Having Ethan at dinner had been great for bringing my family to sit down together at the dining table because usually Mom and I would be the only ones eating in the kitchen.

Dad preferred to sit in front of the television, watching the world news whereas Olivia would rather have her meal in the bedroom while binging on whatever series Netflix just released.

The house somewhat felt more alive tonight with soft chatter and the clinking sound of cutlery hitting the plates. The atmosphere was filled with a certain kind of homeliness, warmth, and gratitude. I wish I could freeze this moment in a frame and stay like this.

"Honey, can you pass me that wine over there?" Mom's voice made me come out of the reverie I was in.

"Sorry, I zoned out." I didn't get what she was saying at first until I diverted my attention from her to where she was pointing at.

A wine bottle. At the center of the table.

"I got it," Ethan told me and reached out to grab the bottle before I could.

He rose to his feet and brought it with him to her place, even offering to fill up her and Dad's glasses. It didn't surprise me Ethan had made himself at home considering my parents had known him since we were little.

"Thanks, sweetie," Mom said appreciatively.

"No problem, Belle. By the way, the food is banging," Ethan praised with a sincere smile.

"See that, Miles? A kid knows how to appreciate my cooking better than you." Mom side-eyed Dad.

Ethan appeared to be a little uncomfortable by Mom's remark. It was like he was glued to his spot for a split second, and what made things funnier was the shared look between him and Dad.

"I just don't like too much salt," Dad defended himself.

"It tastes just fine," I disagreed but got ignored anyway.

Ethan set the wine bottle down and quietly returned to his chair beside me. Watching his face contort awkwardly had me fighting against the urge to laugh.

He shot me a glare. "You are enjoying this too much."

The very next thing he did right after that was to dip his fork into my plate to steal two of my meatballs. He was too quick, all I could do was helplessly watch as the meatballs went into his mouth. I couldn't bring myself to be mad at him.

Ethan looked cute, with his pouty chewing lips and squishy cheeks full of food. I loved how happy and satisfied he was. He probably thought he could rile me up with his silly acts. Little did he know, I liked being annoyed by him.

"Do you want more?" I asked, noticing his plate was almost clean.

"It's already my second plate," he whispered back, smiling. "What will your parents think of me?"

I shrugged. "Nothing, I guess? Mom cooked all of this for you."

I wasn't lying. Mom only made Chickpeas whenever Ethan had dinner with us. Every other pasta night, we would have a different kind of pasta but because of him, today was an exception. Sometimes I felt like Ethan was getting pampered more than me.

"Ethan, there's more in the pot if you want," Mom said while Dad nodded alongside her.

He flashed them a sheepish smile. "Thanks, guys. I'm already full."

I scoffed at Ethan's politeness and mumbled to myself the word 'pussy' which he certainly heard. He retaliated by putting his hand on my crotch to grab me.

The sudden action shocked me and I jerked in my chair, accidentally hitting my knees against the table so hard it violently shook the whole table. Luckily, no drinks were spilled. Everyone looked at me with confusion and worry on their faces and I felt like mine was on fire.

"What happened, honey?" Mom questioned with clear concern in her tone.

"Leg cramps," I lied, feigning a wince.

I looked back at Ethan -- he already had his head down, hiding a smile. When I said I liked being annoyed, this was not what I had in mind. The stupid stunt he just pulled tempted me to choke him.

"I think the food's kinda bland," Olivia commented out of a sudden and Mom had to take a calming deep breath.

"You must have your taste buds damaged, dear," she responded, putting on her best motherly voice.

Olivia sat back and settled for a mocking smile. "Haha, very funny."

The kitchen went silent for a minute as we all went back to eating. It wasn't until Ethan started a new topic to talk about that nearly had me choked on a strand of spaghetti I was slurping.

"Andy got praised in our Biology class today," he said.

I never relished being the topic of dinner talk, especially about school. It somehow tended to kill my mood and appetite. Yes, we were supposed to talk about stuff but it shouldn't have to be all about academics. I would rather we dive into deeper topics like love, aliens, how we're just a floating rock circling a giant fireball, time travel, or religion.

Mom, being the only one who seemed interested, unfortunately, wanted to hear more. "Oh, really?"

"For drawing a Punnet square probably," Olivia interjected and sipped her water.

Mom squinted in confusion. "A what square?"

"Actually, Andy got an A for an assignment. He also has the highest mark in the class," Ethan explained and her confused face morphed into a huge grin.

"Groundbreaking," Olivia remarked with sarcasm. "I'm shocked. This has really never happened before."

"My baby is so smart," Mom praised and turned to her husband, giving him a look, encouraging him to say something.

Dad placed his fork and spoon down and sat back in his chair to glance over at me. I knew he wanted no part in discussing the subject. He hardly ever talked about his children's achievements or anything in general without having Mom interfere and exhorting him to do so.

"Get an A+ next time," he said monotonously and continued eating.

"Sure, Dad," I replied with a straight face.

Olivia was silently snickering from across the table. With a shake of her head, her eyes narrowed into evil slits when she looked at me. I flipped her off and mouthed the word 'satan' at her.

"Liv, did you also achieved anything at all today?" Mom asked, interrupting our silent bickering.

"I thought you'd never ask," she answered and started to rant about her day, which I didn't mind paying attention to.

As for now, I just wished to finish my dinner, say my goodbye to Ethan, and go back to my room.

"I shouldn't have mentioned your test," Ethan said to me in a hushed voice, his hand rubbing against my thigh. "Sorry I brought that up."

"It's okay. You meant well," I replied and placed my hand on top of his which he eagerly flipped around to lace our fingers together.

The rest of the dinner went smoothly and soon after it was time for Ethan to leave. I walked him to the door when everyone else remained in the kitchen for dishes duty. Spending the evening with him has been wonderful. I didn't want him to go though. I wish he could stay a little bit longer.

As if he could read my mind, Ethan smiled down and leaned closer. His eyes fell to my lips, wetting his own with his tongue at the same time and I automatically knew what he wanted. I snaked my arms around his neck to pull him down for a short, demanding kiss.

"Can't you just sleep over?" I pleaded.

His lips quirked up slightly. "Are you trying to get in my pants?"

I rolled my eyes. "You wish."

"I'm needed at home," he said. "Gotta do something for my Dad."

"Fine."

It might be for the best. I had a feeling having Ethan in my room would be a huge distraction for me to completing all my assignments.

As I was unlocking the front door, my sister popped up behind us. "Hey, do we have a dress code for Elle's party?"

I whipped my head back in surprise. "Don't tell me you're going. You're grounded, remember?"

"So?"

Ethan let out a chuckle. "Just wear anything fancy or sexy."

"My kinda party," she replied with a grin. "What are you going to wear, E?"

I looked up to find Ethan staring down at me before he slung his arm over my shoulders. "We are not going."

"We aren't?" I asked again, praying I misheard it the first time.

"You still want to go after she threatened you?" He retorted with a scoff.

"Elle thre- threatened you?" Olivia spat out the words hardly believing what she heard.

Unsure how to respond, I averted my gaze from her to Ethan. "She's my friend."

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he took a breath. "Does she still think that?'

"I don't know what's going on but you still have to be there. You're the boyfriend," Olivia said.

Ethan sighed again. "It's complicated now."

"I want us to go," I insisted.

He eyed me like I was nuts. "Why? She hates us. We haven't spoken to each other for two days."

"What's the tea, guys? Fill me in," Olivia urged impatiently.

I shoved her back, just to get her away from us. "Will you fucking get lost?"

There was a surprise on both Ethan's and Olivia's faces. Even if she was overstepping her boundaries, I shouldn't have snapped at her that way. My sister fell absolutely silent after and went back into the kitchen.

Without saying much, I led Ethan outside and closed the door behind me. We stood under the yellow light of my porch, noticing the sky was getting darker as the night breeze cooled down our skins.

"I better get going," Ethan finally said causing me to grab his arm.

"I want us to come clean."

He looked at me, bewildered. "What?"

"It's the right time and place."

Ethan had both of his hands on his waist. "You're losing it, man. It's her birthday party for God's sake."

"Then when? The day after? Next week? How does it make a difference? She's still gonna be upset either way," I argued.

"I'm not ready yet," he admitted, sounding crushed.

"Oh my God," I snorted out a frustrated laugh. "How much longer are you planning to keep our relationship hidden? A month? A year?"

He grimaced at what I said. "Do you realize that you're being insensitive? You're indirectly forcing me to come out."

I shook my head. "I swear I never want you to feel that way. I just don't want to restrict my feelings anymore. I want to be with you in the open. Not in secret. I want you to be mine."

Ethan had the brightest smile on his face before he pulled me into his embrace. His hug felt warm and comforting. I didn't want the moment to end so I squeezed him back feeling his firm torso and steady heartbeats.

"You're right. I was the one being selfish the whole time. Deciding things on my own when I should be considering your feelings too," he said into my ear.

"I was giving you time and now I'm giving you a push to speak your mind and be honest about what you want," I told him as we parted.

I reached up to cup his face in my hands, gently. "And I'll be there to support you. Besides, I will be doing the same thing. We have each other."

The assurance made him smile again. Ethan closed his eyes to let out a heavy breath before gazing back at me.

There was a playful gleam in his eyes this time. "We're going."

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