chapter twenty-one

​"Oh my gosh, girl!" Janice gasped right beside me, clutching my forearm as I stared up at the stage in absolute, speech-robbing shock.

​It was Ethan. He was standing behind the podium, wearing a sharp black pair of tailored trousers paired with a sleek, effortlessly stylish jacket.

​The entire senior class erupted into deafening applause, with several girls screaming at the top of their lungs. I sat there completely stunned, my mind racing. What on earth did Ethan Vance actually know about camp safety?

​"I am so sorry for keeping you all waiting," he said smoothly, his deep, resonant voice echoing through the outdoor speakers. His dark eyes slowly scanned the crowd, pausing the second they landed on Cole sitting right beside me. For a split second, Ethan looked like he genuinely wanted to kill him on the spot.

​"It's an absolute honor to stand before you all today. As most of you know, my name is Ethan Vance," he introduced himself with an undeniable, effortless pride.

​"We know, baby!" a female voice shrieked from a few rows behind us.

​I whipped my head around to find one of our classmates waving frantically at him, and I instinctively shot her a lethal glare before turning back to the stage.

​"First and foremost, safety is a paramount concept in events like this," Ethan spoke into the mic, his posture commanding the entire crowd's attention. "One must be careful, because aside from all the fun, you could get hurt pretty bad. That is why I am here to educate you on this today."

​He continued speaking about physical discipline and camp protocols for several minutes as I sat there staring at him. He looked ridiculously good up there, completely in his element, while Felix stood off to the side calmly filming the whole thing on his phone.

​"In conclusion," Ethan’s voice dropped into a lower, heavier register that immediately chilled the air, "staying safe should be on your mind at all times. Avoid dangerous, unmonitored areas around the resort... and stay completely away from what belongs to others."

​He fixed a cold, deadly glare directly onto Cole. Beside me, Cole’s jaw clenched so hard I could hear his teeth grinding; he looked like he was ready to leap off the bench and start a physical fight right then and there. What could possibly be going on between these two boys?

​"Because when you decide to linger around what isn't yours," Ethan continued, a slow, dark smile spreading across his lips, "you could get hurt pretty bad. You might even get shot in the head. Stay safe, y'all."

​The crowd cheered loudly, completely oblivious to the menace behind his words. My stomach twisted into a hard knot. Why on earth did he feel the need to bring up guns during a high school safety talk?

​Ethan stepped aside just as Mrs. Evans mounted the podium, beaming with pride. "Thank you so much for being here, Mr. Vance!" she said, all smiles. "It is truly an absolute honor to have you speak to our students."

​"No, the honor is all mine, ma'am," Ethan replied smoothly, flashing her a polite, charming smile that completely masked the dark threat he had just delivered.

​"You may all leave now. Camp events will resume properly tomorrow morning," Mrs. Evans announced.

​Students immediately began rising from their seats and filtering out. Janice and I remained in our spots, watching as Ethan and Felix engaged in a quiet, inaudible conversation with the principal near the stage.

​"The devil you know is better than the angel you don't know," Cole's bitter voice suddenly spoke right beside me.

​I turned my head to glare at him. "What on earth do you mean by that?" I demanded.

​"Don't say I didn't warn you, Kat," he said coldly, standing up and dusting off his jeans before walking away without another word.

​"What is he talking about?" Janice asked, leaning toward me with a worried frown.

​I shrugged my shoulders, but a cold prickle of fear suddenly gripped my chest. "I honestly don't know..." What could Cole possibly mean? Is Ethan actually dangerous?

​"You actually had the audacity to wear this," Ethan's deep voice suddenly disrupted my spiraling thoughts.

​I raised my eyes to find him standing directly over me, looking down at my sundress with a tight, unreadable expression.

​"Hi, Janice," Felix greeted warmly as he walked up behind Ethan.

​Janice’s face instantly flushed pink. "Hello, Kat."

​"Hi, Felix," I greeted him back, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling in my gut.

​"Wanna grab some lunch?" Felix asked Janice softly.

​Janice practically beamed, and within seconds, the two of them walked off together, leaving Ethan and me standing alone near the empty benches.

​"Can't you even speak anymore?" Ethan asked, stepping closer to me.

​"There is literally nothing wrong with my dress!" I snapped at him, crossing my arms defensively. "I like it."

​"Well, you clearly loved it enough to wear it and have Cole follow you around like a lost dog," he said, a sharp flash of genuine anger bleeding into his voice.

​"How is that my fault?!" I asked, thoroughly outraged.

​Ethan quickly glanced around the thinning crowd. "Let's not have a lover's spat in public, love," he said quietly. He reached down, smoothly picking up my shoulder bag from the bench. "Let's go."

​I stood up to follow him back toward the VIP wing.

​"Hi, Ethan!!" Beatrice, one of my classmates, suddenly squealed, stepping directly into our path with her phone out.

​"Hello," Ethan responded, suddenly smiling way too sweetly for my liking.

​"Can I please get a picture with you?" she gushed, practically bouncing on her heels.

​"Sure," he agreed smoothly, stepping closer to her.

​I stood off to the side, glaring at her with pure heat.

​"Step aside, love," Ethan told me casually, handing me back my shoulder bag.

​I snatched the bag out of his hand in pure rage, taking a step back. Beatrice posed, snapped the photo, and let out a high-pitched scream. "Thank you so much!" she squealed before running off to brag to her group of friends.

​"Wannabe," I blurted out under my breath, rolling my eyes dramatically.

​Ethan turned to look at me, a dangerous smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Are you jealous?" he asked, leading the way back into the resort entrance. I kept my mouth shut, remaining completely silent the entire walk back.

​When we finally reached our suite, I marched inside, sat down on the leather sofa, and aggressively pulled out my phone to scroll through social media. Ethan completely ignored me as well, walking straight over to the massive bed and laying down on his back.

​The silence stretching between us was so heavy it was practically killing me.

​"I'm not jealous," I blurted out, unable to take it anymore.

​"You have a serious attitude," he said calmly from the bed, not even looking up.

​"No, I do not!" I argued, throwing my phone down as I stood up and marched over to the side of the bed. "You do! For instance, you literally shoved me aside just to take pictures with Beatrice!" I told him, throwing my hands up in the air in utter disbelief.

​"Beatrice?" Ethan murmured smoothly, turning his head to look at me. "Such a nice name for a beautiful girl."

​My anger instantly tripled, a hot wave of fury washing over me. "How dare you?!"

​Before I could even process what was happening, Ethan suddenly lunged off the bed and stood directly in front of me, his massive frame towering over mine.

​"Did you change the dress when I told you to?" he demanded sharply, his voice dropping into a harsh, possessive whisper.

​"Huh?"

​"It is way too short, Katherine, and it highlights every single one of your curves—which is the exact reason Cole couldn't keep his damn eyes off you!" he snapped in pure, raw anger.

​I looked down at the fabric of my dress in shock. He wasn't lying.

​"Why do you even care?!" I demanded, looking back up into his dark, furious eyes. "Do you own me?!"

​Before I could utter another single word, Ethan reached out, grabbed my waist, and slammed his lips into mine with aggressive, breathless passion.