Chapter 219: Is There Someone Else?
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Ethan rubbed the back of his neck and let out a small laugh. "Wow. We’re really bad at this, huh? It feels like I’m on a first date with someone I’ve known forever."
I couldn’t help but laugh too; it eased the tension just a bit. "Yeah. It’s... strange."
He leaned in, elbows on the table, his smile becoming softer. "How’ve you been? I noticed you weren’t in school for two days. Perfect-attendance Noah breaking his streak? I was kind of worried."
I shrugged, trying to act casual. "I’m fine. Just... busy. Family stuff."
He nodded, accepting my response even though I could tell he wasn’t completely convinced. Then he took a deep breath, as if he was psyching himself up.
"I thought about texting or calling to check on you, but I wasn’t sure if that was... okay? I’ve never done the whole ’break’ thing before, so I’m kind of lost here. Figured it was better to talk face-to-face."
My heart fluttered. Sweet, thoughtful Ethan—always worried about boundaries, even when I was the one drawing them with a damn crayon.
Before I could come up with a response, my mouth took over and crashed us straight into Awkwardville.
"That girl you were talking to this morning," I blurted out. "She’s... pretty."
Ethan blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"Uh... thanks?" Then realization hit him, and his lips twitched. "Wait—Dianna Raymond? Cheerleader Dianna?"