QuaranTEENed

Wow. I actually could believe that my mom wasn't letting me out of the house. Isn't the mortality rate of this disease like 1 percent?

Ana said she was going to her beach house for a few days and although I had been permitted to hang out with her, I wasn't sure my mom would allow me to go.

I decided to have the conversation with her.

"Mom, I'm almost an adult, you have to start treating me like one," I said mid-conversation.

"Fine, but you have to be safe," she sighed in defeat, picked up her cup of tea, and continued her robotic morning routine.

I ran up the stairs after I finished mopping and began to pack.

I threw in two bikinis, t-shirts, shorts, and two pairs of sandals. Then I packed all my essentials.

I grabbed my phone and texted Ana immediately.

MOM SAID YES

She responded with: Well change of plans--we're leaving tonight.

I called her.

"Dude, what the heck? I thought it was just you! Who else is coming?" I asked.

"Uh Grant and his friend." Grant was her brother. Although I didn't know who this friend of his was.

"Which friend?"

"Ethan," she said and I could almost hear the smile in her voice. I started to choke on air. I had the biggest crush on Ethan since the beginning of the year when I met him at a conference.

"Ugh," I responded, "what time are you picking me up?"

"8. See you then," she hung up.

I showered and changed into a black t-shirt and blue mom jeans.

The wait until 8 was excruciating but as soon as I heard Ana's car honk outside, I was relieved.

"Bye mom!" I yelled and, before I could receive a response, I ran out the door. I threw my duffle bag in the trunk of Ana's Range Rover, and hopped in the back seat. The only seat available in the car. Right next to Ethan. Oh boy.

"Hi guys," I said closing the door.

"Hey," I heard Grant from the seat in front of me.

"HEY GIRLY," Ana basically yelled two feet in front of me.

"Hi Hera, good to see you again," Ethan said and if it wasn't dark outside, I'm sure he would have seen me turn red.

As we were pulling off the highway to get to the house, a truck started viciously honking at us. We were at a red light but this car wanted us to move?

"What the fuck?" Ethan growled.

"What a dick," Grant slid in.

As the light turned green, the boys rolled down their windows and flipped them off, but as we approached the next traffic light, the man in the truck rolled down his window and, in response, so did Ethan.

"Yo what the hell was that?" Ethan asked the man, agitated.

"COULD YOU NOT SEE I WAS TRYING TO DRIVE?!?" the man asked.

"That was a red light, sir," Ethan responded, his voice on edge.

"OH YEAH BOY?!?! STEP OUT THEN," the man yelled and spit on Ana's window.

Ethan immediately hopped out and the man swung for his face, he dodged it and hit his nose. The man, although blood streamed from his nose, seemed unfazed and landed one near Ethan's eye.

Instinctively, I jumped out of my seat at this and pulled the man off of Ethan and pushed Ethan back into the car, along with myself and closed the door.

"ANA DRIVE!!" I yelled at her, as the man began to pound on the window. The light was red but there seemed to be no traffic from the right so Ana turned right and drove away nearing 80 miles per hour.

"Holy shit," I said frantic.

Ethan was clutching the right side of his face, while Grant and Ana were yelling at how crazy the situation was.

"Let me look at that," I said to him while turning on the car light.

He tilted his head up and I grabbed the right side of his face, gently. He was cut up pretty bad. A healing scar on his face, seemed to have been cut open again. There was a bruise beginning to develop on his temple to his eye. I grabbed the tissues out of my bag and my water bottle and disinfected the area. He was staring straight into my eyes and smiling.

"Do you think this is funny?" I asked him, serious.

"Kind of," he said, wincing.

"You could have been hurt seriously," I said, putting away my water.

"But I'm not, look at me, I'm fine," he said.

I glared at him.

"I am, come on, you can't tell me that wasn't cool," he said to me.

"You're crazy," I told him.

"Can I have some of your water?" he asked.

I handed him the bottle and our fingers brushed for only a moment longer than should have been necessary.

When we got to the house and settled in, we were debating on what movie to watch.

Grant made the ultimate suggestion, "How about 365 days?"

Ana threw a pillow at him from the couch, "you're disgusting."

We ended up watching Kingsman and just before the movie started, Ethan, showered and in his plaid pajamas, came and sat right next to me. Great.

I was tense throughout the entire movie and I stole a couple glances at him and his brown hair, gleaming eyes, full lips, and chiseled jawline. Not to mention the bruise and ruffled hair. He was so incredibly handsome. Towards the end of the movie, I stole one final glance, but he was already looking at me.

I turned away immediately and could feel the heat radiating from my ears.

"Uh, I'm going to go to the bathroom, and the movie is about to end so I'm just gonna call it a night," I announced and hurried to my room.

I began to work off my laptop, and almost an hour in, I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," I said, assuming it was just Ana.

I got up to meet her but was instead greeted by Ethan.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked him in surprise.

He approached me, "I never got to say thanks."

"For?"

"You know," he pointed to the bruise on his temple.

"Yeah, don't mention it," I said breathlessly, since he was way too close than I would like a person to be to me.

He leaned in closer and kissed me. My first kiss. I didn't expect it to go down like this and I was so shocked that I pulled away immediately.

"Woah," Ethan looked at me, confused.

"I'm sorry," I responded.

"No, I am," he replied, "I just thought that you...liked me back? I mean that's what Grant said. Anyways this is awkward, so I'm just going to go."

He started walking to the door. Wait, like me back? Like me? Grant TOLD HIM? So many emotions but I couldn't deal with them.

"Wait, Ethan," I grabbed his wrist and he turned around to face me and I pressed my lips to his. He grabbed my waist with one hand while his other hand cupped my cheek.

He pulled away and looked down at me, smiling.

"Good night, H," he told me.

"OH no you don't," I walked around him to create a barrier between him and the door.

He smirked at me, "You want me to stay?"

"God, no," I scoffed, "just talk."

When he had changed track, I went and sat down in my bed, criss cross. He came and sat beside me.

"What EXACTLY did Grant tell you?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Nothing, just that you had a crush on me. But when he told me, it was way before any of this quarantine stuff happened. I was still dating Elena, so I didn't think much of it. Or rather, I couldn't think anything of it. I was in a relationship. Then Elena cheated and we broke up. And ever since I've been confined to my house, I realized that I'm allowed to think of you. I was still putting the pieces together. But then I saw you today and I knew exactly how I felt," he looked down at me, half-smiling.

"Um, I don't know what to say," I told him.

"You don't have to," he whispered and leaned down again to kiss me. Although this was the second time in my life that I had been kissed, I didn't feel awkward or strange. Instead, I deepened the kiss, shifting some of my weight onto his lap, and intensifying the moment. He chuckled and lifted me into his lap completely, placing one hand on my back to steady me and the other hand pushing my hair behind my ear. His lips moved to my neck and then my collarbone and although my body wanted to give in to the fire that he was starting with his mouth, my mind knew better and I pulled back.

"You should go," I told him.

He looked at me, confused, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just late and I'm tired," I lied.

He got up and kissed my forehead, "dream of me."

Oh boy, if he knew what I would be dreaming of tonight, he wouldn't leave.

I woke up to a text from my mother, stating that my dad had just got home from his week-long work trip and was seemingly getting very sick. She said he was going to get tested and for me to not worry. But how could I not worry? I grabbed my phone, headphones, and changed into some shorts and a sports bra, laced up some of Ana's running shoes and went to run off, well everything.

When I got back, I grabbed a protein shake and head back into my room. I gathered my essentials and showered, brushed, and pulled on some denim shorts and an oversized nike t-shirt.

I went downstairs to watch season 2 of The Umbrella Academy.

To my surprise, Ethan was already on the couch, watching CNN. Lame. I grabbed the remote from him and logged into Netflix.

"Well, good morning to you too sunshine," he chuckled softly, "what are we watching?"

"WE are not watching anything. I, on the other hand, am about to start season 2 of The Umbrella Academy," I told him, while moving to the other couch. He got up to sit next to me.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"Sitting next to you..."

"Obviously. But why?"

"Because I like you. And you like me, so I don't see the problem," he said to me.

I didn't respond. I didn't know how to. So we sat there, in silence, until I decided I didn't want to sit there, so I got up to leave.

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto his lap.

"Why are you doing this?" he whispered to me, trying to make eye contact.

"Doing what?" I asked, looking down, purposely not meeting his gaze. I knew exactly what he was talking about and let the silence serve as an answer to my own question.

"Ethan, I'm so scared," I told him and my eyes welled up. I knew exactly how dramatic this seemed, but I couldn't help it.

His eyes furrowed in concern, "of what?"

"My dad, he just got back from his trip, and he's," my voice cracked and the tears came, "Ethan, he's sick."

"Jesus, Hera, come here," he pulled me into himself and I buried my face in his chest, just letting the tears flow.

A few minutes after, I pulled myself together and told Ethan that I had to go.

I spent the entire day in my room, scared, and Ana occasionally came to check up on me and I told her that I had a migraine. I was on and off the phone with my mom and dad and at around 9pm, my mom called me again.

"Hey, honey, I'm sorry for scaring you, but dad's fine; he tested positive for the flu and the doctors have him on meds," I sighed in relief and we talked for a little bit until I heard a knock on my door and then Ethan entered.

"Hey, mom I have to go. I'll call you tomorrow morning, good night."

I got up and hugged him.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked kissing my temple.

I smiled up at him.

"I am more than okay," I told him, sitting back down on my bed, slipping under the covers. I explained the situation to him and watched his expressions slip from confused to anxious to joyous.

"Hera, that is so incredible, I was actually so worried," he told me.

"Yep, me too," I told him.

And then we just sat there for a few minutes, until I shifted from under my covers to kiss him.

He grabbed the back of my head and shifted his weight on top of me so that I was laying down under him. He kissed my jawline and then down my neck until he reached the end of my shirt.

He pulled away from me, smiling, "god you have no idea how hard it is for me to not finish what we're starting here."

"Ethan, we can--" I started but he cut me off.

"Hera, you're not even officially my girlfriend; I haven't even taken you on our first date? What kind of man would I be if I did this?"

I got up to lock the door.

"So you're telling me the only thing that is keeping you from me is what I would think of you?" I asked him.

He didn't respond to me.

"Ethan, for the past 8 hours, I have been concerned that my father might die," I told him, standing up in front of him.

"I was so scared because I thought that he hadn't lived his life as fully as possible," I spoke, "we're not promised tomorrow so the best thing that we can do is enjoy every moment and chase after what we want."

He looked up at me, "What is it that you want, Hera?"

I looked down at him and kissed him, "this."

He pulled me onto his lap and kissed me, passionately-- with purpose. I slipped out of my shirt and he pulled off his black t-shirt. I could feel something hardening under me, and its touch made me pool up with heat in ways I had never imagined. He continued to kiss my neck and for a split second I had the opportunity to admire just how beautiful he was. He kissed down my neck and then shifted his weight so that I was underneath him; sounds were escaping my mouth without warning and I could feel his smile below the heat of his mouth. Then he pulled down my shorts, and came back up to kiss me. For a moment, he stopped and everything seemed to slow down.

He looked into my eyes, "are you sure you want to do this?"

I nodded.

"You're so damn beautiful," he told me.

I woke up the next morning, Ethan's arm still around my waist. His scent was of mahogany and campfires and I couldn't get enough of it.

"Good morning," I whispered to him, stroking a stray hair behind his ear, while he was still asleep.

I got up, slipped into Ethan's t-shirt, and called my mom.

"Hi mom," I spoke in the hallway, "I had a question for you and PLEASE be open to saying yes?"

"What is it honey?" she asked me.

"Would it be okay with you and dad if I spent the rest of the summer here?" I asked her.

"In a completely different situation, I would forbid it completely, but since your dad made it all the way back from Italy, I suppose I will allow it."

"Perfect, I'll be over today to pick up clothes. I love you!" I couldn't believe it. I went and got showered and changed into a t-shirt and leggings.

When I was walking back into my room, I was greeted by a showered and ready-to-go Ethan. He had on a White Harvard sweatshirt, khaki shorts, and a polo baseball cap. MY god this man was beautiful.

"Good morning," he said from the chair at the desk.

I smiled at him and grabbed my wallet and headed downstairs. He followed me, "where are we going?"

"WE are not going anywhere," I told him, "I, on the other hand, have to go pick up my things from home. Mom said I can stay the rest of the summer," I told him.

His grin reached his eyes and if his voice wasn't so deep, I'm sure he would have squealed, "Hera, that's amazing! Let me come with you."

"I don't want to trouble you," I responded.

"You could never," he said.

After telling Ana, we got into the car and I walked to the driver's seat with the keys.

Ethan planted himself between me and the car, "real gentlemen don't let women drive when they're present."

I leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "real gentlemen also don't have sex with women without taking them on a date."

He laughed out loud, "good one, H, now give me the keys."

I hopped into the passenger seat and as we began the journey, I felt one of his hands slip into mine and I looked over at him, focused on the road. His jaw was clenched and his hand was tight on the steering wheel.

He saw me looking at him and offered me a warm smile and then lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed it.

I could get used to this. I would get used to this.

It was going to be the best summer of my life this far.