part of me | e.d

forty-two

ethan just stares at her in shock. 

grayson notices my surprise and looks at the door, too.

"who's that?" he leans in, asking me.

"um, kara's mom." i stand up, grabbing luna from the table. i look at the door again and see ethan crossing his arms telling her to leave.

the second luna sees her, she tenses up almost as if she's afraid of her. i feel her lean in to my chest, holding onto me.

"ethan?" i walk to the doorway of the kitchen.

he looks back at me, still blocking the front door. "rylin, stay in the kitchen."

i furrow my eyebrows at him but listen nonetheless. amy comes to my side.

"what's going on?" she asks me.

i shrug. "i don't know. kara's mom just showed up."

"sandra becker is here?" amy's eyes go wide. i just nod.

when i look back at ethan, i can tell he's getting angry. the vein in his neck is prominent, his biceps straining against his shirt as he crosses his arms.

"here, take luna," i start handing her to amy.

"i can take her," emma runs over and reaches out her hands.

"i asked amy." 

"i'm just trying to be helpful, rylin." she narrows her eyes at me. "what would ethan say?"

i sigh, remembering that i promised ethan i'd try to give her a chance. then i turn to her and hand her luna.

before leaving, i mumble to amy, "watch her." she nods and sits near emma. 

i walk to the front door, where i find sandra shouting at ethan.

"give me luna, ethan! you don't have full custody."

"since kara went to jail, yes i do."

i walk to ethan's side now, and when he sees me, his eyes go wide.

"i told you to stay in the kitchen with luna," he mumbles to me.

"amy and emma are watching her. don't worry."

sandra glares at me. "and who's this? kara's replacement?"

ethan moves me a little behind him protectively. "leave her out of this."

she scoffs and pushes past us, walking through the living room. "i'm tired of this bullshit. where's my grandbaby?"

"you're not getting near her." ethan glares at her.

"you don't get to decide that." 

ethan scoffs. "she's my baby."

"except she's not."

we both freeze. ethan stares at her in confusion. amy, grayson, and emma are standing at the doorway with their jaws dropped.

"w-what are you talking about?" ethan finally manages to say.

sandra smirks. "kara told me that day at the hospital after you left. the DNA test was fake. the hospital you called was fake. she messed with the results to make sure she had you wrapped around her finger."

tears brim ethan's eyes. he shakes his head, looking away from her. "n-no, there's no way that's true."

sandra just laughs. "look who's getting all emotional. and for what? luna is not your baby."

"then whose is she?" emma asks, luna sitting on her hip.

"bradley's."

i walk closer to her. "you're lying. luna looks exactly like ethan."