Secret Admirer

Chapter 2

Cole

The party is in full swing and it's literally asses to elbows in every room. There isn't a single person from town who isn't here. Even Charlie is making the circle around the room.

"Why is he here?" Ethan growls, glaring at Charlie. "He shouldn't be here! He was just as guilty as Lindsey with all the tormenting she did. He's going to do more to us. I swear, Cole, he isn't done."

Ethan's voice gradually grew louder with every word. Heads began to turn and others around us started to listen in on our conversation. I know that is the last thing we need right now.

"Hey Ethan! Can you give me a hand for a minute?" Beckett called him over and escorted him out of the room.

"Come on, Beckett's going to need help." Leo came from behind me and we followed the two up the stairs and away from prying eyes.

"Ethan, you can't talk about Charlie like that. He already suspects that we don't trust him. You heard Ma. She wants to give him enough time and space for him to hang himself. He has to trust that we don't suspect him. We won't get any evidence against him if he thinks we know he was a part of Lindsey's schemes!" Beckett scolds him.

"He has done enough damage to us! Charlie is just as guilty as Lindsey for everything that's happened! He shouldn't be running loose!" Ethan argues.

He is sick of the cat and mouse game. I don't blame him. Ethan and Brynn have been through enough. They've found a way back to each other. That's huge, given how long it's taken for her to finally forgive him for his mistakes. No one has been through more than these two.

Ethan has been a handful for Brynn to deal with. He is increasingly protective of her. He checks on her throughout the day and often checks the camera's videos just for safety. She's been a rock for him and he's only getting worse. I can't see him relaxing any time soon, at least not until every person involved with Brynn's injuries is held accountable.

Speaking of the luscious blonde bombshell, Brynn walks into the bedroom, immediately seeing the problem from downstairs. She's been good about getting Ethan to calm down and she's had to do some serious work at times for just that.

Heading straight to Ethan, she captures his face in her hands, forcing him to look only at her"Ethan! Listen to me! You're right, Charlie is responsible! No one is saying otherwise. But calling him out for it tonight isn't the right way to go. Think about it, Ethan. He has to do something more for us to catch him in the act.  If he knows we don't trust him, he will be less likely to screw up."

Ethan stops fighting us and looks around at his closest friends trying to help him out. We won't let anyone get away with harming Brynn and harassing Aubrey and Beckett. None of us have gotten out of this unscathed.

"I promise, Ethan. Justice will come to him." Brynn makes the promise hoping we can keep it.

If anyone can calm Ethan down, it's Brynn. She's the only one he's been listening to lately. She is the only one who can get him to see the reality of the situation. If we want to get rid of the people who are harming this town we have to play our cards right.

Charlie knows more about what happened in the woods that night of the fire than he lets on. He got there before we did. There was definitely something wrong with Charlie when we got there. That raises the question of whether Ethan did see someone else out there.

Ethan didn't want to answer any questions from Charlie. He punched him and accused him of lying about Lindsey. It was ugly and Charlie was very calm about it. Too calm. He saw something more than just Ethan burning down the cabin with Lindsey and the mayor inside. We just don't know what that is.