Time•EDxEC~Ethma•

twenty eight

"you've always been a sucker for my special mac and cheese, since you were a kid, always begging your mum to come round for another meal" Lisa chuckled, stirring the pot on the stove.

"well what can I say? you're a very talented woman Lisa" Emma laughed, sitting herself down on the chair next to Grayson.

"so, how's everything at home em? I haven't seen your mum in a while" she asked, looking over her shoulder at the teens sat behind her.

"all good, she's been missing you though, she wants to come over-" her response was cut off by the door opening, and a voice echoing through the kitchen.

Ethan and Hannah.

"it smells good in here ma, what's cooking?" he said, not noticing Emma sat before him. He glanced up, being met with her emotionless eyes, and everyone looked at them. He couldn't tell how she was feeling, he used to be able to see but now it's like he never knew he at all.

Emma was first to break eye contact, after a couple seconds, and looked at Lisa. She glanced down at her with worrying and questioning eyes, but Emma nodded with a smile, and looked back to the couple in front of her with a bright expression.

"Hi Ethan, uh Hannah" Emma awkwardly greeted, with a kind smile.

"hey em" Ethan's soft voice spoke, as he placed his keys on the counter top and watched Hannah take a seat in front of her.

"Emma" Grayson corrected, glaring at his brother with a clenched jaw.

"G, it's okay" she comforted in a hushed tone, giving him a thankful smile.

"you staying for dinner tonight?" Lisa broke the uncomfortable silence, as she focused her attention on Ethan and Hannah, who were now both sat at the table.

"its okay, we'll uh go-" he started, until Emma's nervous voice interrupted.

"no! stay! both of you" she said, "its mac and cheese"

"we love mac and cheese" Hannah spoke up, as everyone's eyes flashed to her.

"I thought you hated it the last time you came" Grayson's eyebrows raised with a smirk.

"n-no" she coughed, nervously, "it's amazing, our favourite"

Grayson rolled his eyes, and directed his attention to his phone that just buzzed with a text from Ellie. Soon, Lisa announced that the food was finally done, and she handed out each bowl, before sitting down with the rest of them. They all thanked her and continued to eat their food in silence, until Hannah brought up a conversation.

"so emma" she spoke, with a fake peppy voice, "how's the old gang"

Emma couldn't help but want to slap the smirk off Hannah's face as she played with her food. Everyone looked at her, knowing immediately how this was going to go. However, Ethan's eyes were glued to his girlfriend, glaring daggers at her as she awaited Emma's answer.

"they're fine" she responded, matching Hannah's tone with angered eyes.

"really?" her voice spoke again, "because last I heard Amanda wasn't doing too well"

Finding it hard to contain her rage, Emma clenched her jaw, and looked up, staring straight at her ex best friend.

"Amanda's completely normal, as she always has and will be, not that it's much of your concern anyway"

"oh she isn't sick anymore?" Hannah said, and Emma knew she was referring to her sexuality, "I'm glad she's back to normal"

Emma pushed her chair out, ignoring Grayson's calls as she walked out of the house. She got to her car, and was about to get in, until a hand slightly tugged on her wrist, causing her to turn around. There he stood, his body towering over her, and his worried eyes boring into hers.

At that moment, Emma immediately retracted her wrist from his grip, taking a step back until she hit her car door, and broke the eye contact. This moment brought back too many memories, reminding her of the day of the party. The day when she watched him kiss Meredith, and when he broke her heart the first time. This sent Emma into a spiral of thoughts, overthinking about the boy stood before her.

All she could wonder was when he fell out of love. Or when he was actually genuine, or even if he ever was into the first place. She had zoned out for what felt like a while, but was only a couple seconds in reality, and was brought back to Ethan's voice softly saying her name.

"what do you want, Ethan?" she spat, "to explain that your perfect girlfriend didn't mean any of what she said?"

"no Emma! I came to apologise" he said.

"there's a million things that sorry can't fix Ethan" Emma responded, "and you sure do know a fair few of them, so leave me alone and go back to the girl you abandoned me for in the first place"

"Em, you know I didn't want to hurt you" he sighed, his eyes glossy.

"it doesn't mean you didn't though" she told him, "you knew what you were doing"

"and I regret it all Emma. If I could go back, and change all the mistakes i made, and make sure i never hurt you, I would. I went the wrong way about some things, and I was such a dick to you when we were together, and I want to change that so badly" his voiced cracked slightly.

"Ethan, you and I both know that you can't, so quit trying" she told him.

"I know, but you can't run from this Emma" Ethan begged her, and she turned around and latched on to the car door, but then turning back to him.

"actually I can" her smug expression left him confused.

"what are you talking about?" he asked, his eyebrows knitting together in a lost look.

"I'm leaving town tomorrow Ethan, and I'm never coming back"

Her announcement left him stunned, and she got in her car, and drove off just like the night of that party, leaving him on his driveway alone and upset.

••••

1012 words.