𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎, 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐁𝐘𝐄 ᵉᵗʰᵃⁿ ˡᵃⁿᵈʳʸ

Chapter 4

  CHAPTER FOUR.

ETHAN AND ARIA sat in Ethan's dorm, on his bed. Aria sat, working on her story she was writing for English class. Her dream was to be a writer. She was sharing an airpod with her boyfriend when the music stopped.

Aria turns her head to her boyfriend, who was already looking at her and smiling. "What?" She nodded, smiling. Her boyfriend nervously laughs and looks away.

"Nothing. You're just pretty when you're focused." Ethan muttered, causing her to sit up. "Are you calling me pretty, Landry?" She giggles, biting her bottom lip as she moves closer to him. "Shut up." He blushed, and looked back up at his girlfriend with bright doe eyes.

They both stare at each other's lips, as Aria goes in for a kiss. "Ar," Ethan begins to say. He realizes he grows to love her more and more the more they kiss. "What?" She mumbles, continuing to kiss her. She folds on top of him, as her hair dangles over him. "Nothing." He mutters out of their kissing.

He placed his hands on her hips as the kiss deepend and the atmosphere became more suffocating. The young and joy filled girl giggles as she brings herself to a halt. "I have a story to get back to.." As her boyfriend sits up, and places her back on the bed.

She sighs and sits back in her spot and continues writing.
"I love watching you work." Her boyfriend spews. She loved how sweet he was being, but didn't understand where it was coming from.

That's because she had no idea of the other half of Ethan. The killer, waiting to come out. She didn't know that he wanted to appreciate her and their time together before their inevitable fate. He knew they wouldn't be the same ever again. He knew it was too late to stop any of this.

But Aria didn't know any of this. She knew her boyfriend to be sweet, loving, and kind. She knew him to care for her, and his friends. She had no idea how this would all end. And she also had no idea that deep down Ethan wanted to protect her. To shield her from all this.

"Oh yeah?" Aria says, and hunches closer to him. "Why?" She asks, playing cute.

Ethan grins at his girlfriend. "I love that you love it." His words sink into Aria's mind as her eyes trace down at the sheets.

"Ari?" He asks. Aria feels an overwhelming sense of vulnerability, as she starts opening up. Not that she hasn't already. "You know, I always wanted to be a writer. I wanted to be known for creating something. Creating a world, creating a story."

She smiles at the thought of her childhood dream.

"I wanted to be an artist." Ethan smiles.
"Yeah?" She questions. Slowly the girl starts beginning a conversation about their future.

"I wanted a small cottage. Something out of a fairy tale, a witch's house kind of. Something small, off the coast of somewhere like the enchanted woods, or the beach." She chants. Ethans smile grows the more she digs into her thoughts.

"I wanted to grow old. And sit on my porch swing, yelling at all the kids who drifted by. I wanted to be a grumpy old lady, who no one would have guessed was a talented author."

"I want that life with you." Ethan hesitantly said. He was hesitant because he meant it. Because this was the moment where he realized he loved her. He realized it had gone too far, he drifted too far out to sea and didn't know if he could swim back in time.

His loving smile began fading as he realized he couldn't give Aria the life she wanted. He realized she was real, a real girl, who he loved. He didn't want to hurt her, ever. He didn't want anyone else too, either.

He realized that they'd never get their future together.