Chapter 28

Ethan sits in front of Celia’s house for what seems like an eternity. He looks between the front door and his reflection in one of the mirrors.

His hands constantly move back and forth, loosening his navy blue tie before retying it around his neck. Ethan’s mind can’t keep still as he weighs the tie versus no tie debate inside his head.

He does not know how fancy Celia decided to dress in. They are going shopping for jewelry, after all, so maybe she decided to dress up since they will be visiting fancy shops. A groan leaves his lips, the man quickly fastening the tie around his neck before getting out of the car.

The dark haired man crosses Celia’s driveway with ease, nervousness hidden behind every step he takes. Once he is at the door, his fist hovers next to the wood.

Ethan gets stuck inside a fit of anxiety and nervousness. He blinks at the door, unable to bring himself to knock. Just as he is about to close the distance between his fist and the door, the large piece of wood swings open, revealing Celia inside.

“Oh!” Celia laughs, shocked by his sudden appearance, “You’re here! I saw your car from the window and thought you were waiting outside for me.”

Ethan takes a step backward, stumbling down the stairs. Celia remains clueless, locking the door to her home. She turns around just as Ethan regains his balance. She smiles at him.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for too long!” Celia breaks the awkward silence between them. She wears a cute floral dress, one that sways with the cool breeze that passes them by.

“You didn’t! I mean, ah, I wasn’t waiting for too long,” Ethan stammers with a laugh. Celia raises her eyebrows at him and fastens her crossbody purse over her shoulder.

“That’s good, then,” she chuckles, now reaching the bottom of the stairs. She stands in front of him, rocking back and forth on her feet.

Awkwardness fills the air once again. Celia’s smile fades as Ethan’s grows. She blinks at him and clears her throat.

“Should we—”

“You look beautiful today,” Ethan interrupts her. His eyes widen once he realizes what he has done. “I am so sorry, I did not mean to interrupt you!”

“It’s okay!” Celia’s laugh is light and airy, no hidden bitterness behind it. “And thank you. You look very handsome yourself, Ethan.”

Ethan’s cheeks heat up. His smile grows bigger and wider, the man suppressing a chuckle.

“Thank you,” he says, his voice just barely above a whisper. He steps to the side and reveals his car. “Shall we go?”

Celia nods and smiles, walking with him to the car. She reaches for the passenger door handle but her hand knocks into his. She immediately retracts her hand and looks up at him.

“Allow me,” he says, opening up the car door for her. Celia nods and smiles, getting inside.

Ethan takes Celia to a nearby park since the current weather is so nice. The sun is out and big, white, fluffy clouds float across the sky. It looks like a picture perfect shot from an animated movie, one that he watched when he was a kid.

Ethan cannot help but wonder if Celia saw the same movie during her childhood.

The man parks the car and rushes around the side before Celia can open her door. Beating her to it this time, Celia steps out and smiles at him, bowing her head as a silent thank you. He grabs a blanket and basket from the backseat of the car and gestures to the opening of the park.

The two of them enter the park, slowly strolling down a cobblestone path. Birds sing their usual morning song, flying around with their mates underneath the warm rays of sunlight. Even a few butterflies fly past their heads while they walk.

Celia chuckles, letting one of them land on her hands. She leans in and murmurs a small hello to it before releasing it back into the air. The butterfly’s golden orange winds flutter away. The young woman turns to the man, her smile bright and infectious.

Ethan and Celia walk into the middle of a field. He quickly lays the blanket down and places the woven basket onto it, plopping down onto the blanket. He helps Celia sit beside him, the two of them sitting next to each other.

The first thirty minutes are silent. It’s undeniably awkward as they nibble on crackers and cheese, occasionally sipping a now lukewarm juice that Ethan brought. Celia stares at the clouds while Ethan stares at Celia.

Ethan knows that his date with Celia isn’t going well. He knows that her heart belongs with the Alpha King, a man who does not even care about her. A bitter taste forms on his tongue while thinking about it.

“Do you remember when Lily and I first joined the hospital?” Celia’s voice brings him out of his trance. Ethan blinks at her and shakes his head. “It was our first day and we accidentally made someone bleed while taking their blood.”

“Really?” He asks, amused.

“Yes! We felt so bad too. The poor guy was so scared of needles and I think we made it worse,” Celia laughs. “As I was putting the needle inside his arm, she bumped into me with the tiny bucket of filled up blood vials. The needle popped out of his arm and his blood got everywhere!”

“What about the bucket of filled vials?” Ethan asks, already engrossed in her story as if he were there.

“Lily dropped them! Blood got all over the floors! It smelled so bad inside the room. The guy passed out, too!” Celia snorts.

Their laughter slowly dies down, the one awkward tension now filling in the silence once again. Celia sighs and lays down, her hair fanning out around her head. Ethan lays down beside her.

The white clouds float by, not a care in the world. Celia wishes she could be a cloud. She would give anything to just float in the sky and not have to deal with the struggles of everyday life, especially the struggles that involves her complicated situation with Soren.

“Ethan?”

“Hm.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course. I am always here to help, you know that,” Ethan looks at her from the corner of his eye.

“There is someone who has both immensely hurt me as well as helped me when I needed it the most,” Celia sighs. She avoids Ethan’s gaze and continues to look at the clouds for their silent motivation. “I recently found out that…that I can heal him, but I do not know if he wants my help or not.”

Celia finally looks away from the clouds, her eyes attaching to Ethan’s. He sighs and rolls onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow. Celia bites her lip and rolls it back and forth between her teeth.

“What do you think I should do? Should I offer my help to him, or should I let him suffer in silence after everything he has put me through?” Celia asks, swallowing the lump that forms in her throat.