hidden | ethma

ten

i cross my arms over my chest at aaron. it's been an entire week since he left in the middle of our date, and he's barely called me. to say i'm upset is an understatement. he smiles at me apologetically. 

"want to explain yourself?" i ask, leaning against my doorframe. 

"i know you're probably pissed to the max, em, but i've been swamped. flu season is starting, you know." 

i sigh. "i guess i just feel like you don't make time for me." i hate the whiny tone in my voice. 

aaron's eyes soften and he takes my hand. "i'll try harder, i promise. soon i'll be on break and we can spend every day together." 

a smile creeps onto my face. "okay," i say meekly and aaron pulls me into a hug, kissing my cheek. 

i hear rustling and i open my eyes over aaron's shoulder to meet vivid hazel ones. i pull away from aaron quickly. 

ethan grins, dropping his keys into his pocket. "afternoon, em," he says. 

aaron looks between me and ethan, and back again.

ethan looks at aaron and his smile grows. "you must be aaron," he says. "i'm ethan." he reaches out to shake aaron's hand. "i've heard so much about you." 

i internally cringe. aaron shakes ethan's hand.  "and i've heard nothing about you..." aaron shifts his gaze to me. 

"emma and i work together and we also happen to be neighbors. isn't that right?" 

i look at my feet. after a successful week of ignoring ethan, i'd thought he had gotten the message that i really don't want to associate with him. 

"oh," aaron says. "very nice." 

"so i hear you're a medical intern?" 

oh god. 

"yes." 

"that's very interesting." 

i'm afraid to look up from my feet. 

"what sort of work do you do?" 

"anywhere they need help, really." 

"ever do any work on the heart?" 

"no, actually. i'm not too interested in cardiology." 

"i thought you said you worked anywhere they need help." 

"i do, but i haven't worked on the heart. not yet, anyway." 

"i see." 

"what do you do?" 

"i work in accounting." 

"wow." 

"you don't work," i interject. "you just bother me." 

aaron looks at ethan. "he bothers you?" he asks me, his tone cold. 

"no, not like that, aaron. he throws paper at me, though." 

ethan smiles crookedly. 

aaron looks at me. "well, we have a place to be, so i'll see you around, ethan." 

"all right. have a good night." i'm surprised at ethan's friendliness. 

aaron takes my hand and we begin to walk down the hall. 

"oh, emma?" 

i turn and look at ethan, aaron stopping as well. 

"if anything should come up, i'd be glad to give you a ride again." ethan smirks, his eyes mean. 

i blush. 

"what does he mean?" aaron asks. 

"nothing," i snap. i tug aaron's arm and we get into the elevator, the doors dinging shut behind us. 

i'm admittedly furious at ethan. how dare he say that in front of aaron? i can only imagine what aaron is thinking. 

dinner goes smoothly and aaron drops me home, kissing me at the door. he hasn't asked me about what ethan said to him before we left, and for that i'm glad. 

we say our goodbyes at the door. he smiles at me and kisses my cheek before turning and starting to walk down the hall. he stops and looks back at me.

"emma, do me a favor?" 

"sure." 

"stay away from ethan." 

his request takes me by surprise. "what?" 

"i don't trust him. just... keep your distance, alright?" 

i nod. "i don't like him, anyway." 

aaron smiles. "good. see you later, emma." 

i watch him get onto the elevator and the doors shut. as soon as he's out of sight, i storm across the hall and pound on ethan's door. 

ethan opens the door, astonished at my intensity. "emma?" 

"how dare you say you gave me a ride in front of aaron? he thinks i'm cheating on him or something!" 

ethan half smiles. "it was just an offer, em. no need to get pissy." 

"god, stop calling me em!"

ethan folds his arms over his chest, "and if i don't?" he challenges.

i take a breath. "then... then..." 

he smiles coolly. 

"you're such an asshole, ethan. you go out of your way to make me crazy, and i'm sick of it. why don't you just leave me alone?" 

he steps back, eyes flashing at my words. anger quickly engulfs his features. "all right, i'll leave you alone, emma. but i'll tell you something. aaron's hiding something." 

"what the hell do you know? and why do you even care?" i ball my hands into fists, "aaron would never hurt me!" 

"oh, please. i could not give a shit if aaron hurts you!" 

something inside of me deflates. se's so disdainful, it shocks me, i turn and walk back into my apartment, slamming the door. 

i could not give a shit if aaron hurts you.

good. i wouldn't need ethan if aaron hurt me, anyway.