𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 ﾒ 𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘺

☾ chapter fifteen

Ethan knows it's not much, but he feels better knowing that she at least has some form of protection. He's the only one who knows that it's his sister they're up against, but he's not about to let anyone harm Tatum. Not even Quinn. Especially not Quinn.

He gives her a reassuring nod and follows her into the apartment.

Ethan's heart races as he takes in the chaotic scene before him. Gale is on the ground, struggling against Ghostface's knife. Quinn stands over the woman, poised to strike. Ethan knows that if he doesn't act fast, Tatum will put herself in harm's way to protect her mother. He spots the gun on the ground and makes a split-second decision. He picks it up and points it at Ghostface.

He points it at his fucking sister.

"Hey, fuckface," he calls out, his voice shaking with adrenaline. It's the nickname Quinn and Richie used to call him growing up, and now it feels foreign and bitter on his tongue. 

He takes a few shots, not sure if he misses on purpose or not. Ghostface manages to escape, and Ethan is left with the knowledge that he just shot at his own sister.

Tatum rushes to Gale's side, checking for injuries. "Mom, are you okay?" she asks, her voice shaking.

As Sam and Tara run out to get help, Ethan watches as Tatum panics with the amount of blood coming out of Gale's wound on her waist. He quickly takes over trying to stop the bleeding with his hands while Tatum is shaking and crying, trying to get her mom to stay awake.

Gale looks up at Tatum and says, ''I think we'll have to postpone our talk, baby girl.''

Tatum nods, tears streaming down her face. ''That's okay, we can talk whenever, alright? And I'll probably say something really mean and you'll say something mean back and we'll fight and say a lot of stupid shit, but it's okay because maybe that's how we show our love, right? By being total bitches to each other?''

Gale manages to chuckle, but the effort causes her to wince in pain. Her face grows more pale, and Tatum is panicking even more, screaming, ''Ethan, Ethan, what do I do? What should I do?''

He doesn't know what to say. Maybe all he knows how to do is hurt, never fix. 

Ethan can feel his own hands trembling as he tries to keep the wound closed, feeling helpless and useless. He can hear Gale's voice, weak but determined. "He never got me, baby girl. Tell Sidney."

And with that, Gale closes her eyes. Tatum sobs uncontrollably, and Ethan can feel his own tears starting to fall. No matter how hard he tries to protect Tatum, she always ends up hurt by his side.

Tatum is in hysterics, screaming her mother's name as the paramedics rush into the apartment. Sam and Tara arrive with them, and Ethan can see the concern etched on their faces. He holds Tatum tightly, trying to calm her down, but it seems impossible. He has to pry her away so that the paramedics can work.

Ethan can see the relief on the paramedics's faces when they detect a weak pulse. Tatum is still crying, her body shaking with sobs, as they load Gale onto a stretcher and wheel her out of the apartment.

Ethan follows Tatum out of the apartment, keeping a hand on her waist as she clings to him, still sobbing. He can feel the weight of her emotions, the fear and the pain, and he knows that she needs him to be strong.

"It's going to be okay, Riley," he whispers in her ear. "She's alive, and they're going to take care of her. We'll go to the hospital with her, okay?"

Tatum nods, her eyes still filled with tears, and Ethan guides her to the waiting ambulance. He helps her into the back, sitting with her as they rush to the hospital. The ride is tense and quiet, the only sounds coming from the sirens outside and Tatum's occasional sobbing.