by Simone Elise
Ethan’s quick nod confirmed that I had. When he’d taken me to this young girl, who looked to be a teenager, she was about to commit suicide. When I searched through her mind, I saw that bullying was what had driven her to this decision.
Tears were running down her face as she let the pills she was about to take fall out of her hand and go down the drain.
“Nice work, Addison,” Ethan said. He had managed to keep a low profile all through this process. He’d let me take control of the situation and just watched. I had a feeling he wasn’t doing it to be mean; he was doing it so I could learn.
Stepping away from the girl, I turned to look at Ethan. “So, will she overcome this?”
I don’t know why, but I’d felt a connection to this girl in the short period of time I’d searched her mind.
“Time will tell,” Ethan answered. “We should leave. We have another one to get to.”
I followed Ethan out of the small house and into the dimly lit street. Before he and I had our little fight, it could be said that I’d done most of the talking and he mainly grunted and yelled.
But now it seemed the tables had turned. Ethan was taking every opportunity to make conversation with me. We’d had to walk nearly two blocks to this girl’s house and the whole time he was firing questions at me, trying to strike up a conversation, but I didn’t let it happen.
Although I do admit it was becoming extremely painful keeping my mouth shut and not firing smart comebacks at him. I was missing my hobby of annoying him.
“You did well.” Ethan glanced at me as I walked beside him. “Didn’t even need me to step in.”
I nodded, and then looked straight ahead. “Where to next?” I wished Ethan would just tell me how he knew that information. I was sick of giving him the cold shoulder.
“Ten blocks up,” Ethan said through gritted teeth. Stopping abruptly, he wrapped a hand around my wrist. “Would you drop the cold attitude toward me already?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” I pulled my wrist away with a fierce look.
“Please.” He rolled his eyes. “It is most likely killing you not being able to annoy me. I don’t know how you’re managing it.”
“Well, seeing as your dream of me shutting up is coming true, I guess everything is just fine,” I shouted in his face. If anyone could hear me, I was sure I would have woken people from their sleep.
My heels clicked on the pavement as I stomped away, my fists clenched in my pockets.
“I looked after you.”
Ethan’s voice stopped me.
“I always have, since… well, since you were three and wandered away from your dad at the beach. I guided you back. Ever since that day, I…”
Ethan’s voice broke, and I couldn’t turn around to see his face because I was honestly stunned, barely able to take in what he was telling me.
“I’ve been a part of your life for… nearly your whole life. That’s how I know.”
His voice was soft, edged with embarrassment. As much as I couldn’t believe it, it made sense. I slowly turned around, shocked.
“So, you are saying that you… You’ve been looking after me?” I arched an eyebrow.
I saw the panic in his eyes, and the gulp he took before he nodded.
“Why?” Why would he want to look after me? He’d told me at the start it wasn’t his job to guide people, so why was he guiding me?
“You aren’t the first one to ask me that.” He glared down at the pavement.
“You have been looking after me?”
“I suppose.” He gritted his teeth. “I know I had no right to.”
I took a few steps forward, closer to him. He looked up at the sound of my heels. “Well, I don’t object to it.”
Ethan looked shocked when he heard those words.
“Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of questions but…” I felt the attraction right there and then. Ethan had been looking after me my whole life, shielding me from death. Sure, I admit I was feeling a slow attraction to him already. It would be hard for a woman not to, given his looks.
But after hearing that he was like a guardian angel to me, I could feel the lustful feelings twisting into love.
“But?” he prompted me, taking a step forward, now only a few paces from me.
I took another step closer to him. “I’m not mad at you.”
“Really?” He arched an eyebrow. “I’ve stalked you most of your life.”
“I think it is more along the lines of caring.” I tilted my head slightly. “Although you do have questions to answer.”
A flirtatious look crossed his face. “Don’t get me wrong. I want to answer all your questions but…”
“But?”
He stepped closer, his body touching mine. “But we have somewhere to be.” Leaning his head down slightly, he whispered in my ear, “Maybe after, I will answer your questions.”
The heat from his breath swirled around my ear, sending hot shivers through my body. His shoulder gently touched mine as he walked past me.
Closing my eyes, I had a feeling things had just gone from simmering to red hot. Just how burned would I get from dealing with the Devil’s son?
Chapter 9
The night slowly faded into dusk, and Ethan and I had guided several more people.
“Addison, are you ready to go back to Hell?” Ethan asked me, staring at me like a sane person would stare at a lunatic, making me think this wasn’t the first time he’d asked that.
“I, well, just no.” I frowned. Oh, yes, Addy, that was smooth. I didn’t like being seen as weak or, well, to be honest… I don’t like anyone seeing my emotions.
So right now, being nervous and stuttering was killing me.
Ethan frowned. “Does that ‘no’ mean you aren’t stupid or that you don’t want to go back? Addison, it isn’t a hard question. Do you want to go back to Hell now?”
Sure, it wasn’t a hard question, but it was hard to answer when he looked so damned attractive. Why hadn’t I noticed how good-looking he was before? His enchanting features were throwing me off balance. I had been struggling to talk to him all night.
The more I thought about him, the more I lusted after him. This was flipping insane!
“Addy!”
Ethan was gripping my shoulders; he looked frustrated. “Would you stop spacing out!”
“Sorry,” I stuttered.
“Okay, that’s it. What is wrong?” Ethan’s eyes narrowed, and for some reason, that made my stomach flutter even more.
“Nothing,” I choked out. I really had to pull myself together. “Um, yep, let’s head back.”
“Say that without sounding like a choked-up monkey.”
“Hilarious,” I bit back at him. Not knowing what to do, I started walking in long strides up the footpath. The sooner we got to Hell, the better, because Ethan would want to get away from me, and I would have some time to calm my nerves.
“Addy, where are you going?”
I spun round to look at Ethan, who had one eyebrow arched.
“Last time I checked, we don’t walk back to hell?” Ethan studied me closely, then slowly reached a hand out in my direction. “Come on.”
Well, that made me look even more stupid. “Right!” I muttered under my breath and walked shamefully back to him. I gritted my teeth when I took his hand; this was just my luck.
“Don’t look so happy to be touching me.” Ethan’s tone was bitter. I looked up into his eyes and noticed the hurt in them. I opened my mouth to explain, but the space around me twisted and turned before I could.
I landed in Hell, my butt hitting the floor hard. I looked for Ethan, but he wasn’t here. I noticed the doors swinging slightly. Shit! I got up quickly and ran after him. He was already halfway up the corridor by the time I opened the door.
“Ethan, wait!” I shouted after him. Like the stubborn man he was, he didn’t. He most likely thought I didn’t care about him, or worse, that I was angry with him or even worse
than that… disgusted by him.
“Ethan!” I panicked and sprinted after him.
I gripped his arm as tightly as possible and made him stop. “Ethan, would you just—”
“What?” His face bore no expression.
“I, well, before.” Stuttering Addy is back. I gritted my teeth. I wasn’t making this situation better. “Ethan, I am sorry.”
His expression didn’t change, although he crossed his arms, which I took as a bad sign. His defensive attitude was killing me.
“I’m not like… you know?” Really, Addy! I slapped my forehead. “Ethan, look, I will be straight with you.”
That was going to be hard to do.
Ethan shook his head, looking hurt. “You are so scared of me that you can’t even string a sentence together!”
“What? No!”
“Come on, Addison, you can’t even hold my hand.” He went to sidestep me, but I blocked him quickly.
“That isn’t the truth.” I placed my hands up in the air to explain. “I just need to know why. Why did you look after me for so many years?”
“Clearly I didn’t look after you. You’re here.”
I hadn’t even thought of that. Stumped, I had no words. Suddenly, more questions occurred to me. If he was looking after me, why was I here? The look of guilt in his eyes told me that he was keeping something else from me.
“Well, you must have had a reason,” I finally said. “For letting me come here.”
Ethan scoffed angrily. “Move, Addison!”
I sidestepped him again. Was I here because of him? Surely not… right?
He must have seen the quandary in my eyes because his look quickly turned hard. “You can hate me all you want, just move.”
“I don’t hate you!” I pushed my black hair to the side so he could see my face clearly. “Really, Ethan, I don’t. Why would I?”
“It’s my fault you’re here.” He looked darkly at me. “It’s my fault you’re dead.”
The lust I felt for him faded and bitterness rushed up my throat.
“How?” I stepped closer to him. “Tell me, Ethan. What did you do?”
His dark misty eyes hid every emotion from me now. For the first time since I met him, I was actually scared of him.
“Does it really matter? I can’t undo it. Death is final.” He side-stepped me quickly, and I didn’t even bother to try to stop or follow him. I was in shock. If I wasn’t meant to be here, if I wasn’t meant to be dead, and it was Ethan’s fault I was here, then…. he had caused my life to be cut short.
Suddenly I felt robbed.
Chapter 10
“It isn’t a big deal. It isn’t a big deal,” I kept repeating it to myself as I knocked on his door. My stomach bubbled, and I was close to just turning away and running as far as possible.
Then he opened the door and that option was ruled out.
“What do you want?” Ethan’s expression was dry, but he was clearly faking it. Because instead of his normal ‘I don’t care’ attitude, his eyes were glowing with anger directed at me.
“I just wanted to… um… see you, to… um.” Okay, Addy, let’s try English. I took a deep breath and then exhaled. “Ethan, I’m sorry about before… how I reacted.”
“Anyone would react the same after they met their killer.” Ethan shrugged it off. He was clearly upset about what I’d said.
“Killer?” My mouth dropped open slightly.
“That’s what I am. It’s my fault you’re here.” He crossed his arms tightly. “That makes me your killer.”
Everything he said was true, but why the hell was it not making sense to me? For some unknown, and most likely insane, reason, I didn’t see him like that. Perhaps it was official. I was crazy.
Because what other woman would be crushing on the guy who brought her to Hell? If that doesn’t indicate I am crazy, then what does!
“I don’t see you like that.” I chewed my bottom lip and held my hands awkwardly. “You might be a lot of things, Ethan, but a killer… Well, that isn’t one of them.”
His shoulders sagged a little and slowly exhaled. His eyes locked with mine. Although he might look devilishly handsome and not like the type of guy who cared what a woman thought of him, it seemed my opinion of him mattered and I couldn’t control my goofy smile.
“So, um, now that it is settled.” I chewed my bottom lip, still grinning. “What are we going to do now?”
There had to be something else to do in Hell other than fight with Ethan and guide people around.
“Seeing as you don’t like reading books, I guess it’s time I introduced you to some people.” Ethan leaned casually on the doorframe. His face lit up and it was nice to see.
“Wait, people?” His words finally registered. “You mean actual other people in Hell?” I arched an eyebrow, making sure I was understanding him right.
“There are other people here, you know.” Ethan chuckled at my reaction. “You aren’t the only one.”
“Well, seeing as I haven’t seen anyone else around, I was beginning to think that.” I stepped forward, edging into his personal space. “Were you just keeping me to yourself?”
His smirk dropped instantly now that I had the upper hand. Things were beginning to return to normal now, finally.
“Come on, before I change my mind.” Ethan rolled his eyes.
“Changing your mind. Gee, that would be new,” I snipped, smirking behind his back and following him. Yeah, things were definitely going back to normal, apart from now I couldn’t stop myself from admiring Ethan’s well-developed body.
***
“So, I have to ask…” I finally mustered the courage to say. “Who exactly are we going to meet?”
I knew we were still in Hell, but I wasn’t sure where. I swear, I had been following Ethan for years and my feet were starting to hurt. Seriously, I really wished I had died wearing tennis shoes rather than high heels.
“I knew it wouldn’t take you long to start complaining.” Ethan smiled over his shoulder at me.
“It’s not a complaint; I’m asking a question.” Really, you would think according to Ethan all I did was complain, which I didn’t. He just had the patience of an old man.
“Right.” Ethan kept walking, and I had the pleasure of following him.
“That didn’t answer the question,” I pointed out, because, knowing Ethan, he would most likely try to avoid answering it. “God, I’m so sick of these heels.”
The click, click, click was driving me insane!
“Take them off, then,” Ethan offered uselessly.
“I’m not meeting new people in bare feet!” I was outraged. Did Ethan know nothing about good impressions? “I don’t want to be that weird chick with the smelly feet.”
Ethan made his trademark grunt, which told me he wasn’t replying.
“Ethan, seriously, how much longer?” I groaned. Did he not know I hated walking? Heck, I hated all physical activity. Just the word ‘physical’ sent a shiver of disgust through me. Images of sweaty gym people flashed in my mind.
“I liked it better when you were mute,” Ethan grumbled under his breath, still making no effort to give me an answer or slow his pace.
“Do you know what I think?”
“No, I don’t, nor do I want to know,” Ethan replied, his characteristically charming manner showing.
“I think you’re trying to kill me.”
“You’re already dead.”
“Yes, and now you are going for a second hit, like a serial killer.”
“Shut up, Addy.”
“I can see the headlines now.”
“And what paper would this be in?”
“Girl killed by walking to nowhere, led by crazy athletic man.”
“Crazy athletic man?” Ethan slowed his pace, arching an eyebrow at me.
“Yep.”
“You talk some shit, you know.”
Much to my disgust, Ethan returned to his normal pace, and I got the pleasure
of once again trying to keep up with him.
“Would you pick your feet up?” Ethan demanded, clearly annoyed. “Why can’t you just walk like a normal person and stop dragging your feet?”
“Well, considering you are dragging me somewhere, I think it is only fitting I drag my feet.”
“You’re worse than a toddler.”
“At least I’m toilet trained,” I defended myself.
“I can’t believe you said that.” Ethan was mildly disgusted.
“I’ve said a lot worse.” I shrugged it off.
“We’re here.” Ethan came to a stop at the end of a low- lit corridor.
“Where exactly is ‘here’?” I frowned, looking around. It was at times like these that I realized I really was in Hell. Usually, it would slip my mind, especially when I was on earth. A lot of the time it just felt like a bad dream.
“At my parents’,” Ethan answered, reaching out and knocking on the dark wooden door.
Hold the traffic, stop the newspapers… What!?
“Your parents?” I hissed. “Are you serious right now?” If he was joking, he really had a sick sense of humor. Well, to be fair to Ethan, he barely had any humor in general.
“You didn’t actually expect me to have friends here, did you?” He looked at me blankly. “Sometimes I forget just how dumb you can be.”
“I think I’m going to pass out.” I was panicking… no, I was freaking the heck out. I could only imagine the horror on the other side of that door. Because at the end of the day, they’d created Ethan, and Ethan was about as friendly as a feral lion.
“Would you stop breathing so heavily?” Ethan looked at me, annoyed, and knocked on the door once more.
“Would you stop knocking?” I grabbed his fist and pulled it away from the door. “You will get them to answer.”
“That’s the point.” He drew out each word, speaking down to me.
Yes, in any normal situation, knocking on a door would have the aim of grabbing attention but in this case, that was the last thing I wanted.
But just like everything else in my life, I didn’t get what I wanted. To my utter horror, the door opened.
“Ethan.” A woman with long blond hair answered the door, and like Ethan, she looked god-like. “And?”