Him

Unexpected Arrival

When I come to I find I'm back in Ethan's room. When I open my eyes I look around and find he's not in the bed with me.

"Ethan!" I cry out in panic. I hear the medicine cabinet slam shut and in an instant Ethan crawls up next to me laying his arm across my chest, pulling into me in a fetal position.

"Shhhh it's alright I'm here."

I sigh in relief. I would've been so dazed if he hadn't been here.

"Im sorry. I've never in my life passed out before! That was just too much for me I've never experienced anything like that."

"No Javontae don't apologize. I should've never put you in danger like that. You could've got hurt with all the people that were tailing us. It's all on me."

Following his words I think about the text my mom has sent me earlier.

"It's okay Ethan...but anyways, so my mom told me she's moving out some where else and wants to know if I'm coming. I know this might be a reach but, is there any way I can maybe stay with you permanently?"

He gets overly excited at this thought and immediately climbs on top of me. Straddling me, bouncing up and down like an excited puppy.

"Ugh Ethan please, let me recuperate this shit hurts."

"Sorry baby," he says in return as he slowly slides off of me back into a fetal position.

"But yes! Of course you can stay with me. I'd love that so much, I'll never have to worry about you not being with me ever again. You basically already live with me you've been here 95% of the time this last month anyways."

He's right. I'm never really in Seattle anymore so this transition won't be all that hard.

"Oh and by the way....so remember I told you we were just renting this place? Well we gotta leave in about a week. Gray came back while you were out and took all his stuff. He said he's going back to Jersey until I "figure my shit out" so I don't know what to do. I guess you and I can just get an apartment together?"

Live together.....with Ethan.....in our own apartment.

It's just a dream come true. I can really start fresh out here in La. A new relationship, I can make new friendships, start a new career if I please. But I don't want him to think I'm taking advantage of him.

"As much as I'd love that...I don't have any income Ethan. I would have nothing to offer and I'd hate for you to have to take care of me-"

"Javontae, I love taking care of you trust me it's no problem. I've done it the last month. I really don't mind."

"I know you don't mind Ethan but I don't know. I don't want it to seem like I'm using you or just mooching. I have so much to offer you but I just don't want to feel like I have no monetary value to bring to the table."

"Babe, you're dating an entrepreneur. I have millions in my account there's no reason either of us have to work for like the next 10 years. Don't think of yourself as relying on me and if you think about it, you helped me get what I have so let me return all the years of loyalty you've dedicated to me."

I pause slightly before I let a muffled "okay" release from my mouth.

It was a plan, we are moving in together and I quickly let my mom know.

~ ~

It was a brand new day and the search for a new apartment begins. As Ethan and I are getting ready I hear a knock on the front door.

"Yo Javontae can you get that?" Ethan's yells from the shower.

I leave the room and proceed to the front door. I open it without looking through the peep hole and my body is stricken with a panic that I haven't felt in ages.

It's Lisa, Ethan's mom. Ethan is the spitting image of her.

"Ah so you must be the Javontae tearing my sons relationship apart!"

She smiles at me, her smile is wide just like Ethan's.

"Oh I'm just kidding my love come here!"

She reaches towards me for a hug so I put one limp arm around her back as my body refuses to function properly as this was a surprise Ethan completely set me up for unexpectedly.

She starts to walk inside and she proceeds to put her stuff in the living room and walks to the kitchen to go make herself a cup of coffee.

"So Ethan has told me a lot about you. Even says he loves you."

I gulp before I reply. Not knowing if she already hates me or if she already loves me since she very clearly has heard stories about me from both Ethan and Grayson.

"Yeah we've gotten really close in the last month. It's funny, I actually used to be a fan of his but we just started talking more and now we're at where we're at."

Smiling at the end of my response as I felt the ice in the room finally starting to break as her smile at me seemed more geninine the more I talk.

"I'm sorry about him and Grays relationship by the way. I never meant for any of that to happen. I've just been doing what Ethan wants I didn't think it would put a wedge in their relationship like this."

"*pft* don't worry about it! They fight all the time. Ethan does what he wants, Grayson gets mad and comes home and they make up within weeks. It happens every couple of months I'm used to this behavior."

I chuckle in response. I was thinking so deeply about how screwed up their relationship was becoming over me just to realize it's actually not about me at all.

It's just a them thing.

She makes her way back to the couch and pats her hand on the empty seat next to her signaling me to come sit next to her and I comply.

"So, do you really love my son? How do we know you're not in it for the money? You know, we didn't even know Ethan liked guys. I mean, he's never really had serious girlfriends but we figured it was because he's been so busy with chasing his dreams."

"Well he actually told me he's never liked guys before until me and trust me, I do love him a lot Mrs.dolan. I actually don't really care for his social status or his financial independence. The feeling I have when I'm with him is from such a pure place. I mean think about it. I was a fan for years! I don't want anything from him but his love and affection. All the other stuff are just add ons."

She puts a hand on my shoulder, rocking my body back forth as she looks at me up a down with that same grin on her face. Probably analyzing me to make sure I'm good enough for her flawless son.

Ethan then walks into the room shirtless.

"Mom?!"

"Hey kiddo! So what's the plan?"