Chapter 39 – Date Night

Ethan and I haven’t spent much time together lately, so we decided to go on a date tonight, and I was excited. He had been nothing but good to me since we had met, so I really wanted to treat him to a nice dinner in town. I also just needed a distraction because Luca had driven me mad with his over-friendliness at school all week. Rumors had already started flying that Luca and I were secretly dating because he wouldn’t stop with the whole “gentleman” act, grabbing my backpack, carrying it to class, and making a show of it. My protests fell on deaf ears, so even if I scolded him for it, he would just change the subject, so I just gave in and let him do it.

To make matters worse, he kept trying to save me a seat next to him at lunch, even though I’d pretty much made it clear I’d rather sit with Nick and Kimmy. So, naturally, they started teasing me, laughing about how Luca was supposedly my new “boyfriend” and all the gossip swirling around about us. As if I didn’t have enough on my plate already! I knew if this got back to Ethan, he’d be crushed.

So tonight, my focus was all on Ethan. I even picked up a new dress just for the occasion—a shimmery blue one that was, okay, a little shorter than what I usually wore, but it looked fantastic. I figured if I felt this good in it, Ethan would love it too. I actually went the extra mile and put on makeup, which I rarely do, but tonight felt worth it.

As I finished up, the doorbell rang. Grabbing my purse, I rushed to answer, opening the door to find Ethan looking like he’d just stepped out of a movie scene. He had on this sharp suit that wasn’t his usual look at all, but wow, it suited him.

He gave me this stunned look, his mouth slightly open, as he looked me over. “You look exquisite,” he finally managed, still taking it all in.

I grinned, feeling a little thrill at his reaction. “You’re not looking too bad yourself, stud.”

He offered his arm, lifting his chin a bit. “Shall we, Miss Wayne?”

“Lead the way, Mr. Blackthorn,” I replied, already feeling like this was going to be a great night.

The drive into town was nice; we kept up light conversation, but I couldn’t shake this little feeling that something was off. Ethan wasn’t his usual goofy self. Instead, he seemed… distracted, I guess.

We finally pulled up to this fancy restaurant that screamed expensive. I’d planned to pay, but when I saw the building, my heart sank. The place looked like they’d charge a fortune just to breathe their air. Walking inside didn’t help either—it was all fancy wood furniture, sparkling chandeliers, and tuxedo-wearing waiters who acted like we were VIPs. I kept telling myself I’d treat Ethan, but yeah, this wasn’t exactly in my budget. Not even close.

As we approached, the host greeted Ethan with a big, warm smile. “Welcome to Salt, Mr. Blackthorn. Your table is ready.”

Ethan gently placed a hand on my back, guiding me forward. The waiter led us to a small, cozy table and pulled out my chair for me. As I sat down, I tried to keep my jaw from dropping at the sight of the place. Everything was just… wow. The waiter handed us menus, and Ethan quickly ordered us some drinks, leaving me to scan the options on the page. My eyes practically bulged out of my head when I saw the prices.

Ethan noticed my reaction and tilted his head. “Something wrong?”

I forced a smile. “Oh, no, no… Everything just looks so… yummy.” Trying to act casual was impossible, though; I was sweating bullets.

He chuckled. “Relax, babe. I’m treating you tonight. Since I picked the place, it’s only fair.”

Relief flooded over me before I could stop myself. I let out this massive sigh, and Ethan just laughed softly, shaking his head.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ve got you.”

Once I got over the initial shock, I actually started to enjoy myself. The food was out of this world, and conversation with Ethan was easy and light—until it wasn’t. Out of nowhere, I noticed his expression darken as he glanced out the window. It was like a shadow passed over his face.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, surprised by the sudden change.

He hesitated, then forced a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

“Did you see something out there?” I pressed, not fully buying his answer.

Ethan quickly shook his head, dismissing it, and switched topics so fast I almost had whiplash. “So, how’s school been? Getting excited about graduating?”

I went with it, shrugging. “Yeah, I guess. Looking forward to college and, you know, finally living life.”

He raised a brow, his voice casual, but his words didn’t match. “Anything interesting happening at school? Any… rumors I should know about?”

My stomach twisted. I knew where he was going with this. “Nope, same old, same old. Nothing exciting.”

He pursed his lips, his voice tight. “So, being called Luca’s girlfriend is just ‘same old,’ huh?”

My eyes went wide. How long had he been holding this in? “Don’t believe everything you hear, Ethan.”

“Then why would people be saying it?” he demanded, practically slamming his fork down. The mood was officially dead.

“Seriously?” I muttered, trying not to raise my voice. “You don’t even go to my school. How’d you even find out about that crap?”

He narrowed his eyes, like I was being naïve. “I have friends who go to your school, Quinn. Word gets around, especially about stuff like this. Are you seeing him behind my back?”

I felt my blood boiling. “You can’t be serious. I chose you, remember? Even though I’m supposed to be mated to your brother, I picked you. But you’ll never let go of this stupid rivalry, will you? I think I made a mistake.”

With that, I stood up, yanking my napkin off my lap and dropping it onto the table. My pulse was pounding, and I pulled out my purse and slapped $100 onto the table—it’d more than cover my meal. I wasn’t about to let him treat me after that.

“That should cover my part. Thanks for the evening,” I said coldly. Without waiting for his response, I spun on my heel and walked out of the restaurant, head held high, but my insides felt like they were twisted in knots.