Ethan
Even though Emma and I have never hung out before (besides dinner with Mrs. M that one time), I found myself noticing when she was gone for two weeks.
By that I mean I usually see her leaving for work, or coming home. I actually see her going to and fro pretty often. You'd be surprised at how many times both of us have left our apartments at the same time.
I new she was adjusting to a new normal when she got back. You have to when you lose a loved one.
One night, a few days after she was back, Mrs. McNamara invited me over for dinner.
Of course she didn't mention that Emma would be there along with one of the downstairs neighbors Olivia and Mikey.
I've talked to them once or twice, and they seem like cool people.
Dinner was actually fun. Emma needed support through her grief, and we were all there for her.
Mrs. M knows about Grayson dying when I was in high school, but she didn't mention it to Emma. I guess Mrs. M knew that it was my story to tell anyway, but I didn't say anything about it at dinner.
Emma shared stories about Mark, and he seemed like a really cool guy. The way Emma talked about him made it clear that she was the love of his life.
One thing I've noticed about Emma is that she enjoys her wine. White wine to be more specific. This was the second time I've ever had dinner in the same room as Emma, and it was also the second time she brought a bottle of white.
After she had one glass, she was already relaxed enough to stare at me twice. It was as if she was trying to figure me out. There's a lot she doesn't know.
I couldn't sleep that night. I don't know why, but my mind was racing. I did what I always do when this happens.
I went to the fridge and grabbed two beers. I always grab two in case I decided to have another one. I went out of my apartment, and upstairs to the roof. It was a good place to think.
I opened the door to the roof, and who else was there but none other than Emma herself.
She didn't hear me walk in, but she wasn't startled when I sat next to her in the bench. I offered her one of my beers. "Want one?"
She took it from my hand. "More like need one."
I opened mine and took a sip. "You doing okay?"
Emma stared out to the downtown area. You could see it clearly from where we were sitting.
"Mark's mom told me he was going to propose to me when he got home. She even gave me the ring, and it was the prettiest ring I've ever seen. Before he died he told me that he wanted me to find someone else if something bad happened to him. He wanted me to make myself happy, and to find someone who could make me happy for him. I just—I don't know if I can actually bare the thought of being with someone else."
"It's part of the grieving process. You'll always miss him, and you'll always love him, but eventually you'll be healed enough to take his advice."
"It's just hard right now."
"I know. You just need to stay busy and keep yourself motivated. Don't do what I did."
"What did you do?" Emma asked.
It took me awhile to answer this question. It wasn't something I was proud of, and it definitely wasn't something I openly talked about. Grayson probably isn't super impressed with the way I've been living.
YOU ARE READING
no questions asked | ethma
Fanfic"I need you to do me a favor. No questions asked." When Emma Chamberlain is heartbroken over a recent tragedy, the last person she is thinking about is her alcoholic neighbor Ethan. Ethan on the other hand needs help, and he's afraid that Emma's th...