Company || e.d

22. Tell Me Everything

Ethan's P.O.V
"I have Leukemia."

I hear Ashley's whispered words and they hit me like a semi truck. Suddenly, my breath is caught in my throat and it takes me a few moments to remember how to speak.

"N-no... you can't. Ashley, no." I hear myself choke out, my voice sounding strangled and desperate against her neck.

"I'm... I'm so sorry Ethan. We...can just talk about this l-later. Just...get some sleep babe." I hear Ashley reply in between heart-breaking sobs.

"N-no. I want to talk about it right now. Tell me everything. P-please Ashley. I need to know." I say quietly while fighting back tears of my own.

I feel Ashley shiver and break down into another fit of sobs, so I wrap my arms tighter around her and hold her. She clutches to my arms and holds on like her life depends on it and cries until she can't anymore.

Ashley's P.O.V
It feels like I've been crying for hours once my tears stop flowing. After I finally calm down, my whole body feels empty. Without Ethan here holding me, I would surely fall off the couch. His arms are like a life preserver while I'm drowning in the ocean.

"Are you sure you want know my story Ethan?" I whisper against the soreness of my throat.

Ethan doesn't say anything for a moment. I wait patiently for his reply while trying to sort the story out in my head first. Soon, I feel his grip around my body loosen and his body shift so I'm tucked into his side and he can see my face. He takes his free hand and grabs my own. Ethan's other arm that I'm slightly laying on moves slightly so that his hand can play with my hair. I'm not sure whether it's to calm me or him down. Or maybe the both of us.

"Please Ash." He whispers back, his face showing a look of pain and desperation that makes me want to cry again, even though my body is devoid of any more tears.

"Okay baby, I'll tell you." I reply quietly.

"So, it all started half a month ago when I was driving home from school. I was on my way home and then I got a call from my mom asking me to buy some bread for her. Then, I must have been distracted or something because I woke up in the hospital a few hours later with my mom at my side. When the doctor came in, I was expecting to hear him tel me I had a couple broken bones or something but he told me I had a concussion and stage four leukemia instead." I pause when I hear Ethan's sharp intake of breath, before it turns into a deep sigh. I grab his hand because I know the next part is going to crush him.

"He said that the car accident was how they found the cancer because leukemia shows symptoms that are like the flu and is hard to tell the difference. After he told me this, he uh he told me that I only have 3 months left to live if treatment doesn't work." I hear Ethan sob quietly, but he squeezes my hand and nods his heat to urge me to continue. "After that they started me on chemotherapy to kill the bad cells in my blood and attack the damaged bone marrow. I was asleep for like two days after the treatment and I woke up to my mom telling me someone was going to look after me from now on when she was at work. I was so pissed at her because I'm seventeen and I could take care of myself. When I opened the door I was expecting some weird tall skinny guy with too much acne and no sense of humor or fun." Ethan laughs between his cries.

"Then everything felt fine when you came and watched movies with me, well you watched the movies and I fell asleep. Until we went to the party and I started drinking and drinking because I felt so insecure because almost every girl had their eyes on you and Grayson and threw glares at me. Then we played truth or dare and I had to kiss you and everyone saw and I got so upset because I knew I couldn't start anything with you because my cancer. So then I drank again and again. By that time I was wasted and upset and some asshole dared me to kiss Grayson too. That's all I remember before waking up in your arms the next morning. I must have passed out from the cancer and inebriation. So, we went to the doctor for what you thought was a check up, but I got a scolding from my oncologist and my second dose of chemo. Normally, I stay in the hospital for a while after my treatment because the side effects are powerful, but I thought I could do it because you were there and never told you why I was. I don't remember much about how I got home besides you bringing me."

After a pause and couple deep breaths I wrap the story up. "While you were gone, I had two more doses of chemo and I slept and cried a lot. And that gets us to where we are now."

He doesn't say anything for a while but cries while I wait for his response.

After an hour I speak up, "Ethan please say something..."

A/N: Wow I updated in reasonable time. Good job, Faith. But seriously, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and please tell me what you think with comments or votes if you want. Oh and I hope you liked the edit of Ethan cuz I did it myself at 3AM yesterday. And thank you all for 818 reads!!! Omg it's 106 more than 3 days ago and I'm so shook. Like if I could hug all of you I would. I will update again very soon. So, thanks again and I love you guys!

Teaser: Ethan wastes no time