Cherry

Chapter 29

Cherry

The entire drive to the diner has been filled with anxiety and has caused me to feel uneasy. I was almost tempted to run straight through a stop sign because of the way Ethan was talking over the phone. I just don't understand what could have gone wrong. It obviously can't be too bad, right? Since Ethan chose to call me and not the police? Hopefully, there's just an issue with the frier in the back, or Sylas locked them out of the diner.

I feel a little sense of relief when the diner comes into my view, as it's still all in one piece. Well, I can rule out the possibility of a fire. I park the car quickly and jump out as my heart runs a mile a minute. I do a fast walk towards the door, but the empty parking lot catches my eye. There are no cars parked in the parking lot. The only one I recognize is Ethan's. Sylas' truck isn't even here. Why are there no customers? It's not even nine yet.

Whenever I reach the front entrance, I notice the sign on the door says CLOSED. Why would they be closed this soon? I pull the door open and immediately notice that the lights are all dimmed, which is something we never do, even when the diner is closed. We just shut them off completely. True panic starts to set in when Ethan is nowhere to be found. Did he manage to get himself kidnapped, or something?

"Ethan?" I shout once I fully step into the diner, scared to go much further. I look around the restaurant, noticing a single candle lit and illuminating the booth it rests at. Adding to that, I vaguely hear what seems to be 60's music playing quietly off the speaker and throughout the diner.

As I open my mouth to shout his name again, I hear the kitchen doors swing open. I advert my eyes to the sound, finding Ethan in what looks like an apron, walking towards me. He's holding a bouquet of flowers, but the lights are too dim for me to make out what kind of flowers they are just yet.

"What is going on?' I say slowly, confused about what the fuck is happening.

Ethan makes his way to me, and I can finally see that the flowers in his hands are sunflowers. He grins, "There wasn't really an emergency. I just wanted to get you here and surprise you."

He holds out the bouquet for me, so I take the flowers and smell them, followed by a sweet aroma greeting me. "So," I furrow my eyebrows at him, "you were acting over the phone? There was no emergency? Everything is okay?"

Ethan smiles, "Yes, everything is okay. Sylas let me rent out the diner for a few hours when I told him I wanted to do something special for you."

That makes sense on why the diner is already closed up for the night. It seems like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and my heartbeat has returned to a normal pace since I know nothing has gone wrong. I mean, I guess if it was that bad of an emergency, I should have known that Ethan would have called 911.

I find myself laughing at the situation. "You really had me convinced. You should become an actor."

"Well, thank you for giving me a big head," he grins, causing one of his cute dimples to come out from hiding. "But, will you follow me?" Ethan holds his hand out for me to grab onto. With my free hand that's not occupied with flowers, I interlock it with his, and he leads me to the booth with the lit candle.

I place the flowers down on the side of the table and slide into the booth. Ethan stands on the outside still, and asks, "Have you eaten dinner yet?"

"No," I tell him. "Just some popcorn."

"Good. I'm going to go get the food I made for us-"

"Ethan," I smile and interrupt. "You don't have to wait on me."