TORI’S POV
At Taco Town, I found myself sitting next to Ethan. The girls had taken the seat at the back before I could. As soon as we got there, I jumped out of the car, ignoring how Maya and Josie were gossiping about how Ethan and I looked good together.
When we entered the bar, I'd ended up next to Ethan, our shoulders touching every time one of us reached for our drink.
"This is weird," I muttered, beneath my breath.
"What's weird?" Ethan asked, looking at me.
Maya and Josie exchanged glances, clearly realizing they'd stepped in it.
"So, Ethan," Maya said brightly, obviously trying to lighten the mood. "What made you want to come with us here?"
He shrugged. “Just like that. Besides, I think this is another opportunity to learn more about volleyball.”
“Really?” Maya squealed. “You seriously want to know more about volleyball?”
I could see him relax slightly as he nodded. "Honestly? I didn't know much about volleyball before our project. Figured it was time to learn."
"What did you think about our practice?" Josie asked.
"Impressive," he admitted. "The speed, the strategy—it's more complex than I expected."
"More complex than tennis?" I couldn't help but ask.
He glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Different kinds of complexes. Tennis is more of an individual strategy. Volleyball is like... coordinated chaos."
"Good chaos or bad chaos?" I piped up.
"Definitely good," Ethan said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Maya asked suddenly.
I wanted to disappear into the seat. "Maya!"
"What? It's a fair question. Inquiring minds want to know."
Ethan chuckled. "No, I don't."
"Have you ever had one?" Josie pressed.
"Never."
I stared at the back of his head, surprised. The rumors about Ethan Harrington being a playboy were legendary. Half the girls at school claimed he'd flirted with them at some point.
"Bullshit," I said before I could stop myself.
"Tori!" Maya gasped.
"What? Everyone knows he's dated half the school."
Ethan's eyes met mine in the mirror, amused. "Name one girl I've actually dated, Martinez."
I opened my mouth, then closed it. I realized I couldn't think of a single confirmed relationship.
"What about Becca Morrison?" Maya asked. "Rumor has it you two were together last semester."
"Rumor's wrong," Ethan said simply. "We were lab partners in chemistry. That's it."
"But she said—" Josie started.
"She said what she wanted people to think," Ethan interrupted. "Doesn't make it true."
I studied his profile, trying to reconcile this with everything I thought I knew about him. The cocky tennis star who had girls throwing themselves at him, who seemed so confident and sure of himself.
"So you've really never had a girlfriend?" I found myself asking.
"Really never." He caught my eye in the mirror again. "Disappointing?"
"No, just... surprising."
"Why?"
I shrugged, suddenly feeling awkward under his gaze. "I don't know. You just seem like the type."
"What type is that?"
"The type who collects hearts like tennis trophies," Maya said with a grin.
Ethan laughed—a real laugh, not his usual smirk. "That's a new one. But I want you all to know that not all rumors are true."
“But there is always an atom of truth in rumors,” I commented against my will.
Ethan raised a brow at me with a smile crawling up his face. “Really?”
“Yeah. Not all rumors are fake.”
“Well, this particular rumor about me is fake.”
“I seriously doubt that,” I found myself saying again. I caught Maya and Josie staring at me suspiciously, their gaze darting from me to Ethan.
"Ooh, they're bickering already," Maya whispered to Josie, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
"We're not bickering," I shot back.
"Totally bickering," Josie agreed. "It's kind of cute actually. Like an old married couple."
"We are not—"
"I think they're secretly dating," Maya whispered conspiratorially to Josie.
My face burned. "Maya!"
"What? The tension is obvious. You two argue like people who—"
"Never," I said firmly, cutting her off as I saw the smile on Ethan's face. "That will never happen."
"But seriously," Josie pressed, turning to Ethan. "why no girlfriends? You're not exactly hideous."
"Thanks for the glowing review," he said dryly. "I guess I just haven't met anyone worth the drama."
Something about the way he said it made me look at him more closely. There was something almost vulnerable in his expression, quickly masked by his usual confidence.
"Drama?" Maya asked.
"Relationships can be so complicated," Ethan said. "So I guess I'm waiting for the right time and the right woman.”
His eyes lingered on me and I almost dropped my glass of juice.
I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing. But I filed it away, another piece of the Ethan Chen puzzle that didn't quite fit the picture everyone else had painted.
"So Tennis Boy," Josie said, dipping a chip in his guacamole, "what's your biggest fear about volleyball?"
"Getting spiked in the face," he said immediately, making everyone laugh.
"Tori's got a killer spike," Maya said. "She nailed Coach in the head last week during a demonstration."
"It was an accident!" I protested.
"Sure it was," Ethan said, grinning at me. "Remind me to stay out of your way."
"I make no promises."
By the time we finished eating, the earlier tension had completely dissolved. Maya and Josie were squealing at the sight of a guy who just walked in.
Ethan moved closer to me.
"Your opinion of me is truly flattering, Martinez."
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't quite hide my smile. "Don't let it go to your head."
"Too late," he said, that crooked grin back in place.
"For what it's worth," he said, leaning out his window, "your friends are pretty great."
"Yeah," I said, forcing my feet to move. "But this doesn't make us friends or anything."
He gave me that crooked smile again and bowed. "Whatever you say."