Cinderella: A Fractured Fairytale

Seventy-Eight

Chapter 78

Ethan's POV

***

Wow.

It was hard to sleep when you had your emotions back after years of feeling nothing.

Not that anyone else knew that.

I had been lying awake for an hour, staring at the stone ceiling and thinking.

Okay.

I'll admit it.

I was thinking about Jovette for most of that time.

There, it's out. I feel a lot better.

Oh, wait. No, I don't.

Lost in thought, I blinked slowly and sat up with a sigh of resignation. It was obvious I would never be able to sleep. Not with all these questions and thoughts spinning through my mind.

I needed to talk to someone.

Still staring absently at nothing, I stood and slowly walked to the door, not sure what I was even doing.

As I opened the door and moved to step out, I ran into someone coming the other way.

"Ouch!" whoever it was exclaimed, stumbling. "That's my foot!"

I glanced up, startled out of my thoughtful reverie, and saw Eric hopping around on one foot in the space in front of me, wincing theatrically. I blinked. "Oh. Sorry..."

He stopped, looking at me. "Wow. Are you okay? Normally, you'd be rolling on the floor laughing at my high-pitched 'ouch'."

A faint smile drew up the corners of my mouth, but that was all the amusement he got. "I guess I was just lost in thought."

"About what?" Eric asked, straightening. Then his eyes glinted with mischief. "Or, should I say, who?"

I turned red. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do, brother," Eric grinned. "I think you know exactly who I'm talking about."

I felt like a tomato.

To my relief, Eric let it go, turning more serious. "I came to see if everything was all right."

"Oh," I said blankly.

He tilted his head. "Is it?"

"Well..." I wasn't sure. "I can't sleep," I ventured. "But I think I just... need to talk."

Eric was beginning to smile again. "Why didn't you say so? I have the perfect person. Come on." He grabbed my arm and tugged my towards the stairwell, pulling me down the stairs with a teasing glint in his eye.

"Oh, no," I groaned, putting a hand to my face as we reached the bottom. "You're going to go get Jovette, aren't you?"

"Well, yes." Eric was trying not to grin. "Is there a problem?"

I chewed on my lip, staring at the floor.

"Is there?" he prompted.

"Well," I mumbled, "I just... I don't know how to talk to her."

The grin won over, and he shot me an innocent look. "You've done it before, haven't you?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then what's the problem?"

"I really didn't have... emotions before," I replied softly. "Now I'll be nervous, and I'm afraid I might... do something stupid."

Eric's expression turned sympathetic. "Okay, I can help. Let's practice right now."

"What?"

"I'll be Jovette, and you be you." Eric's mouth twitched. "And we'll practice."

I stared at him.

"I used to practice on the horses in Father's stable," he continued sheepishly, "but don't tell Ana that. She might get offended if she knew I pretended she was a horse."

I couldn't help it. A snort escaped me.

"Hey, it works!" Eric defended.

"After hearing that, I think I'm okay," I replied, smirking. "I don't think Jovette would appreciate being compared to you."

"Hey, what are you saying about me?" Eric protested, but he was laughing, too.

A smiling voice suddenly cut into our amusement, stopping me in my tracks.

"What wouldn't I appreciate?"

I turned, startled, and looked directly into the hazel eyes of none other than Jovette. She had shown up just in time to hear her name mentioned, apparently.

Just my luck.

"Uh..." I couldn't think of anything to say.

"Nothing," Eric supplied quickly. "But, have you noticed how pretty the sunset is? It's so beautiful, in fact, that it would be a shame to have the two of you miss it. Come on, let's find a-"

"Eric," I groaned, feeling my face redden slightly.

He ignored me and continued talking about the sunset, ushering us through the mansion towards the front door the whole time.

I tried to protest, but Jovette caught my eye. "Ethan." Her voice was quiet; she was blushing, too. But only slightly.

I stopped. "Y-yes?"

She smiled. "Let him do it."

My heart began pounding as I swallowed and nodded. Did this mean she wanted to spend time with me?

I didn't object anymore as Eric let the two of us outside, deposited us on a bench in a garden I hadn't even realized I had, then caught my eye and winked cheekily. "I'm going to go find Ana."

Then he disappeared.

And I was alone in an overgrown rose garden with a beautiful girl.