BONUS!

BONUS CHAPTER/EPILOGUE

ETHAN

NINE YEARS LATER (AGE 18)

“Mom, come get her away from my room. She won’t freaking leave!” I yell, lowering my headphones and shooting my five-year-old sister—Hannah—a glare.

“E, come on, she just loves her brother,” Mom responds with a laugh. My door opens and she peeks inside. “Hi, baby!”

Hannah ignores us completely, continuing to eat her Cheetos and smile at me. I shake my head. She smiles at literally any fucking thing. Such a little weirdo.

“You know you love her,” Mom laughs. “By the way, Maliya is downstairs.”

At the sound of her name, my entire body comes alive. Even though I try to hide it, a smile paints my lips.

“Ahhh, there it is,” Mom teases.

I get off the couch, not bothering to hide the smile anymore. I pick my phone off the cushions and check the screen. “Why didn’t she call or text?” I mutter to myself, dropping my headphones and turning off the PlayStation.

“She looks so beautiful. Are you two heading somewhere?” Mom asks.

I frown. “No?”

I walk over to the bed and pick Hannah up. Her mouth and my duvet are stained orange from the Cheetos, and I make a mental note to change my sheets the second I get back.

“Oh. Uh, okay. I’ll be going off to the company to check on a few things. I haven’t been there in a while. Dad took Jax out to get a haircut, so you’ll be home alone with Hannah. Is that okay by you? They’ll be back soon though, and the nanny should be here in an hour or two.”

“No problem, mom. I’m good. Go run your company,” I tell her, just as Annie wraps her little arms around my neck.

I reach the doorway where Mom is standing. She pulls me in, kissing my cheek. “Thank you, my love. I love you so much.”

“Love you, too,” I respond, finally leaving the room and taking quick steps down the stairs to see Maliya.

I stop at the foot of the stairs. Even though Mom warned me, my jaw still goes completely slack the moment I actually see her.

Maliya has been my best friend for over seven years now, ever since she was seven. Her family moved to New York from Sunridge, and I practically begged Dad to get her into my school. She just turned fourteen, and she has never really dressed up before.

Now, she has her back turned to me, wearing a shiny black dress and pumps. She even has a small bag slung over her shoulder, her dark hair cascading down her back in soft waves.

“Maliya!” Hannah screams from my arms, making her turn around.

A heavy frown settles on my face. Is that her cleavage showing?

She counters my glare with a massive grin.

“Annie!” She rushes over, taking my little sister off my hands. My teeth grind together as I watch them, completely unable to take my eyes off her. She even has makeup on.

She’s fucking fourteen, and beautiful as hell. What the hell does she need makeup for?

“Hey you!” She smacks my chest, a shy look crossing her face.

“What’s up?” I ask flatly.

She searches my eyes, immediately knowing something is wrong. Of course she notices.

Suck it in, man, I tell myself.

“I should be asking you… are you okay? What’s wrong?” She queries, her brows creased as she stares at me.

“Nothing,” I say, forcing my voice to sound casual as I look her up and down. “Why are you dressed like that? Where are you going?”

Maliya twists the strap of her bag, a small, excited smile playing on her lips. “I have a date, actually. With Tyler. You know him, right? He’s the new junior varsity winger on your hockey team.”

My entire body goes rigid. Tyler? That sophomore benchwarmer?

A hot rush of pure, unadulterated jealousy hits me so fast it makes my head spin. My hands fist at my sides. The thought of some guy from my team looking at her—looking at this dress—makes my blood boil.

“A date?” I scoff, stepping off the last stair until I’m towering right over her. She nods impishly. “No. Absolutely not. You’re not going anywhere with him.”

Maliya’s grin instantly fades, her eyes narrowing as she props Hannah on her hip. “Excuse me? Why not? He asked me out days ago, Ethan. He’s taking me to that new diner downtown.”

“Because you’re fourteen, Maliya!” I snap, unable to help myself. “You’re way too young to be going out on dates. Especially with a high school guy who only has one thing on his mind.”

“He’s fifteen! It’s literally a one year difference,” She argues, her cheeks flushing deeper, though this time it’s from anger. “And you don't get to tell me what to do. You’re my best friend, not my dad.”

“I’m the captain of his team, which means I know exactly what kind of idiots I’m dealing with,” I growl, stepping even closer until she has to tilt her head up to look at me. “You’re staying right here.”

She frowns. “No.”

Fuck. I always forget how stubborn this girl can be.

Hannah scrambles down from her arms and walks away, leaving us alone. I close the remaining space between us, trying to keep my temper in check.

“Why do you even want to go on this date?” I ask her, trying to sound reasonable.

She shrugs. “No reason. I just… I’ve never been on a date before.”

“Can I take you?” I offer, my heart rate instantly speeding up.

She shakes her head with a small laugh. “No. You’re like my brother, E. It doesn’t count.”

I run a hand through my hair, exasperated. “I’m not your fucking brother.”

She quickly places her palm over my mouth. “Oh my God, stop cussing.”

She’s glaring at me, and I struggle to just stay still and not do something completely stupid. After a beat, she finally takes her hand off my lips.

“Look, I’ll send you my location and text you every now and then,” She negotiates, looking at me pleadingly. “Also… can you cover for me? My brother doesn’t know exactly where I’m going. I lied to him, and he’s going to absolutely flip if he finds out.”

I scoff, shooting her an incredulous look. “And I’m your safe space? You seriously thought I’d be cool with this?”

She shrugs, smiling softly at me. “Well, you always let me do what I want…”

“Not this. I’m sorry, Liya, but I’m not covering for you with your brother.”

“E!”

“Stay here with me, Liya. Come on,” I beg.

And as the words leave my mouth, I know I'm not just begging her to stay for the afternoon. I’m begging her to hold on for a few more years, until she's old enough for me to tell her exactly how I’ve always felt about her.

THE END

FINAL AUTHOR’S NOTE:

DECIDED TO GIVE Y’ALL A LITTLE SOMETHING! WOULD YOU LOVE TO READ ETHAN’S BOOK?

IF YOU ENJOYED ALAN AND REINA’S STORY, PLEASE DO LEAVE YOUR REVIEWS ON THE BOOK IF YOU CAN! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR STICKING! OVER AND OUT!!