Page 12 of Lovestrung

“I’m not sure I can do that, but I’ll try. For the time being.”

I pretended to scowl at him but the warmth in his eyes made it pretty dang impossible for me to keep a straight face.

“Fine,” I grumbled and looked at the dining table. “Want to help me clear the table? I’ll do the dishes, and you dry. Deal?”

I extended my hand and waited for him to shake it. The word hung in the air, and my instincts told me he knew that we were sealing a deal that was as far from kitchen duties as it could get.

He gave me a grin and finally took it. I suppressed the shiver the touch of his warm grip elicited in my body and let go.

“Great.”

Silently, as if we both knew that talking would be a dangerous thing to do, we got the dining room and kitchen back in order. Somehow, I knew it would be difficult to command my heart to stop beating faster when Ethan was near, but I had to make it stop. I had to let go of any notion that there would ever be anything more between us than friendship.

I wished that I’d gotten a plane ticket for Rome the next day.

I wished that I could disappear already.

I shook my melancholic thoughts away, reminding myself that just because Ethan had decided to stop evading me didn’t mean he’d suddenly start hanging out with me every other day. For all I knew, we wouldn’t even get the chance to see each other again before I left the country. I had so much to see to before I went away. And finding a companion for Gramps while I was away being priority number one.

I was worrying over something before there was even a reason to fret.

Resolutely, I pushed any lingering feelings of sadness away and decided to simply enjoy Ethan’s company for the night.

* * *

“So, how’s vet school?” I asked Ethan while we walked down the street.

We’d finally managed to coerce Bernie out for his evening walk, but to say that the pooch was enthusiastic about it would be wrong.

Walking implied that we were actually getting somewhere.

Dragging the dog would be more accurate.

Ethan smiled at me before he looked down on the sidewalk.

“It’s going well. It feels strange to think that I’m only a year away from graduating.”

I smiled back, glad that we were able to have this conversation. “I hope I’ll be back for your graduation, Ethan. I really don’t want to miss it.”

When I felt the leash go taut behind me, I sighed and looked at the sky in defeat.

“Bernie, come on.”

I turned to look at the dog and crouched, trying to coerce him to come closer.

“Is every night like this?” Ethan laughed, and I glanced up at him.

“Pretty much. He hates exercising.”

I clucked my tongue at Bernie, but he evaded my eyes and looked longingly back at the house.

“Oh, no, come on, big boy,” I cooed. “Just a bit longer and we’ll go home, I promise.”

A hefty sigh and a grumpy look were all I got. Frustrated, I straightened my back, ready to give up.

“I don’t think we’ll get anywhere.”

Ethan tilted his head at Bernie for a while and extended his hand to me. Puzzled, I raised my eyes at him.