Ethan laughed, shaking his head. “You two are going to gang up on me, aren’t you?”
“Totally!” Lily insisted, sticking out her tongue before her expression turned determined. “Now, Ethan, you have to braid Vinnie’s hair while I finish yours. It’s only fair.”
He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, trying to hide his amusement. “Orders from the queen,” he teased as he shifted slightly closer. His fingers hovered near my hair, a silent question in his eyes.
“Is it okay if I . . .?” he asked, his voice suddenly softer, more tentative.
I nodded, my heart picking up pace. “Yeah, it’s fine,” I whispered, reaching up to undo my ponytail. My fingers brushed against his as I let my brown hair fall loose, and the contact sent a jolt of warmth through me.
Ethan hesitated, his gaze meeting mine, searching for any sign of discomfort. When he found none, he let his fingers thread through my hair, his touch impossibly tender. My breath caught as he separated the strands, his movements careful and deliberate, as if he were handling something fragile.
“Your hair’s so soft,” he murmured, almost as if he were talking to himself. His fingers brushed against the nape of my neck, sending a shiver down my spine that I couldn’t hide.
“You’re actually not bad at this,” I said, trying to keep my voice light despite the electric charge that seemed to buzz between us.
“Honestly? I have no idea what I’m doing,” he admitted with a laugh, though his fingers continued to work through my hair, his touch growing more confident. “But Lily’s taught me a thing or two.”
Lily, who was still perched in his lap and diligently working on his hair, nodded sagely. “He’s okay,” she said, trying to downplay her praise. “But I’m the expert. I’ll have to fix it later.”
Her cheeky grin broke the tension just enough to make us both laugh. Yet, when Ethan’s eyes met mine, the warmth in his gaze made my pulse race.
As he continued to braid my hair, Lily kept up a steady stream of instructions, bossing him around with the authority of a seasoned stylist. “No, Ethan, you have to braid it tighter or it’ll fall out!”
Ethan shot her a playful look, rolling his eyes dramatically. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, his tone full of affection. “How’s this?”
Lily leaned over to inspect his work, her brow furrowed in concentration. “Hmm . . . better, but you missed a piece.” She pointed, and Ethan dutifully adjusted his grip, his fingers brushing against my scalp.
Ethan’s expression softened as he finished the braid, his fingers lingering in my hair for a moment longer than necessary. He looked at me, his eyes holding something deeper.
“I’d like it if you joined us more often, as well,” he whispered, his voice sincere, almost vulnerable. “Lily’s right—it’s more fun with you here.”
His words, simple as they were, made my heart skip a beat. There was something intimate about the way he said it, as if he were letting me into a part of his life that he didn’t share with just anyone.
“I’d like that, too,” I replied, my voice just as soft. I could feel the weight of his gaze, and the warmth of his fingers still tangled in my hair,and I knew that something had shifted between us—something that couldn’t be easily ignored.
Before the moment could grow too intense, Lily’s voice broke through, her stomach growling audibly. “Ethan, I’m hungry!”
We both burst into laughter, the tension easing as reality rushed back in. Ethan shook his head, gently tugging at one of Lily’s braids. “Alright, alright, food’s on the way, Princess. Just a few more minutes.”
Sure enough, a knock on the door sounded a few minutes later, and Lily was up like a shot, racing to the door. “Pizza!” she squealed, her excitement contagious.
Ethan got up with a grin, following her to the door as I tidied up a bit, making room. When they returned, Lily was carrying a box of pizza almost as big as she was, her face lit up with glee.
“Careful there,” Ethan chuckled, taking the box from her and setting it down on the blanket-covered floor. “We don’t want any pizza casualties.”
She giggled, plopping down and grabbing a slice. “This is the best night ever!” she declared, her voice muffled by a mouthful of pizza.
We all dug in, the fort filled with the sounds of contented eating and the occasional laughs. Before long, Lily had a new idea.
“Ethan, can we watchHalloweentownnext?” she asked, her eyes wide with excitement as she turned to me. “It’s my favorite movie ever! Do you think Halloweentown is a real place, Vinnie?”
“I think it’s as real as you want it to be,” I said, leaning in conspiratorially. “But remember, it’s a secret town, hidden away where only the people who believe in magic can find it.”
Her eyes sparkled with delight at the idea, as Ethan chimed in. “You know, Hallow’s End is pretty close to Halloweentown,” he joked, winking at me.
Lily shook her head, clearly not buying it. “No way! We don’t have magic, or monsters, or ghosts.”
Ethan leaned back, a thoughtful look on his face. “Are you sure about that? Hallow’s End has its own kind of magic. Haven’t you ever noticed how things get a little strange around Halloween? Like how sometimes the lights flicker on their own, or how the fog rolls in just a little too thick?”
