Free Sadie by E. L. Todd

look so stressed out. “Nothing.”
    “Ethan , I know my brother better than anyone, and I know when he doesn’t like someone. What’s his problem with you?”
    “Can we talk about this later , please?”
    After seeing the desperate look on his face, I decided to drop it. “Okay.”
    “Thank you.”
    My father came into the dining room and placed the food on the table. “Dinner is ready, kids.”
    I smiled. He still treated me and Jared like we were children.
    Jared set the table l ike he did when we were younger.
    Ethan and I approached the table. He pulled out the chair for me before he sat down beside me. Since my father sat across from me, Jared sat across from Ethan. To say it was tense would be an understatement. Neither one of them looked at each other. My heart fell. The first time I really liked someone and my brother didn’t like him. And Jared’s opinion really mattered to me. I wanted to be with someone that could be close to my family. If I didn’t solve this dispute between them, our relationship would never work.
    My father ate his whole tamale in less than a minute. He was a fast eater. That’s probably where I got it from. “So, do you and Jared know each other from work?” His question was directed at Ethan.
    “Yeah. We work on the same floor.”
    My father nodded. “Well, that’ s ironic. Or is that how you and Sadie met?”
    Ethan shook his head. “No. It’s just a coincidence.”
    “So how did you meet my daughter?”
    Ethan wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Well, I—”
    “At a bar,” Jared answered.
    I glared at my brother. I wasn’t sure why he was being rude by cutting off Ethan. It was very disrespectful even if he didn’t like him.
    “Yeah,” Ethan added. “I saw her across the room and gave it my best shot.”
    I smiled at him. “And you were pretty convincing.”
    “I’m sure he’s had a lot of practice,” Jared said.
    My father looked from Jared to Ethan but didn’t say anything. “So, how long have you two been dating?” my father asked.
    “For a few days,” I answered. The question was directed at Ethan but I wanted to eliminate some of the heat he was taking. Ethan started to eat his food. Before this , he couldn’t get a single bite in.
    “Oh,” my father said. “When you came by the store , it seemed like you had known each other for a while.”
    “No,” I said . “But we had a connection really quickly.”
    He turned to Ethan. “Thanks for coming to dinner. If my daughter brought you here , she must really like you. It’s never happened before.”
    Ethan glanced at me with soft eyes.
    I smiled at him, not embarrassed that I never had someone I thought was worthy of meeting my family. Since he knew I was a virgin, I didn’t feel so ashamed.
    “I feel honored,” he finally said.
    Jared glared at him. “Do you really, or do you just say that to all of them?”
    Ethan averted his gaze.
    My father looked at Jared. “What’s your problem, Jared? Treat our guest with respect.”
    Jared shook his head and continued to eat his food. My brother was generally nice to everyone he met. It took a lot to make him angry. The fact that he pretty much hated Ethan had me worried. Ethan must have done something pretty awful to elicit this response from him. We ate the rest of the meal in silence, which I was thankful for. When we were done, I grabbed the plates and took them into the kitchen. I started to wash them then Ethan came in to help me a moment later. We didn’t say anything to one another. I could tell Ethan was upset by the look in his eyes.
    When we were finished, we walked back into the living room where my dad and b rother were watching television on the couch. Ethan sat down and I sat right next to him. Jared glanced at us then looked back the television. I held Ethan’s hand in my own but it felt ice cold. There was definitely something on his mind.
    We sat together for an hour watching television until I decided it was best if we left. This