hidden | ethma

sixty six

my phone suddenly rings from the nightstand and i roll my eyes at ethan's caller ID. 

"you haven't even been gone five minutes, what could you possibly want?" i smirk. 

"it's important, i swear." 

"what?" 

"don't tell grayson where i keep my snickers." 

"that's the important thing?" 

"chocolate is very important, frances." 

i sigh. "fine, your secret is safe with me." 

"good. also, i love you." 

i flush and smile. "i love you, too." 

i hear his smile. "i've got to go, there's a lady wearing too much lipstick in the car next to me giving me the evil eye for talking on the phone." 

"alright, i'll see you later." 

"damn, she needs to take it easy with the lipstick. she looks like she drank a liter of blood or something." 

"bye, ethan." 

i hang up just as he begins ranting about how the woman may or may not be a vampire, chuckling at his humor.

grayson bustles back into the room, studying the label on a bottle of pills. "i think this is the right one, take two," he instructs, handing me a glass of water. 

"thank you, grayson," i say, swallowing the white tablets and leaning back onto some of ethan's pillows.

grayson switches on the TV and constantly asks me if i need anything, his caring hazel eyes hopeful and wide. i'm so grateful for grayson now, he's so kind and sweet. although he and ethan have a muddled past. i hope they can get past it, because i know grayson and i will be good friends, regardless.

ethan texts me on and off, mostly judgmental messages about our coworkers. for instance:   

zeke's hair is really tall today, you should see it.   

and, my personal favorite:   

damn it, emma, now that you're not here i'm directly facing marion and she looks like she wants to sever my head from my neck.  

i giggle and share each text with grayson. he laughs along with me as we exchange stories about ethan, many of which i'm sure ethan would not want grayson telling. 

"he's changed, ethan has," grayson says. "since i last saw him, anyhow." 

"really," i say. 

"yes, very much. he looks happier, i think. his smile's a lot wider, too." he pauses. "i think it's because of you." 

"me?" i almost laugh. 

"yes, you," he says, smiling. "i mean, he's so stubborn, no doubt if you weren't here he wouldn't have let me stay the other night. and he looks to you a lot of the time for your views on things, i've noticed that. i never thought i'd see the day when hard-headed ethan fell in love." he laughs lightly.