"Netflix and chill?"
Lila's voice was soft, almost questioning, as she repeated Ethan's words from earlier.
Ethan nodded casually, stretching his arms above his head. "Yeah, I've got so new movies I've been aning to watch."
Lila's cheeks imdiately lit up.
Her mind whirled as she recalled a conversation with her roommate, who had practically drilled it into her head that "Netflix and chill" was usually code for… well, certain activities in bed.
Her fingers curled slightly, and she hesitated for a mont, glancing at Ethan.
He, however, seed completely unaware of her inner turmoil, too busy kicking off his shoes and making his way toward the kitchen.
"Want sothing to drink?" he asked over his shoulder.
Lila blinked, her heart still racing from her own thoughts. "Uh — sure!"
Ethan chuckled. "Relax, you look like I just told you we're about to fight for our lives."
She forced out a nervous laugh, following him as he disappeared into the kitchen.
The spacious area was sleek and modern, just like the rest of his ho, with black marble countertops and state-of-the-art appliances.
It was the kind of kitchen that seed designed more for show than actual use, but the way Ethan moved around told her he was no stranger to it.
Lila watched as he casually opened the fridge, grabbing a couple of sodas before moving toward the pantry.
"You like popcorn?" he asked, glancing at her.
She nodded quickly, happy for the distraction. "Of course! Who doesn't?"
"Good, because I make the best popcorn," he said with a smirk, pulling out a bag of kernels and tossing it onto the counter.
Lila raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what makes your popcorn the best?"
Ethan leaned against the counter, pretending to ponder her question. "Secret ingredient," he finally said.
"Let guess — extra butter?"
He scoffed. "That's the obvious part. The real trick is a pinch of brown sugar."
Lila tilted her head, intrigued. "Sweet popcorn?"
"Trust ."
She gave him a skeptical look but stepped closer. "Alright, then I'm helping."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to."
"I want to." She crossed her arms, a playful glint in her eyes. "Besides, I need to see if this 'secret ingredient' really makes it the best."
Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, alright, but don't say I didn't warn you when you get addicted."
Lila rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips as she moved beside him.
Together, they started preparing the popcorn. Ethan poured the kernels into a pan while Lila asured out the butter, her movents a bit hesitant at first before she found her rhythm.
"You've done this before, right?" Ethan teased, watching her struggle a bit with the asurents.
"Hey! I'm not completely useless in the kitchen," she huffed. "I just don't usually make popcorn from scratch."
Ethan grinned. "Well, you're learning from the best."
Lila playfully nudged his arm. "We'll see about that."
As they worked, the sll of butter and caralized sugar filled the air, making Lila's stomach grumble slightly. Ethan, ever observant, smirked.
"Hungry already?"
Lila pouted. "Well, it slls good, okay?"
Ethan chuckled, grabbing a bowl and pouring the fresh popcorn into it. "Here, try."
Lila picked up a piece, popping it into her mouth. The second it hit her tongue, her eyes widened slightly.
"Wait… this is actually really good."
"Told you," Ethan said smugly.
Lila huffed but couldn't hide her smile. "Alright, fine. I'll admit it — you make pretty amazing popcorn."
"Damn right I do," he said, grabbing a handful for himself.
Once the snacks were ready, Ethan grabbed the drinks, and they made their way back to the living room.
Lila plopped onto the couch, adjusting herself comfortably as Ethan turned on the massive flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.
"So, what are we watching?" she asked, pulling her legs up onto the couch.
Ethan scrolled through his list. "I was thinking of sothing chill — maybe an action movie? Or a psychological thriller?"
Lila humd. "I could go for a thriller."
"Good choice," Ethan said, selecting a movie before settling down next to her.
The movie started, and for a while, they both focused on the screen.
The dark ambiance of the thriller quickly set in, drawing them both into the story.
But Lila's mind wasn't entirely on the movie.
She was hyper-aware of Ethan sitting beside her — the way his arm rested casually along the back of the couch, the way his breathing was steady and relaxed.
Every now and then, he would reach for the popcorn, and their hands would brush, sending a tiny jolt through her.
She was overthinking again.
Clearing her throat, she forced herself to focus on the movie.
But then — BAM!
A sudden jump scare sent her flinching, instinctively gripping Ethan's arm.
He froze for a second before looking at her, a slow smirk creeping onto his face.
"Scared?"
Lila quickly let go, crossing her arms. "No!"
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "You literally just grabbed ."
"That was just — uh — muscle reflex!"
He chuckled. "Sure, Lila. Whatever you say."
She huffed, grabbing so popcorn and shoving it into her mouth to avoid further embarrassnt.
The movie continued, and despite her best efforts, Lila found herself getting more and more imrsed.
By the ti it reached the climax, she wasn't even thinking about anything else — just the tension, the mystery, the unraveling story.
And Ethan, despite all his teasing, hadn't made any moves.
Lila had been worried for nothing.
When the movie finally ended, Ethan stretched with a satisfied sigh. "Damn, that was actually good."
Lila nodded. "Yeah… I really liked it."
Ethan turned to her, his expression softening. "Glad you stayed."
She blinked, caught off guard by the sudden sincerity in his voice. A small smile crept onto her lips. " too."
Ethan yawned. "Alright, it's late. You wanna crash here or should I take you ho?"
Lila hesitated for a mont before shaking her head. "I'll stay here for the night."
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