The known stranger

6. Going places

Ethan caught my hand and began dragging me out, "wait, what are you doing?" I panicked but he seemed too impatient to take me out of there, I was going to shout but he threw me a look that made me seal my mouth, I looked back at Julian who followed us silently, he looked a bit shaken himself.

Ethan dragged both of us into a dark alleyway and pressed me against the cold stone wall, he looked into my eyes with such intensity that the air in my surroundings felt short of oxygen.
"Ella" he whispered my name and leaned in, making my heartbeat go into frenzy "do you trust me?" He asked me with pleading eyes.

Did I trust him ?

I opened my mouth to say something but his gaze made me feel too flustered to speak so I lowered my eyes, I hated him for having that effect on me.
"I practically don't know you Ethan" I said meekly, but something inside me screamed that I did, I didn't know when or how but I had began trusting him and that made me feel a little scared for myself.

He placed his thumb under my chin and made me look at him slowly "but do you trust me Ella?" He whispered, his eyes were demanding, I nodded even though a rational part of my brain was still reluctant.

He exhaled, "then we need to leave this town, right now".
"But why" I panicked, "Ella" he licked his lower lip, I felt distracted by how soothing my name sounded when it rolled out of his tongue, I needed to record it and listen it to sleep.

"I promise to explain everything but we need to get going" he said, "but what about Emily?" I couldn't leave her alone, she was practically a child, "She'll be safe as long as you don't go near her" he said and it broke my heart a little to hear that, I just nodded and looked away trying to hold back tears, he cupped my face and made me look at him "Ella, I promise that nothing bad shall befall on you or Emily and we won't be gone for long" he inched closer "okay" I breathed out.
We were frozen for a second but he turned around to speak to Julian, they talked in hushed tones whereas I leaned on the wall behind me, hyperventilating, thinking whether I should act stupid enough to go with him or not, Julian gave me a slightly encouraging smile before leaving.

Ethan outstretched his hand towards me, I took it hesitatingly.

He led us to his car and opened the door for me, I looked at the eatery in front of me while sitting down, inside of the little shop wasn't visible to my naked eyes through the black glass but I wasn't shocked.

He climbed the driver's and began driving, "where are you taking me" he was silent "and why" I came across more confident than I had expected to be.

"Do you believe in supernatural Ella" he asked calmly.

"I wouldn't go as far as saying no, but I would like some evidence" I said after pondering for a few seconds.

"Have you noticed...a few things" he said silently.

My pulse rose slowly at first, then my heart was beating so rapidly inside my chest I thought I was going to vomit it out, is this when he finally kills me ?

"Like you being different from others?" he threw a quick glance at me "you found me in the woods, sitting on that goddamned branch out of nowhere, you made my head injuries heal magically, you have amazing senses, you move faster than others" I recalled him being there behind me within seconds when that vase fell on my leg.

"In fact" I whispered silently "I think I even saw you as a child in my dream once" he looked at me briefly before averting his gaze back to the road, "what was the dream?" He asked.

"Why should I tell you?" I challenged.

"Please Ella" he begged, I sighed.

"I was looking for someone I called flower " I looked at him, his gaze was fixed on the road but I saw his grip harden on the steering wheel "then in the dream I started recalling how I found a little boy in a flower field and brought him home, he asked me to call him Ethan, Ethan Theodore" I looked at him.