Chapter 70

"Are you sure you don't want to stay a bit longer?" Emily's voice carried a quiet hesitance as we walked alongside Ethan toward his sleek black car parked near the hospital entrance.

Ethan shook his head. "I've been here long enough. There's work waiting for me back in New York."

I followed them a little, observing the conversation as it happened. Ever the sympathetic one, Emily appeared hesitant to release him, but Ethan-well, Ethan-was as protective as ever. His face was a mask of serene indifference, but the way his fingers delicately tapped the car keys in his hand gave off an almost restless vibe.

Emily gently prodded, "It wouldn't hurt to be here a little longer. Margo's health..."

Ethan cut in, his voice sharp but not rude, "She has you. And you've made it clear you'll do whatever it takes for her. There's nothing I can add to that."

Emily stopped moving, crossing her arms and furrowing her brows. "Ethan, it's not about what you can contribute. It's to let her know she's not alone. Showing me that you-"

With a little exhale, Ethan raised a hand. "I'm here, aren't I, Emily? That is more than most people would anticipate. But let's not pretend I'm the kind of person who's good at... this." He gestured vaguely, encompassing both the hospital and the emotional weight of the situation.

I could feel the tension between them, and I felt like I was not supposed to be there. I couldn't help but jump in, though.

I slipped into the conversation with a casual tone and said, "Hey. Let's not start throwing punches outside a hospital. They might charge extra for the drama."

Ethan laughed dryly, and Emily looked at me, half amused, half frustrated.

Ethan unlocked the car door and remarked, "I'll let you handle the drama, Sophie." For the final time, he looked at Emily. "If anything changes, give me a call. I'll handle whatever needs to be handled."

As Ethan slipped into the driver's seat and turned on the engine, Emily simply nodded without responding.

I waved as the car left the lot and shouted, "Drive carefully."

After he left, Emily let out a deep breath and lowered her arms to her sides. "Well, that went about as smoothly as I had anticipated."

"Are you alright?" As we made our way back to the hospital door, I inquired, putting my arm through hers.

She smiled at me wearily. "I'm not sure. It's just... Ethan. He's not exactly the warm and fuzzy type."

I joked, "That's putting it mildly," and she gave me a little laugh. "But seriously, he cares. It's just buried under layers of, I don't know, steel armor?"

As soon as we entered, Emily remained silent and stared at the floor. I sensed her withdrawing within herself as the burden of things once more caught up with her.

I leaned against the wall and watched Emily as she sat down in the chair by her mother's bed in Margo's room. The uneasy, weighty silence dragged on.

"You know," I began cautiously, "he may not show it, but Ethan's presence here meant something. To both of you."

Emily shook her head. "He's a puzzle I can't figure out. One moment he's here, trying to help, and the next he's back to being distant, like none of this matters to him."

I persisted, "It does matter to him. Those tough-on-the-outside types, like Ethan, simply don't know how to express it. But it doesn't mean they don't feel it."

Her eyes searched me as she looked up. "How do you know what to say all the time?"

I smiled. "Years of being everyone's unpaid therapist. It truly is a talent."

Emily laughed softly, and for a moment, the tension eased.

Later that night, after Emily had fallen asleep in the hospital lounge, I was back in our hotel room together. After the long day, the calm, dark room should have been soothing, but my mind kept racing. Even though Ethan's visit was quick, I still had more questions than answers. I couldn't get his strange, yet strangely caring, behavior to stop bugging me.

I sat on the bed with my legs crossed and gazed at Emily's phone on the bedside table. She had checked on a text earlier and left it unlocked. I paused, biting my bottom lip. The idea of phoning Ethan's pal Ben briefly crossed my mind. He had visited some time ago, and even though we had not spoken much, I had remembered something about his composed manner. Perhaps he knew something about Ethan that would help me understand him.

I reached for the phone and whispered to myself, "Don't overthink it." I came upon his name while looking through her contacts.

I inhaled deeply, pressed the call button, and waited, half expecting him to ignore me.

"Hello?" He seemed wary, as if he wasn't sure who was calling.

"Hello, Ben," I blurted out before I could lose my composure. "This is Sophie. Emily's... friend."

There was a brief silence. "Sophie. From the other day, that is. Is Emily okay?"

"She's fine," I reassured him. "She's resting. Actually, the reason I called was to discuss something with you. If you don't mind."

"Yes," he replied, his voice changing to one of interest. "What's on your mind?"

Unsure of how to phrase my inquiry without coming across as intrusive, I hesitated. "It's about Ethan," I finally stated. "I don't know him very well, but... I can't figure him out. He's confusing, to say the least."

Ben laughed softly, but not in a condescending way. "That isn't shocking. Ethan is a difficult person to understand."

"That much is clear," I remarked, scowling a little. "But he came all the way here for Emily, and yet it feels like he's holding back. As if he's rushing away before someone approaches and doing the bare minimum. Is that just... who he is?"

Ben answered cautiously, "It's complicated. Ethan's not a bad guy, but he's got walls. Big ones. And trust me, he didn't put them up for no reason."

I tangled a lock of hair around my finger as I shifted uneasily. "So, what is it? What's he so afraid of?"

Ben was silent for a while, perhaps considering his answer. At last, he remarked, "Ethan has experienced a lot. More than the majority of people think. And he doesn't talk about it-not with me, not with anyone. Since he has been by himself for so long, he finds it difficult to let others in."

I muttered, my fingers clenching around the phone, "That's sad."

"Yes," Ben concurred. "But it's who he is. It doesn't mean he doesn't care-it just means he doesn't always know how to show it."

I leaned back against the pillows and let out a breath. "I appreciate you telling me. I suppose I simply needed to hear it from someone who is more familiar with him than I am."

"No issue," Ben replied. He paused for a moment before continuing, "And Sophie?"

"Yes?"

"Don't let Ethan's closed-off nature fool you. Although he may be difficult to read, he has a wonderful heart. You simply need to exercise patience with him."

Even though he couldn't see me, I nodded. "I'll remember that."

I put the phone back on the nightstand after hanging up.

I had the unshakeable impression that things would only get more confusing as I lay there in the poorly lighted room. I was sucked into the midst of this family's many facets, which included Ethan, Emily, and Margo.

But I would stay for Emily's sake. regardless of how disorganized things got.