A Concept {E.G.}

20.

Ethan immediately let go of my hand and rushed to the bike that was propped up in the living room. A smile plastered on his face, he attempted to speak many times when shock took over his body.

"I-I can't, I'm at a loss for words, I-"

"Don't worry about it." Grayson winked.

"You did this?" I looked up to Grayson who was leaning against the couch.

He nodded his head and looked to Ethan who stared in shock.

"Grayson, how could you afford this?!"

"College fund. You're more important right now, and since your truck is totally smashed, I figured you'd like this better."

"What if it rains?" Cameron asked.

Ethan chuckled, "you ride anyway." He continued walking around the bike, looking in amazement.

"Grayson, I love you man." He gave him the biggest hug. I smiled thinking of how sweet it was of Grayson to get him such a cool gift, especially with his money he had saved up.

"Yeah, no problem." Gray chuckled, putting his hands in his pockets after they pulled away from the hug.

"I gotta heal up so I can ride this." Ethan looked to me with a huge smirk plastered on his face, causing a smile to grow on mine. His beautiful brown eyes glistening with thrill and excitement.

(Later that evening)

"Okay, Ethan, I'm heading out." I huff as I grab my stuff together.

He looked up from his binder of make up work and set it down beside him, "I'll drive you."

"You don't have a car."

Ethan grabbed a pair of keys in the kitchen, "My parents do."

I rolled my eyes and stopped him in his tracks, "Ethan, you can't just take their car without asking and I'm not sure you should be driving at all."

"I asked them this morning. We're fine, baby." He pulled my waist closer to him and kissed my forehead as we walked out of the front door.

*

We pulled up to my house, the car rolling to a slow stop. "Alright, will you be at school tomorrow?" I looked up to Ethan who shook his head no with his lips pursed. I nodded my head and unbuckled my seat belt.

"Kiss?"

I smiled and leaned over to him, planting a gentle kiss on his lips. As our lips departed, I felt a hand behind my head pulling me in again, this time deeper and longer. I could feel an intimacy growing between us like we were the only ones existing. There was a certain fire that I couldn't explain, a heat that's threatening to spark. Moments of wanting him closer came in waves like the ocean, crashing against me as I tried to fight it. The smell of his cologne took over my senses as I admired the husky smell that made him all the more desirable. The hand that was once behind my head drifted to my back, pulling me in- only satisfying my desires.

A clearing of the throat distracted us as we pulled back immediately, realizing it was my mom. "It's cold out, Evelyn, I think it's time to come inside."

I nodded my head and grabbed my bag as I turned to look at Ethan who gave me a wink. I did everything in my power not to blush as I got out of the car, shutting the door behind me. A hand was placed behind my back as my mom wrapped herself tighter in her shawl, guiding me into the house. "Come on, dear. There's something Dad and I need to talk to you about."

I looked to her and back to the front door where Dad was standing there with a worried look on his face that he tried to hide with a smile. I suspiciously walk inside the house as I heard Ethan drive off. I think of all the bad things I've done so far, did they find something? I went through all the options that could've happened and none of them seemed right.

"You know I love you, right, little one?" He asked with a hopeful smile.

"Yes.." My body felt weak as my mother sat beside me and rubbed my back gently. She grabbed my hand and held it tighter than she has in a long time.

"It's just, you know, I haven't been feeling right. Little things that would happen during the day that would feel weird, and- and I would take some Advil and things would be fine." My dad coughed, what I'm assuming was in attempts to hide something.

"But, uh, a couple weeks ago I had seen a doctor for a check up, and he took my blood and all." I nodded my head, afraid of what was soon to come.

"Turns out something isn't right with my blood. Lots of doctor-science talk, but your old man's not doing too good."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, attempting to remain calm.

"I have to go see another doctor in New York, some kind of specialist that says he can try to reverse some damage that I've got going on. I don't understand a lot of it, but I know everything's going to be okay."

My mind wraps itself around the situation, my dad staying quiet to let me think. I could feel my hand being held tighter as I'm pulled into my mother's side. Tears by this point falling from my eyes, landing onto my jeans. The room became silent and cold, what was once a home was now something strange that I didn't understand. I contracted my limbs to my body, curling up in a ball into my mom. Things felt so empty, so confusing, so strange.

"I'm never leaving you. I swore the day I found out your mother was pregnant with you, and I'm keeping it."

My father? Dead? That was never something I'd dream of so early in my life. What happens if he does die?

Who's going to take care of mom while I'm at college? Am I going to college? Is he going to see me graduate?

Will he ever walk me down the aisle at my wedding? Will he ever meet my children one day and watch them grow with me?

Is there any chance I can watch his casket lower without my age having the word "teen" in it?

Thoughts continued to travel through my head as I noticed I hadn't said anything to him. How can I? I don't know if anything I have to say is good enough for this moment.

It leaves me standing up from the couch, both of my parents' eyes on me as I slowly made my way to my dad embracing him in a hug. The tightest I could ever give.

Who knows,

I might never get this chance again.

(A/N- I have returned from the dead! I seem to be doing that a lot lately. With summer coming, I'll have more time to write :) thank you guys for always being so lovely and supportive. It always means to much to me when I see this book grow. I promise, better things are coming. In life, and this book. Sometimes, you have to get through the bad to REALLY see what you have in front of you. You are cherished and loved. Peace.)