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MARINETTE Ethan's return is a dream come true. Jaz returned back to her usual self. She smiled often, laughed, and made jokes a few times to ease the tension. Taking care of Ethan at the hospital was sort of the way I healed, too. Seeing him take those steps like a kid, forgetting the events that tortured his soul, spending more time with his boss. It made my heart warm and eased my tense muscles. It's been weeks. A few months, perhaps. Ethan is still on leave from work. His boss gave him all the time in the world to recover properly, but Jaz seems to be the busiest one. Hurrying down the stairs, my gaze drifts toward Ethan who's nestled on the couch. He's reading a magazine while having a glass of coffee. He meets my gaze with a warm smile. “Heading for the bookstore so early?” I nod, my lips breaking into a smile. He grins. “Why do I feel like you're heading out for something else?” Ethan didn't change one bit after the incident. He's just a little more protective
ALEXANDER‘Were you worried about me, too?’ Ethan's words ring in my ears like a song on repeat. The answer’s as clear as day, glaring even before a blind man, but I wave it off with a cold laugh and stare at the slight bruise on his face. “You think too highly of yourself.” “Highly?” He coughs slightly as a smile curves his full, kissable lips. “I saw the look on your face when you barged into the basement, Mr. Grey.” “And I saw the look on yours when you saw me.” I lean closer, lips a few inches from his pointed nose. I catch a whiff of his woodsy scent mixed with the smell of coffee, sanitizer and phenol. His eyes burn through me, like fire cutting through ice. “What was the look on mine?” Ethan didn't just stare at me with relief in his eyes. No. He looked at me like I was his answered prayer, his only light in a sea of darkness, his beacon of hope that had been buried in a sea of expectations. He didn't think before he passed out right on that chair because I was there. H
ETHAN “I'm going to get breakfast at the cafeteria.” “You good?” “I'm fine.”Voices, I keep hearing them. Familiar ones, distant ones, strange ones. Sometimes, it's a nurse checking my vitals or discussing a particular way to get me to wake up sooner with her colleagues. Either way, I'm stuck in this position. Can't move. Can't open my eyes. Can't step out of this goddamn darkness. Maybe I should try again. Suddenly, the air starts to smell sterile and sharp. This vanilla scent fills my nostrils, followed by a warm touch around my wrist that makes me feel safe. Fuck the idea of moving, because when I try again, every damn thing hurts. My wrist stings, my legs….they feel like ice. I know I'm not dead. I mean, there's too much pain to be dead. But I just need to open my eyes. I can feel now, smell scents, I should—My eyes flutter open. I attempt to speak, but only a rasp comes out. My throat hurts so bad, it's like scratching the surface of an empty and dry well. Slowly, ev
MARINETTEIt's the dawn of another agonizing new day. I'm curled on a large black couch, fingers holding my daughter in place. She's asleep on my chest. The smell of freshly brewed coffee hangs in the air, a reminder that Jaz’s already awake. I don't need to tilt my head to know she's there—sitting around the kitchen island, staring at her mug of coffee with a dead look in her eyes. The world outside is still grey, still silent—but inside, deep down, it feels like everything is screaming. Patiently waiting for the time I'll surrender to the empty void. A firm knock breaks the silence. Gently, I untangle myself from Gwen's embrace and stalk towards the door in my pajamas. Pulling it open, I'm surprised to find the guy that's always here with Ethan's boss staring at me. He looks stressed, but quite calmer than before. There's this air of peace around him that makes anticipation build in my chest. I open the door wider for him to come in, but he shakes his head. “We found him.” It
ALEXANDERThe bastard falls to the ground as his blood spills all over the ground. He's seething in pain, fingers holding his leg, eyes brimming with unshed tears. And the other guy that looks a little similar drops his gun to the ground, fingers trembling at his sides. Hudson's quick to act. He quickly unties Ethan, then shoots me a glance that says ‘i’ll get him to safety' Earlier, the private investigator I'd hired was able to track the bastard's phone to this place along the streets. Hudson and I came here immediately, and just like the investigator had said, Ethan's here, barely breathing, and this motherfucker on the ground is going to pay for each drop of his blood. “If you're not ready to witness what I do to people like him,” I tilt my head to stare at the young man with trembling fingers. “Walk away now.” “So you're going to leave your brother, huh?” The one on the ground yells in agony, and then it settles in. It's not just an ordinary gun. It's filled with bullets made
ETHAN My eyes flutter open. It's draining to realize I'm still alive. Why am I still stuck here, still breathing, still waiting patiently for a break, when there's clearly not going to be any. I'm in a different place. The light is bright, too bright for my eyes, and it's way colder than the last space. I can tell my body's weaker from how faint my heartbeat is, and with my wounds out in the open, it's clear I don't have much time left. Raising my head slightly, I figure there's someone here, someone else. Possibly Leo due to the guilt swirling in his orbs. Groaning slowly, I watch him like I'm studying a book. He's staring at me like I'm about to break, like he knows he's got to do something about this before I kiss the world goodbye, and it amazes me how Marinette stumbled upon such a weakling. “You okay?” He asks, and I let out a ridiculous chuckle. My throat hurts, mouth too, but I draw the laughter like it's going to be my last. Is he really asking me that right now? Is he b