~ Coachella [A Dolan Twins Fanfiction] ~

~ Chapter Siete [7] ~

a/n: mentions of an abusive relationship. read at your own risk. 

~

I wake up back in the same room, but there is a little more light. A small gas lantern sits in the corner, illuminating the area enough so I could see what was in it. Also known as nothing. 

"Goddammit." I look down at my knees, and someone coughs behind me. My head whips around so quickly I get whiplash and have to shake it off. 

It's Ethan again. "Thanks for that." He says. 

"What?"

"The kick in the groin, of course." He chuckles, and I roll my eyes. 

"No problema, it's my job!" 

For some reason, I really like Ethan. He's not as bad as Alexander, which is already a plus on its own. He's very handsome, and I can tell he's usually an outgoing person. Ethan seems like he'd be a pleasant guy if he wasn't tied with Alex. 

"Why do you work with him?" I ask curiously, cocking my head slightly to the side. Ethan crosses his arms across his chest. 

"Huh?"

"Why do you work with Alexander?" I repeat, searching for an answer. He taps his foot nervously. 

"Money."

"Well, it's gotta be more than just money, to continuously torture and manipulate people for fun." 

"I-" Ethan pauses for a moment to put together a good reply. "To be completely honest, I'm scared of him. He kidnapped me and my brother and blackmailed us until we complied, and he uses the people we love against us." 

I look down at the ground as I speak. "Why don't you just get away, then? Go live in another country, report him to the police?" 

"It's not as easy as that."

"Then how about I make it easy, and you help me out of these handcuffs? I can make an escape plan with you." I offer, but Ethan shakes his head. He points to the opposite corner of the room, where the lantern sits. Straining my eyes against the darkness, I finally see a camera. 

"H-he's watching me?" I stutter unintentionally. I turn back to Ethan, and he nods sadly. I finally see something I didn't see in those hazel eyes before. A young, trapped child, taken advantage of by a man with sick intentions. Ethan was depressed, it was now clear. He was never getting out of this place. 

"Do you need anything?" He asks, walking to the door. I think up a quick reply. I'd rather spend more time with Ethan than the cold-blooded monster named Alexander. 

"Um... Your company." I shoot out. He looks temporarily shocked and confused but makes his way over to me nonetheless, hands in his sweatshirt pocket. 

He just sits down silently on the concrete floor in front of me, legs crisscrossed. I clench my jaw, as the awkward silence was killing me. 

"Where did you grow up?" I make small talk. Ethan looks up at me surprisingly, like he expected an insult or something of the kind. 

"Oh, um, New Jersey." He gives a lopsided smile. "What about you?" 

"Arizona," I say quietly. "How old are you?"