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“Val, what’s taking so long?” Mom hollers from the bottom of the stairs. “Your sisters are waiting in the car. We’re going to be late!”
“One sec!” I call back, then remove my hand from over Ethan’s mouth. He laughs quietly and takes my hand in his, but my eyes are wide with concern. “What are you going to do?” I whisper.
Ethan shrugs, runs his hand across the brand-new stubble on his jawline. I won’t say that I love his face more now because I don’t think that’s possible, but I’m certainly appreciating the new look. It makes him seem more grown up. Mature. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll sneak out your window. It’s not like I’ve never done it before.”
“Make sure you don’t fall into Mom’s carrot patch. Last time, I panicked and told her that there was a raccoon fight below my window.”
“First rule of raccoon fight club…” Ethan deadpans. Then he shrugs, lips quirked in a half-smile. “I don’t think she’d mind if she knew it was me.”
“You don’t know how proud she is of her carrots.”
“How about I make up for it by mediating the next time Carmen and Alicia get into it?”
“Nothing you’ve done could be bad enough to warrant refereeing my sisters’ fights as a punishment.” I bite my lip to hide a smile. “But seriously, I don’t think Mom would be happy to hear that you’ve been sneaking into my room at night. Things are… different now.”
“Not that different.” Ethan’s deep brown eyes sparkle as they meet mine and the butterflies that have taken up residence in my stomach fly free once again. “We had a sleepover. Like we’ve done since we were five.”
I fiddle with the bottom of my pajama top—a huge, faded blue shirt with the Top Gun logo splashed across the front. It used to be Ethan’s, but I have full custody now. “Well, given that you’re my boyfriend now, Mom might not necessarily believe us.”
“Why wouldn’t she?” He looks at me oh-so-innocently. “Last I checked, she still loves me.”
“Only because you bribe her with freshly-made treats whenever you come over.”
“Love through bribery is still love.”
I snort with laughter and Ethan silences me with a kiss.
Yes, he spent the night last night. And no, nothing happened. Ethan is and has always been my favorite sleepover buddy. Maybe because his arms fit so perfectly around me, or he heats up like a furnace in his sleep and the coziest spot in the world is cuddled up next to him.
On Ethan’s part, I think he’s also happy not to spend the nights alone. His mom’s been stuck working the night shift at the hospital for months. She hates being away from him in the evenings, but she’s had a tough time finding a security job with daytime hours here in Mirror Valley.
Not that I’m complaining. Ethan and I used to have sleepovers all the time, but when we began dating at the start of the summer, our parents seemed less than thrilled with the idea of us having any more. We stopped for a couple weeks, followed their rules. But I missed him, and he missed me, so now, we keep it a secret. My one and only teenage rebellion.
I still can’t believe this is happening. I’ve had a crush on Ethan for as long as I can remember, and when he kissed me on the last day of junior year, I almost fainted with happiness like the heroines in my favorite regency romance novels.
Just give me a lounger and one of those rigid corsets, and I would’ve collapsed like Lady Mirror…shire.
“You getting ready or what?” Ethan whispers, tickling me in the side. “Your mom’s going to get suspicious.”
“I can’t exactly change while you’re lurking.”
“I’m not lurking. I’m an innocent bystander.”
I sigh, putting on the annoyed face I reserve for him. “Okay, innocent bystander, you stand in the corner facing the wall, and I’ll change into my dress. And don’t even think about spying on me.”
“What? I am a perfect gentleman. In fact…” He holds out a hand, puts on a terrible British accent. “You dare assume me to be the most unmitigated and comprehensive a—”
I smack a hand over his mouth again, holding back a giggle. We watched Pride and Prejudice last night, buried beneath my covers with the volume on one bar so my family wouldn’t hear. Honestly, I thought Ethan slept through the whole thing.
“You fancy yourself as Mr. Bingley, then?” I ask, testing him.
“More like Mr. Darcy.”
I roll my eyes, then signal for him to turn around. Ethan covers his face, but peeks through his fingers to give me a final once-over. I gesture for him to turn away again, and he sighs dramatically before turning towards the wall.
I watch his back for a few moments. Not because I think he’d break his promise (he wouldn’t) but because, for the thousandth time this summer, I’m overcome with happiness.
I always believed that Ethan Holmes was my soulmate. Even before I knew that he felt the same way I did—when I was lost in the melodramatic throes of seemingly-unrequited love—I knew that we were meant to be in each other’s lives. Even if we were just friends.
