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"Ready?" Ethan asks as he grabs the key to the room from the dusty table near the door and turns around to look at me.
"Yes." I reply as I quickly grab my scarf from the nightstand and walk over to where he's standing. "I should ask you that." I say as I glance up at him with curious, soft eyes.
"Not really." He replies truthfully and darts his tongue out to wet his lips. "But I need to do this nevertheless."
I stop in my tracks and look up at him once again. "Hold up." I speak as I move to stand in front of him, my 5'4 frame nothing compared to his 6'1 towering over me. "You don't need to do this. Only if you're ready, Ethan."
"Well, I don't think I'm ready to face the man that has ruined my mother." He speaks as he sinks his front teeth into his bottom lip, another nervous habit of his. We've already started mirroring each other's behaviors.
"But I want to do this for her. I have to do this to get the answers my mom deserves. And if this is the only way to get them, through meeting him in person without getting my mom involved at all, then so be it. I'm ready." he exhales a shaky breath and runs his fingers through his blonde locks.
I let my eyes wander over his face, empathy dripping from every word I speak. "Okay." I manage to conjure a smile on my face, taking ahold of his face. "I'm here for you, always." I whisper, causing a sigh to fall from his lips, a wave of relaxation washing over him.
"I know." He leans forward, softly placing his lips on mine, sending my heartbeat into a frenzy with the swift yet delicate move. "And I wouldn't want to have it any other way." He murmurs against my lips, letting go of me soon after.
Feeling all tingly with the taste of his lips lingering on mine, I let go of him, only to have him grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers as we walk down the stairs of the motel.
"What about Lexi?" Ethan asks, referring to my best friend that we left behind. I told her we had to meet someone important and she was happy to be able to sleep some more until we returned.
"She'll be fine." I answer with a slight smile as the cold winter air fans over our faces the second we take a step outside, "I don't know if she properly listened to me when I told her, she was half asleep. So, I left a note explaining where we went and when we would be back. Though, she might not even wake up before we return. Depends on how long it'll take us."
Ethan lets out a slight chuckle. "I was wrong about her." He says as we walk towards cab waiting for us in the parking lot. "She really is a good friend. I should stop having trust issues against everyone." He explains himself, opening the door for me. As we step in, I nuzzle into him for the drive, letting Ethan give the address to the driver. We are ready to get some answers.
