troubled | e.d.

twenty-six

tessa

my face lights up when i see ethan come out of my father's office, and i quickly glance down the hall before skipping after him.

i tap him on the shoulder, giggling. he turns around, smiling only partially when he sees me. it's dim, not reaching his eyes.

"hey," i say, feeling my smile fall off my face. "what's wrong?"

he shakes his head. "nothing, tessa."

"you can tell me anything."

"i just said it was nothing," he replies, starting to walk again. i hurry to catch up.

"you're being weird."

"no i'm not."

"uh, yeah, you are—" i start to laugh.

"leave it alone, please."

"ethan, seriously what's—"

he spins around quickly, getting close to my face. then, i feel his hand wrap around my wrist tightly, and i give a sharp yelp. it hurts, and i fear there might be a dull mark left behind.

"i said leave it alone, tessa."

his harsh words slap me across the face, and i take a step back, yanking my wrist from his grasp. the ethan i knew of when he first stepped foot into this office seems to be back and just as scary as ever.

my eyes search him, and i notice how they soften as soon as the words spit from his mouth.

"i... i didn't mean to do that," he whispers.

i wait a couple moments before replying,
"you're scaring me."

"the situation is just—"

"not the situation, whatever it is," i shake my head, backing away slowly. "you are scaring me."

something flashes across his eyes. guilt. regret.

"tess..." he starts, stepping toward me.

i rub the spot on my wrist where he grabbed and turn around, not wanting to talk about it anymore and get him even more riled up.

i hear him follow after me, but speed up on my route to the break room storage closet, since i know where the hidden key to the second kitchen is.

"tessa, i'm sorry. please just—"

i jam the key into the lock on the door and swing it open, trying to close it before ethan can get through. he puts his foot as a door jammer before i can get it to shut all the way.

he pushes it open slowly, and there's no doubt of the apologetic look on his face.

"you're not allowed to be in here," i say quietly. "this is the secret kitchen."

ethan ignores my lame attempt to get him to leave, and looks down at my arm by my side. i move it behind my back.

"i'm sorry," he states softly. "i didn't mean to do that. it was just something that... happened."