Corrupting the Good girl

Chapter 50

10 minutes later Dan came up to my room.

I was sat on my bed absentmindedly flicking through a magazine when my bedroom door slowly crept open and Dan's head popped around it.

"Hey." He greeted cheerfully.

"Hiya." I called over my shoulder as I quickly finished the article in the magazine I was reading and then sat around to face my brother.

"How's Paige?" He inquired.

"Not too bad I guess, she's just a bit down at the minute."

"Oh." Dan murmured quietly before stepping into my room and sitting down on my bed. "Uh Ethan was here."

Do I tell him that I know and that I heard their conversation or do I pretend I'm oblivious to the whole thing?

"I know." I murmured sheepishly.

"I thought I had heard you come in." Dan chuckled. "So how much did you hear?"

"Well I started listening around the time you two started yelling at each other."

"Oh, I'm sorry you had to hear that Fran." Dan sighed.

"It's fine, it's my fault for eavesdropping anyways." I chortled.

Things went silent for a minute before I decided to speak up again.

"So I guess you guys have made up then?"

"Yeah we have." Dan answered with a slight smile pulling at the corners of his lips.

"I'm proud of you, that was really big of you to forgive him like that." I said quietly.

Dan nodded his head in response. "After you came up here we started talking about you." He said informatively.

I furrowed my brows. "What about me?" I asked curiously.

Dan sighed and brought a hand up o brush through his hair.

"He's really sorry for what he did." Dan breathed out.

"Yeah I know, he's told me enough times." I said rolling my eyes.

"No but Fran I think he is genuinely really sorry. I mean Ethan isn't the type of guy to apologize that much so when he says he's sorry he really means it." Dan said more firmly this time.

"OK so maybe he is sorry for what he did - that doesn't change anything." I grumbled as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Fran he still really likes you." Dan blurted out.

"What?"

"He still really really likes you."

"Yeah that part I got, but how can you even believe a word he says?" I snapped.

"Fran you should've seen him, he was so sincere when he spoke. I honestly believe he meant every word he said."

My breath caught in my throat and my stomach churned nauseatingly. I had wondered for weeks whether Ethan still had feelings for me but to hear somebody reiterate it right in front of me threw me off completely. I didn't know how to feel about this. Should I be angry that Ethan still has feelings for me? Should I be happy that he hasn't moved on? Should I be glad that the feelings between us are mutual?

"Hmm well that doesn't exactly change anything does it." I answered trying to sound as uninterested as possible yet on the inside I was torn between feeling ecstatic and devastated. I was elated about the fact that it wasn't just me who still had feelings for him yet I was distraught at the prospect that even though the feelings between us were mutual we could never act on them... Could we?

Dan exhaled loudly and pursed his lips. "No I guess it doesn't." Dan replied dejectedly.

"Dan you sound rather disappointed?" I questioned. "So what you've now gone from hating Ethan's guts and never wanting to talk to him again to wanting us to get back together?"

"Well not exactly, I mean I am still mad about what happened but come on Fran you've gotta admit that you and Ethan were great when you were together."

"Dan don't you think I've got enough to deal with at the minute? I don't need you trying to push me and Ethan back together." I mumbled.

"No you're right, I'm sorry." Dan sighed.

"It's fine." I muttered.

"I guess I'll just leave you to it then." Dan said quietly as he stood and left.

I let out a loud sigh  before flopping back onto my bed.

Ethan still likes me?

Ethan still likes me.

And I still like him. No, I still love him.

Does he still love me? 

Did he ever even love me?

I snivelled quietly as I rolled onto my side and brought my knees up to my chest. I was so confused: I wanted to hate Ethan for what he did to me but at the same time I want to move on and be with him again; I want to forget about him yet I don't want to lose him; I want to get over my feelings for him yet I can't not have him in my life.

I hadn't realised that I had started crying and I only noticed when hot tears rolled across my face, down my cheek and onto the duvet.