Falling In

“Holy shit,” I heard, making me snap out of the daze and pull back immediately, furiously blushing.

“Sorry,” I mumbled as I stepped back.

“No, I’m sorry, I should’ve uhh… thought before I acted,” he mumbled.

“Dude, I said make up with my sister, not make out with her,” my brother’s voice said as he slapped the back of Ethan’s head.

“Jacob?!”

“Hey sis,” he smiled sheepishly at me.

“What are you doing here?!” I squeaked.

“Well, I was invited too. I didn’t wanna leave you alone so I said I wouldn’t be able to come, but then you said you were gonna go, so I said ‘what the heck,’ and here I am,” he smiled.

“You idiot,” I growled as I smacked him.

“Happy New Years, everybody!” the DJ announced as everyone clapped and watched the fireworks.

“Happy New Year sis,” my brother said as he hugged me.

“Happy New Year,” I mumbled as I returned his hug.

“Stellsy,” Kyla cooed as she pushed my brother out of the way and tackled me in a hug.

“Hey Kyla,” I laughed as I gave her a tight hug back.

“Where have you been girly? I didn’t see you all month!” she pouted when she pulled away from me. “I’m gonna take her away,” she said before pulling me away.

“Okay, spill,” she told me.

“There’s nothing to spill,” I blushed.

“Then why did I just see you liplocked with Mr. Versace that you’ve been avoiding in the past three years?!” she raised an eyebrow with her arms crossed.

“Shhh!” I told her, as I pulled her more to the side. “That didn’t just happen,” I told her.

“Yes, yes it did,” she pointed out.

“Leave it alone, Kyla,” I growled.

“You’re an idiot,” she laughed. “I guess that your Florida trip did you good, didn’t it?” she smirked.

“No.”

“Are you two together now?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

“No,” I whispered.

“Then what?”

“I don’t know, we’re giving it a shot at being friends again,” I shrugged.

“Honey, friends do not kiss like that,” she laughed at me as she walked towards my brother.



“Wow bro. Wow,” Jacob laughed as he gave me a pat on the back. “But seriously, I do not ever want to see you lip locked with my sister,” he said seriously.

I groaned as I banged my head on the wall next to me. “I messed up,” I huffed.

“What? She didn’t look mad,” my brother smirked.

“We said we’d try it again, being friends,” I told him, hanging my head.

“You’re right, you did mess up. Friends do not mack on each other like that,” he laughed.

“Not helping man, not helping,” I huffed.

“Hey Ethan,” Kyla laughed as she approached us and gave Jake a kiss.

“Gross,” I mumbled.

“Yours and Stella’s was way worse,” Kyla laughed at me.

I blushed furiously and looked down. “Where is she?” my brother asked his girlfriend.

“Stella went back to the hotel already. She has a meeting tomorrow morning with some company. She’s not telling me what for, but she’s leaving tomorrow.”

“What?” I asked. “I’m gonna go talk to her first,” I said as I walked away.

“Hey Ethan!” Kyla came after me. “I think you should wait before talking to her. She’s a bit messy to talk to right now,” she said biting her lip.

Ah fuck. I just messed up big time.

“Just come home with us and stay with us for awhile. I’m sure Jacob would love to spend time with you like old times. I have to go down to LA to meet up with some of Stella clients anyways,” she suggested. “Then when she comes home, you can talk to her,” she smiled softly.

“Oh okay,” I said sadly.



“Hey Jake,” I said as I threw the football up in the air and caught it.

“What’s up?” he mumbled, focusing on his text messaging.

“How has Stella been in the past three years?” I asked.

“She’s been good,” he shrugged.

“Has she spent anytime in the hospital?”

He laughed. “Lots of time,” he nodded at me. I sat there for a minute, contemplating if I should ask him. “Why?” he asked me.

“Nothing,” I said brushing it off and continued to throw the ball up in the air.

“Why are you even here?” he laughed as he typed away on his phone.

“I was hoping to have some man time together, but you seem to have some special relationship with your phone right there,” I mumbled.

“Please, there’s nothing to do around here while snowboarding. I’m apparently boring to board with,” he scoffed. “And go get a girlfriend, then you’ll realize how hard it is when she’s away,” he laughed. “Do you want Stella’s number?” he teased.

“Leave it, Jacob,” I rolled my eyes at him.

He put the phone to his ear and waited as he looked at me. “Hello?... Hey yeah. Somebody wanted to tell you they missed you,” he said and threw the phone at me. I looked down at it with a horrified expression when I saw the name and quickly ended the call.

“What the hell bro?!” I shouted.

“Look at you. So love sick,” he smiled and stood up taking the phone from me. “I’m gonna go make a call first, go ahead to the living room and pick a movie,” he said and walked out to his balcony.

I grunted as I got up and walked down the stairs towards the living room. I looked at the pile of new DVD’s , and went through it. They were all obliviously Stella’s. They were all a mix of chick flicks and snowboarding videos. One disk at the corner of the stand stood out though. The label was in Stella’s clean and elegant handwriting, saying Mt. Rose 2010 Competition/Interview.

I raised my eyebrow at it and popped it into the DVD player. I sat back on the couch as I played it. I watched Stella put down an epic and solid run, remembering the photos I’ve gotten on my camera. I was yet to send them to her. Only if I knew her email.

Once the competition was over, a reporter did some interviews and just when Stella’s started, Deegan arrived.

“I thought you were there?” he laughed as he walked in the living room. “Sup man?” he greeted giving me a man hug.

“What’s up?” I greeted, keeping my cool.

“How was the party?” he smirked at me.

“Uhhh... Which one?” I asked nervously.

“The New Year’s?” he asked raising an eyebrow.

“Oh. It was good,” I chuckled. I kissed your girlfriend good

“Oh nice,” he nodded. “So, Stella told me,” he smirked.

“What part?” I asked cautiously.

“That you’re related to Adeline Saint-Lauren and Carlos Versace,” he said. I took a breath that I didn’t know I held. “Is there another part of it that Stella didn’t tell me?” he joked. God, I didn’t want to mess up our friendship. He was one of my bestfriend’s and kissing your bestfriend’s girlfriend is a total no no.

“Hey D,” Jake greeted giving him a man hug as well. “What are you watching, Versace? My sister again?” he smirked, making me blush. “Was that the recent interview?” he asked.

“Yeah, it was the one out, so I decided to watch it,” I shrugged. Jake just scoffed and let out a chuckle.

“Let’s finish it,” Deegan shrugged and sat down on the couch and Jake followed suit. I pressed play and the interview continued.

“Oh. Yeah, a lot of that was going around. Jeremy and I had just been good friends since we met at camp three years ago. It’s just been a rollercoaster ride, you know? We were better off as friends,” Stella smiled softly

“Is there another guy in your life right now? Maybe that bestfriend of yours?” the host asked, nudging Stella. I gritted my teeth at the TV, making Jake laugh out loud. “They seem to be talking about you living with him.”

Stella’s eyes got wide and she started laughing. Laughing. I wanted to shout out: Woman, it is not funny. I just kissed you. My bestfriend’s sister and my other bestfriend’s girlfriend. You think that’s funny?!

I wanted to take it all back when she answered her though. “Oh no. Deegan is like my brother. My lease for the apartment that I was renting ended already, and well we were supposed to move back into our old house back in Truckee, but they had some last minute stuff to take care of and my brother’s place is just a huge mess right now with guests and stuff so I asked if I could stay with Deegan for awhile,” she explained.

“What?!” I shouted out. “You’re not going out with Stella?!” I asked Deegan who had an amused expression on his face.

“Gross dude, no! I mean, not gross that she’s ugly. But gross that she’s like my sister!” he said with a disgusted expression. “That’s just wrong man.”

“God, I feel like an idiot,” I mumbled

“You thought they were dating?!” Jacob busted out laughing.

“Yeah, you live together both of you were so close and you share a room,” I mumbled.

“We don’t live together,” Deegan said.

“Stella lives here, explains the DVDs,” Jake laughed

“And when we did live together, we shared a room because I wouldn’t let her sleep on the couch and she wouldn’t let me take the couch,” he laughed. “Can’t believe you’d actually think we were together. Never happened, never will happen. Never tried and never will try,” he shook his head at me.

“You got scared, huh?” Jake laughed.

“What?” Deegan asked confused.

“He kissed Stella at the party,” Jake smirked.

“What?!” Deegan boomed and laughed out. “And she didn’t slap you?!”

“No bro, they were lip locked for a good minute,” Jake high-fived Deegan. “Telling you man, you got my sister good.”

“But in all seriousness E,” Deegan said facing me. “We’ll help you with her, since we know she’s a tough nut to crack. Hell, she’s a fucking rock! She’s protected her heart like a momma bear protects her baby cub, and her walls are higher than rapunzel’s tower surrounding her and once you choose to break that down and not live up to that choice,” he paused and looked at Jake.

“You’re dead meat,” they both told me at the same time.

Ohhh shit.