When Worlds Collide

Chapter 21

I was suddenly ripped out of a deep sleep. My eyes blinked open sleepily, and I lazily scanned the room to get my bearings. Glancing at the alarm clock on my nightstand, the glowing red numbers informed me that it was somewhere around one in the morning. I rolled over to go back to sleep, when I heard it again- a voice. Now I was definitely no stranger to hearing voices by any means, but the familiarity of it bothered me enough to at least get up and investigate.

Throwing back the covers, I padded over to the window, my sleep bleary eyes seeing a figure standing in the lawn at the side of the house. Rubbing the tiredness out of my eyes, I grabbed the bottom of the window and hauled it open, the voice I was hearing now becoming crystal clear.

"Ivan! Ivy! Are you there?" Ethan called, swaying a bit like a flag in a gentle breeze.

"Ethan!" I hissed, nervously looking around the dead neighborhood. "It's one in the morning! Are you drunk?"

"I- I just wanted to see you! Can you please come down?" He yelled back.

I sighed. "Ethan, you should really go home and get some rest. Do you need me to walk you back?" I asked with a chuckle, although I was partly serious since he clearly had a little to drink.

"Please come down, Ivan!" He simply yelled again.

I cringed, looking back into my room, worrying about getting Ethan to shut up before he wakes the entire neighborhood.

"Ivan-"

"Alright, alright! I'll come down, but you need to be quiet, Ethan," I placate him before slamming the window shut. Running my hand through my hair, I took inventory of what I was currently wearing. Red plaid pajama pants and a grey t-shirt, completely suitable for standing around outside for God knows how long. I threw on a dark grey sweater last minute before rushing downstairs as quietly as I could, opening the front door to the freezing night air. I slid on my converse before stepping down from the porch, jogging across the front lawn to the side of the house. Crossing my arms, my teeth started to chatter slightly as I was finally able to get a good look at Ethan. He was still wearing his pinstripe suit, one of the suspenders was undone and his white undershirt untucked. He had a dopey smile on his face as I approached him, shivering slightly against the cold, even though Ethan seemed to be unaffected.

"Hey," he whispered, a new tenderness to his face that made me falter a bit.

"Come on, Ethan. Let's get you home," I encouraged, turning to head down the street towards his house.

"Wait, I-" he breathed, rubbing his hand down his face. "I need to say this," he muttered into his palm as I raised an eyebrow and turned towards him again.

"Ethan-?" I started to ask, becoming increasingly concerned.

"I like you, Ivan," he blurted, looking at me with a burning gaze. "Like- like I don't want to just be friends. I don't want to lose you but I can't-" he sighed, looking across the empty street with watery eyes. "It's too painful to be near you and pretend like we're nothing more," he sniffed, glancing back at me with the most vulnerable, pleading look in his eyes.

I chuckled, shaking my head slightly at how foolish we both were. "I like you too, Ethan," I whispered, my voice breaking as I started to get emotional too. I felt like I was choking on the joy that was coursing through me.

"R-really?" He asked, a wide grin breaking out across his face. I nodded, not trusting my voice anymore as I bit my lip to try and contain the stupid smile trying to take over my face.

"Oh my God," he breathed, his body deflating like a thousand pounds had just been lifted off of his shoulders. "Can- can I kiss you?"

My heart began to pound, and I felt my eyes widen. Holy shit, now this was really happening. I nodded again like a pathetic bobble head, because apparently that was all I was physically capable of at the moment. Ethan surged forward, stopping half a foot in front of me as he reached up to hold my face. We both stared at each other, as though we were seeing one another for the first time, and I had never felt so safe and accepted with any other pair of eyes.