Faithful Horizons

Chapter 19: Public Display

Ethan hadn't seen much of Grace since the night of his mom's hospitalization. She'd texted a few times, checking in with her usual warmth, but he hadn't felt like talking. How could he, when everything felt so hopeless?

Now, sitting in his usual seat in the back of the cafeteria, he tried to tune out the noise around him. His sketchpad lay untouched on the table, the pencil in his hand still as his thoughts swirled.

Across the room, Grace sat at a small table near the windows, a few of her youth group friends laughing and chatting around her. She looked happy, and relaxed, like nothing in the world could pull her from the solid ground she stood on.

It made something twist in Ethan's chest.

She didn't notice him watching, which was probably for the best. He wasn't sure he could face her today - not when his frustration still burned so hot.

"You've got it bad, man," an all too familiar voice interrupted.

Ethan turned to see Josh Langston dropping into the seat across from him, a smirk already plastered across his face.

"What do you want, Josh?" Ethan muttered, gripping the pencil tighter.

Josh shrugged, his eyes flickering toward Grace's table. "Just trying to figure out what's so special about her. I mean, yeah, she's cute, but is she really worth all the hassle?"

Ethan's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond.

"Let me guess," Josh continued, leaning forward. "She's got you reading Bible verses and holding hands at church? Man, she got you whipped already!"

"Don't," Ethan said, his voice low and sharp.

Josh raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying himself. "Don't what? I'm just saying what everyone's thinking. She's probably using you for some kind of moral makeover. Trying to turn you into one of her little church puppets."

The pencil snapped in Ethan's hand.

"Say one more thing about her," he said, his voice shaking with anger, "and I'll make you regret it."

Josh grinned, unfazed. "Oh, scary. Look, Carter, I'm just trying to help. Girls like her don't stick around for guys like you. You're just a project to her, and once she's bored, she'll-"

Ethan was out of his seat before he realized it, the legs of the chair scraping loudly against the floor. Heads turned, the cafeteria growing quieter as the tension thickened.

"Shut up," Ethan said, his voice steady now, though his hands were clenched into fists. "You don't know anything about her."

Josh stood too, though he looked less confident now under the weight of Ethan's glare. "Whoa, calm down, man. No need to get all worked up."

Ethan took a step closer, his voice low but cutting. "Grace is worth more than you'll ever understand. So maybe you should keep her name out of your mouth."

The silence in the cafeteria was deafening. Josh looked around, realizing the crowd was firmly against him now. With a muttered curse, he grabbed his tray and walked away, his bravado disappearing as quickly as it had come.

Ethan stood there for a moment, the adrenaline still coursing through him. Slowly, he became aware of the eyes on him, the whispers already starting to spread.

He grabbed his bag and left the cafeteria without another word.

Grace found him in the art room later, sitting at one of the empty tables with his sketchpad open. He didn't look up when she entered, but he heard her footsteps pause just inside the door.

"Hey," she said softly.

Ethan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough," she said, her voice soft.

She crossed the room and sat down across from him, resting her hands on the table. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did," Ethan said, his eyes meeting hers for the first time. "He doesn't get to talk about you like that."

Grace's expression softened, but there was a flicker of something else in her eyes - concern maybe, or doubt.

"I appreciate it, Ethan. Really. But I don't want you to fight my battles for me."

"I'm not fighting for you," Ethan said, his voice firm. "I'm fighting because what he said wasn't true. And because... you mean a lot to me, Grace. More than I know how to say."

The words hung between them, heavier than either of them expected.

Grace's cheeks flushed, and she looked down at her hands. "You mean a lot to me too, Ethan. But I don't want you to do things like this because you feel like you have to prove something to me. You don't."

"I wasn't proving anything," Ethan said. "I just... I care about you. And I'm not going to let anyone treat you like that."

Her eyes met his again, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Finally, Grace smiled faintly.

"Thank you."

Ethan nodded, the tension in his chest easing slightly.

Later that night, as Ethan lay in bed, he replayed the confrontation in his mind. Part of him regretted it - the attention, the whispers, the way Josh's words still echoed in his head. But then he thought about Grace. The way her voice softened when she thanked him. The way she'd looked at him like was someone worth believing in. And that terrified him as much as it gave him hope.

A/N:

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