Third person's pov
Aunt Gabriella and her husband couldn't conceal the shock on their faces.
They had been wrong and they didn't know what to think of the situation.
"Where is Ethan? I would like to apologize in person." Raymond asked again, this time with a frown on his face.
He couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off in this house.
The couple exchanged uneasy glances.
"He's in his room," Aunt Gabriella replied after a pause, though her voice lacked confidence.
"Go call him then," Raymond said.
Daniel, who had been silent all this while, felt a sudden sense of unease creep into his chest.
A strange feeling settled over the room.
Moments later, Aunt Gabriella returned from the hallway.
Her face had turned pale.
"He's not there."
The room fell silent.
"What do you mean he's not there?" Mr Tyron asked, rising to his feet.
"His room is empty."
Raymond's heart sank.
For some reason, Ethan's defeated expression from yesterday flashed through his mind.
"When was the last time any of you saw him?"
No one answered immediately.
Then Aunt Gabriella suddenly remembered the look Ethan had on his face before walking away that morning.
A look that seemed to have completely given up on life.
Her face instantly lost all color.
Ethan's pov
I couldn't stop staring at the girl who had pulled me back from the edge earlier as we walked down the street.
Her long black hair cascaded down her back, dancing softly in the breeze. Her eyelashes were long and delicate, casting tiny shadows whenever she blinked. Under the afternoon sun, her blue eyes shimmered beautifully, reminding me of the water beneath the bridge.
For the first time, I found myself truly looking at her.
Emily was beautiful. Very beautiful.
As if sensing my eyes on her, she turned to meet my eyes. I held her gaze for a moment before turning to look in front of me.
I felt somewhat embarrassed that she caught me staring.
"Thank you for what you did back there." I said, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.
"So you do know how to be grateful." She smirked.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her words.
Seems like the girl is a petty one.
"How did you find me there?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"I was on my way to your house to break the news to you and luckily I happened to see you before you jumped." She said, a relieved smile playing on her lips.
I blinked at her for a second, unsure of what else to say to keep the conversation going.
Ever since my parents died, I had never really had a friendly conversation with anyone. Most people either insulted me outright or looked at me with contempt.
Over time, I had grown used to keeping to myself.
Maybe that was why I didn't know how to talk to her.
Maybe that was why every word felt awkward on my tongue.
Or maybe it was because Emily was the first person in a long time who had treated me like a human being.
"Are you always this quiet?" I heard her ask, bringing me back from my thoughts.
"Maybe." I said, raising my hand to scratch the back of my head.
The girl chuckled at my words, making me wonder if my reply sounded funny.
"What's so funny?" I asked her, feigning annoyance.
"Sorry, you just looked so innocent I couldn't help it." She said with amusement.
Innocent? Me?
I felt a bit uncomfortable at being called innocent. What guy would like a girl calling him innocent?
"I would like us to be friends." She said.
I snapped my head to stare at her, shock written all over my face.
Why would she want to be friends with me? Doesn't she know I'm the outcast of the school?
"Why would you want that? Everyone avoids me like the plague. Why would you want us to be friends?" I asked her, my eyes never leaving her face.
"Because I want to." She replied shrugging her shoulders. She stared back at me, her eyes filled with eagerness.
I didn't know what to say or how to react to her request and just continued to walk in silence. We were already close to my house and should reach there in a few minutes.
"You don't want to?" She asked, her bright eyes looked dull for a moment and I felt bad.
I have not had a friend for a long time and I don't know if I should accept her as a friend.
It's not that I don't want to have one but I'm scared, scared that it might just be another trap.
I looked into her blue eyes and suppressed the doubts I had at the back of my mind.
"Fine then. Friends." I said with a smile.
She flashed me a radiant smile after hearing my approval.
"Perfect. Come on, walk faster. We don't want to get to your house by nightfall." She said gleefully before skipping ahead of me.
I couldn't stop the silly smile that came across my face as I ran after her.
I was about to open the front door to let us into the house when someone from inside beat me to it.
The door opened and revealed four faces that looked like they were in a hurry.