SWNOVELS In Ruins: Chapter 23
“Party this Friday, Rosalie?”
I looked up from my notes. Ethan stood over my table in the library.
“Don’t you guys have a game on Friday?”
“We do. We’re all going to Cole’s after.”
“Well,” I licked my lips. “Do I have to go?”
Ethan pulled the chair out next to me and sat down.
“I’d really like you to go.”
“The last party didn’t work out so well for me. I think I’ll pass.”
“Don’t make me use my power to get you to come hang out with me.” Ethan tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.
“I just don’t want there to be any problems, Ethan. I’m really trying to get through all this stuff with as little damage as possible.”
He grew quiet for a moment. “I understand. But I haven’t had a chance to hang out with you aside from the calculus stuff and with the guys. It would be nice to have you on my arm for a change.”
I studied him for a moment. Ethan was definitely the sweet one of the group. He wasn’t as loud as the others either. And he was right—I hadn’t spent much time with him.
“OK. I’ll go but only for a little bit.”
He grinned at me. “We’ll have a great time.”
I smiled back at him and placed my pencil on my notebook. “Hey, can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Is there something going on with Fox? He seems weird lately.”
“There’s always something going on with Fox. You’ll have to be more specific.”
I launched into telling him the conversation I’d had with Fox. Ethan sighed and shook his head.
“Fox is just, I don’t know…Fox. One minute he’s laughing, and the next he’s pissed off. It’s gotten a lot worse since you came into the picture.”
“And that’s another thing,” I pressed. “I came into the picture, but I don’t know why.”
The thought of using Ethan to get the video prodded at my mind. Ethan would definitely be the one I’d have to cling to. I knew Fox said he was thinking about deleting it. I also knew I was growing fond of the guys. But in my experience, the good in situations was short-lived, and it was a necessity to strike while I could before things went to a place they couldn’t come back from. Ian was one of those places. He’d been lying low, but I knew he was waiting for something. I just didn’t know what I was going to do when he made his move.
“I don’t know, Rosalie. We get bored. We noticed you that day in the cafeteria. Hell, we’d noticed you before, but it was that day when you really captured our attention. When Cole mentioned it before everything went down with Juliet, Fox was against it. But then that shit happened, and he was the one to step up. It just sort of spiraled from there.” He gave me a helpless shrug.
“Boredom isn’t a reason to try to ruin someone’s life.”
“Has your life been ruined because of us?” Ethan’s gaze swept over me, worry in them.
“Not entirely, but Fox said that was the plan.”
Ethan nodded, looking over my shoulder, seemingly lost in thought. “Fox won’t ruin you, Rosalie. He’s a good guy. He asks us all the time how you’re doing. He worries about you, even if you don’t think he does. He lo…”
I shook my head. I wasn’t so sure about that, nor was I willing to test the theory, despite wanting to believe deep down beneath all his anger, he was still the little boy I’d loved when we were kids.
THINGS SEEMED to be dying down at school with the guys. They’d released a lot of their control over me, but every now and then, one of them would snake their way over to remind me who was in charge. I was grateful I hadn’t been forced to sit with them at their table, enjoying the fact Ethan had started sitting with me and Jamie at lunch. Today, Enzo had joined us too.
“Are you coming to the party tomorrow?” Ethan asked Jamie when there was a lull in our conversation.
“Um, I’m not sure. Am I allowed to?”
“I’m inviting you. And you’re Rosalie’s friend, so of course you can.”
“OK.” Jamie smiled widely, excitement in her eyes. “I can ask Ian—”
“We don’t keep people out of parties, but we also don’t encourage the assholes to come in,” Enzo interrupted, sitting on my other side.
Jamie closed her mouth, but the look in her eyes told me she wanted to defend Ian.
“Well, I don’t know if I can make it then. Ian asked me out, and we’re supposed to meet at Rocky’s for dinner before catching a movie.”
“What?” I practically shouted. Enzo gave my thigh a quick squeeze to quiet me down.
“I should’ve told you sooner, Rosalie. I’m sorry.” Jamie gave me a pleading look to forgive her. “I was about to give up on anything ever happening with him when he asked me out.”
I forced a smile on my face. “Are you sure you want to go out with him?”
“What? You’ve been telling me for ages to just ask him.”
“I know. But do you want a serious relationship? We’re in our senior year and all—”
“Rosalie, you know how much I like him. What the hell is the matter with you? Why do you want me to tell him no?” Her gaze volleyed between me and the guys. “Not everyone can screw around with multiple guys. Some of us prefer the ones who are more committed.” She got to her feet, her face red.
I opened and closed my mouth several times at her outburst.
“We can’t all be you, Rosalie, with your perfect life and screwing the entire football team.” She turned on her heel and stormed away.
“Jamie, wait!” I called out, attempting to go after her. Enzo grabbed my wrist and held me in my seat.
“Let her go. She needs to cool off.”
I shook my head in disbelief.
“But we should probably talk,” he continued.
“I’m really not in the mood, Enzo—”
“I want to know when you started fucking the entire football team and why I wasn’t invited.”
Ethan chuckled behind me.
“This isn’t funny.”
“Yes, it is. Relax, Sunshine. She’s jealous. She’ll get over it.”
“She doesn’t have anything to be jealous about! It’s not like I sought you guys out to ruin my life—”
“Easy. I thought we were bringing you plenty of joy.” Enzo waggled his brows at me. I flushed at his words. He and Cole had definitely been close to that. “Maybe you can give Ethan a chance.”
“You’re definitely making me sound like exactly what she said—”
“Ethan, tell Rosalie you want her.”
I looked over at Ethan, hating Enzo had put him on the spot.
“You don’t have to answer—”
“I want you.”
I blinked several times at him, unsure if I heard him correctly.
“Our arrangement was that you belonged to us. And you’ve been mine since I first saw you, Rosalie,” Ethan’s voice was a whisper, his eyes locked on mine. “If you’ll have me.”
“I don’t think I understand.”
“Just go with the flow. And enjoy the ride.” Enzo gave my thigh another squeeze. “You’ll be taken care of. Promise.”
I blew out a breath and looked across the cafeteria, trying to get my bearings about me. My gaze locked with Fox’s. My stomach twisted into nervous knots beneath his heated gaze. Juliet looked between us, her mouth turning into a sneer, causing me to tear my eyes away from Fox. The last thing I needed was to deal with her more. But I couldn’t help the pull to him, the longing to go talk to him like we did the night before.
Rather than starting more battles I couldn’t win, I turned back to Ethan.“Tell me what that means.”
“I can show you,” he answered, giving me his sweet smile.
I nodded at him, feeling brave. “I think I’d like that.”