well and good," my mom says. "I understand that you and Ethan have... interests in each other that are easier to pursue without clothes on. I would recommend that next time you bring a pair of pajamas with you, though. What if it was your stepfather upstairs and you walked out like that? He's tolerant about a lot of things, but I don't think he'd appreciate that, especially since we haven't had that discussion together yet. He doesn't know about you and Ethan, and I would prefer he didn't find out by you gallivanting out of his son's room nearly naked."
Ugh. Yes... ugh ! That would be weird. And gross. Kind of disturbing and awkward? I like Ethan's dad, but that would be strange. He's seen me in a bathing suit before, which I guess is kind of the same idea, but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't appreciate it if I came out of Ethan's bedroom in the morning wearing a bathing suit, either, so...
"Sorry," I mumble. "I think we got a little carried away."
"Hey, what's with this we business?" Ethan asks, suddenly standing in my doorway. He opened the door and everything, just standing there, leaning against the wall, acting like he belongs there. "Little Miss Perfect over here is the one who came into my room last night and decided to start trouble."
"Oh, right, trouble. Is that what we're calling it now?" my mom asks. "You're not allowed in here right now, Ethan!" She gives him a half silly look, half glare, trying not to laugh at his nonchalant attitude. "My daughter doesn't have any clothes on, so get out."
"What? I've seen her without—"
But my mom's having none of it. She slaps at his shoulder and pushes him out the door. "I don't care, you! Go take a shower and pack up. We're going camping."
At least he was wearing clothes. I think that's good. Ethan thought this through better than I did, I guess. Did I really have to tease him like that? I could have slipped out of bed, put my clothes on, and then met my mother in the hall, but... nooooo .
I just had to try and be a bad girl, didn't I? I blame Ethan. This is all his fault.
"I don't care what he said," my mom says to me. "This is all his fault, dear. It's usually all the man's fault, too. That's why we're around to put some sense in them. Help them think rationally. I don't think I've ever had to have this conversation with you before, but most men are guided by... let's just say, impure thoughts?"
I stare at her blankly, blinking. "Mom, why are we talking about this?"
"It's all fun and games, Ashley!" my mom says. "It's all fun and games and sex and lust and everything, until my daughter comes barreling out of her boyfriend stepbrother's room half naked and—"
"Mom! Really?"
"Listen, dear," my mom says, quieter and calmer now. "I'm just saying that it's your responsibility to be the responsible one here. Ethan's the bad boy, and I think we both know you're a bit of... well, Ethan was probably right when he called you Little Miss Perfect. Are we on the same page here?"
"I really have no idea what you're saying," I tell her.
"I'm saying," my mom says, taking a deep breath, "behind closed doors, you and Ethan can be as naughty and crazy and wild as you want, within reason. I trust Ethan knows the limits there. He's probably been doing this long enough that—"
"Mom! Um... really?"
"I just meant that he has more experience than you, dear. That's all. There's nothing wrong with it, as long as he's serious and committed. I think it's fine, really, and—"
"Mom..."
"You're sounding a lot like my mother now, Ashley," my mom says, grumping at me. "I think I'm the mother in this relationship, don't you?"
"You're being weird, though," I tell her. And she is. Ugh . Weird.
"Here. Be quiet for a second. Go find some clothes to wear. Get some of the ones we picked yesterday," my mom says. I give her a funny look, but it's the first reasonable thing she's said so far,
Ugh. Yes... ugh ! That would be weird. And gross. Kind of disturbing and awkward? I like Ethan's dad, but that would be strange. He's seen me in a bathing suit before, which I guess is kind of the same idea, but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't appreciate it if I came out of Ethan's bedroom in the morning wearing a bathing suit, either, so...
"Sorry," I mumble. "I think we got a little carried away."
"Hey, what's with this we business?" Ethan asks, suddenly standing in my doorway. He opened the door and everything, just standing there, leaning against the wall, acting like he belongs there. "Little Miss Perfect over here is the one who came into my room last night and decided to start trouble."
"Oh, right, trouble. Is that what we're calling it now?" my mom asks. "You're not allowed in here right now, Ethan!" She gives him a half silly look, half glare, trying not to laugh at his nonchalant attitude. "My daughter doesn't have any clothes on, so get out."
"What? I've seen her without—"
But my mom's having none of it. She slaps at his shoulder and pushes him out the door. "I don't care, you! Go take a shower and pack up. We're going camping."
At least he was wearing clothes. I think that's good. Ethan thought this through better than I did, I guess. Did I really have to tease him like that? I could have slipped out of bed, put my clothes on, and then met my mother in the hall, but... nooooo .
I just had to try and be a bad girl, didn't I? I blame Ethan. This is all his fault.
"I don't care what he said," my mom says to me. "This is all his fault, dear. It's usually all the man's fault, too. That's why we're around to put some sense in them. Help them think rationally. I don't think I've ever had to have this conversation with you before, but most men are guided by... let's just say, impure thoughts?"
I stare at her blankly, blinking. "Mom, why are we talking about this?"
"It's all fun and games, Ashley!" my mom says. "It's all fun and games and sex and lust and everything, until my daughter comes barreling out of her boyfriend stepbrother's room half naked and—"
"Mom! Really?"
"Listen, dear," my mom says, quieter and calmer now. "I'm just saying that it's your responsibility to be the responsible one here. Ethan's the bad boy, and I think we both know you're a bit of... well, Ethan was probably right when he called you Little Miss Perfect. Are we on the same page here?"
"I really have no idea what you're saying," I tell her.
"I'm saying," my mom says, taking a deep breath, "behind closed doors, you and Ethan can be as naughty and crazy and wild as you want, within reason. I trust Ethan knows the limits there. He's probably been doing this long enough that—"
"Mom! Um... really?"
"I just meant that he has more experience than you, dear. That's all. There's nothing wrong with it, as long as he's serious and committed. I think it's fine, really, and—"
"Mom..."
"You're sounding a lot like my mother now, Ashley," my mom says, grumping at me. "I think I'm the mother in this relationship, don't you?"
"You're being weird, though," I tell her. And she is. Ugh . Weird.
"Here. Be quiet for a second. Go find some clothes to wear. Get some of the ones we picked yesterday," my mom says. I give her a funny look, but it's the first reasonable thing she's said so far,
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