MONDAY

Ethan:

I couldn't stop grinning the moment I woke up. Huh. So this was how it felt like to be euphoric – to feel complete. No wonder why my best friends didn't mind being pvssy whipped all these years. It was fucking worth it.

Last night had definitely changed everything for me.

It sealed the deal.

I slowly opened my eyes, expecting to see a blonde beauty beside me. I wanted to mark my girl before we got out of bed. I wanted her to be my own personal breakfast.

But it was empty.

I blinked. The smile was instantly wiped from my face and I frowned, sudden panic surging through me.

She wouldn't.

I bolted up, grabbed my boxers, and put it on. My heart was beating fast and wild. I tried to calm myself down. I told myself that maybe she just went to her room to change or something. The possibility of her . . .

“No,” I growled to myself, shaking my head.

She wouldn't leave.

I made a run to the door, not bothering to put on a shirt. I headed straight to Daniella's room. The door was open. It only made me freak out more and hurry my steps. When I got there, I barged inside.

Empty.

The bed was made. No bags in sight.

It looked like a guest room again, as if it wasn't even used.

She fucking left.

I took a deep breath and looked away as I let that thought sink in. I shook my head, not wanting to believe that this was happening. I didn't even realize that I was panting, trying hard to breathe because it felt like the fucking air left the room with her.

She didn't even say goodbye. What the hell?

My hands turned into fists. I looked around the room, wanting to break something, when a piece of paper on the corner of the bed caught my eye. I walked over to it and picked it up. I sat down on the edge of the bed as I stared at the note.

Ethan,

I'm sorry if I forced myself into your life unexpectedly. You were kind to let me stay at your home and introduce me to your family and friends. They were warm and welcoming. Please thank them for me. And of course, thank you for everything. You've taught me so much about life, about how I shouldn't be afraid to be myself and how I should live more. I will forever owe you for that.

However, I think it's time to go back to reality. As much as I love being with you and feeling like there's something more with us, I need to be realistic. You haven't made it clear whether this is a long term thing. I'm assuming it isn't, because how will that work out? I'll go back to Yale in the fall. You'll do what you do and be great at your chosen career. I'm not quite sure you'd even want a relationship. I'm sorry. I'm silly for even considering that possibility, aren't I?

I will never forget my time with you. Your life is my dream life. I'm so glad to be part of it even for just a short while. It was the best escape any girl like me could ever imagine. Thank you for seeing me for me. xx

PS. I won't be a burden to you anymore. Go live.

-Dana

I crumpled the paper in my hand and threw it away. I took another deep breath as I leaned my elbows on my knees and rubbed my face with my hands.

She kept telling me not to decide for her, but she was the one who decided for me. Haven't I made it clear that I wanted more with her? What the fuck did she think I was doing all this time? What, did she think that my sole goal was to have sex with her and that was it? Did she really think that low of me?

I thought about chasing her right at this moment and telling her just how wrong she was, when my eyes wandered to the crumpled paper that was now on the floor a few feet away from me.

No. It was more than sex. She thought it wasn't going to work out between us. Reading between the lines of what she said, she thought I wouldn't survive a long distance relationship. She might even think I didn't wanna bother trying.

She didn't believe in me.

That fucking hurt me more than it should.

Knock! Knock!

My head whipped at the sound. Dad was standing on the doorway, wearing his usual monkey suit. What time was it? Shouldn't he be at work?

“I thought I heard you running,” he said a-matter-of-factly.

I looked away from him, my jaw set.

Though I got my blonde hair and blue eyes from my mom, I got most of my features from my dad – the strong build, broad shoulders, hard jaw. They were a good combination. Shame they only created me. Then again, the world couldn't take too much perfection. My folks probably knew that, too.

“Your mother updated me with everything,” continued Dad.

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.

“You're speechless,” he said, sitting beside me. I could hear the astonishment in his voice. “This is new. What happened to my son?”

I sighed, stopping the urge to roll my eyes. “A girl happened to him – messed him up and made him feeling weird as shit.”

Dad laughed. “Is that the new code word for being 'in love'?”

I froze.

Am I?

There was a moment of silence as I processed this.

“Motherfucker,” I breathed out, rubbing my face with my hands again. This time, my hands stayed to cover my face.

So my possessive urge to let everyone know she's mine . . . The mushiness and electricity I felt yesterday . . . The pull to always be near her . . . Practically worshiping her body last night, which I've never actually done before (and I fucking enjoyed doing it to her) . . . The euphoria when I woke up this morning expecting her beside me . . . Me being whipped as hell it ain't even funny . . .

All that because I'm . . . in love with her?

“Holy shit,” I murmured in disbelief, my eyes were wide as the realization fully kicked in. “I'm fucking in love.”

“You're not denying it,” nodded my dad. “You're manning up.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “You really have grown up, son.”

I winced. I didn't like to be reminded that I was becoming more of an adult. But fuck it, I was going to be honest about this.

“Hard not to,” I replied, removing my hands from my face. “She's probably the best thing that's ever happened to me. And she's not even mine.”

That was the truth. She was everything I never thought I wanted – and needed. She was a fucking pain in the ass sometimes, but it'd be boring if she wasn't.

Dad patted me on the shoulder. Times like these reminded me that I didn't have such a dull life at home. They might not be here all the time, but they were here when it mattered. And that was more than okay with me.

“You know what they say about whirlwind romances?” he asked me.

I shook my head.

“They don't last.”

At that, I looked at him.

Dad smiled. “Prove them wrong, son.”

I realized then.

What the hell am I moping for? So what if Daniella believes that this – whatever the fuck we have – won't work out in the future? I'm the one who always said not to worry about tomorrow. But here I am being a pvssy and letting her believe that, instead of doing something about it.

This ain't me. I'm impulsive. When I want something, I go and get it. No matter what. So what the fucking hell am I still doing here?

“I gotta go,” I told my dad, as I got to my feet.

“Attaboy.”

I grinned at him over my shoulder. As I ran to my room, I tried calling Daniella. She won't pick up, though. Damn. I had no choice but to run after her to the city.

I know. This is helluva cliché for me to chase her like a typical lead dude in those chick flicks, but so fucking what? I wasn't the type to wait.

She didn't believe in me? Fine, then.

I'll make her.

* * *

I washed up and got ready as fast as I could. I just threw on whatever I could find and grabbed my leather jacket. I tried calling Daniella's phone again while I ran downstairs. No luck.

I closed the front door of the house, thinking about who else I could call. Then, I remembered Daniella getting close with a particular someone I'd really rather not call. But I had no other lead. Shit.

Against my will, I called that person.

I walked over to my Escalade, unlocked it, and climbed in – all the while waiting for someone to answer the other end of the line.

Finally, someone did. I heard a groan instead of a 'hello'.

“Allie's right. I hate it when she's right. What do you want?”

“Where is she?”

“Demanding, aren't we?”

“I'm in a hurry.”

“What's the rush?”

I gritted my teeth and grasped my phone tightly, controlling my rage.

“Look, we hate each other's guts – the whole fucking world knows it. But for now, please just for fucking now, let's pretend we get along.”

Silence met me.

“You're really serious about her.”

“No fucking shit.”

There was a sigh.

“She said she'd visit her friend at the Mantle Studios first, before going home. You're in luck. My cousin's on her way there right now to meet her friends that are recording today. You can go together.”

Thank God and you're not being a pain in the ass today.

“A'ight. I'll drop by your house in five.”

I was about to hang up but then –

“Ethan?”

I bit back my surprise at the mention of my name.

“Yeah?”

“For the record, we didn't know she was leaving 'til this morning.”

This person never used this kind of soft tone with me. It was weird. And frankly, it was creeping me out. But I guess there was a tiny part of me that appreciated it.

“Okay,” was all I could reply.

“Good luck.”

“Thanks . . . Dakota.”

_____________

Sorry it took three weeks for me to update again. My laptop is a complicated technology that needed to get checked up. Also, life sorta got in the way.

But anyhow, I'm proud (and a little sad) to announce that we're getting close to the ending. :( Thank you so much for supporting this for almost two years. I'm getting real emotional. *sigh*

Ethan's maturing so soon. I don't think I can take it. Gaaahh.

I'll dedicate a chapter to whoever answers the most epically to this question: How do you think Ethan will react when he gets to New York City and enter the world of the "elites"?