Chapter 22: Unkiltered

I started my day normal, I made a large pot of coffee having a feeling that this day was going to be really long. Today I would be waiting for Alex to come up and help me out, I guess from the first days back in middle school when all this s**t started, he knew being friends with me wouldn't be easy. But a dude couldn't ask for a better friend. He had left in the dead of the night last night. He gave his goodbyes and knew that possibly this could be his last stand with me. I pulled on a pair of sweats and an old t-shirt. I sat on the couch and waited. Soon I would go to the airport to pick up my friend from the east.

Gin Pov:

We had arrived at this run down house I wasn't sure where we were. But I saw my father relax he must of driven the whole night. I looked around and it was as if we were in the middle of a desert, it didn't look like the Oregon I had become accustomed to. We got out of the car and I explored this little house. It wasn't big three bedrooms, one bath. Ethan would love it here, I had witnessed him taking a lot of nighttime runs after he would wake up from screaming. I would sit in the window and watch his silhouetted figure run into the trees and return a few hours later. Here he would have new paths to explore. I sighed thinking of Ethan, made me think of home and worry. I had to do something to keep it off of my mind. I felt a hand on my shoulder and it was Caden.

"Thinking of my brother?" She had a crooked smile that was a lot like her brothers. I just nodded. I felt some shoes be thrown at me and I looked down at my old pair of nikes.

"For my brother." I nodded, a small smile creeping into my features. I changed into a tank top and shorts before I laced up my old running shoes. I met her at the back door and we took off chasing the sun.

 

Ethan Pov:

Slowly I made my way, out of the house and into my old Mustang. I smiled at the few dents that still remained, one lesson learned never let any one drive your car. I pulled open the heavy metal door and slid onto the leather seat. Starting the engine the car roared to life. And I made my way out of the drive way onto open Oregon roads. I arrived at Portland International and waited curbside for my friend to get off the plane. I jumped out of the car when I saw Alex drag his suit case out. I easily picked up the bag shoving it in the back. I stood in front of my friend.

"Ready for this Ethan? You said you would do this before the wedding." I smiled, that was a time when I wasn't fighting to live.

"I'd have to reask." I said with a sad smile. It reminded me of the last kiss in her bedroom, I hope she felt the sparks I felt because that was one of the best kisses we ever shared, it had anger, love, passion all wrapped into one.

"Well let's get you to that day bro." We slid into the car and the sun began to shine. I looked to him and then to the road as I peeled off.

 

Gin Pov:

We stopped to take a breath, I raised the water bottle to my lips. I leaned for support against a tree and Caden was in the same shape I was.

"I now know why Ethan runs, nightly." Caden's head snapped in my direction.

"How did you know about that?" I sighed.

"His screams would wake me, but I couldn't help him he had locked me out. So I would wait till he stopped screaming but then almost every night I would hear the bedroom door close and then I just saw him, take off for the woods and I watched him everyday after that." Caden sat next to me.

"Tell me something Ginny, did you ever stop loving him?" Her blue eyes searched the depth of mine.

"No, no matter how incredibly pissed off I was with him. I just couldn't stop loving him, I know its stupid but.."

"It's not stupid, you can't fight how you feel." I shook my head.

"The last time we kissed, it was as if he was kissing me goodbye, he was trying to express what he didn't know how to say through the kiss." She chuckled.

"You two were surely in your own little world, that was for sure." I looked at her.

"You saw that in the bedroom?" She laughed.

"Yeah it looked like my brother was trying to devour you with his mouth but you wouldn't listen." She stood and so did I.

"Listen if we ever make it back, tell him you love him and never let him go." She looked at me critically before she turned and sprinted off.

"Catch me if you can." She shouted and we ran our way back to the house.