behind the camera ♧ ed

eighteen

"Well once again, happy birthday Mae, I hope being adult now doesn't fuck you up badly," Annalise hugs Mae.

"Alright I'll see you at work," I hug Grayson goodbye. "And happy birthday Mae."

"Thank you," she looks at me up and down and smiles.

The ride back home was silent.

"Are you tired baby?" Annalise turns around to Lena. She was still awake.

"A little," she says.

"Did you enjoy tonight?" Annalise smiles.

"Yes I did, it was nice seeing Mae again," she giggles. "She's very nice."

I felt my stomach twist and turn at the words coming out of Lena's mouth.

"What do you mean honey?" I felt Anna's eyes on me.

"Me and daddy saw her at the pier."

Come on Lena!

"Oh.. That's cool," Anna turns back around and faces forward.

We arrived home and Annalise tucked in Lena to bed.

"Goodnight princess," she kissed her forehead and I turned off the lights.

We walk out of her room and close the door.

"So Ethan, what's going to happen?" She walked over to the bathroom in our room.

"What do you mean what's going to happen?" I follow her. She began to take off her makeup with a makeup remover wipe.

"What's going to happen to this marriage? To us? Let's think about Lena. You think about Lena."

"I do think about her," I started to unbotton my shirt.

"I can't live with someone I don't trust."

"And I can't live with someone that won't trust me."

"What the fuck did Lena say then huh? You know what the fuck she said," her voice cracked.

"It was just someone I had to take pictures of!"

"Are you sure about that?" She turns around and her eyes were the first thing I looked at. They were glossy and ready let go of tears.

"I saw the way Mae looked at you," she turns back around and takes off the rest of her makeup.

"What do you mean Anna?! You're imagining things," I began to approach her.

"Don't fucking come any closer," she says and I stop myself.

"Anna don't do this."

"No, you! You tell yourself that!" She sobbed.

I didn't know what else to say. I was stuck.

"If I see your camera will I see pictures of her," she says.

"Anna are you serious?" I was fucking stuck. I felt hopeless right now.

"Yes I'm fucking serious," she grits her teeth.

Everytime she did that, she got furious.

"Anna please, why don't you trust me?"

"And why don't you show me your fucking camera?" A tear rolled down her cheek.

i love how pressed you guys get by this book 😭💀