accomplice | ethan dolan

nineteen

ethan

i've seen a lot of people in love and i've never really understood it, but now i do.

i love a lot of things, such as grayson, my car and food, but i've never been in love.

i never would've seen this coming, especially with jade. before we went through everything together, we we're basically strangers to each other.

she judged me before she knew me and i never cared enough to prove her wrong, but now her opinion is the only one that matters.

"jade?" i mumble.

we're in bed watching a movie. she's lying across my lap and i'm not sure if she's paying attention to the movie, but i'm not.

"hmm?" she hums in reply.

my mind is racing with questions about us. what happens now? does this change anything?

"what are we?" i blurt.

"what do you mean?" she asks, sitting up to look at me.

"labels aren't really important to me but i don't want to be with anyone else, and i hate the thought of you with someone else"

"are you trying to ask me something?" she smirks.

"yes" i laugh, "what are we?"

"whatever you want me to be" she smiles.

"i want you to be mine" i admit.

"you're really going to avoid the word at all costs?" she laughs and i nod, "well ethan, i would love to be your girlfriend"

i can't even hide my smile as i lean in to kiss her.

"you're a fucking idiot noah!" zack starts yelling downstairs.

"what did he do now" jade sighs getting out of bed and i follow her downstairs.

"i did what you should've done!" noah yells back defending himself.

"what's going on?" jade asks after finding them in the kitchen.

"ask mr drive by shooting" zack scoffs.

"who did he shoot?" i ask.

"one of those fucking changrettas" noah says.

"please tell me you're not being serious right now" jade groans.

"they kidnapped you, and they're going to pay. every single one of them" noah shrugs.

"we're fucked now" i mumble.

"we were finished with the mafia!" jade snaps, "they got their revenge with me, we learned our lesson and they left us alone. now you've fucking pissed them off again!"

"i'll kill them all if i have to" he states.

"you've officially lost it" she scoffs.

"i need to get some air" he huffs, walking towards the front door.

"what are we going to do?" jade asks concerned, looking at zack for an answer.

"i don't know" he sighs.

"don't-" her voice cracks, "don't let them take me again" she bursts into tears.

"they won't" zack pulls her into a hug before i can.

"i'm sorry" she pulls away from him as she wipes away her tears, "i thought i was over all of this"

"you've been through a lot because of noah's stupid decisions involving the changrettas. of course you're scared, but i won't let anyone hurt you ever again" zack assures her.

suddenly i feel intimidated.

"i'm going to clean myself up" she laughs before leaving the kitchen.

"i'll kill noah for putting her through this again" i mutter.

"we're hitting another bank in two weeks, i need the two of you civil, please" zack tells me.

"he won't be civil with me when he finds out jade's my girlfriend" i shrug and his head snaps up to look at me.

"ethan-"

"if i hurt her you'll break my legs. i know" i stop him before he starts his big brother speech.

"break your legs?" he laughs, "i'll kill you"

"i love her zack, and i'll do whatever it takes to protect her" i assure him.

"keep it that way and we won't have a problem"

jade

just as everyone start believing i was over what happened with the changrettas, i burst into tears after one mention of them.

everyday is getting easier but i'm still dealing with it, and the thought of them coming after us again is terrifying.

i'm not just scared for me. i've seen how evil the changrettas can be and i don't want them to come after ethan, zack, noah or grayson.

shit.

that's why bonnie gave me up. she worked in the changrettas diner, she must have seen what they're capable of.

i feel guilty after my sudden realisation that bonnie's not a bad person, she never has been. the changrettas are.

i look for my phone to call her and apologise, but remember i left it in the bathroom.

i go back in to grab it but as soon as i open the bathroom door i see noah take a line of coke off the sink.

"noah!" i snap, taking him by surprise as i close the door behind me, "you're doing drugs now?"

"relax. it just helps me through the day"

"no it doesn't!" i grab the small bag off the side of the sink and empty it into the toilet, he pushes me back into the wall behind me but it's too late.

"this explains everything, especially how you've been acting, it all makes sense now" i say, "it needs to stop"

"you don't understand" he retorts.

"this won't end well, for any of us" i warn him.

"this doesn't affect any of you" he mutters.

"going against the changrettas affected us!" i remind him, "i'm also worried, you're not in the right state of mind and you're putting us all in danger"

"why should you be worried? we broke up"

"i'm not getting into it. this stops or i'm telling zack"

note
foreshadowing for the ending in this chapter, enjoy!