Just Friends

December 1st

     Since we've been back we've seen our family every day. Ethan picks Madeline up from school while I helped Mum prepare food, and Dad, well, he's always late home from work. He likes to keep out of the way, anyway. Mum can be aggressive if she's disrupted in the kitchen. He sits and reads the newspaper that either has mine or Ethan's face printed in it somewhere. It's gotten to the stage where Mum has given up on saving all the articles of me because there are too many.
     We're leaving tomorrow. I don't want to leave my family again, especially at Christmas. I suppose I've got to return to New York now and prepare myself for Patrick's show. Ethan needs time to sort out his performance for the show as well, that can't be done in a matter of hours. I don't know what preparations he needs to do, but as long as his escape tunnel is there and keeps him safe then that's fine. Ethan hasn't told my parents about Christmas Eve yet, nor have I. We want it to be a surprise. I'm sure every single advert leading up to Christmas will say don't miss our amazing guest stars, and witness Ethan Knight's exhilarating escape from the plummeting hotel. Max and Eleanor will be joining me on the show now, too. She's coming on so we can do some final promotion work for Twisted. I'm glad they're going to be there with me. I'd be a mess otherwise. I wouldn't be able to speak because of the amount of worry running through me. A familiar face by my side would surely help me remain calm. Max will be nervous too, I bet. Now everyone knows who he is they want him to be in the spotlight more often. Eleanor has got Max a job at Hallway magazine. He gets to write reviews on movies. So all he has to do is go to premieres or cinemas and watch films, then say how good they were. That's like the best job ever, isn't it? I'm actually seriously jealous of him. I wish I could do that on the side as well as being an actress. But at least now Max has a proper job and he should hopefully get a proper visa and won't have to fly back home. Jasmine says she knows a representative who will be able to replace him.
     My parents booked today off work so we could all go for a walk by the coast. Hardly the best time of year to plan such a trip with the cold, but we all went anyway. Madeline ran along the vast beach like a dog chasing a flock of seagulls. She was wearing her cute little yellow wellingtons accompanied by her lilac raincoat, as she ran, circling around us all. I kept grabbing her and kissing her when she came too close. Mum and Dad held hands while I'd pinned myself to Ethan because I thought I might come down with a case of hyperthermia. Ethan was wearing a ridiculous orange bobble beanie and a rather large padded winter coat. He may have looked a fool, but at least he was warm. I had enough layers on to protect the whole family, somehow it wasn't enough. Ethan and I stayed on the beach while Mum, Dad and Madeline nipped into the nearest fish and chip shop for lunch.
     "August it's like I'm in the middle of an earthquake with your shivering."
     "Sorry." I mumbled.
     "Come here." He said, pulling me off his arm.
     He unbuttoned his jacket and hugged me, wrapping me in his jacket with him. My cheek pressed against his warm chest, instantly soothing my frozen skin. He was so warm and snuggly, how was this possible? He's literally a walking radiator, and there I was freezing to death with ten times the amount of layers he had on. Ethan rested his chin on the top of my head. I couldn't have wished for anything else more perfect. I only wish the weather was warmer. I nearly drifted off to sleep once I'd stopped shivering.
     "Better?" Ethan asked. His voice was soft.
     I nodded my head against his chest, wiggling my nose to bring it back to life. Ethan was wearing the autumn leaves tie I bought him for our third Christmas together. It's just an image of a stack of fallen leaves on a tie.
     He released his grasp around me momentarily, allowing the chilling cold to chill me once more. He placed his hideous orange on my head, pulling it down over my eyes before tightening his grasp back around, and sealing me back into his warmth.
     "You did that on purpose." I mumbled.
     He laughed and placed his chin back on the top of my head before letting out a sigh.
     "Is it your collarbone?" I asked.
     "The cold makes it feel like I've got an icicle in my collarbone."
     Whenever anything pops up regarding the crash I suddenly feel awful. I still feel responsible somehow.
     "Stop it!" He snapped, shaking me.
     "Whaaaaat?" I groaned.
     "Stop over thinking it, why do you do it?" He squeezed me this time.
     "You died Ethan. I will never be fine about it, will I?" I replied, squeezing him weakly.
     Our heart to heart conversation couldn't be taken seriously by myself due to the fact my sight was blocked by Ethan's gloriously warm, but ridiculous beanie.
     "You're so adorable." He kissed my forehead protected by the beanie.
     Why does he do this? I wanted to shout, Just tell me you love me you moron and stop being so sweet, and stop smelling so good!
     Before I opened my mouth, my Dad shouted from behind us. "Enough of that, thank you!"
     Of all the times to be an over protective Father, he had to choose now.