Our Toxic Love

Chapter Twenty Five

*Ethan's POV*

"Ariana, no one's home," I insist for about the tenth time.

"No, I'm not going downstairs like this."

Ariana doesn't want to walk around my house wearing my pajamas because she thinks its inappropriate. I keep telling her that the place is completely empty apart from the two of us and that I'll find her clothes later but she's just too damn stubborn.

"No one will see you because no one's home," I repeat. "Jesus Christ, Ari, my mom's at work and Luke's at his friend's house."

She pauses for a second before finally giving in and coming downstairs. Fucking finally.

Although it's about three in the afternoon, we eat cereal as our 'breakfast'.

We're both silent as we sit on either side of the table, facing each other.

"How did I get here," she asks me, not meeting my eyes.

"You went to a party after you got drunk," I say, "then I saw you there and offered to drive you home but you didn't want your dad seeing you like that, so I took you here."

She gives me a weird look.

"What?" I question.

She shrugs. "Nothing."

"No, tell me," I press on curiously.

"I just would've never expected you to do that," she admits.

My brows furrow. "Why not?"

"You hate me."

I think she's annoying, stubborn, a little weird, unreasonable, gullible, fun to irritate, and she drives me completely mad. But hate her? No, I don't think I do. If anything, I finally admit that I'm extremely attracted to her. Especially when she's wearing my clothes.

"I don't hate you," I say honestly.

She almost chokes on her cereal and begins to laugh.

What just happened.

"You don't hate me?" She laughs. "You made my life miserable."

"Because it's fun," I point out.

Honestly? It started out that way. I hated her a lot. But for the past couple of weeks... I don't know.

"You know what else is fun?" She asks.

"What?"

She grabs the glass of water next to me and spills the liquid on my face.

For a moment, I just freeze.

"You're gonna regret doing that," I grin, standing up.

She laughs, already rushing out of the kitchen.

I run after her. We're both acting like five year olds, chasing each other around the sitting room-but it's fun so fuck it.

When I finally catch her, I'm standing behind her, my arms around her waist. She's not running away... she's still laughing.

I turn her to face me and she leans against the back of the couch.

"I really wanna kiss you right now," I say.

*Ariana's POV*

My heart begins to race as I hear his words.

He leans against me and I close my eyes as I feel his warm breath on my face. This is the first time I don't freak out and try to run.

He brings my bottom lip between his teeth and my whole body stiffens. His fingers begin trace my outer thigh.

"Ethan..." I say.

"No," his voice is low and soft. "Don't 'Ethan' me. It's about time."

He runs the tip of his tongue over my lip. I moan, my heart beating, if possible, even faster than before.

When my lips involuntarily part, he pauses, as if wondering whether or not he should kiss me now.

I crash my lips into his, answering the question for him.

I feel my entire body ignite at the contact. His hot, wet tongue runs over mine as he deepens the kiss.

My mind is incapable of proper thoughts right now as I try to decide what to do with my hands. At first, I place them on his shoulders. But I hear a little mocking voice in my head say: lame. I think back to what every girl does in books when she kisses a boy.

I lace my fingers through his hair and feel electricity spark inside me when he groans, pressing his body to mine, trying to get rid of the smallest spaces between us. Holy shit, he has a boner.

This is nothing like my kiss with Nathan or Matt. This isn't soft and subtle. This is hungry and exciting. And I like it better this way.

Ethan pulls away. For a second, I start to think that maybe I'm a really bad kisser and he just went like: dammit, I can't work with this, but those thoughts dissipate when he moves his mouth to my neck.

His kisses are rough as he plants them on my collarbone first then moves upwards. I can feel his soft tongue on my skin as he sucks on it, the way he did that night when we were outside the restaurant.

I feel unaware of everything in the world except Ethan. Until, of course, someone knocks on the door.

"Ethan," I moan.

He groans in a response but continues.

"Ethan," I say, a little clearer.

When the door knocks again, Ethan slowly moves away from me and stares at it.

I can't help but notice how pink and swollen his lips are now.

He glances at me before going and opening the door.

Outside stands an angry man with dark hair and bright brown eyes.

Holy crap, what's my dad doing here?