hidden | ethma

fifteen

"he forgot you?"

lana and jesy look at me with wide eyes as i tell them about the events of the other night. excluding the part of ethan and i almost kissing, that is. i don't want anyone to know about that. i don't even want to know about it.

i nod, tracing my fingertips around the top of my soda can.

"well, you dumped him, right?" jesy asks.

out of the corner of my eye, i see someone enter the break room where we're sitting.

ethan casually walks over to the fridge and opens it without a hello. he looks at me briefly before focusing on the contents of the fridge.

"n-no," i say sheepishly.

lana's jaw drops. "well, why not?" she asks.

"i'm going to talk to him later," i tell her. "we'll work things out."

jesy and lana exchange a glance.

"i don't know, emma," lana says. "no offense but this guy seems kind of... out of line."

"i know, but i won't give up that easily," i say.

i can't see ethan's face from where i am, only his hand that rests on the door of the fridge. i can tell he's listening.

"if he can't make time for you, he's not worth it," jesy agrees.

i shrug. "i think i might love him."

ethan stiffens and snaps up, a soda can gripped in his fist. his eyes blaze as he turns and storms out of the break room.

jesy and lana say more things that i ignore. why did ethan react that way? i excuse myself from the conversation and go back to my desk.

"it's rude to listen to people's conversations," i say quietly so only ethan can hear.

"i don't care," he replies, shuffling papers around on his desk. "i never said i wasn't rude."

i roll my eyes and click open a pen. i'm about to begin on my next manuscript when mr. greenman steps out of his office.

"ethan and emma, come here please," i stiffen and look at ethan. he seems unbothered and rises from his desk, making his way to mr. greenman. i follow, biting down on my lip.

"dolan, you dealt with miss chamberlain's file when she began working here," mr. greenman says. "run the final copy up to crystal's office to put in the archive. emma, you need to accompany him to verify all the information is correct."

i internally groan. i don't want to have to spend time with ethan, period. i sigh.

ethan nods and takes the file into his hands. he doesn't give me a second look as he takes long strides out of the office.

i jog to catch up with him as we reach the elevators. "you could wait up," i huff.

he just shrugs. "i could. doesn't mean i have to."

"you know, i'm not happy about this either," i say as we step onto the elevator. "you don't have to act like such a douche."

"i barely said anything, frances."

i grimace.

ethan hands me my file, a smile spreading across his face. "hold this," he says. i tentatively take the file into my arms as ethan reaches out and presses all the buttons on the elevator, lighting them all up.

"don't do that!" i say. "you'll block up the system."

"i do this every time i get in this elevator, i think we're safe." he smiles and takes back my file.

"now we have to go to all the floors," i say. "all fifteen. and waste time."

"don't tell me you actually care about getting back to work quickly."

"i do."

"of course. should have known."

"what does that mean?"

"it means you're a goody-goody, frances."

"i am not."

"yes, you are. you can't deny it."

i clench my jaw. "so what if i am? there's nothing wrong with it."

"there's everything wrong with it."

"how?" i snap.

"if you play by the rules all the time, you never get the thrill of the game." his mouth turns up in a half smile, his eyes taunting.

his words sink into me.

"well..." I try to think of a comeback, but i can't. i shut my mouth and cross my arms over my chest.

"that's what i thought." his tone is smug and it makes me want to slap the smirk right off his face.

a few moments pass in silence as we ride the elevator. suddenly, there's a loud bang and the elevator screeches to a stop, the lights flickering before going out.