when in rome | ethan

ten

mia's pov

my entire body felt tired as i plopped my naked body down on the bed next to him. the sounds of our heavy breathing filled the room as i kept my palm against his chest, feeling his quick heartbeat.

we recollect ourselves for a couple minutes, steadying our breaths before i spark a conversation.

"have you noticed how Ethan and Cassandra are towards another." i asked him. he sat up against the headboard and i got up also, sitting up on the bed across from him.

"i.. haven't really paid attention to it. why?" he asked, messing with his hair.

i shrugged, looking down at my fiddling hands. "well, you know. he's your brother and she's my bestfriend. just thought you would've noticed the tension, but i guess Ethan can be kind of hard to read sometimes."

"he really can be," Grayson chuckled. he grabbed my hand, making me look up at him. "i have an idea."

"yeah?" i asked, all of sudden curious.

"what if we set them up? you're obviously worried about where they stand right now. why don't we help them fall for each other again, without them even knowing it was us. we can get Alex, Noah, Aria and Isabelle in it too." He proposes.

wow. the Grayson Dolan coming up with a good idea for once.

"good idea! Ethan and Cass have had this awkward tension from the moment we stepped into that airport. i don't know about you but i believe the one thing Cass needs right now is him. and i think he needs her too." i say. "what they had... it doesn't just go away."

WHEN IM ROME

cassandra's pov

"hello?" i answered, picking up my phone. i managed to glance next to me to see that Mia was once again no where to be found. i could barely keep my eyes open, however, for the sun shinning through the curtains irritated me.

"hey sis, how's rome?" I hear Sophia's voice on the other side of the phone.

"you do realize it's six in the morning, right?" I asked, ripping the duvet off of me. I stretched, yawning in the process.

walking to the bathroom, switching on the light switch, my sister replies with, "yeah, yeah. It's late here and Peyton's sleeping so this is a perfect time to call and check up."

"well, everything's great. truly an experience."

"are you staying out of trouble?" she asks. it sucks that she doesn't trust me one hundred percent. but i didn't blame her. the amount of times i screwed up in high school was countless. i snuck out, i drank, i had sex. i was overall the worst daughter ever. and the best part was i couldn't even hide it, cause my parents would always catch me or know what i was doing being their backs.

her question left me wondering. was i staying out of trouble? i was. i was attending the field trips, i was spending lots of time inside the hotel rooms during our free times. i occasionally wrote in my journal. but i was also drinking, sneaking out late at night to party, kissing my ex, almost hooking up with random guys and getting so completely wasted that i spent a night in the same bed with Ethan.

"yes." i replied. how could i possibly tell her that. sisters spill everything to one another, but i wasn't quite ready to leave Rome yet. and i know she'd make me come home had she known all that I've done here. i guess i haven't changed much from high school.

"that's good. mom and dad came to visit yesterday. we miss you Cassandra." she said. i haven't seen my parents in a while. when they visit, im all the way in Rome. how fair.

"i miss you guys too. how was dad?" i asked. my sister and i were always afraid of my dad's intimidation. when it comes to that guy, he gives off a lot of anger. we know he loves us though because without us, he'd be a nobody. sometimes i pity him for being so dependent, but at the same time pushes us away.

him having a temper and being strict to his only girls just influenced me to break his rules more and more. Sophia did the exact opposite, maintaining awesome grades, sleeping early, never partying, never drinking. all the things she'd done to achieve her perfect life. the only thing she'd done, which im pretty sure she doesn't quite regret is having Peyton.

pretty sure my dad was super proud of her. after i got accepted into college, i didn't take one glance back. I was living under the same roof as my parents my entire life, and i wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

i can't lie when i say i don't miss it though. my moms homemade dishes, my room, where i had spent majority of my time in, and when we'd have dinner with our neighbors, who happen to be Ethan and his family, like every suburban family there is out there.

"he's great. he says he misses you a lot. mom suggested they buy a dog for dad. but don't tell him though, it's a surprise." i smiled, it's been a really long time since ive spoken to my parents. getting a dog isn't the worst idea. it could bring out the soft spot in him.

"anyways, i should get going to bed. ive got work bright and early tomorrow morning." she says. "bye Cassandra."

"goodnight," i replied. at times like this, i felt as if my sister was the only one who truly cared about me. checking up on me, allowing me to go on this trip. she's a real one.

i bunch my hair up, tying it into a one second ponytail. someone knocks at the door, making me flinch in place. sighing, i walk over, opening the door to reveal Mia.

she fakes a laugh, "forgot my key?" her hair was messy and pointing in all different kinds of directions, and her shirt was on backwards. this girl is a serious mess.

"forget your shoes too?" oh and she had no shoes on.

she walks past me, flopping onto the bed, immediately taking in some z's. sometimes i envy her for having it so easy when it comes to her love life. or should i say lust life.

i walk around the bed, laying down on the other side of the bed with her. her high school crush is having her over every night. she must be living the dream.

_______________

END OF CHAPTER TEN

hey guys. feeling a little uninspired. suggestions?