- 2.
Ethan was the last to arrive, with a shy girl
trailing behind him. Her small hand gripped his
shirt, her wide eyes darting around the room
with innocent curiosity. She looked like a fawn
straying into unfamiliar territory, reminding me
of myself twelve years ago when I first moved
in with the Millers. The playful banter in the
room died down as Ethan pulled her forward
and put his arm around her. “Everyone, this is
my girlfriend, Summer.” His eyes never left her, full of tenderness. Sensing the awkward silence,
く
Summer shrunk closer to him, looking nervous.
Josh was the first to recover, letting out a
forced laugh. “Keeping secrets, huh? When did
this happen?” His gaze kept flicking to me, concern masked but easily readable after all
these years. Ethan had never formally
introduced a girlfriend to us before. We all
knew what this meant. He ruffled Summer’s
hair. “A couple of months now. Summer’s a bit shy, so be nice.” Twelve years ago, it was the same group, the same words: “Olivia’s a bit shy, so be nice.” Back then, I was a small–town girl fresh off the bus, awkward and self–conscious
in my new, affluent surroundings. Ethan had
been the one to pull me into their circle. That
year, I was fourteen, and he became my light.
