A gorgeous new transfer girl arrived at our high school, boldly bragging to everyone that she’d get my childhood sweetheart, Ethan, into her bed within three months. Ethan merely gave her a freezing glare and called her delusional. Then, he grabbed my hand tightly, pulling me close as he whined like a spoiled puppy. “Everyone knows I’ve been yours since we were in diapers, Daisy.” The transfer girl chased him relentlessly all the way until winter break, but Ethan never gave her the time of day. Until the party right before the spring semester started. Ethan got completely wasted, and I had to drive him home. He mumbled my name the entire ride. My heart fluttered. Looking at his handsome, sleeping face, I decided to steal a quick kiss. This was going to be my first kiss. But the second my lips brushed his, his hand shot out, locking around my waist. His voice was incredibly husky. “Babe, why so shy this time?” “No tongue?” I froze instantly. Ethan’s kiss was deep and intense. His movements weren’t clumsy at all. In fact, he kissed like an absolute pro. He said this time. Who was the last time? Before I could even ask, he let me go. Ethan was too drunk to keep his eyes open. He let out a low groan, his brow furrowing slightly. “Silly girl… still haven’t learned how to breathe?” “Did I teach you all those times for nothing?” I took a sharp breath, placing my hand against his cheek to push him back. My fingertips were trembling violently, but I forced myself to stay calm. “Ethan. Look at me. Who am I?” Ethan went quiet, squinting his eyes to look at me. I never expected those few seconds of waiting to be so torturous. An answer was already screaming in my head. But I wanted to hear it from his own mouth. Ethan slapped his own cheeks, then pinched mine, mumbling drunkenly, “Babe… why are you still in my dreams?” “Daisy… you’re so much better in my dreams. You actually let me kiss you whenever I want.” My eyelashes fluttered. Hearing my name, the icy dread in my chest melted away instantly. So, he thought he was dreaming. Ethan cupped my face, his warm, wet lips pressing against mine again. “Babe, breathe. Don’t choke up and blush like you did last time.” He coaxed me gently between kisses, whispering all the pet names he had always used for me. After he finished kissing me, he collapsed back onto the bed, burying his face under the duvet as if he were suddenly shy. “Damn, it felt so real this time.” I sat by his bedside, my lips pressed into a thin line. After a few seconds, I stood up. Whatever. Ethan was an idiot, but he had chased me his entire life. If there was something going on, he wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret from me anyway. My parents weren’t home today. I pulled out my phone to order some takeout on DoorDash, but the screen flickered and died. Out of battery. Too lazy to grab my charger, I reached for Ethan’s phone instead. His lock screen was still my latest selfie. Ethan always claimed he got bored of things easily. So, he insisted on receiving at least three new, different photos of me every week. Otherwise, he’d throw a tantrum and ignore me. He was incredibly high-maintenance. I used to tease him about it, saying if he got bored so easily, why had he only loved me for so many years? He would just shrug and smile. “Well, I just love loving you.” But when I pressed my thumb against the home button, it read: Fingerprint Try Again. Out of the five registered fingerprints on his phone, one was his, and the other four had always been mine. I tried every single one of my fingers. All failed. Did he delete them by accident? No, Ethan wouldn’t do that. I tried entering his passcode—my birthday. He had used this passcode for years. He would never change it. Incorrect Passcode. Just then, his screen lit up with a notification from Snapchat. It was a photo. Sent by Chloe. The transfer girl who had been chasing him for months.
My grip on the phone tightened. I wondered, when did they even add each other on Snapchat? Didn’t Ethan hate her guts? Honestly, Ethan had always had plenty of admirers. But he was naturally arrogant, sharp-tongued, and his blatant favoritism toward me made most girls give up eventually. Chloe was the only one who had persisted this long. She was also the only one who could genuinely piss Ethan off. Once, after school, Chloe cornered me in the hallway. She looked at me coldly and said: “Daisy, you and Ethan aren’t officially dating, right?” “May the best woman win, then.” She was dripping with hostility. Before I could even open my mouth, Ethan grabbed my backpack, slinging it over his shoulder with practiced ease. He handed me a warm cup of coffee, then wrapped my scarf and beanie securely around me. Usually, Ethan was quite playful, but that evening, the air around him was freezing. He took my hand, his tall frame shielding me completely from Chloe. He said coldly: “She doesn’t need to compete with you. Because I’m the one begging for her attention.” “We aren’t dating yet, but she is my future wife.” On the walk home that night, Ethan didn’t say a word. I couldn’t help but poke his cheek. “What’s… wrong with you?” Ethan’s eyes were slightly red. He pinched my cheek in frustration. “Aren’t you even a little jealous?” “Another girl literally threatened you, and you had zero reaction? Do you even like me at all?” Oh. So that was why. I shook my head. “No. Because I know I’m the only one in your heart.” Ethan’s lips curved up, clearly pleased by my answer. He squeezed my hand tighter. “I can’t wait for us to graduate, Daisy. I want to make you my official girlfriend so bad.” I lowered my gaze, remembering what Ethan’s mother, Mrs. Carter, had told me in secret. “Daisy, Ethan has loved you since you were kids. I don’t object to you two being together, but can you promise me one thing? Don’t officially date him until after graduation.” I squeezed Ethan’s hand back, thinking: Ethan, just wait for me a little longer. We only have one semester left. I put Ethan’s phone down and went downstairs to my bedroom. The room I had lived in for over ten years. When I was three, my parents got a divorce. My mother, Sarah, took me with her and started working as a live-in housekeeper for Ethan’s family. Since Ethan and I were the same age, we basically grew up together. As a kid, Ethan always had this aloof, “do not cross” vibe. I was pretty terrified of him, but I’d still politely call him “Ethan.” He never acknowledged the nickname, but he would always drag me along whenever he played with his friends. I guess I was a cute kid, because one day, one of his friends asked Ethan if he could “have” me as his girlfriend. Normally indifferent, Ethan snapped. He tackled the boy to the ground and snarled, “Fuck off.” That was the first time I saw him angry, and the first time I heard him swear. On the walk back, I timidly trailed behind him, calling his name. His anger hadn’t faded. He turned around and yelled at me for the first time in his life: “Stop calling me like we’re just friends!” I was so scared that I avoided him for days, until he finally cornered me. His voice had softened, and his usual nickname for me was born. “Daisy, are you stupid?” “Friends don’t get married. I want to be your husband.” I had stood there, frozen, my heart pounding wildly. I had thought he tolerated me, maybe even disliked me. I never imagined he loved me. After that confession, Ethan became completely shameless about showing his affection. His love was loud, proud, and passionate. To the point where everyone in our circle knew: Ethan Carter would only ever marry one person. Daisy. But tonight, I couldn’t stop the doubts from creeping in. His natural, practiced kissing skills. The way he called me “babe.” And that Snapchat photo from Chloe that I couldn’t unlock.
The next morning was the first day of the new semester. My mom had taken a month off to visit family, and Ethan’s parents were away on a business trip. Only Ethan and I were left in the house. I had been tossing and turning all night, so I overslept. The moment I rushed out of my room, I bumped straight into Ethan’s chest. A faint scent of sweet citrus washed over me. I sniffed, asking subconsciously: “Did you change your body wash? It smells different.” He had always insisted on using the exact same body wash as me. He hadn’t changed it in years. Even when we went out yesterday, he still smelled like my lavender body wash. Ethan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He gave a quiet, dismissive grunt. He clearly didn’t want to explain. “I made breakfast. Let’s get to school first.” I took the breakfast bag from him, biting my lip. “My mom told me to take care of you…” Ethan grabbed my wrist, letting out a soft laugh. “You? Taking care of me? You literally threw me onto the bed last night and ran away.” I seized the opportunity. “I was going to order food, but my phone died. And you changed your passcode.” Ethan paused for a split second, then explained smoothly, “Some guys at school guessed my passcode was your birthday. It wasn’t safe.” “You know my phone is packed with your photos. I’d go crazy if anyone saw them.” “Oh,” I murmured. He continued, “I changed it to the date I first confessed to you.” I nodded, but a nagging thought lingered. Even so, did he really have to delete my fingerprints? Before I could ask, Ethan tossed his phone into my lap and leaned his head against the car window, closing his eyes. “See for yourself. It’s rare for you to actually check up on me.” “At least it means you finally care a little.” I never used to do things like this, but today, I was consumed by anxiety. I unlocked his phone and opened Snapchat. Chloe’s contact name was gone. I tossed the phone back onto his lap. “I saw Chloe send you a photo yesterday. Now she’s not even on your friend list.” Ethan replied casually, “Oh, yeah. She sent some nude photo. I blocked and deleted her immediately.” …A nude? My throat felt tight. I wanted to ask him why he had even added her in the first place. Didn’t he despise her? But I felt like I had no right to ask. Who was I to him? Everyone else thought I was being dramatic, playing hard to get when Ethan was practically worshiping the ground I walked on. But Ethan’s mother had taken my mom and me in when we had nothing. We owed her everything. Since she asked me to wait until graduation, I was going to keep my promise. Besides, it was only a few more months. We would be together soon anyway. “Daisy, when I accepted her request, I didn’t know it was her account,” Ethan said, showing me his lock screen. His eyes were warm and sincere. “It just disgusted me. She doesn’t have a fraction of my Daisy’s cuteness.” Once we reached the classroom, Ethan sat next to me as usual. He smoothly unpacked my favorite snacks, new stationery, and various little things I might need from his backpack. He had always taken care of me with this level of meticulous detail. Chloe was the last to enter the classroom. Despite the freezing winter weather, she wore a tight, cropped top, a thin jacket, and a tiny miniskirt. Chewing gum loudly, she tossed her backpack onto the desk right across the aisle from Ethan. Ethan’s pen paused. He glanced at me. “Daisy, let’s swap seats.” Chloe raised her chin and scoffed, sliding into her seat. I moved to Ethan’s original seat. The moment I sat down, a strong scent of sweet citrus hit my nose. It was the exact same scent as Ethan’s new body wash. Only, on her, it was much stronger.
During the first period of study hall, I forced myself to focus on my math problems, telling myself not to overthink. Suddenly, a folded note landed on my desk. It was from Chloe. I hesitated, then opened it. He smells like me, doesn’t he? My heart sank. I crumpled the note into a ball and threw it angrily at Ethan. Ethan, who was busy compiling my practice mistakes, looked up in surprise. He slowly unfolded the paper. The moment his eyes scanned the words, his knuckles turned white. Muttering a curse, Ethan grabbed my wrist and dragged me out of the classroom. The teacher yelled after us, but Ethan ignored him, leaving our names to be written on the board. At the end of the hallway, I yanked my hand away. “What is your problem?” “What lies did she tell you now?” Ethan hissed. I bit my lip. “She didn’t lie. You two smell exactly the same.” Ethan let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Don’t listen to her BS, Daisy. I ran into her at the grocery store two days ago when I went to buy your snacks.” “She probably saw me buying that body wash. She bought the same one just to mess with you.” It felt like too much of a coincidence, but I chose to believe him. Ethan wouldn’t lie to me. “Fine. I didn’t say anything. Let’s go back.” Ethan reached for my hand, but I instinctively flinched away. I was distracted for the rest of the day, making silly mistakes on simple calculus questions. On the ride home, Ethan didn’t hold my hand or speak to me for the first time. Usually, the walk from the classroom to the parking lot was his prime time to whine and cling to me. I actually loved listening to his endless chatter. It was such a contrast to his cold, arrogant persona in public. It was cute. But today, he just kept staring at his phone. With his long legs and wide strides, he completely forgot to slow down for me, leaving me trailing far behind. I clutched my backpack straps and jogged to keep up. That night, Ethan brought a mug of warm milk to my room. He leaned against the doorframe, watching me drink it. Then, tossing his messy hair back, he smiled softly. “Can I have a hug?” I nodded. Since we had already kissed last night, a simple hug didn’t seem like too much. I walked over and stepped into his arms. But the scent that filled my nose wasn’t the citrus from earlier. It was my lavender body wash. Hadn’t he changed his body wash? Suddenly, Ethan’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the screen. Immediately, he let go of me and walked out without looking back. “Sleep well, babe.” I stood frozen in the middle of the room. The mixed scent of lavender and citrus hung heavy in the air, suffocating me. Right before bed, I received a Snapchat friend request. The profile picture was Chloe. [Remember what I said three months ago? I did it.] [I tested him out for you first. Ethan is an absolute beast in bed.]
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