Please Don't Tell (25 page)

             
He turned slightly to face me, “It’s nothing really. I was just thinking of my mom and Pete and what they’re all doing right now.”

             
“Oh,” I said, surprised. “Why don’t you call them?”

             
“Already done. Spoke to both of them this morning. It’s too late to bother them now.”

             
“Well, did you want to talk about it or watch T.V.?”  The house had gone quiet since Austin fell asleep. You could barely make out my mother’s television on upstairs.

             
Ethan nodded and sat beside me. “What are we watching?”

             
“We could watch something you want,” I offered.

             
I couldn’t think of anything better than to sit by him tonight snuggled up under a blanket watching a romantic movie.

             
Taking the remote he rested it next to him. “I’m kind of tired, but I could watch a movie or something?”

             
“Great.”

             
He flipped to On Demand and we scoured through every letter until we found something we agreed on. He placed the remote back down and pulled me in so tight I thought I might pass out.

             
His tucked his face in my hair, nuzzling next to my ear. “I’m really excited about being here with you, Sophie. I just wanted you to know that,” he whispered.

             
I stretched my neck up and placed my lips onto his. “Me, too.” I told him in between kisses. “I’m glad you came here. I’m also glad our boat sank otherwise you might not be here.”

             
He let my mouth linger for only a minute. “I would have come anyway. I really don’t feel like watching a movie,” he said in a sexy husky tone.

             
I pulled his mouth back down to mine. “Then don’t.”

             
He exhaled loudly like he was frustrated. “You’re killing me, Sophie. Your mum is upstairs.”

             
I pressed my forehead to his. “Well, we better be quiet then.”

             
             
             
             
             
Chapter 24

             
It’d been Friday. My mother had left on a last minute day trip and would be flying back on a red eye from California. Austin had already had plans for a sleepover, which meant Ethan and I could finally get some major and much wanted alone time. Only, Ethan didn’t seem as eager to want to spend it with me. He had insisted he just had some things on his mind and he was fine, but I thought differently.

             
I mean, what the heck? We were finally all alone, and he wants to go out and eat. What was he thinking? The only thing I wanted to do was have him wrap himself around me and see what it led to.

             
After we stuffed our faces with nachos and hamburgers, we headed to the store and picked up some snacks and firewood. The firewood I insisted on because I really wanted to make the night special. I’m not sure if my intentions were noticed, but he didn’t argue. I started feeling a little nervous, not because we would be alone, snuggling up on the couch, but because he seemed so far away the entire day. He’d barely spoken all day. There were no stolen kisses in the halls at school. He wanted a more thorough tour of the town, good food and even insisted on hitting up the Redbox to rent a DVD.

             
Once he placed the wood in the fireplace and got it going, I decided to take that chance to freshen up.

             
“I’m gonna take a quick bubble bath, but I’ll only be twenty minutes or so.” I said. 

             
He turned his face from the fire, still jabbing at it with the poker. “Take your time.” He said.

             
As I cranked the water on and filled it with the bubble bath sitting on the ledge I almost lost the nerve to jump in. What if he decided to do a surprise attack and tried to join me? My mother’s tub had been big enough for two, easily.  No boy had ever seen me naked, and even though I knew that my feelings for him had been real, I wasn’t sure if I was really ready.

             
Walking over to the door, I closed it and pushed the little button to lock it. Submerging my body into the warm water and the bubbles circling me, it felt insanely wonderful. I let everything that had happened since he arrived sink in. I sat up, leaning forward and rested my forehead on the arched faucet, instantly closing my eyes. The thought of him leaving for London somehow always seemed to creep their way back into my thoughts. Those thoughts were the ones that always left me depressed and wondering how the hell I would go on without seeing him everyday; seeing his silly grin or feeling his arms wrapped around me.

             
Twenty minutes later, I unplugged the tub and stepped out. Wrapping myself in the oversized cotton towel, I quickly dried off.  After I finished dressing, and shimmying into my latest purchase, I grabbed the brush and ran it through my hair before slowly unlocking the door.

             
When I tiptoed out to the hall, I peeked down the stairs.  I heard loud clanking noises coming from the kitchen.

             
The television was on showing yet another soccer game. I walked on my tip toes trying not to make a sound. Peeking around the corner into the kitchen, he turned and grinned.

             
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “So much for trying to sneak up on someone,” I said, teasing.

             
He kissed the tip of my nose. “How was the bath?”

             
“Warm,”I said as I ran my hand over his shirt until my fingers stopped resting on his shoulders, thinking about being alone with him tonight. No little brother to interrupt up, no worries of my mother barging in on us. “So, what should we watch?” I asked.

             
He reached over, tossing a bag of popcorn into the microwave and hit the buttons.

             
“Your choice,” he said. “Do you think your mother would miss this?” He asked, fingering a bottle of wine hanging in the wine rack.

             
“You like wine?” I asked, surprised. I guess I always pictured him as the beer sitting in a warm London pub kinda guy.

             
“Sure, I do. I’m very cultured,” he teased.

             
I shrugged and pulled out the corkscrew from the cabinet. “Be my guest. I think I’d like a glass, too.” And, boy did I. As comfortable as Ethan made me always feel, I wanted a little something extra to pull this all off. And, I wasn’t even sure what ‘pull all of this off’ meant.

             
With two glasses of white wine poured and a bowl full of popcorn we walked out to start the movie. As I glanced through my collection. It was an easy choice. “You haven’t watched this one before, have you?” I asked, holding up St. Elmo’s Fire.

             
I watched as he stood closer and read the front.  “No, can’t say I have. What about the one we rented?” he said, grabbing the blanket thrown over the ottoman.

             
“We can watch that one next. St. Elmo’s it is then,” I said as I pushed it into the DVD player and grabbed the remote.

             
He patted the seat next to him for me to join him. As I sat, he pulled me in closer and threw the blanket over both of us. He reached over, pulling the two glasses down, handing me one, he said, “Cheers.” We clinked our glasses and I took a sip, watching as he did the same.

             
Within the first half hour of the movie I couldn’t stand it anymore. How could he not make a move? Cop a feel or something? I grabbed the remote, hitting the pause button. “Ethan?” I said, frustrated.

             
He looked down and stroked my hair. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to watch the movie?”

             
I wrinkled up my nose. “Yea, but I have my question of the day for you?”

             
His eyes narrowed.“Okay,” he agreed with a cryptic little smile.

             
I looked up briefly into his eyes.“You been a million miles away all day.” My eyes looked down, focusing on his already empty glass. “What’s wrong? I mean, if you don’t want to be here with me please say something.”

             
He pulled my glass from my fingers and placed them it down on the side table. “Sophie, this is the only place I want to be--here with you.” He shook his head and asked, “Why would you even think that?”

             
I didn’t look up. “You’ve been acting kind of strange is all.”

             
He lifted my chin with his fingers. “Soph, look at me.” He demanded, just before he kissed me gently on the mouth. “Today, and today only I’m going to give you a shot at two questions,” he said, twisting my hair in his fingers. “Ask me the question from the other day.”

             
“Which one?” I asked, trying to think of which one he meant.

             
“The one I took a pass on.”

             
“Okaaay.” I said studying his face. “What happens to us when you leave?” I asked, again.

             
His hand trailed down my jawline, then it ran down my shoulder. Next thing I knew it was running under my sweatpants and then he stopped. “Wow,” Ethan said slowly, “Are you...wearing what I think you’re wearing?”

             
I pulled his hand out, resting it on my lap. “Stop, changing the subject.”

             
“Sophie, why are wearing these?” He asked, as he placed his hand at the rim of my pants down, tugging at them, pulling them slightly out.

             
I frowned. “I thought you’d like them. Why? You don’t?” I asked, nervously as I started to pull my finger to my mouth to gnaw on something.

             
He pulled my finger down. “I like everything you wear. I just don’t want you to not be yourself. If you’d prefer to wear the ‘comfy ones’ as you call them, just do it. I don’t care.”

             
“How did you know I was wearing them?”

             
He laughed softly. “Well, you always walk a little different.”

             
I shook my head in disbelief. “I do not.”

             
He reached down, tugging at my G-strings, again. “Trust me, you do.”

             
His comment through me off. Did I walk different? Was everybody else able to figure this out when I wore them? Not that I wore them often, but on the occasional weekend I sported them, just in case. I was always petrified that I would get all hot and steamy with a guy and then he’d catch me wearing my Sunday through Monday panties.

             
I shook my head. “Forget them. You still have to answer the question.” I reminded him.

             
I watched him as his head looked down, still not answering. I lifted his chin. “Ethan, if you don’t want to, it’s fine.”

             
“No. It’s not that. I’m just a little nervous to say it,” he said, slowly as he stared into my eyes, then glanced around the room.

             
I ran my finger behind his ear and weaved it through his tousled hair, “Please, don’t be nervous around me.”

             
His lips came down onto my mouth and then he said, whispering. “I’m never nervous around you. That’s the problem.” As he looked at me, his eyes grew more serious. Then he twisted me up and onto his lap. “I could have gone anywhere for an exchange program; Australia to see my sister, California to surf, anywhere, but, I’m here with you in New York. Why do you think that is?” He asked, stopping briefly, but continued when I didn’t answer.

             
“You might think this is crazy seeing I’m only about to be eighteen.” He said, studying my face. After a moment of silence he continued. “I sort of told you already, but not sure if you really heard me. My entire world fell apart when my father died and then when I saw you again. My world started to feel okay next to you. You have no idea what our boat sinking did for me. When you started prattling on about your secrets, without taking a breath... I don’t know. I fell for you all over, right there. Then the trip ended and I never told you how I felt, because I knew you’d always felt something for Pete. But, Pete had Claire are solid and I got a glimmer of hope. I couldn’t wait to see you again. I knew I couldn’t wait until the following summer, but there was always that doubt that you wouldn’t be interested in me. I went back to London feeling better, but as each day passed, the depression kicked in again. I could have went anywhere or stayed in London, but I took that chance. When I saw you again, it was like time stood still for me. You were next to me again, and I was so close to feeling alive when you first walked in that door when I arrived. I wanted to pick you up and hold you right in front of everyone. I could feel again as soon as I looked at you. I just can’t imagine going home and leaving you behind. I mean, what if it all comes back? I hate feeling like that. You’re the only person who makes me feel something, Sophie,” His voice cracked as he studied my eyes.

             
I lifted my hand and swept it over his hair and touched his scar. I’d never ever heard a guy so sad or heard a speech so unbelievable in my life before. I felt like I was stuck inside one of John Hughes amazing films, like I was playing Molly Ringwald’s role of a lifetime.

             
Shaking my head, trying to absorb everything that he just said, the only reaction I had was that I wanted him. I wanted him more than anything I’d ever wanted in my entire life. I threw my arms around his neck and then I pressed my lips against his and whispered as I slowly kissed him. “I love you.”

             
He pulled back, slightly, his lips lingering with barely and space between our mouths, “You have no idea how much that means to me.” And, then he kissed me, and kissed me hard. I got to the point where I felt like I couldn’t breath when his arms pushed me down. I was now lying on my back with his body hovering over mine. His eyes staring into my eyes. Swiping a loose hair behind my ear, he said, “I love you so much, Sophie.”

             
Kissing like this was completely new to me. I mean, sure we’ve kissed several times, but tonight his lips, his voice, everything he did or said was mind blowing. We shifted our bodies onto the floor, in front of the fireplace, intertwined under the fleece blanket. His hands moved fast as he roamed my body, tugging at my shirt and then my pants. His fingers lingered at the ridge of my pants. “However, since you have them on...” He teased, fingering the lace.

             
I started to get up. “I could go put on Friday,” I teased, laughing.

             
He pulled me back down on top of him. “No way. You’re not going anywhere.”