Page 62 of Holding On

Chapter Twelve

Becca

"Did you see Heather yesterday?" I ask Mike as we make breakfast.

"Before we talk about me, let's talk about you. What happened last night?"

"I went to see Ethan." I take the orange juice from the fridge.

"Are you two a thing now or what?"

"We're just friends. Like you said, he could use a friend right now."

"A friend who goes to his house at midnight? Sounds more like a booty call."

"It wasn't a booty call. He didn't even know I was coming over. I hadn't talked to him all day so I decided to just stop by and see how he was doing. I was only there a few minutes." I get some glasses out and pour the juice. "Mike, you've gotta stop this. You don't have to know where I am and what I'm doing at all times. When you were overseas, I took care of myself just fine, without anyone looking out for me."

"But now I'm here, and as your brother, it's my job to keep you safe."

"Actually, it's not." I hand Mike his orange juice. "And besides, what exactly do you think Ethan's going to do? He's not dangerous."

"I'm not worried about him hurting you physically. I'm worried about him breaking your heart. He's not the type of guy to be in a relationship, which makes me question his motives when it comes to you. You're a pretty girl, and guys like him go after pretty girls, especially when they don't have to work hard."

"What are you trying to say? That I'm easy to take advantage of?"

"No, of course not. But you're kind and compassionate and always want to help people. I don't want Ethan using that to get to you."

"He's not. And who's to say I'm not the one pushing this? Maybe I like him as more than a friend."

"Then you're setting yourself up to get hurt." I give him an angry look. "I'm sorry, Becca, but it's the truth. Ethan's a football star. Headed for the pros. I don't know the guy, but I'm sure he's got a pretty big ego. It's almost impossible not to when you're that young and getting that much attention from the media. Sports agents. Girls. The guy's got a lot going for him. He's focused on his future and what he needs to do to make it to the pros. He's not going to get into a relationship and settle down."

I'm tempted to tell Mike what Ethan said about not liking football as much as he used to, but Ethan doesn't want anyone knowing that so I keep it to myself.

"Ethan may not even play again," I point out.

"Maybe not in college, but that doesn't mean he can't keep training and try to go pro. His dad's an agent. He's gonna make sure his son gets signed by a team."

Again, I wish I could tell Mike how Ethan and his dad don't agree on his future, but that's not my secret to tell.

"Becca, I'm not saying you can't be friends with the guy. I'm just saying to leave it at that. Don't try to be more than friends. You'll just end up getting hurt."

"It's my decision to make, not yours." I hand him a box of cereal. "You don't know Ethan the way I do. He's not the guy you think he is."

Mike sighs as he pours cereal in his bowl.

Choosing to ignore his disapproval, I switch topics. "So what about Heather? Did you see her?"

"Yeah. We had dinner last night. She offered to make it but I took her out instead."

I smile. "So you went on a date. An actual date."

He grins. "I guess you could call it that."

"Did you do anything afterward?"

"We walked around the park. Then we sat on a bench and talked. She likes being outdoors."

"Just like you. Sounds like you guys have a lot in common."

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