G.R.O.W.T.H

~ Ethan's Pov, a few days later... ~

.

.

.

It's already been a few days since I've decided on taking my training seriously with Ryan. Truthfully, it's been a major pain in the back pushing myself so hard. For even just the past few days, I've been grinding away for hours at constant running, including minor breaks in between. But, Ryan was really barking me down to get it done.

Plus, he's even been helping me out on my escapade so far... It's, fun. I'm more than satisfied with this kind of life-style too. I've managed to even get in contact with the landlord of the building, which meant I could move in today. Unluckily, the place looked pretty bad, but nothing a good hour of cleaning won't fix.

Other than that, I've made sure to keep up on my practice for improving my coding skills and fighting skills. In fact, I'm actually thinking of making a small gig of the former in the near future; At least, once I've gained a bit more experience in the field. It'll help in the time being while I train myself up for those fights I had in mind for later...

Bzzt~

'Hmm? Who would be calling me at this hour?'

"Hello?"

"Hey~ Ethan..."

It's, Lena? Her voice... It sounds like she's been through the wringer and back. Also, what's up with this feeling in my chest too?

I need to ignore it and focus... "Hey Lena, are... are you ok?"

"..."

She's not even giving me a immediate response either.

"Truth be told... No... I... I just need someone to talk to right now."

...

She called at the worse time possible... I'm still in the process of getting my crap together in my new home, for me to get this all done. I'll need another hour or more at minimum... Plus, should I even be going to her? She didn't seem like a bad person, but apparently she was my ex based on what Ryan said...

He even mentioned that she kept manipulating me-Ethan, during our break up too. But, I'm not Ethan... Despite that, I don't really think it would be nice to just reject her at her lowest either.

...

"Alright... I won't be there for another hour or so, since I'm doing something else right now. But as soon as I'm done, I'll be there, promise; And you can tell me the details, is that cool?"

"..."

Once again... That same delayed response.

"Ah, y-yeah... I appreciate it, just please hurry..."

She hung up right after...

'Sheesh, it looks like it's pretty bad. I wonder what it could even be... Anyways, I can find that out later from her, I need to focus on getting all this crap I've got together...'

.

.

.

"I guess, this is it... It ain't perfect, but it's certainly, livable... I guess."

Bump*

"Ouch! What the heck was that for!"

I gave him the glare, "That was for being inconsiderate at my hard work, and being a jackass"

He held his side, "Fine! I'll give that one too ya'... So, you ready for training?"

I shook my head, "No... I've got, prior commitments... It shouldn't take more than an hour though. But, don't mind me, I'll be back before you know it. Plus, you know I won't skip a good day of training for anything either, so don't worry."

I was serious about that last part. As shitty as the training was, I enjoyed growing stronger. It was very entertaining. Tedious, but, very much rewarding.

Ryan gave me a nod, "Alright man, you do you, so just hurry back." He shood me away.

"Okay! Okay! I'm going."

He left my apartment, and I closed up after... Now that I'm actually thinking about it. I don't have a good way of transporting myself... I should invest in a car at some point. Better yet, I could probably make my own in the near future.

For now though, a cab will have to do.

.

.

.

Ding~ Dong~

...

I rang the doorbell, and knocked a few times, "Lena!? I'm here."

It didn't take long before I heard footsteps coming from stairs...

Click-

"H-Hey, Ethan, you made it."

'Oh...'

She looked like absolute crap. I could even see the literal trails of her own make-up being splattered all across her face. Which means, this so-called bad thing that happened to her likely happened to her today.

And there was another issue I had... I had-have never been in a relationship before. At least, not in my previous life, or remember having any... I had absolutely no clue how to really handle this kind of situation either... But, I can't just leave her be either. I'll just have to hope that I don't make this already crappy situation any worse than it was.

'Let's just wing it for the time being... Be nice, and everything should be over quickly... I hope.' 

She moved out the way, and I stepped inside. 

Her home was quite neat, and relatively simple too... Apart from the literal mountain of used tissue I could see on the couch. This keeps getting worse, and worse...

She sat on the couch, and I followed suit, going right next to her... Since she didn't really speak, I think it was more of a sign to initiate some sort of conversation. Plus, the tension in the room was getting a bit awkward.

"So~ Mind telling me what happened?"

Lena sniffled, hugging her knees as she buried her face against them. Her voice came out small, like she had to force the words through her throat.

"...He... He cheated on me."

Oh... That certainly explains a lot, and this.

Still, I wasn't sure how to respond to that. If it were Ryan, he'd probably say something like, *Damn, sucks to be you.* but I was at least socially aware enough to know that wasn't the move here... Plus, it'd be plain stupid to do as well.

I leaned back a little, running a hand through my hair for a bit, it helps with me thinking of what I should say next... And given this context I knew exactly what to say, "That... yeah, that's a little rough..." I said, trying not to sound too awkward. "How'd you find out?"

She let out a laugh, a bitter one... wiping at the smeared mascara under her eyes, "He didn't even bother hiding it! I... I caught him red-handed. Literally, in MY bed with her. And when I confronted him, he just—he just laughed." Her fingers clenched into fists. "Like it was some kind of joke. Like I was the idiot for thinking he ever took me seriously."

A sharp pang shot through my chest... It was damn quick too—barely even a second—but I felt it. Like something inside me clenched at hearing her say boyfriend. I'll just ignore it for now, but it's damn hard to do.

Alright, yeah. That guy sounded like an absolute piece of trash, irrespective of what happened between me and her.

I exhaled, arms crossing over my chest, "What a dick."

She blinked at me, then let out something between a scoff and a weak chuckle. "That's... All you have to say?"

"What, you want me to lie and tell you he's secretly a good guy deep down?" I raised a brow. "Cause I'm not gonna be doing that."

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "No... I just—I don't know. I thought I was done falling for assholes."

I almost laughed at the irony. Because… wasn't I supposed to be one of those 'assholes'? Now I can see why Ryan called her all those things, at least to an extent.

Ryan did tell me about how things ended between us before I lost my memories... How manipulative she was, or could be... How I apparently let her walk all over me. But looking at her now, all broken up over some other dude, it was hard to see that version of her. Over some other dude.

And harder to see that Ethan supposedly put up with it.

She sniffled again. "I mean, maybe I deserved it..."

Ah gosh... I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me, "That's stupid."

She looked up at me, genuinely surprised. As to why, I don't even know, "I'm gonna be real with you... You got played by an asshole. That's on him, not you." I said, arms still crossed. "Don't start with that, 'I deserved it' crap."

As much as I hated cheaters; two wrongs don't make a right. If someone cheats, separate from them. Cheating only makes you just as bad, if not worse. 

She looked at me again, her eyes softening... "You... You really mean that?" her hand was placed gently on my arm in that moment...

"Of... Of course."

Her fingers curled slightly against my sleeve, like she was anchoring herself there. Her eyes, still red and puffy from crying, locked onto mine, searching—maybe for reassurance, maybe for something else entirely.

And then, before I even realized it—

She was leaning in.

Slowly. Hesitantly. Like she was testing the waters, waiting for me to pull away.

The worst part? I didn't.

I felt myself tilting forward, just slightly, instinct kicking in before logic could catch up. Her breath was warm, shaky. The scent of vanilla and something faintly sweet lingered between us. My heartbeat ticked up, that weird tension in my chest tightening, telling me—

'Wait.'

I stopped, just before our lips met. Her eyes flickered open, like a question hanging between us both.

Lena, she was a relatively attractive woman. But this? I couldn't do something like this after what just happened; it would sit on my conscience for a while, and I needed a clear head for what I'm doing too...

So I swallowed my spit, with my pulse still annoyingly fast, "...Lena, we broke up." My voice came out much lower than I meant, but I kept my tone as steady as possible, I had to be strong, cause there was definitely something off with me... "And you just went through, this. I don't think this is a good idea..."

She blinked, it's like she was processing it in real-time, and she very much was. Then, just as quickly, she pulled back, her face scrunching up as she turned away... "Gosh, I—" She pressed a hand to her forehead, "Shit. That was stupid, I—sorry."

I exhaled, shaking my head. "No it's... It's fine... Don't worry about it."

But, she did. I could see it in the way she chewed the inside of her cheek, avoiding my gaze... 

So I stood up, dusting my hands off like that whole moment didn't just happen, "C'mon," I said, nodding toward the door, "Let's, go get some food. Clear your head a bit."

She hesitated, but after a second, she nodded. "...Yeah. Okay."

I turned to head out, and after a pause, she followed. In fact, maybe some fresh air would do us both some good at this point...

.

.

.

The diner we ended up at was one of those 24-hour spots, dimly lit with old-school booths and a jukebox in the corner that probably hadn't even worked in years. The place smelled like coffee, fried food, and whatever cheap air freshener they used to cover it all up.

Lena sat across from me, stirring her milkshake absentmindedly, her head resting against one hand. She looked better—less like someone who had just spent an entire night crying, but there was still this... weight on her. Like she was carrying something she didn't know how to put down.

"You're quiet," I said, taking a bite of my burger.

She blinked, like she hadn't even realized it. "Oh. Yeah, I guess."

"Thinking about him?"

Lena let out a dry laugh. "I'd like to say no, but that'd be a lie."

I nodded. It made sense. No matter how much of an asshole the guy was, breakups messed with your head.

"Hey," I said, "at least you got a free meal out of it."

That got a small smile out of her. "Gee, thanks."

I smirked, taking another bite. The conversation wasn't deep, but that was kind of the point. I figured she needed something to focus on that wasn't her trainwreck of a relationship. And honestly, after that whole almost-kissing thing earlier, so did I.

Lena continued to stirring her milkshake absentmindedly, then glanced at me—really looked at me—for the first time that night. Her eyes flickered over my face, then lower, like she was noticing something for the first time.

"You, uh… you look different," she said, almost awkwardly.

I raised an eyebrow, swallowing my food. "Different how?"

She hesitated, then gestured vaguely at me. "I dunno... You're just… not as thin I guess? And you look… better? Healthier even."

I blinked. That was, unexpected.

"Uh... Thanks?"

She cleared her throat, looking back down at her shake. "I mean, yeah, it's just… you used to look kinda, um… I, dunno. Tired. Worn out even."

I exhaled through my nose, setting my burger down. "Well, I've been working on myself for some time now."

She nodded, still not looking at me. "Yeah. I can tell." There was something unreadable in her voice, but before I could place it, she quickly moved on.

"So, uh… anyway." She poked at the whipped cream in her shake with her straw. "How's Ryan been?"

But, of course, things couldn't just stay that simple.

Because right as she started looking a little less miserable—

"Lena?"

A deep voice. Low. Tense. And coming from behind me...

Lena stiffened up immediately. I turned my head slightly, and there he was. It didn't take a genius to figure out who this was...

The boyfriend.

Tall—around six feet, maybe a bit more. Clean-cut. The kind of guy you'd expect to be popular in college without even trying. He had that effortless, I-know-I-look-good kind of vibe. And judging from the look he was giving me, he wasn't too happy to see me sitting across from his ex.

I sized him up, noting all the details about him almost automatically.

Then, without meaning to, I compared him to myself. 5'8", average. Now a little lean, but nothing remotely impressive to go by...

'Huh?'

I frowned at myself. Why the hell am I even comparing myself to this guy?'

Before I could make sense of that retarded thought, Josh's eyes had practically locked onto me, jaw clenched and everything in between... "Who the hell are you?"

I swallowed my food, raising an eyebrow. "Ethan."

His lips pressed into a thin line, "Oh."

Lena shifted in her seat, looking uncomfortable. "Josh? W-What are you even doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." His gaze flicked back to me, then to her. "So this is why you weren't answering my texts?"

I blinked. Wait—texts?

Lena crossed her arms. "Josh, I don't owe you a fucking explanation! You cheated, remember?"

He scoffed. "And running off to your ex the same night is supposed to make you better than me, huh!?"

Lena flinched at that, but before I could even say anything, Josh took a step closer to the booth, glaring down at me...

"And you—" His voice lowered at me even more... "What? You think this is your chance to just, swoop right back in?"

I exhaled through my nose, already getting tired of all this, and now I'm regretting that I even picked up that damned call in the first place... "Alright, look man, I get that you're pissed off, but this isn't what you think it is."

Josh gave a short, humorless laugh, "Yeah? Then tell me—what is it?"

I opened my mouth, ready to say We're not in that kind of relationship, but before I could—He moved off.

He reached for my collar, but I quickly grabbed his arms, using his own momentum against him while swerving him to the side and pulling him in.

"What the!!?"

Before he could respond, I pivoted my body underneath his, and used my back leg to lift him over me, while my arms did the rest. ..

"URGHH!!"

Josh hit the ground with a heavy thud, knocking over a chair in the process. A few people turned to look, but the place was dead enough that no one really seemed eager to intervene.

He groaned, pushing himself up on his elbows, eyes widened with shock. Yeah, I'm definitely sure hadn't been expecting that... And truthfully, neither was I. He was, weirdly light to me... Maybe it was just the adrenaline.

Lena was staring too, half out of her seat. "Ethan—"

I sighed, stepping back and raising my hands like I wasn't looking for trouble. "Would you calm down? I told you—it's not what you think."

Josh glared, breathing hard. His whole face was tense, like he was debating whether to take another swing at me.

To his credit, he was pretty quick—his movements had been extremely aggressive, but not stupid. He probably thought he could intimidate me, but I wasn't the same guy he might've heard about from before...

"You, bastard!" he spat, getting back to his feet.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, here we go."

Lena stood up, stepping between us. "Josh, stop! What is wrong with you!?"

"What's wrong with me?" he snapped, brushing himself off. "You're the one sneaking around with your ex the second we break up!"

She flinched, looking away, "I wasn't sneaking around—I just needed someone to talk to!"

His jaw clenched, and his hands curled into fists again, but this time he stayed put...

I crossed my arms, annoyed as all hell... "Listen, man. You wanna be mad? Fine. Be mad. You screwed up, and now you're regretting it. That's not my damn problem."

Josh turned his glare back on me, still fuming. "You think you're better than me, huh?"

I huffed, a small laugh unconsciously, "What the? I don't even know you."

His lip curled downwards, but he didn't move again. I could see it in his eyes—It looked like he really wanted to kick my ass, but after getting slammed to the floor in two seconds flat, he likely wasn't so sure about his chances anymore.

Lena exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Just go, Josh! We're done. Stop making this harder than it has to be."

For a second, it looked like he was about to argue. But then, finally, he scoffed and took a step back, dusting off his jacket like he was the one who had been inconvenienced.

"Whatever..." he muttered. "I'm out."

He turned and practically stormed off, shoving past a couple of chairs on his way out. The bell above the door jingled as he left.

I watched him go by, my body was still a little tense from the adrenaline... Only when he was fully out of sight did I finally let out a breath. Lena was still standing between us, slowly turned back to me. Her expression was... complicated.

"...You really have changed, haven't you?"

I didn't respond for second, nor did I want to... But, I'm taking the high road, so I looked back at her "I guess I have..."

She clearly looked hesitant, like she wasn't sure what to say to that.

I shrugged. "Anyway, your night's officially more than eventful than it needed to be... I think I'm just gonna head home, I'm... I'm tired..." I turned around, leaving the place; I'm genuinely bummed out about my day being ruined because of something like this.

I felt her hand grab mine, small but firm, stopping me mid-step.

"Ethan, wait. I can... I can explain."

Explain what? This wasn't even her fault either.

Regardless, that hesitation in her voice, the way she was looking at me—it didn't sit right. It wasn't just about Josh anymore. There was something else to it.

I turned my head slightly, not enough to face her fully. "Explain what, Lena?"

She bit her lip, fingers tightening around my wrist. "Just—just don't go yet, okay?"

I exhaled, feeling the frustration simmering under my skin. I didn't want to deal with this. Not tonight. Not after everything that just happened.

But there was something in her expression... Something that made my chest tighten again.

And I hated that.

I pulled my hand away, not harshly, but enough to put some much needed distance between us. "Lena," I said slowly, trying to keep my voice steady, "Look... Tonight's been an absolute mess. I came here to help, not to get into a fight with your ex in the middle of a damn diner." I shook my head. "This—whatever this is—it's too much for me right now. I had my own shit to get sorted."

She looked down, swallowing hard. "...I-I know."

I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Look. If you need someone to talk to, fine. But I need to get home, I'm tired..."

Lena hesitated again, then finally nodded. "...Okay."

I gave her a small nod and turned back towards the door...

This whole night had gone completely sideways... I came here just trying to do the decent thing, and now I was walking away with my head pounding and a weird heaviness in my chest...

The moment I stepped outside, the cold air hit me, and I let out a long breath...

I needed to head home, and get my head straight. Because for some reason, I wasn't just frustrated with the situation—I was frustrated with myself.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

END