hidden | ethma

thirty five

"why can't we just go in the break room, like everyone else?"

"because we need to talk about something." his words send shivers down my spine and i nod faintly. "follow me, alright?" ethan raises an eyebrow.

"i'm capable of following you, if that's what you're implying," i snap.

he smirks. "yes, i know you are."

i frown at his reference to how i've followed him twice to events i shouldn't have, and i got caught both times.

i follow ethan out of the office complex and into the elevator.

"don't you dare push all the buttons," i say.

"relax, frances," he says, rolling his eyes as he pushes the button for the fifteenth floor.

memories of the time ethan and i were stuck in this very elevator flood me. when we fought ruthlessly and insulted each other. it seems like such a long time ago, now that ethan has told me part of the truth.

the elevator ride is silent and soon it dings and the doors open. ethan strides out and i have to jog a bit to catch up with his fast pace.

"would you wait up?" i huff.

"nope," ethan says, rounding the corner as he begins climbing another stairwell.

"why are we even-"

"quit complaining, em, before i push you off of this roof."

i grimace at his teasing and follow him to the top of the stairs. when we reach the top, a smile tugs at my lips. all around us is the pearl district of portland, bustling in the afternoon sunshine. a small bench sits off to the side, overlooking the city. the navy blue waters of the willamette river gleam in the distance.

"this is so nice," i say as i sit beside ethan on the bench.

"i know," he says. "it's peaceful."

"do you come up here a lot?" i ask him.

he shrugs. "occasionally, when my life is particularly annoying." he looks at me from the corner of his eye. "so, i've been coming up here a lot since i met you."

"hey!" i sock him in the arm playfully and he laughs. i roll my eyes at him. "i'm not annoying."

"keep telling yourself that, em."

i roll my eyes again at the nickname he calls me and try to swallow the horrible memories rising at the name.

"why did you bring me up here?" i ask him.

ethan puts his hands on his knees. "i talked to alec yesterday afternoon," he says quietly.

i stiffen. "oh."

his jaw clenches. "things aren't looking good."

"what do you mean?" my voice rises a few octaves. "i mean, now that he caught you eavesdropping on that meeting... he knows you know something."

"what did you tell him?"

"i told him that you didn't hear anything you shouldn't have, only information regarding yourself. he's not entirely convinced, but he's not coming after you yet so that's a good thing."

"he's going to come after me? what does he want from me? is he going to kill me?" i sound hysterical.

"emma, calm down." ethan puts a hand on my thigh and fire erupts within me. "i'm going to keep talking to him, i'll convince him you don't know anything. because you don't."

i almost open my mouth to remind him he told me everything, but he gives me a look and i close it. he removes his hand from my leg.

"you never told me what you do," i say. "with the organization."

ethan leans back. "i manage funds, much like i do here at crystal," he says. "i divide the income into what alec keeps and what goes on to other companies." he looks down at his lap.

"it's fraud, you know," i say.

"i know." he looks over at me, his brow furrowed. "i'm not exactly proud of it, emma, just so you know."

"then why do you do it?"

ethan runs his tongue over his teeth. "why do i do it?" he laughs dryly. "it's a very long story. emma, and i'm not prepared to tell it. besides, lunch is over in fifteen minutes."

something suddenly dawns on me. "that time that you caught me going through your file," i say, turning to ethan. "you didn't turn me in because you've been breaking the law yourself, and-"

"i wouldn't want anyone to turn me in." ethan grimaces.

"why don't you just stop?" i ask, my voice lowering to a whisper.

"i can't." he looks out at the city. "alec won't have it. i know all his secrets, and he doesn't exactly trust me anymore since... well, since you."

"so there's no way for you to escape?"

ethan looks at me, his eyes boring into mine. "there is one."