SOPHIA WOKE up to the feeling of arms wrapped around her. She turned her head and saw Ethan's head nestled against her shoulder. A warm smile graced her face, and a subtle blush painted her cheeks as she observed how peaceful he looked while sleeping.

Sophia knew that this wouldn't help in overcoming her feelings for Ethan. But could she truly ever move on? Perhaps, she just had to learn to coexist with these emotions. Yet, the thought of her brother discovering the truth unsettled her.

She reached for her phone on the nightstand, revealing it was 6:45. Looking outside, she saw the dark sky. "Morning," Ethan whispered, a sleepy smile graced across his face. "Good morning," she replied. "It's really early," he rubbed his eyes.

"I can't go back to sleep," Sophia admitted. "Once I'm up from a long sleep, that's it." Ethan chuckled, "It's fine. I'm up now anyway."

As Ethan got up and put on a hoodie from his closet, he caught Sophia still watching him from his bed. An idea sparked in his mind, "Wanna go for a drive? Just to pass the time." Sophia nodded, "Sure, I just need to grab a hoodie from my bag." She stood up.

"No need," Ethan replied, turning back to his closet. He tossed a Michigan Hockey hoodie at her. "Wear that." Sophia looked down at the blue and yellow letters, with his number, 73, on the back.

"Thanks," she said, slipping into the oversized hoodie that carried his scent. Ethan smirked, watching her wear his clothes.

The two quietly walked through the hallways, avoiding waking anybody up, until they reached the front door. With a quick dash, they made it to the car, hopping inside.

"So, where are we going?" Sophia asked, securing her seatbelt. "It's a surprise," Ethan replied, starting the car and backing out of the driveway.

"Come on, give me a hint," Sophia pressed. "I'm not giving you a hint," Ethan chuckled. "You're not going to drive us to the middle of nowhere and kill me, are you?" Her words made Ethan start to laugh, struggling to contain himself. "What's so funny?" Sophia asked.

"The fact that you'd ever think I would hurt you," Ethan turned to her. "I'm not going to kill you, Soph. You'll see when we get there."

Sophia sighed, her gaze fixed on the scenery outside in Ann Arbor's summer charm. Summer was never as captivating as the fall though. As they ventured further from the city, a hint of playful unease crept into her voice, "Okay, now I'm starting to think you're actually driving me to a field to kill me," she half-joked.

"Yeah, there's a body bag in the trunk." Ethan joined in on the banter. "Haha, very funny, Edwards." Sophia rolled her eyes."No, I'm serious." Ethan grinned. "You are so not funny, Edwards," Sophia said observing his grin.

As Ethan steered down a nature reserve driveway, Sophia got curious as to where he was taking her. They arrived at a lake with a small beach, and Ethan turned towards her. "We're here." Exiting the car, they strolled toward the beach.

"What is this place?" Sophia asked. "A beach," Ethan responded, being obvious. Sophia rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I know that, but why bring me here?" Ethan sighed. "Follow me."

Reaching the beach, they walked along the shoreline until Ethan chose a large rock to sit on. Sophia joined him, and they silently watched the waves crash. Finally, Ethan broke the silence, "Do you ever just want to go somewhere and think?" Sophia turned to him. "All the time," she confessed.

Ethan, still gazing at the lake, continued, "Just to get away from everything and clear your head." Sophia nodded, and Ethan turned to her with a smile, "This is where I go. Whenever I want to think, I come here to clear my head." Sophia looked out at the lake. "It is beautiful, and you get to watch the sunrise." she acknowledged.

"It's so peaceful here. You just get this feeling like there's nothing to worry about, nothing to fear," Ethan said. Sophia turned her gaze back to him, surprised that someone as seemingly grounded and chill as him needed to get away. At that moment, she realized she'd only seen a fraction of who Ethan truly was.

But, she wanted to know all of him.

"So, why bring me here?" she asked. Ethan smiled, shrugging. "Felt like it. I've never shared this place with anyone else, but with you, it just felt right." His hand found its place over Sophia's. "You're not like anybody else in my life," he confessed.

"You're different."

Sophia couldn't help but smile, her heart fluttering. At that moment, she wrestled with the urge to lean in and kiss him. His messy hair from sleeping, and the warmth of his hand on hers made her never want to leave the rock and his side.

He quickly withdrew his hand, hopping down from the rock. "We should probably get going. Can't be gone too long," Ethan suggested, helping Sophia down. "Right," she agreed, dusting herself off. "But wait, I want to take a picture of the beach." Sophia grabbed her phone.

Ethan tucked his hands into his hoodie pocket. "What's with you and sunset pictures?" he teased. "Because they're beautiful?" Sophia stated, an evident sparkle in her eyes as she aimed her phone towards the beach, capturing the perfect photo. "There. We can go now," she smiled.

Ethan chuckled, and the two walked back to the car. Sophia gracefully settled in, securing her seatbelt. "Hey, Ethan," she said. He met her gaze. "Thank you for bringing me here," she expressed with a smile. Ethan returned the smile. "Yeah," he nodded appreciatively.

As he drove away, Sophia listened to the music playing, realizing it wasn't Ethan's typical playlist. To her surprise, the song filling the car was one she never expected him to play. Ethan Edwards had just chosen "Daylight."

"Are you playing Daylight?" she asked, eyes widening. "You said you hated this song." Ethan shook his head. "I never said I hated it; I just thought it was too slow. But after you brought it up the other day, I gave it another chance, and I've started to like it." Sophia grinned. "Oh my god, am I turning Ethan Edwards into a Swiftie?" she teased. "Let's not get carried away now." Ethan chuckled. "I'm going to start giving you a song every day to listen to." Sophia playfully declared.

Ethan sighed, "I regret playing this."

sophiaestapa1 posted a story !

edwards.73 liked your story !

markestapa liked your story !

lillianfraser liked your story !

jasmynesilva liked your story !

rutgermcgroarty liked your story !

dylanduke25 liked your story !

mackie.samo liked your story !

lhughes_06 liked your story !

lillianfraser sent a message !

lillianfraser
sooo this is where you ran off to this morning??? 😏

sophiaestapa1
Ethan just asked if I wanted to go for a drive and I said sure

lillianfraser
yk I went to go to the bathroom last night and you weren't in the living room
I wonder where you were?? 🤔

sophiaestapa1
you were taking up all of the mattress and you took the blanket from me so Ethan asked if I wanted to sleep in here

lillianfraser
HE ASKED YOU?!

sophiaestapa
yes.

lillianfraser
HOLY SHIT

sophiaestapa1
I don't see what the big deal is.

lillianfraser
um, the big deal is ETHAN asked if YOU wanted to sleep with HIM in HIS bed.

sophiaestapa1
it's not like that

lillianfraser
Jasmyne just called you a dumbass.
and I agree with her

sophiaestapa1
well it's good to see you two are getting along

lillianfraser
we just both know how OBLIVIOUS you are

sophiaestapa1
are you guys still at the house?

lillianfraser
yes
Dylan made his famous pancakes
and Mackie said he's gonna eat yours if you don't hurry up and get home.
your brother seconded that.

sophiaestapa1
about to be there
don't let them eat my pancakes

____

MONDAY ARRIVED sooner than anticipated. After finishing up their classes, the girls made their way to Yost. The guys were practicing early cause of Coach's insistence on re-establishing their routine. He wanted them ready for their upcoming first game at the end of the month. Excitement bubbled within Sophia as she looked forward to resuming the tradition of Monday Questions.

In the familiar surroundings of the Administration office, where Sophia usually stored her backpack and belongings, the girls settled in. "So, when do we interview the guys?" Jasmyne asked, taking a seat on the couch. "As soon as they finish practice, they'll come up the stairs, and that's when we'll ask them questions," Sophia explained.

"You chose a great Monday Question," Jasmyne chuckled. "I want to know their favorite Disney princess. I'm curious." Sophia grinned and joined Jasmyne on the couch.

"So, how was your little trip with Ethan yesterday?" Jasmyne asked. I smiled and glanced down at my hands in my lap. "It was fun. He took me to this beach that's sorta like his safe space." Sophia looked up at Jasmyne. "He really opened up to me yesterday."

"A secret spot, huh?" Jasmyne smirked, and Sophia playfully rolled her eyes. "He just wanted to take me somewhere that's special to him," she explained. "You are so oblivious it hurts sometimes," Jasmyne teased.

"Okay, let's play into your theory. Say Ethan does like me. What about my brother? It's not like he'd ever let me be with him," Sophia said. "Your brother is a big boy; he's fine," Jasmyne reassured. "Plus, it's not like you have to tell him," she shrugged.

"And just keep it a secret forever?" Sophia raised her eyebrow. "Look, all I'm saying is that you shouldn't let Mark control your life," she asserted, standing up. "Take risks."

Sophia thought for a moment. While she knew that Mark shouldn't control her life, he was undeniably important to her. He was her brother, a constant presence. Yet, Ethan wasn't just another guy; she felt a connection with him that she'd experienced before. Caught between the man she was falling for and her own brother, Sophia grappled with a decision that tugged at her emotions.

umichhockey posted a story !

_____

SOPHIA AND Jasmyne positioned a camera in the main room, waiting to interview the boys.

"Oh, hey, girls," Luke greeted as he walked up the stairs, waving. "Hey, Luke," Jasmyne waved back, and Sophia turned on the camera. "Luke, we've got a question for you," she began, "Who's your favorite Disney princess?"

"Elsa because she has powers and can make ice," Luke responded. "Also, 'cause she doesn't get cold, and I aspire to be like that." With that, Luke strolled towards the locker room. "One down," Sophia said, turning to Jasmyne.

The girls interviewed several more of the guys who entered the room after practice, and then Mackie walked up the stairs. "Mackie, who's your favorite Disney princess?" Sophia asked.

"Jasmine because she's a badass. Also, having a tiger as a sidekick is cool," Mackie replied.

Ethan, Mark, and Rutger joined them upstairs. "Already doing Monday Questions?" Ethan asked. "It's that time of year," Sophia smiled. "What's the question?" Mark asked. "Who's your favorite Disney princess?" Jasmyne responded.

"Belle because I grew up on Beauty and the Beast, and it used to be my favorite movie," Mark revealed. "Remember when you were the beast in the fifth-grade play?" Sophia teased. "Oh my god, you were a theatre kid?" Ethan asked. "No, every fifth grader had to do it, and I was the beast. Sophia was the rose," Mark explained.

"Oh my god, you have to send me a picture," Ethan chuckled. "Okay, can we get back on track here?" Sophia asked. Ethan unclipped his helmet, revealing his sweaty hair falling onto his forehead. He always looked extra good after practice.

"My favorite Disney princess is Rapunzel because I used to have a crush on her when I was younger," Ethan confessed.

"Did you know Sophia was Rapunzel for Halloween after the movie came out? I'll send you a picture of that too," Mark chuckled. Ethan laughed and then turned his attention to Sophia.

"What about you, Rutger?" Jasmyne asked. "Aurora because I want to be able to take naps for a long time," Rutger replied. "That one made no sense," Sophia said, crossing her arms. "I like naps." Rutger shrugged, grinning, before strolling into the locker room with the boys.

"I think Rutger has the hots for you," Jasmyne whispered, nudging Sophia. "What makes you say that?" Sophia asked. "He's always so flirty, constantly looking at you, smirking. Both him and Ethan act the same around you." Jasmyne responded.

"He did mention I was attractive when we first met." She said, casually tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "He's definitely into you," Jasmyne said. Sophia turned her attention to Ethan who was engaged in conversation with Mark and Rutger. "Maybe." she shrugged.

"But he's not the one I want,"

END OF CHAPTER

hello, sluts and whores!

so this was really just a filler chapter and I kinda just wanted it to be Ethan and Sophia's relationship developing.

live laugh love the Michigan Wolverines 🫶🏻