The Forgotten Ones

not-so-subtle display. They had one of those on-again-off-again relationships. They were all friends, but her flirting with Ethan must have bothered him. If I wanted to be honest, it even bothered me .
    I pushed all of Nicole’s friends out of my thoughts and tried to enjoy the rest of the day. When it was time to leave, I walked up the old wooden steps to the parking lot with my arms full of beach gear. The others were lagging behind, but I could still hear the sounds of their laughter and teasing.
    “If you’re going with Jeff, I am too,” I heard Rachel say to Nicole in her whiny voice.
    “Sweet! Shotgun in Al’s car,” Ethan yelled. A smile crept onto my face—Rachel would be disappointed that she wouldn’t get to cozy up next to him in the backseat. Good thing no one could see my face.
    “Damn, man, I was just going to say that!” Sean said, a thump following. I could only imagine from Ethan’s grunt that Sean had whacked him upside the head. I laughed to myself that both guys were so desperate to stay away from Rachel.
    I opened the hatch and started loading it when Ethan gently pushed me aside. “I got this,” he said, winking at me as he hefted the cooler in.
    “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to break a nail,” I muttered, placing my bag in the back.
    Ethan just laughed and shook his head.
    “Meet us at Nic’s!” Jeff shouted out his window before tearing out of the parking lot.
    I started the car as Ethan and Sean piled in. As usual, Sean reached up front and ruffled my hair before settling in his seat. He grew up in the house on the other side of Nicole’s, and he’d always been nice to me, even if his sometimes-girlfriend was a jerk.
    “You coming over tonight?” Ethan asked as he flipped through the CD’s in my case.
    “Me?” I tried to swallow down the butterflies. “Are you kidding? My bed is already calling my name,” I replied, trying to keep an aloof tone.
    Ethan shook his head and smirked, no doubt trying not to laugh at me. “We’re just going to be watching a movie.”
    “Didn’t your mother teach you not to beg, dude?” Sean asked, teasing. “You probably have a hot date, right Allie-O?” He shook my shoulder lightly. I smiled at the old nickname from the days when we used to play hide-and-seek in our neighborhood.
    “Yeah, a hot date with Rhett Butler,” Ethan said. I kept my eyes on the road, but I couldn’t help the smile that played on my lips.
    “Poor Ethan,” Sean said. “I think Rachel wants to snuggle with you tonight, pal.” He was laughing, but there was an edge to his voice. The idea of Rachel and Ethan together made my chest squeeze, too.
    Ethan chuckled. “No, thanks. Rachel is all yours. She’s not my type.”
    “Since when do you have a type?” Sean asked, the tension lifting.
    “I’m twenty-three years old, man. Time to start thinking of the future.”
    I nearly snorted soda out of my nose…until he slung his arm around the back of my chair. Then it was all I could do to keep the car on the road.
    He had to know the way he affected me, how he got under my skin. Four years ago, in one of my weaker moments, I’d fallen for his charm. I couldn’t let that happen again. But the memory of that kiss still left me breathless.
    I pulled my car into the driveway, thanking the universe for getting me through the trip without too much drama.
    The guys grabbed the umbrella and cooler and headed for the house. I shut the trunk and was about to scoop my bag and chair up when a raucous of caws and screeches broke out in the woods.
    Startled, I grabbed my things and hurried toward the porch. I watched the tree line as I went, where a handful of large crows were swooping up and down in the yard, knocking leaves and small branches all over the place.
    I had almost reached the porch steps when I walked straight into Ethan, who was squinting at the scene the birds were making, too. I stumbled back, nearly falling, and he grabbed my elbow to steady me, sending electricity shooting through my body.
    I yanked my arm back as though he’d burned me. He held his hands up, palms facing forward.
    “Easy. You all right?” He laughed, and I felt my cheeks flare.
    I pushed past him, embarrassed that I’d practically fallen over backward and annoyed that he had laughed at me.
    “Hey! Allie…”
    I stopped with my hand on the screen door. I didn’t know why I was overreacting like this—it wasn’t the first time he joked around with me—and it made me even