Ethan Adams

Chapter 26

I make a very big deal of wearing the bracelet but if Ethan sees, he doesn't say anything about it. In fact, he barely looks at me as I join everyone for breakfast, even though I sit right across from him and there's really nowhere else to look. In an attempt to be mature, I decide not to take it to heart. Ella doesn't come down again but Janet receives a very frustrated sounding call from her right before we're about to leave for one last gallivant before going to the airport.

She pretty much ignores me as we head out but strangely, I find myself not giving one damn.

"Hey, Ethan." I hear David call. Even though it's super cold outside, Janet somehow convinced us all to walk to see the Statue of Liberty. We're currently standing near the Ellis Island Ferry staring at Lady Liberty. "Have we taken any photos together?"

"You told me I was too pretty to be in a photo with you." Ethan recites. "Why?"

David sighs loudly. "Alisa?"

I pretend like I haven't been listening to their conversation and turn around. "What?"

"Could you take a photo of us? With the green lady in the distance." He says passively. I avoid looking at Ethan, knowing he's avoiding looking at me and nod.

David hands me his digital camera and strikes a pose next to Ethan. I chuckle but take the photograph anyway, staring way too long at the image. They both grumble a thank you and I smile back at them, figuring that this is my chance to get Ethan alone. It's funny, I find myself feeling all sorts of powerful after reading a certain someone's letter.

"Hey, Ethan, can I talk to you?" I say. David makes a sound but I just ignore him, as well as the blush on Ethan's cheeks.

"Um, sure?"

He lingers by the railing and I stand next to him, trying to keep my power. It wanes the longer we stand there and I wimp out on my original question.

"So I was wondering if you were gonna sit next to anyone on the plane." I start, trying to keep my voice even.

He hums. "I mean, probably David... why?"

I shrug. "I'm not sitting next to Ella so..."

"Oh. Oh." He stalls. "Well... oh, um, maybe we could sit with each other?"

"Of course we can!" I grin at him. "Also, um thank you for the gift. It's super cute."

"You like it, huh?"

"I like you, yeah." I say. Then I realise what I said, and so does he. "I mean – ah, forget it."

Ethan blinks at me for a moment before his face breaks out into the widest smile I've ever seen in my life. I can't help but smile back at him because he's making me feel giddy just by being next to me. Neither of us say anything for a very long moment before he looks away.

"Sit next to me on the plane." He says in an almost demanding tone. Then before I can say anything, he pats my shoulders and hurries to join the others.

In that same vein, Ethan barely looks at me as we make our way to the airport. When he does, he has a big smile on his face: I smile back but he's always too far away for me to say anything. So I don't.

Janet asks me what's going on but I don't know enough myself to answer her. Instead I just say that I'm sitting with Ethan on the plane.

"Does he know?!" She gasps. "Know about your crush on him?!"

"He knows." I confirm. She gasps again. "He's not – he's being weird about it."

"Weird how?"

I shrug. "He hasn't spoken to me properly since I said it. What does that mean? Like, seriously?"