In for the win

Chapter 23

AMARA

I hadn't talked to him during the whole way back. Dinner had been hard enough and I couldn't find the strength to open my mouth. I had told Ethan my mom and stepdad were something, but for him to whiteness it, was even harder.

I tried taking my mind off things but it was complicated. When we got out of the Uber, it was snowing hard.

The winter here was really cold, but I was used to it, having spent most of my childhood living here. It was getting darker, due to the time. We rushed to the motel, covering my hair with my fluffy scarf, hearing the sound of snow crushing at every step I took with my brown uggs. Ethan followed in my footsteps.

I could feel his presence behind me with every step he took. Reaching the front door, I opened the front pocket of my small handbag, looking for the keys the receptionist had earlier in the day given me.

We hadn't had time to stop at our room so we had just quickly stopped on our way from the airport to drop our bags and grab the key. After looking for a few minutes, I finally find them, and unlock the old motel door. I let Ethan go first, closing the door behind me.

"Uhm. Amara? You might want to see this." He exclaims .

"What- oh shit." I let out, eyeing the small room in front of me. The room was fine. There was a bathroom, a TV, blinds and a bed. A double bed that surely wasn't big for the both of us.

"What the fuck. Is it a joke? I didn't order dwarf size beds?"

"Beds plural?" I hear Ethan chuckle behind me.

"Yeah, I must have forgotten to tell the motel I was coming with a grizzly-sized bear." I grin, playfully punching Ethan in the arm.

"So I'm guessing we're sharing."

"I guess so too."

"I get left side though." I huff, walking further inside.

"Uhm okay?". The motel room is a bit small, but I'll do, after all, we're leaving tomorrow afternoon. I'm exhausted, and let myself fall in the bed. I don't even bother taking off my clothes or getting ready, and just lay there. I hear Ethan take a shower, and get out. I hear him taking off his clothes, and getting into bed. I'm too lazy to move.

I feel him laying down closer to me on the mattress, his strong arms covering my body. In normal times, I would try to push him back to gain back my bed territory, but tonight, I let myself go against his chest. I feel him breathing against my ear, softly tickling me. After a while, I fall asleep.

_______

Waking up, I stretch my arms, feeling nothing next to me. I turn to my side and check the time.

It's 8am. And I'm alone in the room. It's still a little dark outside, a small fog surrounding the building. I check the bathroom but no Ethan. I hadn't heard him leave. Had he left? Without me? No. That wasn't him. But what if? I took my phone in my hands and wanted to call him, but I froze. Maybe he didn't want me to call him?

What the fuck was happening to me?

Ethan wasn't like that. He'd probably just gone out for a run or something and I was clearly overthinking. What my step-dad had told me definitely tipped me off. I knew he was jus angry and hadn't meant his words. I had wanted to talk to mom about his drinking problem, but hadn't had the heart to tell her. She would have been heartbroken, she would have-.