Earn My Trust

Chapter 8 - The Pressure Builds

"I don't know what to say..."
Ethan and Martin sat on the sofa back in Ethans temporary apartment after Martin had made excuses for the both of them leaving the hospital.
It was almost midnight, and most of the evening had been spent in sober silence wondering what to do about Ethans situation.
He had been in no fit state to drive back, so Martin had been allowed to drive the lambourgini back to the flat. Although, this time, all his enthusiasm and excitement had gone.
"I have to tell her," Ethan mumbled emotionally.
"Well, yeah... but how are you going to do that?" Martin asked, leaning back and staring at the ceiling, his forehead creased. "You've been doing this for nearly three months now. It'd be easier if there hadn't been so long le -"
"Yes, ok! I get it!" He snapped, launching to his feet to get himself a beer. "I should have told her sooner, but for fuck sake, Martin! You don't know how amazing it is to freely be with someone without your picture being taken every five seconds! It was just me and her. No one gave a fuck what we were doing, whether we were kissing, where we were having a meal, none of it!"
"I do, man. I get it!" Martin assured him, holding up his hands in surrender. "But surely, if you explain all that to her, then perhaps she'll understand too."
Ethan grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge and handed one to Martin before he sat down.
"But then it's like opening a can of worms!" He whined hopelessly. "If she's seen with me, not Robin, then the press are bound to pick up on her. She'll automatically be branded as the thing she hates the most, what I hate the most. They will make up their own opinions on her. Remember the hate mail Bianca got when we first started dating? Just because she kissed me?!"
Martin winced at the memory he remembered like it was yesterday. He had been called to the flat they shared together at the time and saw Bianca sitting on the sofa, wailing into her hands, with hundreds and hundreds of letters littered across the floor. Ethan had been livid at the reception his new girlfriend was receiving at the time and had called on Martin to help find a way to resolve it.
Martin, however, had always known Bianca wasn't the right girl for Ethan. He'd had a gut feeling things were going to turn sour from the get-go, but gave his friend his support regardless of his own opinions.
In regards to Hannah, he thought she was a perfect match for his friend. He had never seen the genuine happiness and adoration in Ethan's eyes.
It didn't come anywhere close to how Ethan used to look at Bianca. He'd always been slightly peeved about something with her. It was usually how Bianca had dealt with a certain situation or she had butt in on his work uninvited.
Hannah had changed him for the better. He was laughing more, was a lot more relaxed and approachable, and overall a better person for it.
Their relationship was a hot topic between him and Lisa. They had both found a match, not only for themselves but for their best friends.
Of course, Lisa was still unaware of how close the two relationships were actually connected to each other, and he had to admit, he longed to tell her everything. He hated keeping secrets from her and really couldn't understand how Ethan could pretend to be someone else while he was with Hannah. Even if he did understand the reasoning behind it.
It fucking terrified him how Lisa was going to react when the news all came to light. He hoped she'd be as understanding as he prayed Hannah would be, but he dreaded them both reacting the wrong way. It wasn't just Ethan's relationship that was at risk here!
"Alright." He sighed slowly, trying to piece together a plan. "We have no choice but to take this as it comes, I suppose. Let me take a look at what's scheduled for tomorrow."
"Cancel all of it." Ethan ordered exhaustedly. "I'm going to Hannah's to help her with Bea while she heals."
They had both received the update an hour ago that Hannah had indeed broken her two middle toes and severely bruised the main part of her foot. She was to be on crutches for several weeks to help her get around, and the two toes had been taped to the toes either side to help them heal properly.
"I might as well clear the schedule for the next few weeks then." He relented, tapping open his emails to begin rescheduling. "Does this mean I get a holiday too?"
He gave Ethan a cheeky sideways glance to try and lighten the mood, but his face quickly fell.
Ethan looked miserable. He was so troubled with his current situation and how he was going to fix it that he was back to staring at the floor unseeingly.
He didn't know what else to do to help his friend. He hated him being so lost. Usually, Ethan was the headstrong one between the both of them and he was the quirky sidekick. They were a great team together, but this may lead to their downfall at the same time.
Ethan couldn't stop thinking about the way Hannah had treated and spoken about him when they had been at the hospital.
She saw him as an arrogant arsehole! She hated him!
He couldn't get the dirty look she had given him in the waiting room out of his head.
He hadn't failed to notice that when he was Robin, he was his true self. That was who he really was as a person. Joking, relaxed, completely and utterly in love with her...
Yes. He loved her!
He loved her so fucking much he loathed himself for what he was doing to her.
He had to tell her, and he was intending to do it tomorrow after he had dropped Bea off at school.
He would get back to her and plead her for her understanding and patience before opening up and being honest with her.
The website he'd spent the past seven years building up, cataloguing all his victims for other jilted men to mock and laugh at, hadn't been accessed since his second date with Hannah. He hadn't updated anything, just left it well alone.
God forbid she ever found out about it. He was even considering deleting it completely.
He jumped when his phone pinged, and he slowly looked down to see a message from her.