The Flashbacks

Chapter Seven: Emotional All-Nighters

Ethan and I stayed up all night, texting and getting to know each other better. We talked about our childhoods, our favorite things, our hopes and dreams for the future, and what we looked for in a partner. We stayed up late for a whole week straight. We had already been talking for two weeks. Just two weeks to go until our unbelievably romantic first date.

"Hey, Steph. Elyse came out of her office. She had taken off her white coat which meant she was getting ready to go to lunch. "Ethan and Alex invited us to have lunch with them. Would you like to come?" At the mention of Ethan's name, my heart rate picked up and my legs trembled.

"Sure. Just give me a minute to log out." I started logging out of the computer while Elyse went to grab her purse and lock up her office. "Are they working today?" I asked curiously, wondering if I would get to see Ethan in that uniform again today.

"They were supposed to be off, but they asked Ethan to do some training at the academy. He goes in at 3." Elyse and I rode down the elevator and I could see her smile when she saw Alex. He was leaning against the driver's side of a lifted Bronco. I could see Ethan already sitting in the back seat. I was going to get to sit with him.

"Where's Luna?" She asked Alex, loosely wrapping her arms around his neck when he pushed off from the car. Ethan and Alex usually watched her on the days that they were off.

"She really wanted to see Jax. She screamed until I agreed to take her to Sarah's." He put his hands on her hips and rubbed her sides with his thumbs. It was such an intimate moment between them, but I couldn't look away. Tyler had failed me in that department and I wanted someone who would give it to me. Maybe Ethan could be that guy. "Are you ladies ready for lunch?"

"I'm starving," Elyse responded as we walked around to the passenger side of the car. Alex opened the back door for me and the passenger door for Elyse. She kissed his cheek before climbing in. At least his car wasn't as high up as Ethan's. My phone buzzed in my purse and I quickly pulled it out, just in case it was Sarah.

Ethan: You look nice today.

When I looked over at him, he had that same intense look like my first day working at the hospital.

Steph: You smell nice today.

He smiled slightly when he looked down at his phone. I glanced at Alex and Elyse in the front seat. She was sitting in the middle and he had his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Ethan: No one has ever come close to making me feel the way you do.

Ethan responded and I heard myself intake a sharp breath. I bit my lip and looked out the window. I was getting emotional just from one text message. Alex pulled into the parking lot of a cute little Italian restaurant. When I put my hand on the door handle, I just saw Ethan shake his head slightly. He got out of the car and came around to my side of the car to open the door for me. Since Elyse was sitting in the middle of the front seat, she just climbed out of Alex's door.

"Thank you," I whispered to Ethan and we walked behind Alex and Elyse into the restaurant. They were just holding pinkies. It was sweet.

"Hello Officer Stone, Officer Manning. Your usual table today?" The host asked as soon as she saw Alex and Ethan. I guess they came here often.

"That would be great, thank you." Alex gave her a small smile. She grabbed four menus and led us through the restaurant. There were other officers scattered throughout the restaurant. I froze when I saw Leo sitting with his partner. Ethan was walking behind me and almost ran into my back because of the way I had just stopped walking.

"Steph? Are you okay?" Ethan asked, causing Elyse to turn around to check on me. She followed my gaze to the booth I was looking at.

"Is that Tyler's best friend?" She asked me, keeping her voice down. I nodded my head slowly.

"Come on. Let's go." She wrapped her arm around my shoulder and before I turned around, I saw Leo look over at me. We walked out of the restaurant with Alex and Ethan following closely behind us.

Ethan's POV

"Officer Stone, Officer Manning." I heard Officer Cooper call out to us as we were leaving the restaurant. Seeing how just this voice made Stephanie's whole body tense up made my blood boil.

"Get in the car." Alex put the keys in my sister's hand. We made a wall between Officer Cooper and the girls when we turned around.

"Did you know that you're having lunch with a married woman, Officer Manning?" Officer Cooper asked. I could see him looking at Stephanie over our shoulders and I didn't like it.

"Elyse and I aren't married just yet, Officer Cooper, but we do make a nice couple, don't we?" Alex smiled and I bit my lips, fighting back a laugh. He was always trying to keep me calm in intense situations.

"Shut up Officer Stone, no one was talking to you." Officer Cooper didn't look at Alex when he spoke. I stepped forward so that we were face-to-face with each other.

"Stephanie Jacobs is none of your business. Especially after you failed to do your damn job and keep her safe." I was trying so hard not to growl out my words.

"Stephanie Rhoades, Officer Manning. That whore didn't do her job by being a good wife." He replied and before I could even think it through, my fist was connecting with his face. He tackled me on the asphalt and I could hear Stephanie scream in the car and Elyse yelling. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her hop out of the car and Alex had to hold her back. I knew for a damn fact that my little sister would beat the crap out of anyone who put their hands on me. She could hold her own. Officer Cooper's partner pulled him off of me and we were both wiping the blood from our noses.

"Are you okay?" Elyse asked me once I was up from the ground. I nodded my head once. I knew I would have to go see my supervisor when I went to work. I would probably be suspended. But first, I had to check on Stephanie and have lunch with her.

Steph's POV

We ended up just getting Chinese takeout and sitting behind the receptionist's desk at the hospital.

"You doing okay?" Ethan asked me for what felt like the 100th time since we had left the Italian restaurant.

"I'm fine." I had cried in the car while Leo was confronting Ethan and Alex. I didn't know how to react when Ethan punched him. I mean, it was attractive as hell, but I didn't want Ethan to lose his job because of me. When Leo tackled him, I started crying again.

"I can take you home after lunch if you want." He offered. I sighed and put my container down, looking over at him.

"Ethan," I looked at Elyse who was sitting with Alex up against the bottom of the desk, "what's his middle name?" I asked her and she smiled slightly.

"Benjamin." She looked over at her brother and stuck her tongue out at him. He tossed a fortune cookie at her.

"Ethan Benjamin Manning, I am fine. I want to finish my shift and then maybe go out for drinks with my best friend." I looked over at Elyse and she nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Okay, you win." Ethan smiled at me slightly. I smiled back at him and picked up my carton of food. It was nice to have someone be so worried about me.