The Missing Boy

Chapter Seven - Unrevealing Bonds

The sharp October air bit at Alex's skin as he and Ethan trudged back from the library, their silence growing heavier with each step. The discoveries they had made about the town's dark history had left them reeling, but for Alex, something else simmered just beneath the surface—an unease that had nothing to do with the malevolent entity lurking in the woods.

It was Ethan.

They had grown closer during their search for Simon, the shared tension forging a connection Alex hadn't expected. Yet, as the silence stretched between them, Alex couldn't help but feel there were things left unsaid, things Ethan was still hiding. And then, it hit him—the journal. Simon's journal had held secrets, cryptic thoughts and dark memories, but it had also mentioned someone in his life, someone close to him before he disappeared.

Someone he loved.

As they walked through the empty streets, Ethan suddenly stopped and turned to face Alex, his breath visible in the cold night air. "You've been quiet," he said, his voice uncertain.

Alex shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and shrugged, avoiding Ethan's eyes. "Just thinking."

"About Simon?"

Alex nodded, but it wasn't the whole truth. His mind had been wandering ever since they found Simon's journal, ever since he realized there was more to Ethan's relationship with Simon than he had originally thought. Simon's cryptic entries had hinted at someone he had been close to, someone who had hurt him and yet meant the world to him. Alex hadn't put the pieces together before, but now the suspicions were eating at him.

"You two were really close, weren't you?" Alex finally asked, keeping his tone even.

Ethan hesitated, the tension between them growing thicker. "Yeah, we were friends since we were kids."

Alex stared at him for a moment, his heart pounding. He could hear the subtle dodge in Ethan's voice, the way he was skirting around the truth. Alex's fists clenched in his pockets as his suspicions boiled over.

"Friends?" Alex pressed, his voice sharper than intended. "Is that all you were?"

Ethan's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't look away. Instead, he sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "It wasn't that simple."

The air between them became tense, almost suffocating. Alex felt the weight of Ethan's words sink in, but he needed to hear it. All of it.

Ethan looked down at the pavement, his voice low and filled with regret. "We were more than friends... once. Before everything went wrong. We had a... thing. A relationship, I guess. But it ended before you came into the picture."

Alex's heart sank. There it was—the truth he hadn't wanted to hear. All this time, Ethan had been hiding this part of his past, a part that involved Simon in ways Alex hadn't even imagined.

For a moment, Alex didn't know what to say. The town, the disappearances, the malevolent entity—it all seemed to blur in the background as the realization settled in. Simon had cared for Ethan, had been in love with him. And now, here Alex was, trying to solve Simon's disappearance alongside the person who had broken his heart.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Alex's voice cracked, his emotions spilling out despite his best efforts to remain calm.

Ethan looked pained, guilt flashing across his face. "I didn't think it mattered. Not now. Not with everything that's happening."

"But it does matter!" Alex's voice rose, the hurt he had been holding back flooding out. "Simon... he meant something to you. He trusted you. And now he's gone, and you didn't even think to tell me that you were more than just his friend?"

Ethan stepped closer, his expression softening. "Alex, I—"

"Don't," Alex cut him off, stepping back. "You don't get it, do you? I've been killing myself trying to figure out how to save Simon, and all this time, you've been keeping secrets. How am I supposed to trust you now?"

The conversation had turned into something ugly, something raw. Alex's jealousy simmered under the surface, fed by his growing feelings for Ethan and the realization that Simon had been important to him in ways Alex hadn't fully understood. The image of Simon's scribbled journal entries, filled with dark thoughts and mentions of Ethan, twisted inside Alex, making him feel like he had been left in the dark.

"I'm sorry," Ethan said, his voice quiet but firm. "I didn't mean to hide it from you. I just... I didn't think it would help."

Alex shook his head, struggling to keep his emotions in check. "Maybe it would've helped to know that Simon was hurting because of you. That he was in love with you, and you broke it off."

Ethan flinched the guilt evident in his eyes. "It wasn't like that. Things just... fell apart. I didn't want to hurt him."

"But you did," Alex snapped, the jealousy spilling over. "And now you're acting like you cared, like you're so desperate to find him. But how do I know this isn't just about your own guilt?"

Ethan's face hardened, and for the first time, Alex saw a flicker of anger in his eyes. "You think this is easy for me? I've been trying to fix what I messed up, Alex. I don't need you judging me for it."

The argument left a bitter taste in Alex's mouth, and the distance between them felt like an invisible wall neither of them knew how to break. The partnership that had once felt solid now seemed fragile, teetering on the edge of collapse.

But there was something else underneath all the anger—something unspoken that both Alex and Ethan could feel. Despite the jealousy, despite the hurt, Alex couldn't deny the connection between them was growing stronger. And that terrified him more than anything.

Ethan took a deep breath, his voice softer now. "Look, I get it. You're angry. I should've told you. But right now, we need to focus on finding Simon. If we don't, none of these matters."

Alex looked away, his chest tightening. Ethan was right. As much as Alex wanted to confront the jealousy, the anger, the complicated feelings he had for Ethan, there were bigger things at stake. Simon was still missing. And the entity, the rituals—they were getting closer to something dark, something dangerous.

"Fine," Alex muttered, his voice flat. "But this isn't over."

Ethan nodded, understanding. "I know."