Healing Ethan #THESHINEAWARDSROMANCE

Nine

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I groan in my sleep. It keeps on buzzing making the whole bed shake and I wonder why I've slept with my phone in my pocket in the first place. Not bothering to open my eyes, I struggle to take it out and shove it under the pillow when it stops. I turn to the other side and thank God whoever it is calling hung up. It feels like I haven't slept at all, I can barely move.

Not long afterwards, it starts again, making my pillow vibrate and I curse as I blink my eyes open in defeat.

My eyes first land on the ceiling and it doesn't take me much time to recognize it's not my own. Although it hasn't been two weeks since I moved in with Myra, I've grown to love the shiny stars that she hung up on the rooftop and the dark paint that makes it look like a night sky.

Confused, I continue to blink and rub my eyes, wondering why my stars have disappeared when a weight shifts beside me.

"Just answer the phooone, dammit..." The voice moans and we both snap out of it at the same time.

"What are you doing here?" We say at the same time, our bodies shrieking back as we sit down. He clutches the sheets bringing them to his lab, but lets go of them when he realizes he has clothes on.

"This is my house." Ethan is the first to answer and I look around. Oh snap! Last night... The nightmare...the late walk...the coughs... I must've been exhausted to have slept here.

"What are you doing here?" He sounds hesitant when he asks again.

"Don't you remember what happened last night?" I ask him, already knowing the answer. He barely recognized me, how can he remember anything else?

"What do you m-mean?" His eyes wander around scanning the place, his cheeks having a red tint to them as he avoids my eyes and is still looking around. He removes the sheets and stands to his feet, looking down at his body as if checking if nothing is missing, and then back to me. His frustrated look makes it very tempting to tease him, to play him and say that we slept together just for the hell of it. But I can't risk him pissing himself.

"I dragged you home. You were so out of it." is what I finally say. His mind seems to wander, as if gathering last night's shattered pieces to get the full picture. Then his eyes widen in realization and he gasps.

"Dammit! Where'd you find me?" his voice is inquisitive and his eyebrows are furrowed.

"In a dark alley. You were throwing up and you seemed like you would bark at me and eat me alive. What happened? Why were you out that late?"

"I don't remember actually. All I know is that I had a nightmare and woke up in the middle of the night. And there was a loud party around and I went for it. I had a few drinks. Maybe a lot of them actually. And I don't remember anything after that." he huffs and takes a seat at the bottom of the bed, his hands massaging his temple.

"So you don't remember what you told me? Or your offer?"

"What offer?" he turns back to me, color drained from his face, trying to recall what the hell he said. "Oh my God, I embarrassed myself, didn't I?"

I can't hide the evil grin taking over my face. Its so unbelievable how this nervous boy sitting in front of me massaging his temples and trying to cover his face is the same one from last night, the drunk carefree bad ass who was joking and teasing me. The way he tries to do anything just to avoid my gaze makes me want to squeeze his cheeks just to reassure him.

"You cursed me, then asked me to be your girlfriend. You said we'd be couples goals. Then you asked me to spend the night with you." I bite my tongue to stop any sounds from coming out and he lifts his hand to itch his neck while he stands to his feet.