Chapter Ten: First Confession

Ava had never been the type to seek out chaos. She preferred the predictability of quiet afternoons, where her only company was the sound of her pencil scratching across paper. So when she agreed to go to the party Chloe had invited her to, her stomach churned with unease. The thought of walking into a house full of strangers and being surrounded by loud music and people who all seemed to know each other made her want to crawl back into her bed and pull the covers over her head.

But Chloe had insisted. "You never know, Ava. Maybe this will be the night something changes for you." 

Ava had rolled her eyes, but the truth was, Chloe was right. Something had to change. High school was a blur of indifference, and if she didn't start stepping out of her comfort zone, she'd be stuck in the same place forever. Still, the idea of being the awkward, shy girl in a room full of confident teenagers made her stomach twist.

"Stop worrying," Chloe had told her when they were picking out outfits. "It's just a party. Have fun."

Now, standing at the edge of the party in a tight hallway, Ava felt anything but fun.

"Come on," Chloe said, looping her arm through Ava's and pulling her further into the house. "Let's get some drinks and find a spot. Trust me, once you relax, you'll have a blast."

Ava tried to smile, but the noise of the music made it hard to focus on anything. She scanned the room, trying to avoid eye contact with the throngs of people dancing and talking. The place was crowded with students from every grade, and the air was thick with the scent of cologne and the hum of laughter and conversation.

Ava's phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out, grateful for the distraction. It was a message from Ethan.

Ethan: How's the party going?

Ava hesitated. She'd spent most of the week avoiding Ethan outside of their art project meetings. There was something about him—his confidence, his smile, the way he seemed to glide through life—that made her feel like an outsider in her own skin. But he'd been kind to her, and they'd spent enough time together that she didn't want to completely ignore him.

Ava: It's fine. A little crowded.

A few seconds passed before his reply came in. Ethan: Yeah, those things can get pretty wild. Want me to come find you?

Ava's heart skipped. It wasn't like Ethan to come looking for her at a party. He was the kind of guy who could show up and be the life of the party without breaking a sweat. She stared at the screen, unsure how to respond. If she said yes, she'd be inviting him into the chaos of the night. If she said no, she'd be left to hide in the background with Chloe, which felt equally uncomfortable.

Ava: No, it's fine. I'll be okay.

She shoved the phone back into her pocket, trying to shake off the tension that had settled in her chest. Chloe had already disappeared into the crowd, and Ava was left to navigate the maze of people on her own. She found a quiet corner near the staircase and leaned against the wall, watching the party unfold around her.

She'd barely been there for twenty minutes, but it felt like hours. Everyone was either laughing, dancing, or shouting over the music, and Ava couldn't help but feel like she didn't belong. She looked at her phone again, half-expecting to see another message from Ethan, but it was still silent. Maybe it was better this way. If she couldn't fit in with the people around her, she might as well just fade into the background and make it through the night without making a scene.

"Hey, Ava."

She looked up, startled to find Ethan standing in front of her. His presence was almost too perfect, the way he stood in the doorway like he'd been drawn into the scene itself. He was wearing a navy-blue button-up shirt that fit him perfectly, his dark hair slightly tousled as if he had just come from a photoshoot. He had a way of making everything around him seem brighter, like a spotlight was always following him.

"Ethan?" Ava blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he said, grinning. "Isn't this supposed to be a party?"

"I—" Ava stopped, unsure how to explain herself. "I'm just… taking a break."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, glancing around the room. "I figured you'd be hiding out somewhere," he said, his smile softening. "You don't seem like the party type."

Ava was relieved that he hadn't said anything about how awkward she looked. She shrugged. "I'm not. I don't really fit in here."

Ethan leaned against the wall next to her, his gaze drifting over the crowd before landing back on her. "I get it. It's not exactly my scene either."

Ava blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah," he said with a small laugh. "I'm here because Liam dragged me along. You know how he is."

"I thought you loved these kinds of things," Ava said, her voice almost too quiet.

He shook his head. "Not really. I guess I just get caught up in being expected to have fun." His smile faltered for a second, and Ava caught the hint of something deeper in his eyes, something she didn't quite understand.

"I thought you were always the one people gravitated toward," she said, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Ethan shrugged, the mask of charm slipping away for just a moment. "People think I have it all together. But that doesn't mean I don't get tired of it. Or that I'm happy all the time."

Ava was silent, taking in his words. She had never really considered what Ethan's life might be like behind the scenes. He always seemed so confident, so perfect. But now that she thought about it, maybe he wasn't as untouchable as she had assumed.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice softer than she intended.

Ethan met her gaze, his expression unreadable for a moment. "I'm fine. Just… trying to figure things out, I guess."

Ava's chest tightened. She had never seen this side of him before—the real, vulnerable Ethan. It was strange to think that someone like him could feel lost, just like her.

"I get that," Ava said quietly. "I feel like I'm always trying to figure things out too."

Ethan turned his body slightly to face her more directly. "Yeah?" He smiled, but it was different this time—more genuine. "I didn't think you'd be the type to feel like that."

Ava laughed nervously, her fingers curling around the edge of her phone. "You don't know me very well."

"Well," he said, shifting so that his shoulder brushed against hers, "maybe that's something we should change."

The air between them seemed to shift in that moment, the usual tension giving way to something softer. Ava felt her heart rate quicken, the weight of his words settling over her in a way she couldn't fully explain. She wanted to say something—anything—but the words wouldn't come.

Ethan turned to face her, his eyes locked on hers. There was something in his gaze, something that made her stomach flutter with the sudden realization that he wasn't just being friendly. There was an understanding between them, an unspoken connection that had been building over the past few weeks. It was subtle, but it was there.

And then, almost too quietly to hear over the noise of the party, Ethan said, "I like you, Ava."

Ava froze. Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart slammed against her chest. She couldn't have heard that right. Not from Ethan Blake. 

"W-what?" she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

"I like you," he repeated, his voice steady but tinged with an intensity that made Ava's head spin. "I don't know why, but every time I'm around you, I feel… different. Like I'm actually myself."

Ava's mind raced. The room felt smaller now, and she could hear nothing but the thudding of her own pulse. She wasn't sure how to respond, or even if she could respond. Her heart was too loud, her thoughts too scattered.

"I didn't want to say it," Ethan continued, his eyes locked on hers, "but I can't stop thinking about it. About you."

The words hung in the air between them, and for a moment, Ava couldn't do anything but stare at him, her chest tight with a mixture of confusion and something that almost felt like hope.

"I… I don't know what to say," she whispered, her voice shaky.

Ethan's smile softened, and he leaned back against the wall, his eyes never leaving hers. "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know."

For the first time in what felt like forever, Ava felt something more than uncertainty. She felt like she might actually be standing on the edge of something real.