"Just friends"

Chapter 7

Ethan's POV:

She lays her head on my chest and I enclose her in a hug. This girl is going to be the death of me. She pulls away and I can see that she knows that this shouldn't be happening.

"I guess this is goodbye." She says slowly.

"Why? Please don't."

"What about Liv and George?"

"I don't know. I really don't."

"So what happens now?" She looks at me and then looks away again.

"I'm not leaving you."

"I think you're going to have to."

"Well it's not happening so don't even say it." I say strongly. She sighs and walks back onto the path.

"Look, I know how I feel about this but-"

"How do you feel then?" I interrupt.

"I feel like-" she pauses. "I feel like you're the only one I can trust."

"You can trust me."

"How do you feel then?"

"You're different. You just make me feel something."

"It's hard for me to get attached but you are making it so hard not to love you."

"You love me?"

She blushes and looks away. I can tell she doesn't know what to say.

"After everything that happened with Angus I just couldn't commit to anything. I was scared it would happen again." She whispers.

I know what she's talking about. Her ex.

"I won't hurt you." I run my hand along her arm and pause at her scar.

"He said the same and look what happened." She mumbles.

"What did happen?" I ask softly. She pulls her arm away slowly and takes a deep breath.

"I told him that i was moving away. He didn't like that and told me not to go whilst he was crying. Obviously I had to move so I told him that and-" she stops and tears start rolling down her cheeks.

I pull her into my chest and wipe her tears away.

"And what?" I ask her.

"He told me he'd leave me if I moved. So I told him that I loved him and asked him not to. He got angry that I was moving and pinned me against the wall. I got away but as I ran he smashed a bottle in anger and threw it. I don't think it was supposed to hit me but it did."

She looks at the scar and quickly covers it. I can tell that she really loved this Angus guy.

"I'm sorry. You know if he did that to you, he probably didn't love you."

"I know, I just wished he did."

"Why? Can't you love me?" I say.

"I don't know."

"Why? I'm so different!" I shout. She takes a step back and crosses her arms across her chest.

"Calm down?" She says softly.

"No. I don't understand why you can't see this!" I walk towards her and lift my hand up. I brush the hair out of my eyes and open them again to reveal Sophie covering her face.

"You thought I'd hit you?" My voice cracks as I say it. She slowly removes her hands and nods.

"Oh Sophie no. No no no. Never." I start crying at the thought that someone has broken her so much that she can't trust anyone.