I'm Ready...

Ethan's plan had worked. Soon, Nadine would be his. He smirked to himself as he remembered their conversation at her office. He'd expected her to say no at first but he also knew exactly how to turn that "no" into a reluctant yes. And it had worked like a charm.

Whistling softly, Ethan made his way to the rehearsal studio where The Storm usually practiced. Hands shoved casually into his pockets, he walked like a man whose mood couldn't be better.

"Dude," Aaron called out as soon as he saw him. "You left looking like someone ran over your cat, and now you're back like you just watched a full season of porn. What gives?"

Ethan let out a short laugh. "Porn has nothing on what just happened to me."

Aaron raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Okay, spill. Why so happy? What happened? Don't be stingy, man. We've been bros since forever."

Ethan shrugged like it was no big deal. "Met someone."

Aaron's eyes lit up. "Who? Kylie Jenner? Or wait, don't tell me… Zendaya?"

Ethan gave him a look, a slow, meaningful smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Curious much?"

Aaron nodded eagerly.

Ethan leaned in and whispered, "Classified."

Aaron immediately shoved his face back. "You're such a jerk, man! Just say it! I'm dying here. We're supposed to be friends, and you're holding out on me?"

Ethan stopped walking and turned to face him. His smile faded just a bit, enough to let Aaron know he was serious now.

"What?" Aaron asked, confused. He dropped his hand from Ethan's shoulder and looked him up and down.

"I'll tell you everything, latter." Ethan said at last.

Aaron grinned. "That's more like it. Took you long enough, bro."

What's the point of keeping it a secret?

They're all gonna find out eventually anyway.

That was the thought running through Ethan's head as he kept walking, hands still in his pockets, expression unreadable.

He tried to imagine his bandmates' faces when they found out he was getting married. Not just married but to a woman who was currently carrying his child. Yeah, that reaction was going to be priceless.

Still, more than their shock, what he really cared about… was her. He just hoped his fans wouldn't tear Nadine apart when they found out. The internet could be brutal, and he knew all too well how quickly people judged things they didn't understand.

He could handle the rumors. He could handle the gossip. But if they ever hurt her or their baby?

That, he wouldn't forgive.

***

Ethan's watch showed exactly 7 p.m. when he finally decided to call it a day. Their practice session was over. But before everyone headed home, he invited the guys out for dinner at their usual spot.

He had something to say, something big and he couldn't wait to drop the bomb. Just imagining the looks on Aaron, Daniel, and Finn's faces already made him smirk to himself.

"You good, man? Why are you grinning like that? Did you hit your head or something?" Daniel asked, raising an eyebrow from across the table.

Finn sat beside him, quietly sipping his drink while listening in. Aaron, sitting next to Ethan, was busy replaying a video of their earlier session that their manager, Chase, had recorded on his phone. The four of them were waiting for their orders to arrive.

"You know what, Dan?" Ethan said, smirking. "I just realized something… You actually don't look half bad up close."

"What the hell," Daniel shot back, while Finn and Aaron let out amused chuckles. "I look good from every angle, dude. Adam Levine wishes he had my face."

That only made the others laugh harder.

"Oh please," Aaron snorted. "I've seen my reflection. Yours doesn't even come close."

"Speak for yourself," Daniel scoffed. "At least I've got a better face than yours, Aaron."

That sent Finn into another laughing fit while Ethan leaned back, just enjoying the chaos.

"Dude, don't lump my face in with yours," Aaron joked. "That's Finn sitting next to you. Not me."

"Don't be jealous, man. Let's be real," Finn jumped in. "Out of the four of us, I'm the best looking."

"Oh yeah?" Aaron grinned. "Who's number two then?"

Daniel batted his eyelashes dramatically at Finn, while Aaron gave his best cutesy smile and pointed at his dimples.

Ethan just watched them all quietly, lips twitching.

Oh, they had no idea what was coming.

"Second place?" Finn pretended to seriously study each of their faces. "Second goes to… Ethan."

"Tch." Ethan scoffed, clearly not buying it but half-smiling anyway.

"I object!" he said, dramatically placing a hand on his chest.

"Why Ethan?" Aaron and Daniel protested at the same time.

"Hey, it's my ranking," Finn shrugged with a smug smile. "You don't like it? Too bad."

"Alright then, who's third?" Ethan asked, playing along.

"Third? Sorry, Aaron… it's Daniel."

Aaron swore under his breath while Daniel pumped both fists in the air, cheering like he'd just won the lottery.

Ethan shook his head in amusement. He knew Finn was just messing around and so did the others. The four members of The Storm each had their own distinct looks, but let's be real, they were all easy on the eyes, and they knew it.

Among them, Aaron was The Brain. Whenever they ran into a problem, he was the guy everyone turned to. Daniel? He was The Joker. Always cracking jokes, though sometimes they were way funnier in his head than out loud. As for Finn, he was the leader. Even though they were all the same age, Finn carried himself with a maturity the others didn't quite match. He was grounded, composed, and just a bit more grown up than the rest.

Even though all three of his friends were undeniably attractive, Ethan was pretty convinced that he was the best looking and most charismatic of the bunch. And honestly? He had the stats to back it up, his social media follower count crushed the rest of them.

After they finished dinner, Ethan decided it was time to drop the bomb, the big news he'd been keeping to himself. But just as he opened his mouth, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

The second he saw Nadine's name on the screen, a soft smile tugged at his lips.

Nadine:

My parents want to meet you. When are you free?

Her parents want to meet me?

Am I ready for this? Am I actually ready to be someone's husband?

His gut twisted for half a second. But then it hit him.

Yeah. I'm ready.

I'm ready because it's Nadine.

I'm ready to be her partner.

I'm ready to be the father our baby deserves.

Ethan:

Seriously? How about Saturday? At your place?

***