Finally he's mine

Chapter 8 : A crack in our relationship

Ethan's pov

***********

The sun was up by the time I woke up and Clinton was sprawled on the bed beside me, he was still asleep.

I got up and went to my mom's room, the room was empty, the bed made, she had gone to work. There was a note on the dressing table and it read " Didn't want to wake you up, go out and get something to eat, I may be back late"

I yawned and fell on her bed, I didn't want to cook or go out, I prayed Clinton enjoyed cooking.

"Ethan, Ethan where are you" I heard Clinton's panicked voice

"Here" I answered back still on the bed.

He came to the door and stood watching me, I pointed to mom's note on the table and he went and picked it up.

"We'll go out later" he said " I need you to show me around"

"Ohhh that's true" I said " we could grab a late breakfast then"

Clinton helped me in cleaning the house, we had more things to talk about. I discovered we had gotten into the same university and I was so happy.

"That's the college I got into" I said giggling like a kid.

"For real??" He Asked

"Yes" I said "I and my friends got into the school together"

"Your friends?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

"My friends" I said.

" We're four in the friend group Ayden, Felice, Lily and I" I said.

He nodded watching me

" Do you feel comfortable hanging out with them?" He asked

"Kinda, I'm really close to them so being around them is really comfortable for me" I said and he walked into the kitchen quietly.

"We have ramen" he said

"You want to have that for breakfast?" I asked.

"I'm hungry, can't wait till we're ready to go out, we'll just grab lunch on our way back" he said.

We ended up having breakfast at 11am and then Clinton asked for a gaming session, and we played games into the late afternoon.

My phone buzzed and I picked it up, I had so many messages from Felice, Lily and Ayden.

I opened the group first. It started with a message from Ayden

" I told Steve about the party and he said he'll like to come "

"He's not welcome " Felice replied

"It's just a party, him joining is no big deal" Ayden.

"It's a party between friends okay? Well you don't even consider us friends" Felice said and exited the group

Lily added her back.

I opened my inbox and there were direct messages from Felice.

"Just imagine him trying to convince me that letting Steve attend a party meant for friends is normal after what Steve did " this was her text. She was angry and I had to be careful with whatever I said.

"If he wants Steve to be there then that's his business, we'd just stay away from them" I sent her.

Ayden's call came in as I dropped my phone to go back to playing games .

I connected the call and stayed quiet, Clinton's eyes were fixed on me.

"Ethan are you there?" He asked

"What is it"

"Don't you think Felice is overreacting?, I mean she has no issue with Steve........".

"She's not overreacting" I cut him off "you heard the hurtful things he said to me and you still think it's okay to let him come to a party we fixed for ourselves, she's only doing what a friend will do. You're wrong here and you should rethink this whole friendship with Steve. Have you asked him if he ever apologized?? Or maybe he's more important. There'll be no party" I ended the call.

"Party's off" I posted in the group and turned off my phone.

Clinton looked at me questioningly "Nothing, just friends drama" I said lying on the bed.

"Who's Steve?" He asked

"A bully" I replied

"He bullied you?" he asked

"Something like that " I murmured

"Ayden's your friend and he's still friends with Steve?" He asked

"Yes" I answered

"He's a piece of s**t, he just ruined your mood"

"I'm fine "

"No you're not " he said climbing into the bed. He spread his arms and I leaned closer. He hugged me tightening his arms around me.

I closed my eyes and slept off.

I woke up to the ringing of a phone, it was Clinton's phone, I looked at him and he was fast asleep his head on my chest, I gently moved him and checked the caller 🆔, it was his mom, I turned to him and he was peacefully sleeping. I picked my phone and left the room.

I turned on my phone and there were so many messages, most of it from Ayden saying we needed to talk and it was all a misunderstanding. Few from Lily trying to play peacemaker, Felice praising me for calling off the party.

I replied to Felice and Lily before relaxing on the cushion. It was 3pm and I was already starving but I didn't want to disturb Clinton's sleep.

I ordered pizza while praying he woke up soon. "Ethan" I heard him call my name from the room.

" I'm in the sitting room" I answered.

He walked into the sitting room, he stumbled a bit and sat next to me burying his face in my shirt, I ruffled his hair .

"I ordered pizza" I said "or would you prefer going out to eat"

"I'm tired, I prefer pizza" he said lying down his head on my laps.

"Okay then, pizza it is" I said " I even forgot I was supposed to show you around today" I said combing my hand through his hair. I really loved the blonde color.

"We have a lot of time to do that" he said turning his face buried in my tummy.

"Are u staying till resumption or you'll go back and then come back for resumption" I asked

"Are you already tired of me" he asked raising his face to look at me.

"No no no no" I said almost panicking "I just wanted to know"

"I don't want to go back " he said.

We were of the same age but he looked younger and acted younger.

The doorbell rang "Pizza is here" Clinton said moving his head so I could stand up.

I opened the door and Lily and Felice ran in.

They were holding bags of snacks and I could smell a whif of fried chicken.

"Party time" Lily said running past me and she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Clinton.

He was now sitting up, surprised at the presence of two uninvited guest. I rolled my eyes at Felice, Lily didn't know where I lived so she was the one that brought her here.

"She was pestering me" she said.

"He's gorgeous" lily was admiring Clinton "hi I'm Lily" she said stretching her hand to shake him. He took her hand and she twirled around to face me "he's so pretty" she whined . Clinton looked up at me his face flushed. "Stop you're making him blush" I said laughing.

"I'm Felice " Felice said.

"Clinton I told you about them Felice and Lily my friends and this is Clinton my childhood friend" I said.

"Nice to meet y'all" Clinton said shyly. He was a real introvert.

"Same" Felice said but lily was already distracted, everything was fascinating to her.

Felice walked to the kitchen to get plates she was no stranger in my house, while Lily walked around looking at pictures and medals.

The doorbell rang and I went to get it, It was the pizza delivery.

"Can we play music " Felice asked as I walked back, she was on her knees setting the plates on the table.

"This is an apartment complex, neighbors will complain of the noice " I said.

"We'll reduce the volume, it won't be too loud " she said moving with her knees to the speakers.

Clinton just sat still watching them move around. He's naturally an introvert but I noticed it worsens when they were people he didn't know or wasn't close to.

"What's it" I nodded towards him

"Nothing" he said, my phone buzzed and it was a message from my mom.

"I won't be coming back today, I need to go see Clinton's mom, I'll be back tomorrow evening, take care of Clinton" I read it carefully and stood up to go to the room and call her.

"I'm coming" I said to Clinton and left.

In the room I called mom and she assured me it was nothing serious and insisted it was just friends catching up. It was weird but I just let it go.

I walked back to the living room and soft music was now playing from the speakers and Felice was unpacking what they had bought.

"And the highlight of today" she said, her hands in the bag "alcohol" she said "we're legal adults now, what's a party without alcohol" she added passing a can of beer to each of us.

We all ate and drank into the night, everyone was getting tipsy.

Lily was tipsy and dizzy but didn't want to lose to Felice so she forced her eyes open and kept drinking.

Clinton's head was on my shoulder, he was asleep his face bright red.

Lily rested on the table and slept off.

"I won" Felice said raising the can of beer over her head causing the content to spill on her head. She fell on the table and slept off.