Lies We Tell

Chapter 9

"Hey, you okay?" Ian asked as I laid in my warm bed making me nuzzle my head in my pillow. "We have school today." He stated as I continued to stay silent staring out my window.

"I'll see you later." Ian said defeated after a few minutes realizing I wasn't going to speak. A tear slid down my face remembering the images of last night, but I also couldn't help but think about our parents accident.

How long where they alive for after the drunk driver hit them? Did the driver stop? Were they in pain?

I had so many questions buy now I know the answer to one. Because now I know what they experienced. What they heard and saw before their last moments alive.

"Since when do you stay home from school?" Ethan asked behind me making me frown as he came into view. "What's wrong?" He asked softly as he saw the tears falling down my cheeks.

"What are you doing here?" I asked barely above a whisper as he squat down to my eye level. "Ian let me in." Ethan answered as he sat on my floor in front of me.

"How long have you been in bed?" He asked again making me shrug lightly. "What time is it?" I asked softly before he looked at his phone.

"Almost three." Ethan answered making me look out the window behind him again. "Seven hours." I answered making me look down at Ethan to see him staring at me trying to study me.

"Is this about last night?" He asked making me look away from his gaze. "I'm fine." I lied barely above whisper making him frown.

"You didn't answer me." Ethan stated as I continued to look away from him in silence. After a few minutes of him waiting for me to speak he stood up and lifted the blankets before he slid under them next to me.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I let him pull my waist towards him. "I know you have things you keep to yourself and I am guessing right now is one of those things. But you don't have to explain anything to me. I can wait." Ethan answered as I eased against him loving his warmth and cologne.

I smiled softly against his chest as I resumed looking out the window at the birds flying by. The sun started to set making me realize it was getting late.

"You can't tell anyone." I stated finally breaking the silence. "What?" He asked as he shifted against me.

"You can't tell anyone." I repeated as I continued to look at the sun setting. "Okay." Was all Ethan said making a tear slide down my face as I brought up the courage to confess to him.

"Ian and I's parents died four years ago." I confessed as I supressed a sob making him stop running his hand up and down my back. "I worked two jobs because I had to take care of him-Ian myself. We couldn't risk getting separated in foster care. I-I had just lost both my parents and I couldn't risk losing my brother also." I explained quickly begging him to understand. But for some reason I knew to trust him with this information and to understand.

"I'm so sorry." Ethan said after a few seconds of absorbing my words as I sat up to look at him. "They died in a car accident. Drunk driver." I continued as he looked into my eyes with intense sorrow and guilt.

"That's why last night affected you so much." He stated more than asked making me look away from his deep brown eyes. "You can't tell anyone." I pleaded as my voice broke making him sit up.

"I won't." Ethan promised as he held me close as I cried against his chest. He rubbed my back soothingly as I let out soft sobs.

I felt a huge sense of relief at being able to finally tell someone. I knew it wasn't rational to trust a man who I only met a few weeks ago but I couldn't help it. I knew that he has been hiding things about his life with me and I don't expect him to share them with me.