Free Ethans Fal by Dee Palmer

seated on her other side, from the booth and she scrabbles to escape. Not sure I can identify the sensations that cause my stomach to tighten when she looks into my eyes, but there is definitely something about Ada I find intriguing, and I fucking love that I affect her like I clearly do.
    I must have a shit eating grin on my face right now, because Buddy rolls his eyes and shakes his head. Ada takes a seat at the bar. She accepts a take away hot chocolate from Buddy and whispers in his ear for a few moments. This irritates me enough that I walk over and interrupt.
    “Don’t come to mine too early. I plan on catching the tide in the morning.” I lean against the bar and smile at her confused expression.
    “And that has what to do with me?” She purses her lips like she can’t imagine it does.
    “Well, I want to be there to supervise the cleaning. Make sure the job is done properly this time.” I want to laugh as her eyes widen with outrage, but I keep my face imperious.
    “I’m not coming back to your place,ever!” She crosses her arms and my cock twitches at the resulting sizeable swell of her breasts.
    “We both know that’s not true.” I step closer and sweep my arm around her waist. She gasps, but not at the embrace. No, she gasps when she feels me press my hard length into her hip. “You owe me for all that laundry you ruined, and that equates to a shit ton of cleaning in my book.” Her face flushes bright red, and this time I can’t help but laugh out. She shoves me hard, and grabs her drink. She storms to the door and I call after her, “Besides, I have your phone!” That makes her stop. Her face is like thunder: beautiful, dark and dangerous. She hesitates but only for a second, clearly not wanting to draw attention to herself, she mouths the word ‘arsehole’ back at me. She turns and leaves, and my chest feels tighter when she does.
    “You know at this moment in time, I think she is spot on. What is wrong with you?” Buddy asks, but I can’t answer him because I don’t know. I shrug. I stay at the bar until it’s empty and I can ask Buddy the question that has been burning me up since Ada left.
    “So what were you and Ada discussing so secretly? You two have a thing?” I can’t hide the unpleasant feeling this thought evokes, because I say the last word like it is foul in my mouth and I have to spit it out.
    “Fuck, man, no! Not every friendship has to be sexual, Ethan, even you know that! And you haven’t earned that privilege, my friend. Acting like you are, I doubt you will. We’re friends, that’s all. She’s–”
    “Yeah, yeah, she’s special, you’ve said.” I mimic his words with a soppy sentimental tone. He throws a dirty beer cloth in my face, but this time it’s a direct hit.
    “Yeah, well, she is and you need to back off,” he warns.
    “Maybe I want to see how special she is?”
    “ And maybe you should stick to what you know, and leave her alone.”
    “What were you talking about?” I repeat, more irritated that this conversation is going nowhere new. Buddy ignores me this time, switches off the lights and heads upstairs to his apartment, leaving me in the darkness to stew on my unanswered question.

THE NIGHT AIR clings on to the warmth of the day, but I know from experience it doesn’t last. I have many layers on and a sleeping bag, and I make my way to my beach spot. I don’t drink on nights when I’m sleeping in the rough, even though alcohol warms the blood. I don’t like not having all my senses on full alert. It’s only happened a few times, where I have been discovered by some drunk arsehole trying their luck, but if I hadn’t been quick with my reactions, the outcome would not have been so great. But I am quick on my feet, I never tell anyone the specifics on where I am sleeping and I keep pepper spray in my fist. It doesn’t stop an attacker as such, but it slows them down, and like I said, I’m quick on my feet. Buddy keeps what little I