ethma | e.d+e.c (completed)

twenty-six (part I)

a few days later...

Ethan's POV:

I walk up the tiny stairs to her porch and approach the front door. I tighten my fists on my side and inhale deeply, trying to calm myself down.

I rub my face with my hands, before ringing the doorbell for a brief second. Immediately regretting it.

"Fuck me," I say under my breath, wanting to throw myself off a cliff.

I hear a muffled 'I'm coming' behind the door, knowing it's Emma. My heart starts beating even faster, making me feel times more anxious.

She opens the door, causing me to look up from the ground, only to be greeted with her big beautiful smile.

"What a surprise, E!" she exclaims and hugs me tightly. I wrap my arms around her waist and hold her tightly, almost forgetting what I was here for.

She tilts her head towards me and kisses me. I hesitate for a second, before kissing her back. Times like this really make me appreciate what I have.

I pull back a little faster than usual, but hope she doesn't notice. She looks up at me and her eyebrows narrow in confusion.

"Oh, don't be shy, Oliv won't give a fuck," just as she says that my heart jumps, making me take a look into her house.

Olivia peaks out the door, before coming towards us, smiling warmly. The same feelings, they just won't go away.

"Hi, Mr Dolan," she says as she puts her hands on her hips, standing next to the door.

And somehow, for some unknown reason, the setting sun shines right in her eyes, turning them crystal clear.

I gulp and reach my hand to shake hers. "Hi-"

"Come here," she cuts me off and moves away my hand, going in for a hug.

I hug her back, towering over her and almost engulfing her. I sigh in her shoulder and close my eyes.

"Nice to see you again," she pulls away, taking me aback, making me immediately miss her presence.

"Yeah, me too," my mouth curves up as my eyes wonder around her face.

"So, what are you doing here?" Emma asks, grabbing my hand and interwining our fingers.

I snap my head quickly towards her, "oh, yeah, I, uh," I look at Olivia, then back at Emma, "wanted to talk to you... about something."

"Don't be anxious, she was just about to go home anyways, you can tell me," she sends me a small smile and I look at Olivia.

"Yeah, I'm not going to bother you guys," she chuckles and takes her jacket off the hanger, before putting it on.

She flips her hair out of the jacket, "I'm goin-"

"You don't have to go," I say, interrupting her. They both look at me. I didn't mean to say that, I swear to fucking god.

"No, no, that's your personal business," she insists and hugs Emma, "you better text me, bitch."

"Of course," they wave at each other and then at me. I wave slowly, still mad at myself.

"Let's go in, it's getting dark."

"O-oh, yeah, you're right."

-

She plops down on her bed and crosses her legs, as always. I sit on the edge and look down at my hands.

While I contemplate if I should tell her or not, I feel her moving and sitting beside me.

She leans forwards to look at my face, then frowns. "What's wrong, baby?" She holds gently my cheek, not moving her eyes off my face.

I look at her, but can't hold eye contact. The guilt builds up inside me, making my stomach turn and knot up.

I chew on my lip and close my eyes, exhaling. "Emma...I," I pause, thinking of a better way to say it.

"Tell me," she whispers softly, "we're gonna find a way out," she rubs my bicep up and down, trying to find a way to call me down.

"Emma, I... I need a break," I say, almost inaudibly. Her hand freezes. I look down and fiddle with my fingers, not wanting to see her reaction.

She doesn't say anything. A minute or two pass and I finally grow the balls to look up at her.

She's just staring at the ground, not moving a single muscle. I look back down and right after she speaks up.

"Why?" she takes her hand off me and fixes her position, hugging her knees.

"There's something stopping me," I say as I look everywhere in the room, but not her direction.

"Stopping you from what? What do you mean?" her voice cracks the littlest at the end, tearing my heart even more.

"Stopping me from being with you."