Chapter 4
Catch and Release
TYLER
Oh, holy hell, he’s in my arms. Ethan's in my arms! What the fuck just happened?
His slight body feels surprisingly solid against me as I steady us both. Did his date seriously just throw him at me and run? The guy's already disappeared down the dark corridor, leaving Ethan looking lost and adorably furious.
Something clicks in my brain. "Wait a sec!" I sputter, grabbing Ethan's shoulder before he can bolt after his coward of a date. "I have an idea."
Acting quickly, I pull off my ripped-up hoodie and mask, feeling the cool air hit my skin. The fabric catches slightly on my watch as I wrestle it off my shoulders. I toss the costume at him, and he catches it with a confused look.
"Put this on," quickly helping him slide his arms into the oversized hoodie. The fabric practically swallows his head. His slender frame disappears inside my costume, giving him a perfect horror movie villain silhouette.
He blinks up at me, green eyes questioning beneath the hood's shadow. His gaze drops momentarily to my chest, lingering just a heartbeat too long to be casual.
His cheeks turn pink in a way that's not from being jump-scared. When he gulps hard enough that I can see his throat move, something warm spreads through my belly.
"Here, take this too," My voice dropping conspiratorially as I hand him the fake bat, its kind of sticky from the fake blood I smeared on it earlier. "We can still make this night fun, even if your date bailed."
His eyes widen, and I can see understanding crash over his face like a wave.
"Wait, you mean...?"
I point back toward where his date sprinted off. "Revenge is always sweeter with a prop weapon."
His change is fantastic; he goes from confused to totally into it. There's something thrilling about how quickly we've jumped into this scheme without even discussing it. My smile matches the playful sparkle now dancing in his eyes.
"Let's get him!" he yells, raising the bat high. A crazy howl bursts from deep inside him.
Without another word, he bolts down the hallway, and I have to follow.
Grabbing a mask off one of the dummies hanging eerily from the wall, I slip it over my face. I can't wait to catch up to that piece of shit. Seriously, who throws their dates and runs?
As we chase after the guy, our voices bounce through the fun house. All my awkwardness from the last time I tried to talk to Ethan melts away with every excited whoop he lets out.
I’m just a few feet behind Ethan as we run through the twisting paths, adrenaline fueling our pursuit. I can see the guy up ahead, his silhouette darting through the fake smoke.
"This way!" Ethan shouts, taking a quick right turn. I follow him, adrenaline pumping through my veins, a grin plastered across my face.
Holy shit. I'm actually running through the horror house with Ethan.
Ethan, the guy I've been too nervous to talk to for weeks.
His maniacal laugh bounces off the walls as we chase his date, and instead of freezing up or saying something stupid, we're partners in this ridiculous revenge mission.
How the hell did I get this lucky? One minute I'm scaring people in a dark tent, the next I'm chasing down some asshole with the most gorgeous nursing student on campus.
As we burst through the scare house's exit, we're still howling and laughing like crazy people. I can see his date still running away across the carnival grounds. The rush from all this starts to fade, but I'm feeling happy. For once, I'm not nervous when I talk to Ethan.
"Did you see the look on his face?" I shout to Ethan over the screams and laughs of others at the carnival.
He's still beaming, practically glowing with vindication.
I raise my hand for a high-five, and he slaps it with surprising enthusiasm, grinning at me with flushed cheeks.
I'm mesmerized by the sparks in his eyes.
He looks different from the confused guy who was thrown into my arms minutes ago.
"I realize in all the chaos, I never actually introduced myself. 'I'm Tyler, by the way. Tyler Landis.'
Other guys from the frat, lounging nearby, notice us right away. Most are used to how goofy I can be, but this is a surprise. I don't usually run out shirtless chasing a guy they don't know.
The guys aren't shy about making their presence known; a couple of wolf whistles and comments fly across the area. When Ethan peels off my hoodie and tries to hand it back, it's immediately apparent he doesn't look like our usual frat crowd.
He's covered in more glitter than I've seen on anyone outside of a parade float. He looks fantastic. Something about those flushed cheeks and that genuine smile has me completely hooked, like I've discovered a whole new species among the usual college wildlife.
"Hey, man, that was epic!" Kai calls out, raising a red Solo cup at Ethan in a toast. His vampire costume makes the gesture look oddly formal. "You can work the tent next year if you wanna."
Ethan flashes a smile, looking a little overwhelmed by the attention. "Thank you!" he stammers while his eyes dart around, trying to look at everyone at once.
Noah laughs from his spot on a hay bale, the ridiculous banana costume making everything he does seem funnier. "Bro, what are you doing? You're not supposed to chase people out of the front of the tent."
"I've never seen someone run out of there so fast," Taj adds, the zombie makeup on his face cracking as he grins. He gives me a fist bump and Ethan a head nod. "What did you two do to him?"
"We... umm..." Ethan's eyes flicker to my torso again, his cheeks turning pinker. "Well, Tyler scared him, and he threw me and ran away... So we chased him."
His eyes are on my chest as he stumbles over his words. The way his gaze lingers, even if just for a moment, makes me think I have a chance if I can get up the nerve to ask him out.
Ethan still holds my hoodie, his glittery costume catching the outdoor lights. I hesitate before taking it, my mind racing.
I don't want him to leave yet. This is my chance.
"Thanks for letting me join in," he says with a smile that makes my chest tight. "That was fun."
"You were a natural," I say, noticing how the rest of the guys are still laughing and joking about how his date bolted.
I clutch the hoodie, searching for some reason to keep him here.
"We could use another person inside for half an hour or so.
One of our guys had to leave early for a midterm study session. "
While I'm figuring out what to say next, Gavin saves the day.
He's followed us out of the tent; he always does when there's chaos.
The furry face and bloody axe of his werewolf-lumberjack costume should be terrifying, but his grin ruins the effect.
Gavin grins at me when he sees the back of Ethan's costume.
"Dude, you were epic in there!" Gavin booms, slapping Ethan on the back. "The way you howled. Pure genius!" He looks from Ethan to me, a sly grin on his face. "VP here is right, we're shorthanded tonight. Could definitely use someone with your, uh, theatrical talents."
Play it cool, Tyler. Don't seem desperate.
"Only if you want to," I add with a casual shrug that I hope doesn't look as forced as it feels. "No pressure."
Ethan looks over at Gavin, and I immediately notice his eyes widen slightly. Dammit. I know that look. Everyone has it when they first see Gavin; it's like watching someone spot a celebrity.
He's beaming that big smile that makes all the girls sigh, and it seems to have the same effect on Ethan. I don't like him smiling at Gavin like that. At all. Fuck, I want him to look at me like that, not stupid Gavin. Okay, he's not stupid. But damn, give me a chance.
I move closer to Ethan, positioning myself subtly between them. It's not that I don't trust Gavin; he's my best friend and straight, but I've spent weeks working up the courage to talk to this guy, and now Gavin's massive presence is pulling focus.
"You should totally hang out with us tonight after too!" Gavin beams, steamrolling over the fact that Ethan hasn't agreed to anything yet.
I hold my breath, watching Ethan's reaction.
His eyes dart between us, then sweep across the group of frat brothers.
I've seen that cautious look before from girls invited to a party with us; the mental gymnastics of whether a group of frat guys is safe.
But then something shifts. His shoulders relax, and a new spark in his eyes makes my stomach flip.
"Uh, yeah, I'd love to," he answers, his hesitation still there but calming down.
Gavin pulls Ethan against his side with an easy familiarity. "We're having a Halloween party at the frat house," he explains. "You just have to come so we can protect you from other scaredy-cat boyfriends."
"Ex-boyfriend," Ethan corrects, emphasizing the 'ex' with surprising firmness.
Gavin grins. "Even better! Then it's settled." He pulls a laughing, if slightly confused, Ethan along, throwing a wink at me over Ethan's head. "I got you," he mouths silently.
"Thank you," I mouth back, relieved.
Ethan is still taking covert glances at my chest, his eyes darting away when I catch him looking.
Something hot flickers through me, a feeling I've only had with a few guys.
My skin tingles, and I instinctively puff out my chest a little.
I've left the hoodie open, and I can see his eyes dart across my chest again.
"So it's a plan? Twenty more minutes of scaring, then party time?" I ask, my voice coming out a touch deeper than usual.
He still looks unsure until Gavin pulls his patented retriever-begging puppy eyes, a look no one can resist. Taj, who'd been taking tickets at the tent's door, chimes in, too, "You've got a wicked yell! It would be awesome if you stayed."
"Free drinks for the night," Taj adds with a tempting grin.
"I don't drink much," Ethan admits.
"No pressure. Just stay, hang out, have fun."
With both Gavin's puppy eyes and the guys' friendly smiles, Ethan finally nods in agreement. He steals one more glance at me, lingering a half-second longer this time, and a thrill shoots through my body. And just like that, my night has taken an unexpected and awesome turn.
As the three of us head back into the fun house tent, Gavin adopts a terrible British accent and nudges me.
"I see you managed to get your shirt off!" Gavin says with an exaggerated wink. We watched Galaxy Quest a few weeks ago, and I swear he's trying to drive us crazy with his imitations of the late, great Alan Rickman. "Works every time, doesn't it?"
My face heats up, and I'm sure it’s turning red. "Shut up, Gav. It's part of the costume."
Ethan glances between us, fighting a smile. "Wait, did you... plan to be shirtless?"
"It's the psycho killer aesthetic," I explain, suddenly self-conscious about my exposed chest.
Gavin snorts. "Right, that's definitely the reason." He turns to Ethan with a sly grin. "Nothing to do with showing off those abs, I'm sure."
"Ignore him," I tell Ethan, playing it cool on the outside while my heart does backflips when he steals another glance at my chest. "Gavin thinks everyone's as shameless as he is."
"I'm just saying," Gavin continues, abandoning the accent, "our boy Ty here is usually Mr. Button-Up-To-The-Collar. This is practically indecent exposure for him."
Ethan laughs, a genuine sound that makes something warm settle in my stomach. "Well, it's working for the scares, so good call."
I can't remember the last time I felt this weird mix of embarrassment and.
.. something else. Something electric. Having finally met Ethan, and in a way that didn't give me time to get nervous, I'm pretty excited.
I've been waiting for this moment, but now that it's finally here, I'm stumbling again.