Fragile // Sequel to Torn

15. |

// Jakob's point of view //

I sit there next to Ethan as he talks to his Mum on the phone. He's sounding flat and confused and I can't work out what's going on. He switches ears with his and reaches down to grab my hand. I take it, curiosity starting to really sink into me. Then he hangs up and takes a shaky breath.

"Mum kicked Dad out." Ethan says bluntly. I turn my head to look at him but he's staring down at our hands.

"But he doesn't live with he-" I start but am cut off.

"Kicked Dad out of the house, the marriage, everything."

"Oh."

"She wants both of us to go there tonight." He mumbles. I feel his hand shake the tiniest bit and start rubbing small circles with my thumb. That calms him down a little bit.

"Why don't we?"

"Because I'm scared." Ethan's voice cracks. He lets go of my hand and turns his entire body over, wrapping an arm around me.

"Why are you scared? This is a good thing." I tell him.

"Because it's my fault! And now Dad's going to come after me- us." He replies.

"Oh."

"We c-can't both go out together without Chris s-suspecting anything." He stutters. I know he's crying when I feel the wet patch on my shoulder.

"Maybe we should tell him." I suggest.

"How could you say that?" Ethan asks, moving off of me. He props himself up against the wall by his elbow and looks at me, hurt in his watery eyes.

"I-I'm sorry." I stutter, not quite sure what I said wrong.

"We can't tell him. Not yet."

I watch as he gets off of the bed completely and hobbles over to his cupboard. I get up quickly and almost run over, stopping him from falling.

"Stop," I tell him, "get dressed in warmer clothes. We're going to your Mum's."

"But Chris-" he starts but I don't let him finish.

"I've got this"

I leave Ethan in his room, shutting the door behind me. After taking a deep breath, walk across the hallway and knock on Chris' door. He opens it almost straight away and I walk in.

"Um, are you going to be okay here alone tonight?" I ask straight off.

"Why? What's going on?" Chris questions.

"Ethan's Mum wants to talk to him and I don't think he should drive so I'm going to take him there." I say. It's not entirely a lie.

"Oh, do you want me to come?" He asks worriedly.

"No, it's okay," I smile, "I don't know how to explain it but I feel like I need to do this with him."

Chris just nods and turns away so I leave the room, feeling a little guilty but knowing where my priorities lay. No matter what happens, I know I need to be here for Ethan. I walk back to his room and knock. When he says it's okay, I open the door to find him sitting on the bed, picking the ice packs up off of the floor. That's when I remember something.

"Just wait here." I tell him before exiting the room again.

Last year, Chris had a trip down the stairs at the airport and hurt his knee. He was on crutches for a week and now, thinking about it, I don't think we ever returned them. I quickly run downstairs and to the cupboard we keep all the things we don't use, instantly finding the crutches. They're dusty so I clean them a bit before taking them upstairs.