I Dumped Him 500 Times Online Then I Met Him at My Brother’s Birthday Chapter 05

I Dumped Him 500 Times Online Then I Met Him at My Brother’s Birthday Chapter 05

Lucas led me into the gym.

The players had already changed and were warming up together.

I scanned the court for Ethan.

Before I could find him, a guy wearing jersey number eighteen stepped in front of me.

“Damn, Lucas. Since when do you know someone this gorgeous?”

He held a basketball under one arm and looked me over with obvious interest and a trace of envy.

“Don’t tell me this is your online girlfriend. Did you finally meet her?”

I opened my mouth to explain, but Lucas cut in flatly.

“My online girlfriend? This is Ethan’s sister.”

The guy’s face lit up as if he had just won the lottery.

“Seriously? The Ellis family genes are ridiculous.”

Then, with a sudden burst of shy enthusiasm, he asked, “So, can I ask her out?”

“Knock yourself out. I’m going to change.”

Lucas checked his watch without even looking up.

“But Jake, fair warning. Ethan will kill you if you try.”

I stood there watching Lucas walk away, a strange tightness spreading through my chest.

Was it because of how cold he had been?

Then again, I wasn’t anyone special to him.

He treated me the same way he treated every other woman, and technically, there was nothing wrong with that.

Jake launched into a full introduction.

His family business, his zodiac sign, his Myers-Briggs type, even his favorite vacation spot.

His enthusiasm was a little overwhelming.

Then his chatter cut off mid-sentence.

I looked up and saw Ethan standing behind him.

My brother smacked the back of Jake’s head hard enough to make him yelp.

“You think I’m letting you date my sister?”

Ethan pointed toward the court.

“Not a chance. Go warm up.”

Jake stared at him in shock, then pouted at me like a wounded puppy.

I almost laughed.

Eventually, Ethan had two teammates drag him away.

Blissful silence.

My brother let out a long breath and pointed toward the bleachers on the right.

“Lily, I saved you that seat.”

“When the game starts, I expect you to cheer for me louder than everyone else. Got it?”

“Don’t worry.”

I grinned and high-fived him.

Once the game started, I realized just how popular Lucas was on campus.

Ethan was good-looking, and plenty of people cheered for him too.

But the overwhelming majority of the crowd was screaming Lucas’s name.

He never once looked toward the bleachers.

A lot of women’s hopes visibly deflated.

At halftime, my phone buzzed with a message from Lucas.

“Babe, we’re up by three.”

“But since you’re not here, I feel completely off.”

“I’m exhausted. If you were here, one hug from you would bring me back to life.”

“I miss you so much it hurts.”

[pokes your cheek]

“When are we finally meeting?”

“I want to kiss you so badly. I bet your lips are soft and sweet.”

He was getting far too explicit.

My face burning, I glanced around to make sure no one was watching before typing back.

“Okay, take a breather and drink some water.”

“I miss you too.”

I added a little hug emoji for good measure.

Lucas was as easy to soothe as ever.

His tone brightened immediately, and he kept sweet-talking me for another few minutes.

Too busy texting, I never noticed someone behind me watching closely.