When It Mattered ✔️

T W O

T W O
~*~*~*~
"But if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing's changed at all?"
— Bastille, Pompeii
~*~*~*~

"Ethan." His name slipped out of my lips like it was a breath I had been holding in for too long.

The same lips that caused my body to lose all strength once upon a time --His same lips, turned up into a familiar yet changed smirk, "It's good to see you again, Gracie. I didn't think you'd remember me after all these years." His blue eyes sparkled as they held mine captive like a crook in the night.

My head felt heavy. Everything felt heavy. Ethan was here? Why was Ethan here? Ethan was the one who saved me?

Ethan saved me.

"Wow," I closed my eyes, the blood in my head rushing so fast I could hear it like waves crashing onto the sand. "I think my brain just explodededdded." My voice was blunt as I opened an eye to make sure I wasn't going mad.

"Still here," he smiled brightly, jumping to his feet before holding a hand out to me. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere less overwhelming."

"Is that the pick-up line you chose after all of that time to think about it?" I teased light-heartedly, still feeling weak from the nights unfolding events.

He snickered with an amused head shake as he leaned down closer to me, "I have epic pick-up lines now, you don't even know." He ruffled my already messy blonde short hair. "We can talk. Catch up and stuff. I haven't seen you in too long, Gracie." He held out his hand again for me to take.

I nodded, that sounded good. Really good. My hand connected to his and sparks that were once long dead combusted under my skin like fireworks. There was the touch I had been missing so much and failing to explain correctly. His grip tightened once I was standing on my two feet, making it clear he wasn't going to let me go. That little touch and all of the few dozens of swaying bodies just disappeared, leaving just the two of us --even if it was just in my mind.

I looked up from my short height of 5'3 to his towering height of six foot something; I wondered if he had grown since last time? It sure felt like it.

His blue eyes held my hazel eyes for a moment longer as his dark eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I won't let anyone ever try to hurt you like that again." He promised under his breath as if to himself. With his free hand, he raised it to my face and gently wiped away what must have been mascara tear lines with his rough thumb.

I probably looked like a kicked trashcan overflowing with garbage right about then... and I definitely should have felt more insecure than I was. But all my mind seemed to care about was that Ethan was there. He was standing right beside me wiping my tears away like the last years without him had never happened. It just felt so normal. Who cared what I looked like? Ethan was there.

Somehow during the time of my quite embarrassingly obvious ogling, Ethan had brought me out of the frat house and to a black motorcycle that made me look at him like he was beyond insane if he expected me to get on that thing.

"Oh I wish," he sighed, placing his hands on my shoulders as he lead me just past the bike and to a large beaten up red pick-up truck that I already knew so well.

My cheeks grew hot as I remembered all of those passion filled nights in the bed of the truck counting stars and making stupendous wishes that had yet to come true. All of the secret meetings and drives. The pranks we pulled and memories we made. It was all so illegal. And all connected to the old beaten up truck.