E X P O S E D
C H A P T E R F I V E
LOS Angeles almost seemed like a completely different place at night- the traffic wasn't half as bad, which was why it the car journey seemed to have lasted about two minutes to Andrea. It was that, or the fact that she was practically asleep the whole way there.
"We're here," Ethan announced, Andrea perking up at the sound of his voice.
"You know what's crazy?"
"What?" Ethan asked.
"I don't have your number," Andrea said sleepily, pulling out her phone and turning it on, then handing it to the boy.
Ethan chuckled and took the girl's phone, entering in his number. When Andrea got it back, she smiled, satisfied.
The pair exited the car after Andrea had taken her stuffed giraffe from the backseat.
"Do you need me to walk you to your room?"
"No, no, that's too much hassle for you. Thank you, Ethan. I had such an amazing night," Andrea smiled, hugging Grant to her chest.
"Don't thank me. You deserved it," he replied, returning Andrea's smile. Next of all, an awkward silence filled the air. Ethan and Andrea stood, waiting until someone said something.
"Well. . . goodnight," Andrea smiled, awkwardly standing on her tippy toes and quickly pressing her lips to Ethan's cheek, leaving his face burning up.
Upon reaching her hotel room, she used her card to unlock the door slowly and quietly, hoping that Veronica was asleep. What Andrea wasn't expecting was for all of the lights to be on. She wasn't expecting Veronica to be sitting on her bed, waiting for her younger sister to arrive.
"Well, look who finally decided to show herself. Do you even know what time it is?"
"Pretty late," Andrea yawned, removing her shoes and stumbling towards her bed.
"It's one a.m., Andrea. Where the fuck were you? What did that piece of shit do to you?"
"I really hope you're not talking about Ethan," Andrea warned, glaring at her sister with tired eyes. "Just fuck off, Ronnie."
"Don't tell me to fuck off, Andrea. I was worrying my ass off about you. Why didn't you answer my calls or texts?"
"Because I was busy," Andrea said, feeling her cheeks begin to burn up. She felt rage begin to bubble up inside her, and if Veronica didn't stop soon, things were going to get extremely ugly.
"Doing what? Fooling around with that Ethan kid? Putting yourself in danger? He gave you a panic attack, for God's sake."
"I thought you were my sister, not my mom. And he brought me on a date for God's sake," Andrea shrieked, her arms flailing in the air subconsciously. Veronica looked taken aback for a moment, until realisation dawned upon her.
"He really has got you under his spell."
"Oh, fuck off Veronica. He doesn't care about the nudes anymore! He said it himself," Andrea retorted. She was in disbelief. Andrea was not under any sort of spell; it seemed Veronica was. "How could you think that after nearly six months of knowing him, he's still trying to get close to me because I have his nudes? Nudes I don't even have?"
"He doesn't care about you, Andrea. He never will," Veronica sneered through gritted teeth.
That was the turning point for Andrea. See, she didn't need much to cause her to go into a state of uncontrollable, trembling anger. Tears threatened to spill from her intense eyes that glared at her sister.
"He's famous! He has millions of girls after him, what makes you think you're special?" Veronica spat.
"He told me he cares about me, and that's something that you've never done!"
"You know I care about you, Andrea! I don't need to say it to prove it-"
"Clearly you don't care about me! If you did, maybe instead of making bullshit accusations about what I was doing, you would have asked me if my night went well and how I was."
"How the fuck am I gonna ask you that if you literally disappeared for eight hours with a dangerous asshole?"
With each word that left Veronica's mouth, Andrea grew more and more furious. And then she called Ethan a 'dangerous asshole', and Andrea was no longer exhausted. She was on her feet, hot rage running through her veins, her hands balled into tight fists, her fingernails nearly piercing the skin of her palms.
Andrea's eyes flickered towards a lamp on one the bedside tables. Violent voices urged her to pick it up; it was what Veronica deserved. However, Andrea squeezed her eyes shut and pushed the hostile thoughts away. Use your words.
"For the last time, Veronica," Andrea spoke with shaky words, her lip quivering, her nostrils flared. She felt like a raging fire, whose flames devoured every other good emotion inside her, leaving only pure wrath that made her want to scream until her throat was raw. "Ethan's not dangerous, and he's not an asshole. You're jealous, that's what it is, right? Jealous that I want to spend time with an actual decent human being!"
Veronica's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to reply, but she struggled to say something. "We're leaving Los Angeles in the morning. I'm buying tickets for the next flight."
"No," Andrea snapped, watching as Veronica powered up her Mac. "I'm not going home tomorrow. I'm staying here with Ethan."
"You see? He's got you wrapped around his little finger. I don't know who you are, Andrea. My little sister is not as naive as this, and especially not for some boy."
"Well, I'll just leave then! If I'm so naive, if you don't know who I am, I'll just go, and your little sister probably won't come back," Andrea warned, shoving anything and everything that belonged to her into her suitcase. She began to storm towards the hotel room door, when Veronica interrupted her. Andrea only shoved her away, not caring if it was too forceful.
Andrea made her way to the stairs. Upon hearing her sister yell after her, she picked up speed and began to sprint, leaving the hotel and rushing around the corner, going wherever her feet took her until she was certain that she had lost Veronica.
Tears streamed down her warm face and she breathed in gasps, heaving for air. She sat down, leaning against a random building and pulling out her phone to call the one person who was on her mind.
"Andrea?"
The girl had never been so relieved to hear Ethan's voice more.
"Ethan," she choked out, sobs racking her body. "Can you pick me up please? Veronica and I got-" she paused to sniffle. "We got in a fight and I just- I don't wanna be near her right now."
"Where are you?" He questioned, concern and worry spreading through his body.
"A few blocks from the hotel," Andrea looked around, observing her surroundings. "I'm outside some Target."
"Stay there, Andrea. I'll be there in ten minutes," he said, then he hung up.
