I spent the entire party simmering with frustration, just waiting for it to end so I
could leave.
However, as the night drew to a close, Mrs. Luciano pulled me aside. “Cynthia, I’m so glad you made it tonight. I’ve missed you, dear.”
She clasped my hands warmly, drawing me into a conversation that Sylvia couldn’t break into, despite hovering nearby with a less–than–pleased expression. Earlier, Sylvia had tried to strike up a conversation with Mrs. Luciano, but the response had been noticeably cold.
Unfazed by Sylvia’s icy glares, Mrs. Luciano took my hand and placed it on Ethan’s arm, speaking with the kind of earnest affection only a mother can muster. “When you two head off to college, you’ll be each other’s closest family. Ethan, you’re the guy. You have to take good care of Cynthia. Don’t upset her anymore.”
Ethan pulled his arm back, letting out a sharp, irritated huff. “She doesn’t need me to take care of her anymore. She hasn’t even bothered to add my number back.”
There was a hint of something like hurt in his tone, which caught me off guard.
Not wanting to be sidelined, Sylvia suddenly cut in. “Mrs. Luciano, I can look out for Ethan as well. Besides, Cynthia’s going to MIT. That’s pretty far from us, so it’s not like they’ll be seeing each other much anyway.”
Sylvia’s words hit like a bomb, and Ethan’s expression darkened instantly.
“MIT?!” He turned to me, eyes searching for an explanation, clearly not prepared for
this revelation.
Mrs. Luciano also looked shocked. “Cynthia, you changed your college application? When did this happen?”
