Desperado

part 16

"mads wait up!" i shout

i'm soaking wet in the dark forest and can't see anything but the end of the path

it's so far away, plus i am freezing. i cant find mads anywhere, i have no idea where she went

i just look at the footsteps on the ground considering they must all be going the same route, the exit

i take a deep breath and continue walking till i hear something falling to the ground making me quick to turn around

i carefully eye the place, dont panic, you probably just stepped on a stick or something

i turn back around and continue to walk down the path feeling paranoid. i stare at the necklace in my hand, one of the pictures is missing sadly but i don't care

but if 3 year ago me saw the picture was missing i would search the entire place to find it

but i'm not same anymore. this month has changed me a lot and made me realize a lot of stuff that i was blinded by

snap

i stop walking and turn around slowly, my heart begins to race when i see something a shadow from far

i'm quick to turn around and run but am immediately stopped by someone, i back away and widen my eyes when i see ethan

my heart slowly goes back to beat and i wrap my arms around him, "you scared me ethan"

"why are you here alone? do you know dangerous this place is at night" he squeezes me in his arm

his body radiates warmth and i feel much warmer already, "ethan" i look up at him

"yes b-" he shakes his head

i ignore what he was about to say, "can you carry me? i'm drenched in dirty water and my legs hurt"

he chuckles and picks me up bridal style, "of course i will"

i lay my head against his chest, "how'd you know i was here?"

"madison called me and told me you got lost so i ran here immediately to find you" he says

i look up at him as he focuses his attention to leaving this place, his jaw clenched a couple of times and i cant help but feel a second heart beat

i've never, well maybe once, have ever felt this way about ethan. i don't know what it is about him that is making him so appealing to me

maybe the fact that he came all this way to find me because he was worried, is carrying me, helping me find the kids, i just don't know what is going on with me

i shouldn't be feeling this way. i would never get back with ethan, the kids would feel like i betrayed them if i do

i cant wait to go to this stupid masquerade ball to get some more information about giovanni. i'm so glad ethan is here to help me, he's been so amazing lately and i don't deserve it

"elle! you're alive!" i hear making me turn my attention to a girl standing in front of her car with a smile on her face

ethan lets me down making me whimper slightly, he keeps his arm around my waist though making me heart skip a beat

"you left me because you got scared" i roll my eyes at mads

"sorry! i get scared easily and i didn't want to die in a river, we're going to be haunted"

ethan laughs, "are you talking about that stupid couple who died here together?"

"yes, you know?" mads eyes widen