It was for the hotel room. But he looked so
adorably furious, I didn’t bother explaining. “Not happy? I’ll add fifty next time. Anything over two–fifty is not worth it.”
Ethan’s eyes practically glowed red. But then,
he deflated, turning away. He curled up on the couch, his large frame somehow looking small and vulnerable.
“Liv, I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
“Sorry for what?”
“Justin was right,” he said quietly. “It wasn’t his fault. It was mine. I didn’t trust you, that’s why his lies worked.”
11:30
46
He sounded so genuinely remorseful. But I
wasn’t angry. Him falling for those lies wasn’t surprising. Ethan had led a charmed life, always praised and admired. He’d never experienced real hardship, never understood how cruel people could be. For a sixteen–year–old boy to believe his best friend… it was understandable.
“After I found out the truth, I punched him,” Ethan continued. “Then I looked for you. For two reasons. One, to apologize.”
“And two?”
“Two… I just wanted to see you.”
Silence hung heavy in the air. After a while,
Ethan’s shoulders started shaking. The alcohol
was getting to him. He was crying.
“I’m sorry, Liv.”
14
<
11:30
46
It was the first time I’d ever seen Ethan cry. Oh my god. He looked so… pathetically cute. Like I was the heartless villain who’d broken his heart. And, I had to admit… he looked kind of… hot
when he cried.
“Why are you crying? I haven’t even asked you about all those girls in your pictures yet.”
“There were other people in those pictures.
Why do you only remember the girls?” Ethan
sniffled. “They were all club members, or
student council. I don’t even remember their
names.”
“What about Justin? Tell me everything.”
And so he did. I learned the whole story, from
his perspective. Apparently, Ethan had started to develop feelings for me around sixteen. I was still a bit awkward and chubby back then. After years of annoyance, he wasn’t sure why, but he’d suddenly found me… less annoying. He’d
<
become curious.
During Monday’s flag ceremony, he’d stared at
me and asked Justin, “Did Liv get taller?”
During the mile run, when I lagged behind, he’d
asked, “Is Liv okay? Is it… you know… that
time of the month?”
During evening study hall, when Chloe and I
were snacking, he’d asked Justin, “Is Liv always hungry, or is she just greedy?”
Justin had noticed these changes. He liked me, but he kept quiet. He’d just smiled and said, “Ethan, you’ve known her too long. You’re used to her. You can’t possibly like her.”
Ethan, not fully understanding his own feelings, thought that made sense. Then came the fake QQ account, the fabricated chat logs about the bet. Ethan had been crushed. He’d confronted me, and I’d been clueless. Veronica, of course,
<
11:30
had denied everything.
2005
Ethan had been so disappointed. He thought I was just using him for a thousand bucks. The more I pursued him, the angrier he got. And
Justin and Veronica, each with their own
motives, kept fanning the flames.
46
The misunderstandings escalated, continuing
even into college. Ethan had initially asked
Justin to keep an eye on me in L.A. The first
month, Justin texted him: “Liv’s hanging out
with a lot of guys from her school. She’s
probably forgotten about you.”
Ethan, hurt and angry, had asked, “Should I text
her?”
“Definitely not. Liv likes the strong, silent type. If you reach out, you’ll lose.”
Ethan believed him, and the silence continued. The snowball of misunderstandings grew… until
<
11:30
that New Year’s Eve.
2000
“Why did you…… you know….. that night?” I
asked, curious. “Why did you suddenly…
reciprocate?”
