FOR YOU

The Two 'E's'

CHLOE'S POV

You’re probably expecting me to tell you how I felt after what my stepbrother said to me. “I'm his?” The words replayed in my head, a jarring sound I couldn't forget. What did that even mean? I don’t belong to anyone; I'm not an object to be owned or possessed. The only person who could ever “possess” me is my future man, and Edward is just my stepbrother. I decided to forget about all of it. And I did, too. How? Well, they say the best way to get over one person is to think about someone else entirely.

​The fantasy that girls had about Edward lasted for only two weeks—or at least, that's what it felt like. Don't get me wrong, there are still girls who fantasize about him, but they aren't lurking around him anymore.

​Instead, all that attention has shifted to someone else. He's now sharing the spotlight that Edward held for two weeks. He has slightly blonde—or is it brunette?—hair. He’s tall. I'm not sure who's taller, him or Edward; they've never actually stood side by side. That's impossible, since he's in the science department and we're in the arts.

​Do I need to describe him? No, I won't. The fact that he and Edward are considered the two most handsome guys in school should tell you everything you need to know.

​This new guy captured everyone's heart. Everyone's, including mine. For my entire life, I had never been interested in any guy—except maybe for a secret fascination with Edward's brown eyes. But this guy... he has all my attention.

He's the one who made my thoughts drift away from Edward. Whenever he walks by, my heart pounds in my chest, a frantic bird trying to escape its cage. I don't know how to make it stop.

​Did my heart ever beat like that for Edward? Honestly, I don't know. But I'll tell you this: the other day, when Edward and Edgar—the new guy; Edgar and Edward?—were walking past, my heart rate shot up to maximum. It felt like they both knew my heart was beating out of control. They glanced over, and their eyes seemed to drop to my chest. It made me gasp, or maybe my breath just caught in my throat.

​Today marks the third day since Edgar arrived at school. Three days that I have successfully avoided thinking about Edward, even at home. After dinner, we don't speak; we just exchange hard glares before retreating to our rooms. In the solace of my room, I think about Edgar, the new transfer, and chat with my friend Daisy about everything that's been happening.

​One thing about Edward was weird, though: whenever our eyes met, it was obvious he had been staring at me the entire time. Even while driving, he'd take his eyes off the road for a moment just to look at me. During class, I could feel his cold stares on my back, that unsettling feeling of being watched every single second.

​Evans had stopped obsessing over me. I figured he'd accepted his fate: two other guys had completely overthrown his popularity. “Who cares if he's on the basketball team?” was the phrase every girl was saying whenever his name came up.

​Why do all the guys in my life have names that start with E? Edward, Edgar, Evans, and even my father, Ellis. And now, two of the 'E's in my life just had an encounter that I'm about to tell you about.

​“Hey, Chloe,” a voice I didn't recognise called out as I walked down the hallway toward my locker. I stopped, turned, and saw Edgar. He was increasing his walking pace—or, more like, jogging—as he came toward me.

​Why did he call me from so far away? It was as if he called my name on impulse the moment he saw me and then started running to catch up. How does he even know my name? Does he know that his rival is my stepbrother? Everyone at school knows Edward as 'Chloe's stepbrother.'

​I tightened my grip on the strap of the bag slung over my shoulder, waiting for him. I was both patient and eager at the same time. By the time he reached me, I felt that same cold stare again. The familiar feeling of being watched overwhelmed me, but I didn't bother to look around. My heart had already begun its usual race whenever I was near Edgar.

​“I'm sorry for yelling your name like that. I've been meaning to talk to you,” he said. I could tell he noticed my furrowed brow and the way I was staring at him as I tried to figure out why he wanted to talk to me. Besides, even though I desperately wanted to talk to him, he'd only been at the school for three days. What could he possibly want?

​“Nothing bad, don't worry. Okay, I'm stalling. Can we be friends? I’ve heard your best friend is in Scotland and that your stepbrother isn't exactly the friendly type.”

​He wants to be my friend? Who just walks up to someone and asks them to be friends without any prior conversation? No one but Edgar. His proposal meant so much to me. I wasn't bold enough to ask him, and with everyone starting to gather and stare, I knew I couldn't say no. How could I say no to the guy I'd had a massive crush on for three days? This was everything I could've asked for at the moment.

​“Yes, I'll be your friend,” I replied happily, feeling the hot beads of sweat on my forehead turn cold. I smiled and held out my hand to shake his, marking the beginning of our friendship. A friendship I hoped would escalate into something more meaningful. He took my hand and shook it. But what came next sent a shiver through my entire body. He hugged me.

​“Don't you dare touch her!” a voice I rarely heard yelled out. The hug was instantly broken as Edward grabbed the collar of Edgar's shirt and shoved him against the lockers with a violent clatter.

​“Ed, what are you doing?” I cried out, and both guys looked at me at the same time. Oh, f***. They're both 'Ed'. But the 'Ed' I was talking to knew who he was.

​“You see, she knows what she did wrong. She knew she shouldn't have allowed you to hug her!” Edward said, his voice strained with anger. In that moment, I realized he didn't know what I thought he knew.

​“You're wrong. She's talking to you. What the hell are you doing? She's referring to your Ed, not mine,” I heard Edgar mutter.

​The two ‘E’s were staring deeply at each other. Suddenly, Edward released Edgar. But instead of walking away, Edgar stopped in front of him and whispered something.

​His voice was so low that I couldn't even hear a whisper. He smirked, turned to me, walked over, and said, “I'll see you around, my beautiful friend.” What came next was a kiss on my forehead, a brief press of his lips, before he walked away.

​A kiss means something. A friend doesn't just kiss someone on the forehead without a reason. My mind answered its own question: if Edgar wanted more than friendship, I would gladly say yes—despite whatever Edward had to say about it.

​Why did I even think of Edward? Before I could answer that question, I felt a sharp, painful impact on my wrist. A hand seized me, pulling me toward him and dragging me away from the scene.

​“Leave me alone, Ed!” I yelled. As if that would make the cold, angry Edward release me.

​He stopped for a moment, and his grip on me loosened slightly. “I think you should stop calling me 'Ed,'” he said. “I don't like sharing that name. Now, shut up and follow me.”