Alps ✰ Ethma

SIXTEEN

Emma Pov.

Ding. I sighed, rolling over in my sleep while keeping my eyes shut. Ding. I groaned, pulling the many covers further up onto my body. Ding. "What the fuck?" I whispered to myself, opening my eyes & patting around blindly for my phone. Ding. I felt the rectangular device that was half under a blanket & yanked it over so that it was in front of my face. I clicked the power button & cringed slightly, scrunching up my face at the bright light that the screen emitted. I first looked at the time; 4:27 a.m. What the hell? I normally get up like three hours later. Ding. Who the fuck is texting me at four in the morning?! I scrolled up with my thumb, unlocking my phone & tapping on the messaging app. I looked at the chat box at the top & my blurry morning vision finally focused on who was texting me; Ethan. I immediately sat up, forgetting about the three extra hours of sleep I could be getting right now. I read the many messages that were sent by him;

Hates Me: emma?

Hates Me: emma plz answer

Hates Me: emma plz

Hates Me: emma I'm a pussy I'm scared plz answer

Hates Me: EMMA PLZ IDK WHAT TO DO I CAN'T SLEEP & I'M SCARED IDK Y

read; 4:29 a.m.

My eyebrows knitted together & I was about to type a reply but then my phone screen went a darker color & it started ringing while showing Ethan's contact name that I made for him back when he would make my life a living hell. I slid my finger on the green phone icon & pressed my phone to my ear, about to say something but before I could, Ethan started talking rapidly. "Emma I don't know what to do my dad is home again and he keeps coming in my room so I pretend I'm sleeping every time and I can't sleep and I don't know what to do what if he comes in and I'm not sleeping and he beats me again I can't take it I don't know what to d-" He rambled but I cut him off. "Ethan, Ethan, calm down okay?" I suggested, my voice coming out lower than usual since I just woke up. The other end of the line went silent for a moment. "I-I'm scared." I then heard him say quietly & I frowned. I sighed, throwing the covers off of myself & standing up to walk towards my closet in the dark. "Hold on, I'm coming over." I said, tucking the phone in between my head & my shoulder as I pulled on a pair of blue skinny jeans. "You don't have to if you don't want to I'm just being a little bitch I just don't wanna get bea-" He started to ramble again & I cut him off again, "Ethan. If you're truly scared I'll come over and stay with you, it's fine." I explained & the end of his line went silent again, the only thing to be heard was his deep & shaky breathing. "Okay." He said quietly & I nodded to myself, setting the phone down on my dressed & putting it on speaker as I pulled on a green 'Champion' hoodie. "Where's Gray?" I asked, half hoping that maybe Grayson could sleep with Ethan so that I could go back to bed. But then again, him & Ethan don't seem to get along too much anymore. "Spent the night at Alex's." Was his response. "Figures." I replied, grabbing the phone after putting on some deodorant & a spritz of perfume. I heard a noise from the other end of the line & Ethan's breath hitch loudly. "E-emma?" Ethan said quietly. "It's okay Ethan, breathe. I'm leaving right now. Be there soon." I assured him & heard him let out a breath. "Okay." He whispered & I hung up the phone, grabbing my backpack as I was down the flight of stairs now.

I pushed open the front door & shut it quietly behind me, making sure not to wake up my dad in case he was home. I sprinted to my car, escaping from the cold outside air as I hopped into the warmer vehicle & shoved the key into the ignition.

It was a surprisingly short ride to the Dolan's house. I also hadn't gotten any texts or calls from Ethan on the way which was shocking. When does the drama end? It used to always happen to me but it's like I passed it onto Ethan & his is way worse. I parked my inferior car at the end of the driveway, just in case Lisa or Sean had to leave; considering both of their vehicles were sitting in all of their glory in the middle of the driveway. I tossed my backpack onto my hack & threw my hair up into a quick messy bun as I kicked my car door shut. I fanned out my bun slightly as I walked, then stuffing my freezing hands into the warmth of the pocket on my hoodie. My teeth chattered & I saw a cold cloud of my breath in front of me as I stepped up the cement steps that led to the front door. I raised my hand up to knock as an instinct but then dropped it, remembering what happened yesterday with Ethan's father. Sean probably would not let me in. I took a deep breath of stealth & set my hand on the frozen metal of the door handle, turning it slowly. Once I heard the quiet click inside of the mechanical lock, I pushed the door open & shut it behind me silently. I walked lightly across the wooden floor, making my way over to the bottom of the staircase that was also wooden. I stepped up the stairs as quietly as possible, trying to ignore the creaks of a few loose steps. I paused for a moment at the top of the stairs, looking down the hallway to make sure that nobody was going to see me.