alive | ethma

13.

emma chamberlain

I didn't see much of Ethan after he kissed me at the party on Saturday.

Not that I've made much of an attempt to see him. I thought I'd give him time to figure his shit out, and that he would talk to me when he was ready.

But, it was now Tuesday and I was organizing books for Linda at the library.

Ding. The bell at the checkout counter sounded.

I quickly got up, straightened out my jeans, and walked over to the counter.

"Hi, how can I help-" I cut myself off when I made eye contact with the same blonde man that I met at the party. "I know you," I said after failing to finish my first sentence.

His beautiful green eyes wavered down to my name tag with a grin. "Emma," he softly mumbled my name as if he was testing how it would sound aloud.

"Blonde guy," I responded with a slight laugh.

"Connor," he flashed me a wide smile.

"Well, Connor how can I help you?"

"You're a hard girl to track down, Ms. Emma," he avoided my question.

"You must not have been searching hard enough then," I quipped back without breaking eye contact. I didn't know who this man was or what he was doing here, but I was intrigued.

"Well I'm here aren't I," Connor said with a slight rasp behind his voice.

"And why are you here exactly?" I questioned, while folding my arms across my chest in hopes to look somewhat intimidating.

"Let's just say you made quite the impression on me the other night at the party," he stated without an ounce of shame.

I suddenly became hyper aware of his features.

His light freckles hugged the bridge of his nose. His tan skin glowed in the fluorescent light. His blonde hair was styled to perfection. His confidence radiated throughout the whole building.

"When's your break?" Connor interrupted me from my thoughts.

I looked around the library, catching no sight of Linda. "Now."

"Well let's go," he grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the library, I didn't object.

Connor led me into the cafe a few blocks over.

The smell of fresh baked goods hit me like a tsunami. I stood in the doorway for a couple seconds with my eyes closed, taking it all in. When I opened my eyes, Connor was staring at me with genuine confusion and judgement in his eyes.

Ethan wouldn't have judged me. If anything, he would've done that nose scrunch he does when he laughs and join me.

We sat at a table next to a window.

Outside the cafe there was a man picking up a penny on the sidewalk.

I smiled.

I gave him a story. "I say that man will go back home and give that penny to his daughter and call it his lucky penny. She'll adore it so much that she'll carry it around with her everywhere." I zoned out while I imagined a young girl's smile.

Connor dismissed my story. "Yeah anyways, do you want a coffee or anything?"

I shook off his ignorance. "Uh, yeah sure, that'd be great," I smiled sheepishly while keeping my eyes focused on my hands on the table.

He got up from the table and walked to the register with a cocky stature.

The sun was starting to set, the golden hour rays floating in through the windows.

For the first time in my life, I wasn't enjoying the moment I was in.

I should be elsewhere.

Connor came back to the table with two coffees in hand.

"This is very sweet of you, but I should be heading back to the library," I said softly, trying to be gentle. "It was nice meeting you," I started to walk towards the front door.

Just as I had passed Connor's chair, I felt a hand grab my wrist and whip me around.

My face was inches away from Connor's.

Just as I finished gasping and was about to ask what he was doing, he aggressively leaned in.

Before I could comprehend what was happening, his lips were on mine in a rough manner.

His lips felt like sandpaper. His hands were wrapped around my waist so tight that I could feel a bruise forming. He was hurting me.

I pushed his shoulders back in order to get him off of me and my lips.

"What the fuck?" I asked more in a confused manner than an angry one.

Connor took another calculated step towards me, his hands reaching towards my ass, leaving an unwelcome squeeze.

"Oh come on, you like it," he whispered in my ear in a raspy tone.

Connor's raspy voice didn't give me goosebumps like Ethan's. Connor's had dark intentions behind it.

I attempted to wriggle out of his grip. I had a feeling he was the type of guy who always got what he wanted, even if he had to acquire it with some force.

"Get off of me. Now."

"Fine, princess," Connor said with his hands raised in the air like he did no wrong. His dumb smirk burning a fire deep in me.

I stormed out of the cafe without taking a second glance at him.

I knew where I belonged, and this wasn't it.