hidden | ethma

sixty three

light smut warning ??? idk enjoy
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fear engulfs me as i read the message five, then ten times over. 

"games? what does he mean?" my voice shakes. 

"come inside." ethan says, his voice surprisingly calm as he ushers me into my apartment. 

he shuts the door behind him as i go into panic mode. 

"how could he have known? oh my god. he's going to find us, and he's going to-" 

"emma, calm down so i can think." ethan begins to pace. 

i close my mouth, my bottom lip trembling slightly. the silver pistol from my dream flashes through my mind. 

"he knows we talked to crystal, somehow. and he wants to find us — you, more specifically," he says, his brow furrowed in thought. 

anxiety rips through my like a knife and my breathing accelerates. 

i shake my head. "i can't stay here," i say, walking briskly past ethan and into my bedroom. 

"what are you talking about?" ethan follows me, watching confusedly as i pull my suitcase from under my bed. 

"i'm going to fly back home," i decide suddenly. 

something about the text we received made me finally snap. 

"are you insane?" 

"yes, maybe." i walk to my closet to pull out clothes. i don't know why i've decided to go home, but i know i'll be a paranoid wreck if i stay here much longer. 

"how long will you stay there?" ethan asks, observing me as i carelessly throw shirts and jeans into my suitcase. 

i sigh, running a hand through my hair. "for good," i say finally. "yeah, for good. i should have never moved here, all it's brought is fear and paranoia." 

"emma, think about what you're saying." 

"i am, i am thinking about it. crystal has minor offices in california, i could work there and live at home until i find a new place. i'll sell this one and everything will be okay again." my heart beats fast as i make spur of the moment decisions. 

"what about wolfe? what about the alliance?" 

"you guys are obviously better off without me, when i'm not here to fuck things up," i say, grabbing a pair of jeans from my closet. 

"that's not true." 

"oh, really? you've made it clear before that before i came into your life, everything was fine and normal and routine." i toss a blouse onto my bed. "if i go, everything will be restored in your life, it'll be like i was never even here." 

"no, it won't." ethan furrows his brow. 

"look, i don't know why you're trying to stop me from leaving, it's not like you give a shit about me." i throw socks onto the growing pile of clothes on my bed.