Ethan's Pov

The girls, minus Hanna, and I were walking out of Emily's house. Hanna didn't join us because she was still upset over her breakup with Caleb.

"I thought Hanna was joining us for dinner" Emily said.

"Hanna hasn't eaten since Tuesday" Spencer said.

"Should we grab a pizza and go over there?" Emily asked.

"Not unless the topping is Caleb" I sighed, stuffing my hands into my pocket.

"If you guys want to go see her, can you just go without me? I already feel bad enough that I convinced her to tell Caleb" Aria sighed, feeling guilty.

"With or without you she was backed into a corner. This A does not feel like a high school girl playing games" I said.

"Well, if you figure out those rules, can you tell the rest of us?" Aria asked.

"You know what? I'm not really hungry" Emily said.

"Me either. My stomach's in a knot" Aria said.

"So's my neck. I haven't been able to brush the back of my head in, like, a year and a half" Spencer sighed.

"Spence, don't let creepy Wilden freak you out. If the police really knew that we were lying about the lake house-" I started, only for Emily to cut me off.

"It's not just the lake house. What about the negatives of that picture, Ali's missing body, all the things we buried with her, any of that could get us arrested" Emily explained.

That's true.

"It's my neck again" Spencer said in annoyance.

All of a sudden a loud siren rang through the air and we turned around, only to see a police car and an ambulance driving down the street.

"Are they going to Jenna's?" Aria asked.

"Garrett's" I said once I realized the place they were parking at.

We all walked closer to the scene, wanting to see what was going on.

"Well, who else lives in his house besides his parents?" Aria asked.

"I don't think they've been outside since he was arrested" Emily said.

"Having a son in jail for two murders might keep you indoors" Spencer said and I nodded.

We watched as the paramedics brought out a woman on the stretcher as they rolled her towards the ambulance.

My eyes widen when I realized who the woman was.

"That's his mom. That's Mrs. Reynolds" I gasped, my eyes still wide open.

It was silent for a few seconds before it was broken by Aria.

"Guys!" Aria yelled, causing me to jump in surprise.

"What? What is it?" I asked, confused.

"There, over there. There was a hoodie watching us" Aria said, pointing towards someone else's front yard.

"What are you saying?" Spencer asked, confused and shocked.

"You think A was out here watching us?" Emily asked, shocked.

"Are you sure?" Spencer asked.

"Why would A care about Garrett's mother?" Emily asked, confused.

"Maybe A wanted her out of the house" I said, realization washing through my eyes.

The Next Day

It was the next day at school and I was walking around the hallway, trying to find Alyssa.

I accidentally grabbed her notebook by mistake and wanted to return it to her before I forgot. And hopefully she has my notebook that I accidentally left behind at her house.

Finally I found her by her locker and smiled as I made my way towards her.

"Good morning my pretty friend" I smiled.

"Good morning my smart and stubborn friend" Alyssa giggled.

"Hey, I'm not stubborn" I playfully glared at her.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that" Alyssa scoffed, shaking her head.

"Whatever. Anyway, I wanted to return this to you, I accidentally took it by mistake" I said, handing her her notebook.

Alyssa sighed in relief when she saw her notebook and smiled at me, taking it out of my hands.

"Ah, thank you, you're a lifesaver. I was getting worried I actually lost it" Alyssa said.

"No problem. Hey, by any chance do you have mine?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah, I do actually" Alyssa nodded.

I sighed in relief and watched as she went through her locker before finally pulling my notebook out of it.

"Yeah, my mom saw it when she was preparing dinner and she was confused because she knew it wasn't mine. When she showed it to me I realized right away that it was yours" Alyssa explained, smiling.

"Well, as long as it was with you and not with a stranger, I'm fine" I smiled.

Alyssa smiled and handed it to me and I thanked her before taking it out of her hands.

I put it in my bag and looked at her. I hesitated for a while before deciding to speak again.

"Hey, by any chance are you doing anything tomorrow?" I asked.

"Huh? I'm not sure, I'll have to check. Why do you ask?" Alyssa asked.

"Well, I was wondering if you'd want to-" I started, only to stop dead in my tracks.

My eyes wandered behind Alyssa and I saw Jenna talking to a few people, smiling and hugging them.

The shocking part was that she wasn't wearing her glasses and she didn't have her cane.

"What the hell?" I muttered under my breath.

Alyssa still heard me and raised an eyebrow at me in confusion.

She turned around and when she saw that I was looking Jenna a smile appeared on her face as she turned back to me.

"Oh, you didn't hear, Jenna had more surgery before school and they worked. She got her sight back. Amazing, right?" Alyssa asked, still smiling.

Amazing isn't exactly the word I would use.

Considering just a few days ago she begged us not to say anything for her safety.

"I'm pretty happy for her, from what I heard she's been blind for nearly a year and hasn't seen anything since. It's pretty amazing" Alyssa softly said.

I would feel the exact same way if I hadn't found out the truth.

Alyssa smiled before turning around to look at me, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So, what did you want to ask me?" Alyssa asked.

"Oh, uh, don't worry about it. I actually have to go and meet up with my sister, but I'll talk to you later" I said.

"Oh, ok. No problem" Alyssa nodded.

I nodded at her before turning around and walking away, still trying to process everything.

In The Courtyard

I met up with Spencer and Emily in the courtyard and watched as Jenna walk over to some people, smiling and talking to them before handing them something.

"What happened to keeping a low profile? Staying blind because she's a target? Look at her" Emily scoffed, clearly angry.

"How can you miss her? She's been gliding around school all day like a Thanksgiving float" Spencer angrily said.

"We should say something to her" I scowled.

"Right behind you" Emily nodded.

We both began walking towards her, only for Spencer to grab our arms and pull us back.

"No. Wait. Did you guys get Aria's text about Lucas and the photo studio?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah. What was that about?" Emily asked.

"Aria says that she knows the photographer who owns the studio, and it's on the same block where she and Hanna saw Lucas on that night" Spencer explained.

"So now we think Lucas took the photos in the graveyard?" I asked, confused.

"Well, maybe, but then why was he pounding to get in there?" Spencer asked.

"I can't think about this now. I have a calculus test" Emily sighed.

She was about to walk away when I grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Wait, Em. There's something else. Our mom left her tablet out on the table this morning" I said.

I nudged Spencer in the arm and she nodded as she took out a paper from her bag.

She handed it to Emily who looked at it in confusion before unfolding the paper.

"What is this?" Emily asked.

"They're letting Garrett out" I said.

Emily's eyes widen as she looked at us in shock as we both sighed.

"To see his mother. It's called compassionate furlough" Spencer said.

"What has he done to deserve compassion?" Emily angrily asked.

"She's probably really sick" I said.

"So basically they're giving him a get out of jail free card?" Emily angrily asked.

"This just might be his last time to say goodbye to her" I tried reasoning with her.

I may hate Garrett but that doesn't mean that I don't want him to see his mother, especially now when she really needs her son the most.

"At least he gets a chance" Emily angrily scoffed before she crumbled the paper.

"Do you want to talk about this later?" Spencer asked.

"What's there to talk about? We have no power, who cares what we think?" Emily angrily asked.

"We do. What if A put Garrett's mom in the hospital to get Garrett out of jail? Maybe the plan is to meet up with the person who's really helping him. It would explain what Aria saw hiding in the shadows last night. Em, Mona might not be the only person in rosewood who owns a black hoodie" I explained.

Emily sighed and shook her head, unsure of what to think about all of this.

I opened my mouth to say something when Spencer nudged my arm.

"Don't look. She's coming over here" Spencer said.

"Who?" Emily and I asked.

"The float. She's carrying something. Envelopes" Spencer said.

"What's in them?" Emily asked.

"Anthrax" I scoffed, shaking my head.

"Hi. Here's one for you, one for you and one for you" Jenna smiled.

She handed the three of us our own envelopes and we hesitantly took them.

"I haven't seen Aria or Hanna. Can I trust that you'll pass them on?" Jenna asked.

I sighed and slowly nodded and took the two envelopes from Jenna.

"What is this?" Spencer asked.

"Oh, they're invitations. It's my birthday" Jenna smiled.

"And you recovered just in time" I sarcastically smiled.

"The doctors say it's a positive outcome" Jenna smiled, acting like nothing was wrong.

"No. What the hell is this Jenna? I thought you needed protection. We had a deal" Spencer angrily said.

"Well, this is the new deal. I feel a lot safer when I'm in charge of what happens to me" Jenna said.

I swear I was so close to splashing her with water.

"Hope to see you at the party" Jenna smiled before turning around and walking away.

Back At Home

Aria joined me and Spencer at our house and we were currently in the living room.

Spencer was on her laptop while I was playing games on my phone. Aria was currently telling us about her and Ezra.

"You bought him groceries?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"It was not groceries. It was two sandwiches. And believe me, I'm still paying for it" Aria defended.

I chuckled and shook my head at her before going back to playing my games.

"You guys should have seen the look he gave me" Aria sighed.

"Well, he's your boyfriend, Aria, he's not a baby squirrel" Spencer said and I nodded.

"Just trying to do the right thing" Aria defended.

"Totally wrong. I've been there, done that. Everytime you baby squirrel Ezra you're taking away his nuts" Spencer said.

This made me and Aria look at each other before looking at Spencer, giving her weird looks.

"You did not just say that" I deadpanned.

"I did. But I don't think that I meant to" Spencer said.

We heard a phone ring and turned around to see Aria taking her phone out.

"Is that Emily?" I asked.

"Ezra" Aria said as she sat down on the couch with us.

"Did he find his nuts?" Spencer sarcastically asked.

"Ha" Aria sarcastically laughed.

I laughed and shook my head before stopping when I saw Aria's face fall at the message he sent her.

"He just got an invitation to Jenna's birthday party" Aria said, clearly shocked.

Mine and Spencer's eyes widen in shock as we glanced at each other before looking back at Aria.

"Wait. Now Fitz is invited?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah. Apparently Jenna wants to see her favorite teacher for the first time" Aria said.

"Damn, what the hell is she up to?" I asked, turning my phone off and setting it down.

Aria nodded, trying to figure that out as well, before her eyes wandered towards Spencer, who was still on her laptop.

"Spencer, how are you able to write a paper during all this?" Aria asked.

"I'm not. I'm breaking and entering into my mom's email account" Spencer said.

"Why?" Aria asked, confused.

"Because I want to see what time Garrett's being released" Spencer said.

"What? You want to stand outside the hospital and protest?" I sarcastically asked.

"No. I want to be inside, so I can see who he's really visiting. And my guess is that face is gonna be a lot easier to read under hospital lights than a street lamp" Spencer explained.

Huh? She makes a good point there.

But I really do believe that Garrett is visiting the hospital to see his mother. I mean, he really does care about her, especially during the state she's in.

A Few Minutes Later

Hanna, surprisingly, came over and entered the house with me and Spencer following behind her.

I'm surprised she got out of her house, considering she's still trying to get over her breakup with Caleb.

"Well, where is my invitation? I want to at least see it" Hanna asked.

"Are you coming from yoga?" Spencer asked.

"No, home" Hanna said.

"Well, why are you dressed like that?" I asked.

"Because, bubs, I'm too depressed to work a zipper, alright? Get over it" Hanna said, clearly annoyed.

Can't really blame her. Her heart just got shattered into a million pieces.

Trust me, I know how that feels.

"Who's she talking to?" Hanna asked, gesturing to Aria, who was sitting on the stairs.

"Emily, who apparently has to work Jenna's party" Spencer said and I nodded.

"Seriously?" Hanna asked.

She shook her head before walking into the living room, sitting down on the couch. I sighed before sitting down next to her, Spencer sat down on my other side.

"Well, I can beat that. I have to spend my Saturday night sorting out velour track suits at church" Hanna said.

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"My mom found out that I cut school, and now she signed me up for a triple shift" Hanna said.

I shook my head and gently patted her shoulder.

"God, if you thought I was depressed before" Hanna scoffed.

Aria got up from the stairs and walked towards us, sitting down on the other couch across from us.

"It gets weirder" Aria said.

"What's up?" Spencer asked.

"Hey, han, how are you feeling? I don't think I've seen you in sweats-" Aria started but I cut her off.

"She can't work a zipper. Just move on. What did Emily say?" I asked.

"So, Paige is invited to the party too, and now Laurel Tuchman is shooting it" Aria said.

"Laura tucks-what?" Hanna asked, confused.

"Laurel. Tuchman. The photographer that I took a class from last summer" Aria said.

"Go on" Spencer said.

"Well, Emily may have overheard why Lucas was banging on that door. Laurel fired her assistant because he was using the studio to develop his own prints" Aria explained.

"And now he wants the negatives" Spencer said in realization.

This made me and Hanna look at her in confusion, raising our eyebrows at her.

"Where are you going with this?" Hanna asked.

"To an open grave that he took pictures of" Spencer said.

"And you think Lucas dug it up by himself?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, the kid can barely lift his chemistry book" Hanna said, making me gently hit her arm.

"Well, he's tall enough to reach the pedals on a backhoe" Aria said.

"Let's just stay with Jenna, alright? That's who Emily remembers driving that car that night. Why can't she be it?" I asked.

"They can all be it" Spencer said.

"Spencer's right. Why is Garrett being released the same night of Jenna's party?" Aria asked.

"Exactly. What is the purpose of this party? Is it really to celebrate Jenna's birthday, or is it just to get us all in the same room so she can drop a vat of pig blood on us?" Spencer asked.

"She's not dropping anything on me. I won't be there. No one will. Who wants to go to that stupid party anyways?" Hanna angrily asked.

"Me" Aria said.

"Me too" I nodded.

Hanna and Spencer looked at us in shock, however, their eyes were mostly trained on me.

"Wait, hold on. I know why Aria is going, considering Fitz got an invitation, but why are you going?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah, as far as I'm concerned you're not a huge fan of parties and last I checked you dislike Jenna" Hanna said.

"Yeah, Ethan, why are you going?" Aria asked, confused.

A blush slowly appeared on my cheeks as I looked down at my hands, finding them a bit more interesting.

"Well...uh, Alyssa texted me and said that she got an invitation as well. She told me that she was going and asked if I would too. And well, I said I was" I explained.

I gulped slightly and looked up to see that the girls were all smirking at me.

"Oooh" all three of them choursed.

I blushed bright red and hid my face in my hands.

"Shut up, alright" I groaned.

"Never. It's so cute that you're going because your crush is going" Hanna smiled.

"Buttercup, stop that. Alyssa is my friend, that's all she is" I said, removing my hands from my face.

"Are you sure about that?" Aria teasingly asked, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

I glared at her and rolled my eyes.

"I'm the captain of the Alythan ship" Spencer smiled, crossing her arms over her chest.

I turned around to look at her and raised an eyebrow at her, confused.

"I'm sorry, but what the hell is Alythan?" I asked.

"Yes, it's the ship name I came up with for you and Alyssa" Spencer proudly smiled.

I, once again, groaned and hid my blushing face in my hands. I groaned more when I heard the girls laughing.

They just love teasing me about Alyssa, don't they?

The Next Day

The day of Jenna's party I drove to Alyssa's house to pick her up. 

When she walked out of her house I was in complete awe. She wore a beautiful white dress that stopped by her knees, a jean jacket and black boots. Her hair was in a ponytail and she put on a white bow.

She was beautiful, really beautiful.

It didn't take long to arrive at the party, given that it was happening at the brew, but we arrived a bit late because Alyssa wanted to buy a present for Jenna.

When we arrived at the brew we walked inside and smiled at the decorations. The place was already filled with people, everyone was all dressed nicely, they were eating and dancing and just having a great time.

"Woah, this looks amazing" Alyssa smiled.

"I know right. I'm glad I decided to come" I nodded, still looking around.

We heard the door open and turned around and I smiled when I saw Aria and Ezra walking in.

"Hey, Aria" I smiled.

"Oh, hey, Ethan" Aria smiled.

I smiled at Ezra and nodded at him and he nodded back at me. I let out an 'oh' sound before turning to Alyssa.

"Ah, Alyssa, this is Ezra Fitz. He used to be our English teacher" I said.

"He's also my boyfriend" Aria smiled, wrapping her arm around Ezra's.

I nodded and looked at Alyssa, wanting to see her reaction to that. And just as I expected, her eyes showed nothing but shock.

"Oh...wow, you and your former teacher?" Alyssa asked.

"Yeah" Aria awkwardly smiled.

"Does that bother you?" Ezra nervously asked.

"No, no, not at all. Sure, I'll admit it's shocking, but as long as you're both happy then that's all that should matter" Alyssa reassured him.

Aria let out a sigh of relief and sent Alyssa a grateful smile. Ezra did the same and Alyssa returned the gesture.

We all turned around when we saw Jenna walking towards us.

"Hi. You all made it" Jenna smiled.

We all smiled at her and nodded.

"I was flattered for the invitation. We both were" Ezra said, gesturing to him and Aria.

Jenna smiled at him and nodded.

"Happy birthday" Aria smiled.

"Yeah, happy birthday, Jenna" I smiled, giving her shoulder a small pat.

Jenna smiled at both of us before she started staring at all four of us. It lasted for a few seconds before she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to stare. I'm just still adjusting and trying to match faces in reality to the ones that I saw in my head" Jenna explained.

"No, it must be overwhelming. So, it's understandable" Alyssa reassured her.

Jenna smiled at her and nodded.

I gently nudged Alyssa's arm, gesturing for her to give Jenna her gift.

"Ah, right, I nearly forgot. This is for you. Happy Birthday" Alyssa smiled, handing her her gift.

"Aw, thank you" Jenna smiled as she took the box from her.

Just when she was about to open it Aria spoke up.

"Is that Laurel tuchman?" Aria asked.

We turned around to see the woman, Laurel, taking photos.

"She's the photographer I took a class from last summer. She's amazing" Aria said to Ezra, Alyssa and I.

"I didn't want to leave it to amateurs. I wanted someone who could record every single moment" Jenna smiled.

Aria and I glanced at each other before looking back at her, smiling awkwardly.

Yeah, guess you can say we're still trying to get used to all of this.

"I'm gonna go say hi. I'll be right back" Aria said.

Ezra and Alyssa nodded while I patted her shoulder as she walked towards Laurel.

Jenna took the opportunity to open the box Alyssa handed her. When she saw what was inside a smile appeared on her face.

"Oh, Alyssa, it's beautiful" Jenna smiled.

Alyssa ended up getting her a beautiful necklace with the letter J on it, to represent Jenna, of course.

She wanted to get something silver and with diamonds. She felt that Jenna deserved something special, especially after getting her sight back.

"Yeah, well, I just thought you could use something nice. Especially after getting your sight back" Alyssa smiled.

"Well, I love it, thank you" Jenna smiled.

The two of them embraced each other in a hug before pulling away. Jenna flashed us all one last smile before walking away.

Alyssa sighed before turning to me.

"I'm gonna go get something to drink, do you want?" Alyssa asked.

"Sure, just get me whatever you're having" I smiled.

"Sure. Ezra, do you want anything?" Alyssa asked.

"Ah, no, I'm good. Thank you" Ezra smiled.

Alyssa nodded before turning around and walking away, leaving Ezra and I alone.

I smiled as I stared at Alyssa. I couldn't stop staring at her when she walked out of her house and I saw her in that beautiful dress.

Alyssa is beautiful no matter what she wears. It's natural beauty and that's what I like about her.

"You like her, don't you?" Ezra asked.

I snapped out of my thoughts and turned to him and saw him smiling at me, a knowing smile.

"What? What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I'm talking about Alyssa and how you like her" Ezra said.

"No, you're mistaken, I don't like her. She's just a friend" I chuckled slightly.

"Ethan, buddy, I know when someone likes someone. Trust me, I've been there. I can see it in your eyes, you like her" Ezra smiled, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

I rolled my eyes at him and sighed while shaking my head.

"Maybe I like her, maybe I don't. I'm still trying to figure things out, if I'm being honest" I said.

"But you admit you like her, even just a little bit" Ezra said, raising an eyebrow at me.

I groaned in annoyance and ran a hand through my hair.

"Maybe, I don't know. Even if I do like her, even as more than a friend, I'm just trying to take things slow and figure out my feelings" I explained.

Ezra sighed but nodded his head in understanding.

"I get it, it takes someone a while to figure out their feelings towards a specific person" Ezra reassured me.

I pressed my lips into a thin line at that and nodded my head.

Ezra sighed before looking at me as he patted my shoulder.

"If you like her, go for it" Ezra smiled.

He walked away, leaving me alone. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, focusing on everything he just told me.

Do I like Alyssa? Do I really have a crush on her?

I'm honestly not sure. I mean, I do blush whenever I'm around her, I find her really beautiful and everything about her does make my heart flutter.

But I'm just not sure. At least not yet.

The last thing I want is for my heart to get broken. I don't want that. 

Not after last time.

A Few Minutes Later

The party was going pretty well, though I had to admit that I was slowly getting tired.

While everyone else was dancing and having the time of their lives, Alyssa and I decided to sit down on the couch to rest our feet, given that we were standing for quite a while.

We were currently eating some cupcakes and drinking some juice, chatting as we ate.

Emily was still working but she was also trying to deal with Paige and Nate, Maya's cousin, and it was a bit stressful for her.

Aria and Ezra left a while ago, something about a dinner reservation, but I'm not too sure about that. Mostly because Aria left first and when Ezra left a few minutes after he seemed pretty upset.

Wonder what that's about.

"So, did your friend Aria and her boyfriend, Ezra, leave?" Alyssa asked.

"I think so. I think she mentioned something about a dinner reservation Ezra prepared for them" I said.

"Aww, how romantic" Alyssa gushed.

"Yeah, tell me about it" I snorted, taking a bite out of my cupcake.

"How long have they been together?" Alyssa asked, wiping her hands with her napkin.

"Uh, well, their relationship is a bit complicated. Especially in the beginning. They've had their ups and downs, they still do right now, but overall they seem to be doing pretty well" I explained.

"How did you and your friends react when you found out about her relationship with him?" Alyssa asked.

"I won't lie when I say we were completely shocked, all of us. Considering he was still our teacher at the time. We didn't know how to feel at first, but we slowly came around and accepted them being together" I explained.

"What about her parents?" Alyssa asked.

I hissed at that and shook my head.

I don't really know what happened when Aria told her parents about her relationship with Ezra, but I know that it wasn't anything good.

Which is understandable, given that their daughter is in a relationship with an older guy, who happens to be her former teacher.

"It wasn't anything pretty, that's all I can say" I said.

"Damn, must've been rough" Alyssa hissed.

"Tell me about it. But, they're slowly coming around. Well, her mom came around, her dad is still adjusting" I said.

"It makes sense. It's hard for a father to accept that his daughter is in a relationship with someone, whether it's a guy or a girl. Whether they're young or a bit old, it's not something they can easily accept" Alyssa explained.

"Well said" I nodded.

Alyssa laughed and shook her head at me, causing me to smile at her.

"Well, while we're on the topic of relationships, tell me, have you been in any?" I asked.

Alyssa sighed slightly at the question, setting her plate down as she wiped her hands with her napkin.

"Well, to start off I'm bisexual. And my last relationship was with a girl. Her name was Amanda" Alyssa said.

"How long were you two dating?" I asked.

"A year. We were both happy with each other and we did nearly everything together" Alyssa smiled.

"Sounds like a happy relationship. What happened?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"She was a senior while I was a junior. When summer vacation came around she told me that her and her family were moving to Los Angeles because she got accepted into the college that she applied to there. We both decided to try long distance relationship since neither of us were ready to let each other go" Alyssa explained.

Realization dawned on me and my eyes softened.

"It didn't work out, did it?" I softly asked.

"No, no, it didn't. Two weeks before summer vacation ended we facetimed each other and we both agreed that breaking up was for the best. During her time in Los Angeles she started meeting new people, even when we were still together. We were slowly growing apart" Alyssa explained.

A sigh escaped her lips and she put her head down. I frowned when I saw a small tear escape her eye.

I set my plate down and scooted closer to her side. I reached over to grab her hand, causing her to look up at me.

"I'm sorry, Alyssa. I can tell you really did care about her and I can tell you were really happy with your relationship with her. But you have to understand that not all relationships last. Some do while others don't. And you have to understand that a long distance relationship is never easy for anyone" I softly explained.

"I know, but it sucks, because like you said I really did care about her. It was my first relationship, she was my first girlfriend, she made me really happy" Alyssa said.

"I know. And heartbreak sucks, believe me it does, but maybe it's for the best. You both are given the chance to meet new people and well, you're given the chance to fall in love again. You'll fall in love with someone that you'll be ready to spend the rest of your life with" I explained.

Because first loves don't ever really last. Some do, but not others. It's normally the second love they have a better chance with.

I gently brought my hand to her face and wiped her tear away.

Alyssa sighed before looking at me, a small smile made its way onto her face.

"Thank you, Ethan. You really know how to make me feel better" Alyssa softly said.

"You're welcome. And well, making people feel better is my job, quite literally" I chuckled.

Alyssa laughed at that and shook her head, gently shoving me away from her, causing me to laugh as well.

I sighed and leaned my back against the couch, sighing in content.

"Well, I'm in the same boat as you. I'm bisexual. But relationships have never been anything good for me. Especially in the past" I explained.

Considering my bad past with...him.

I can't even say his damn name because if I do I might vomit. Hell, I might cry and vomit at the same time.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Alyssa reluctantly asked.

"No, not really. I just don't want to bring up any bad memories" I sighed.

Alyssa smiled softly at me and gently placed her hand on my shoulder, gently rubbing it to give me some reassurance.

I smiled at her and slowly found myself leaning into her touch.

Just like I know how to make her feel better, she knows how to make me feel better.

A Few Hours Later

So, the party was a bit crazy, let me start with that.

Paige got drunk and she ended up hurting herself. Emily and Nate took her to the hospital because her head was bleeding pretty badly.

When Jenna cut the cake and we ate it, Alyssa and I decided to call it a night and head home. 

We were both tired and were ready to go home, change into some more comfortable clothes and go to bed.

We said goodbye to Jenna, wished her a happy birthday, before leaving. We got into my car and drove off.

It took a while to head to Alyssa's house but we finally got there. I parked nearby and looked at Alyssa. She sighed before looking at me, a smile appeared on her face.

"Thanks for giving me a ride home, I appreciate it" Alyssa smiled.

"Hey, I picked you up to go to the party, it's only fair I drop you home. Safe and sound" I smiled.

"Yeah, my parents would've gone crazy if I decided to walk, especially this late at night. They're pretty protective of me" Alyssa explained.

"Every parent is protective of their child, they just want them to be safe" I said.

Alyssa nodded her head before she unbuckled her seat belt.

"Well, better head in, my phone died so I forgot to text my mom what time I'd be home" Alyssa said.

"Alright, make sure you get some rest, you need it as much as I do" I said.

"Aye aye, captain" Alyssa sarcastically said.

I playfully glared at her while she smiled at me before opening the car door.

However, before she got out, she turned towards me and leaned in.

My eyes widened when her lips made contact with my cheek. When Alyssa pulled away I looked at her and saw a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Goodnight, Ethan" Alyssa smiled.

She then got out of the car, closing the door behind her, before walking towards her house.

When she walked in and closed the door behind her I slowly looked forward. My eyes were still wide open and the blush on my cheeks was still there.

I threw my head back and released a small frustrated sigh before picking my head back up. I started the car before driving off.

Alyssa just kissed me.

She gave me a kiss on the cheek.

I know it shouldn't be that big of a deal, given that it was just a cheek kiss, but that's just it. It was a kiss. A freaking kiss.

Seriously, what the hell is she doing to me?