-ginity tonight." She wiggled her eyebrows, grinning.
I chuckled slightly. "First date-ginity? That just sounds weird, but I guess it's true." I stood up and grabbed my purse that laid on my bed. "Let's just hope I don't make a fool out of myself tonight." Although Ethan and I hit it off at the party, we were completely alone this time, and anything could happen.
"You won't make a fool out of yourself, Scarlett." She assured me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You are a great girl, and obviously Ethan sees that in you. Trust me, I was nervous on my first date with Ratliff, but I had no reason to be. Just like you have no reason to be nervous now."
I nodded, feeling slightly better at her pep talk. I really didn't understand why I was so nervous since I wasn't nervous when we first met. I mean, we talked for hours at the party and I never felt nervous once. And if I was being honest, I wasn't even completely sure this was a date. For all I knew this could just be a hangout as friends.
"I'm gonna wait downstairs." I informed Rydel, glancing at the time. Only five minutes until Ethan was supposed to pick me up.
She nodded and opened my door, stopping in the doorway. "I expect details when you come back."
I laughed, nodding. "Deal." She smiled and walked away, allowing me to head downstairs where I sat on the couch and played with my phone. It was quiet since everyone was upstairs, and I was feeling a bit awkward just sitting on the couch. But when I heard footsteps approach, my head shot up in relief.
He entered the living room, but stopped when he saw me. "Great." He groaned, rolling his eyes. He spun around and walked away, and it was like my heart broke. Having Ross completely ignore me was so hard because I missed him like crazy. He hadn't talked to me in what felt like months and it was killing me.
The doorbell rang, and I sprung up to answer it. I needed this night to go well, and thinking of Ross wouldn't help. "Hey, Ethan." I greeted, smiling once I opened the door.
He smiled back, his hands in his front pockets. "You look great, Scarlett."
"Thanks," I felt my cheeks hit up at the compliment. I walked outside and closed the door, my back hovering against it. "You look great, too." He was dressed in a simple black V-neck with blue skinny jeans and a pair of high tops.
"Thanks. Are you ready to go?" He asked.
I nodded as we made his way to his car. He opened my door for me and I quickly thanked him as I hopped in. He shut my door and ran over to the driver's side, climbing in and buckling up. He quickly started the car and drove off, a semi-awkward yet comfortable silence filling the air. Why was it a bit awkward when it wasn't at the party?
"What movie are we seeing?" I asked, trying to break the silence.
"Don't laugh, but I thought we could see that new SpongeBob Movie." He glanced at me to see my reaction.
I couldn't help but smile. "You're a child at heart, aren't you?" I teased, poking his thigh.
He chuckled and shook his head. "Have you heard some of the dirty jokes they have on the show? I honestly think that SpongeBob shouldn't be on Nickelodeon."
"Is this your admittance that you still watch it?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow.
He shrugged. "Since I don't count it as a kids show, the answer would be yes." He suddenly chuckled. "I mean, have you seen Squidward? He basically has a dick on his nose."
I burst into laughter at his comment, causing him to do the same.
~*~
"That movie was so weird and entertaining at the same time." Ethan commented as we walked out of the theatre.
I nodded in agreement and threw out my empty cup of soda. "All I could do was stare at Squidward's nose."
He laughed and nudged my shoulder. I bit my lip when I felt his hand slip into mine and lace our fingers together. "Do you want to go on a walk? Unless you have to go home."
I shook my head. "I don't need to be home yet, and a walk sounds nice. It's a beautiful night out." The temperature outside was just right, and the stars and the moon made the night sky picture perfect.
"Awesome." He grinned. "There's a park about fifteen minutes away. Does that sound all right?"
"That sounds perfect." I told him, smiling. He smiled back and gave my hand a squeeze.
The walk to the park was filled with silence, but a comfortable one. I was honestly surprised at how fast I grew comfortable around Ethan. In my life, I was always awkward around my new "families" and rarely ever felt like I was part of it. I felt like a complete outsider that was just a burden, but with Ethan I felt different. Of course I didn't feel like a burden with the Lynch's, they were amazing, the best family I had ever had.
Well, Ross was being an ass at the moment, but I wasn't about to let his attitude affect my thoughts on the rest of his family.
When we arrived at the park, we sat down on one of the benches and I tilted my head up to look at the stars. It was just so beautiful and it was hard to look away. I felt Ethan squeeze my hand, and I looked at him to find him staring at me. He had this look in his eyes that I couldn't decipher.
"What?" I murmured, feeling slightly self-conscious.
He shook his head, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "You're just really beautiful." His voice was quiet and soft, and his words made my heart melt. He leaned forward slightly, and my heart rate increased at what I believed was about to happen. His hand rested on my cheek and I watched as his eyes fluttered close. I leaned closer and closed my own eyes at the same moment his lips covered my own. His lips were soft, but the kiss was missing something and I knew exactly what it was.
Sparks.
Comparing this kiss to Ross', I felt absolutely nothing. When I kissed Ross, it felt like my body was on fire and my heart would beat a mile a minute. But with Ethan, there was no spark, no electricity, no fast heartbeat. Just as I was about to pull away, Ethan grabbed the back of my head and deepened the kiss. His grip on my head forced me to stay in place, and I was forced to just sit there while he attacked my lips. I placed my hands on his chest to try and push him away, but he quickly grabbed my wrists and placed them by my sides.
My eyes snapped open and I struggled against his grip, wincing as he tightened his hold on my wrists. When I felt one of his hands creep up under my shirt, I knew something had to be done fast. I bit down hard on his bottom lip, causing him to hiss and pull away. His eyes darkened with anger and before I could comprehend what was happening, his hand was making contact with my cheek. My hand flew up to my throbbing cheek as a gasp escaped my lips.
"Don't you ever do that again." He growled, his voice sending chills down my spine. What had happened to the sweet guy who I met at the party?
"Let go of me." I begged, the throbbing on my left wrist increasing. He quickly grabbed my right wrist and squeezed it, causing me to wince. "What do you want?"
"Well, I was hoping for a good lay," He smirked devilishly, and I gulped in fear. "But I have a feeling that won't be happening now." Without warning, he crushed his lips against mine and I yelped into his mouth. My eyes were wide with fear, and I was struggling to get out of his hold. He pushed onto my shoulders and shoved me down onto the bench, releasing my wrists from his grasps. Before allowing him to take my hands in his again, I rested my hands on the ground and started to feel for something heavy. My fingers brushed against what felt like a large rock, and I immediately grabbed it and smashed it over his head. He immediately groaned in pain and rolled off me, landing on the ground. I took off in that instant, not daring to look back.
My heart pounded in my ears as I ran, and I was doing my best to keep the tears at bay. I couldn't believe that happened, and I hated how it brought back so many unwanted memories. I shivered involuntarily as Ethan's cruel smile popped in my head. I should have known that he was using me. I was an idiot to think that someone would like a girl like me.
My running slowed down as my eyes scanned the unfamiliar area. There were stores I hadn't heard of lined up across the way, leading me to believe that I had run in the opposite direction from the way we came. My breathing was ragged and I bent down, placing my hands on my knees to try and slow down my breathing. The tears I had tried to will away had slowly started to roll down my cheeks, and my bottom lip began to quiver uncontrollably.
With shaky hands, I pulled out my cell phone and called the one person I needed the most. They answered on the fourth ring.
"Ross, I need you."
I was debating whether or not to make Ethan the bad guy, and I ended up going with it. I know you guys want Ross and Scarlett together, and I promise they will be soon. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and please vote and comment! Suggest this book to your friends and follow! Love you, guys!