Cherry

Chapter 37

Cherry

The morning air is cool and the sun is just beginning to rise once Ethan and I step out of the diner. Different shades of vibrant pink greet us, creating a cotton candy-filled sky. The golden sun is creeping up slowly and reflects on us. I look over at Ethan for a quick moment as we walk side by side, noticing the glimmer from the rising sun highlights his curls and makes his skin sparkle. I look away before he notices, but I'd look at his beauty forever if I could.

Now focusing on my feet moving on the cement, I break the silence between us and say, "I guess you and Sylas made amends since you're plotting something without my knowledge. I remember he was pretty upset when you left last year without telling anyone."

"Yeah," Ethan sighs. "I apologized to him this morning for just up and leaving. I just couldn't handle what happened last summer and needed to be alone. I still need to apologize to your family. They were so kind for letting me stay with them. Your moms must hate me for never saying goodbye."

"Oh, they're understanding about the entire situation," I tell him. "I'm sorry I made you feel alone, though."

"It's in the past, Cherry. Don't apologize."

When we leave the diner's parking lot and approach the road, Ethan mentions, "We need to cross this to get to the building. It's right over there," he points with his index finger. My eyes follow the direction his finger is pointing at, and I notice the new building that has been under construction for a few months. It's been painted a vibrant orange-red color for a few weeks now, replacing the boring, grey cement that used to be on display. But, there's never been a sign around it, or talk about it in the newspaper, so no one's known what it's even for.

"A building?" I look at him as I feel more confused than ever.

"Yep," he looks back at me and smiles, which should make me nervous, but it makes me feel warm on the inside. I've missed being around him.

Since it's early in the morning, so early that the sun hasn't fully risen yet, there's no one out and about in town. The town is completely vacant, so we don't walk quickly, since we know there's no way a car would come at this moment. Our movements across the street are calm, and we're walking so close to one another that I feel his hand accidentally brush against mine for a split second. Though it was a brisk touch, that was the first time we have touched in almost a year and it felt electric. Did he feel the spark too? The thought of holding his hand crosses my mind, but I quickly swat the thought out of my head.

Once we fully cross the road and enter the parking lot of the mystery building, I ask Ethan, "What is this place? No one in town knows what it is."

Ethan doesn't answer me, so I look over at him and notice that he's smirking. He keeps his mouth glued as he leads us to the entrance of the building. As I examine the exterior, I notice it's the most modern building this town has. There are tall windows that take the place of a concrete wall, but the building is dark on the inside, so I can't tell what's beyond the glass.

I hear the sound of keys jingling, so I stop focusing on the building and advert my eyes to where the sound is coming from. I watch as Ethan pulls out a keychain and searches for the right one, singling out a shiny, silver key, that looks much newer than the others that surround it. He leaves my side and begins to walk up to the door, placing the key into the keyhole.

"Ethan?" I ask as he twists the key and turns the doorknob, allowing the door to finally swing open. He now stands in the doorway and looks back at me with the same damn smile plastered on his face.

I've never been more confused in my fucking life.

"Are you going to tell me how you have a key to this place?" I feel my eyes squint from the confusion. I cross my arms and ask, "How is this my present? Is it hidden in here, or something?"