**Chapter 8**

**Ethan's POV**

Mr. Brown adjusted his grip on the microphone, his mustache curling with anticipation as he addressed the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have our contestants for the charades game! Let's give them a round of applause."

The room erupted into polite clapping. My eyes darted to Sophia, her smile lighting up the room, although I noticed a hint of worry in her eyes as she watched from the audience. A familiar knot twisted in my stomach. I clenched my fists briefly, forcing myself to relax. Stay calm, Ethan.

Mr. Brown continued, "Now, contestants, what category would you like to tackle tonight?"

Alex turned to me with a confident grin, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Marvel movies, please."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised at his choice, but nodded in agreement.

"Marvel it is," I echoed, my voice steady despite the rapid pounding in my chest.

My heart thudded against my ribs. Each beat reminds me of the tumultuous emotions simmering beneath my calm exterior. Marvel movies were one of my hidden loves, a rare common ground.

The audience murmured with interest, and Mr. Brown nodded enthusiastically. "Marvel it is! Let's see how well you know your superheroes."

Alex and I took our places on the stage, standing side by side. I glanced at him, trying to read his expression. He seemed overly happy with a smirk, almost as if he found my presence amusing. He's with Sophia, I reminded myself. The knot in my stomach tightened, and my jaw clenched involuntarily.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Sophia watching us intently, her hands clasped together tightly and her brow furrowed with concern. Her worry was palpable, even from a distance.

Mr. Brown began firing questions about Marvel characters and movies. To my surprise, Alex and I were perfectly in sync with our answers.

"Spider-Man!" I read, mimicking shooting webs. Alex immediately recognized it and shouted the answer, earning another round of applause.

Each correct response brought a grin to Alex's face and a nod of approval from the audience. Julia watched from the sidelines, her smile widening as she witnessed our success. Emily and Keilen cheered us on, their encouragement adding to the thrill of the competition.

"C'mon, Ethan, think fast!" Alex said, his eyes twinkling with both curiosity and amusement. He was trying to read me; I could tell. His casual tone grated on my nerves, but I pushed the irritation down.

'What can I do to show Thor?' I  thought as my hand rubbed my pants. I started miming the swinging of a hammer. Alex caught on quickly, and we earned another round of applause.

I found myself gradually letting go of my initial caution. Alex's not that bad, I admitted internally. We effortlessly guessed each clue Mr. Brown presented; our teamwork was seamless and precise.

Finally, as we neared the end of the game, Mr. Brown posed a particularly tricky question about a lesser-known Marvel character. Alex furrowed his brow for a moment, then smoothly whispered the correct answer, "Moon Knight," earning a round of applause from the audience and a grin from me.

"Nice one," I murmured, impressed despite myself. The urge to high-five Alex was strong, but I kept my hands to my side as he tried to high-five.

Mr. Brown's voice boomed again, "And the winners are Alex and Ethan! Give them a big hand, everyone!"

The crowd clapped and cheered as Alex and I stepped down from the stage. Julia approached me while Sophia came to him.

"You did such a good job," she professed as her eyes glittered with happiness, and provided a hug.

Sophia walked over as she kept whispering to Alex. And she tried to walk away with him.

"Why so jumpy, my Sophia Grace?" he teased, wrapping an arm around her waist.

She began to settle into his arm. It struck me how happy she was as he kissed her cheek, which she eagerly returned. I bit my tongue from reacting as Julia intertwined our fingers.

"We make a pretty good team, don't you think?" His tone was casual, but his eyes were studying me closely.

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, I guess we do."

"Maybe next time, we can take on a different category," he suggested.

"Maybe," I replied, a forced smile, hopeful there won't be a next time.

"I am Sophia, by the way," Sophia said with a forced smile, but her eyes betrayed anger as she glanced at Julia and I intertwined hands.

"This is Julia, my girlfriend," I introduced calmly, meeting Sophia's gaze without flinching.

"You're pretty," Sophia remarked dryly before turning to Alex, "Let's go, I want to introduce you to more people." They walked away together.

"Am I your girlfriend now?" Julia asked pointedly, a teasing grin playing on her lips.

"Yes, you are," I confirmed happily, as a smile tugged on my lips.

"That went way better than I expected," Emily joked.

"Yes, it did," Keilen agreed.

"Like I told everyone, I barely know her," I replied with a casual shrug, trying to keep my tone indifferent.

I glanced at Sophia and Alex. Who looked like they were going through tension as Sophia held a fake smile and kept glancing our way. I returned my focus to Julia, who raised an eyebrow curiously but said nothing.

I settled to place a peck on her lips to let her know I was hers. We could hear the vomiting sound from Keilen and Emily.

"My eyes are burning! Help, babe," Emily shrieked with laughter.

"My dinner coming up can't move," Keilen coughed as he held humor in his eyes with a smile forming at us.

I chuckled at their reaction and discreetly held Julia's hand under the table as we exchanged jokes and banter. Shortly before we prepared to leave, I excused myself to head to the bathroom.

Walking towards the individual bathrooms in the dimly lit hallway, I found all of them occupied. I hesitated, almost deciding to leave until I overheard a snippet of conversation between Sophia and Alex just outside one of the doors. They were occupying one of the bathrooms.

"So, Ethan is the ex," Alex remarked amusingly.

"He's an ex from the past, where he will stay," Sophia replied tersely, her tone betraying frustration. It stung to hear how she viewed me.

"He's chill," Alex declared confidently, the sound of intimacy in their exchange stinging in my ears.

Feeling a pang of hurt in my chest, I quickly walked away, abandoning the idea of using the bathroom. It hurt to hear Sophia dismiss me so casually, realizing I didn't mean much to her anymore.

As I rejoined Julia and our friends, I found solace in Julia's warm smile and sweet laugh. I decided to hug her from behind as we all exited the ballroom. We all shared our goodbyes.

As I approached Julia's home, her hand gently halted me, silently urging me to wait. The soft hum of the engine filled the tense silence as we sat in my car outside Julia's home. Her hands folded in her lap, staring at the dashboard with a contemplative expression.

"We've only known each other for two months, Ethan," Julia began softly, her words breaking the tension in the car. "It's not long, but I can't help but wonder if I'm wasting my time."

Surprised by her directness, I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening on the steering wheel. I glance at her, noticing the furrow in her brow and the slight crease at the corners of her eyes. She leaned slightly towards me, a subtle yet telling gesture of seeking closeness.

"Why do you say that?" I asked, my voice betraying a hint of uncertainty as I met her gaze in the dim light of the car.

Julia sighed, her fingers tracing the seam of her dress as she searched for the right words. "Sophia," she said finally, her tone solemn yet gentle. "I've seen how much she still affects you."

My breath caught in my throat. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, my jaw tightening as I looked away, out into the night beyond the windshield.

"She's married now," I replied defensively, my voice slightly strained.

Julia gently rubbed my cheek, "Please don't redirect or lie to me, Ethan," she softly said as her voice cracked and let my cheeks go.

"Marriage doesn't erase love, Ethan," Julia responded softly, her eyes never leaving my face. "I know you loved her. I need to know if you're ready to move forward with us."

I hesitated, my mind racing with conflicting emotions. I glanced at Julia, seeing the vulnerability in her eyes, the slight quiver of her lower lip. She deserved honesty, even if it meant exposing my insecurities.

"I did love Sophia," I admitted quietly, my gaze dropping to my hands clasped tightly on the steering wheel. "But that was six years ago. I want to give us an honest chance."

Julia nodded slowly, her shoulders relaxing as she took in my words. The tension in the car eased, replaced by a fragile sense of understanding and possibility.

"Then let's give it a chance to see if we can work," Julia said, her voice tinged with hope as she turned to look at me, a small smile playing on her lips.

I met her gaze, a mixture of relief and nervousness washing over me. I reached out tentatively, my hand finding hers where it rested on her lap. Our fingers intertwined a silent promise of support and commitment.

As we walked to her door, I leaned closer, my lips meeting hers in a gentle kiss that spoke of reassurance and determination.