Long Way to Perfect - Ch 2 (Whitney/Ethan)
by soaphater
 
 

LONG WAY TO PERFECT- CHAPTER 2
“What do you mean, ‘no reason’”? Eve demanded, getting frustrated and huffy. She stared at her daughter, anxious to know why Whitney had proceeded down this lane of questioning. Whitney returned the stare with her own, daring her mother to push her.

It was times like these that mother and daughter alike were reminded of how far their relationship had come through the turbulence of the last year, and how far they still had left to go.

“Nothing, mother, just drop it, okay?” Whitney’s voice was almost whiney, pleading, reminding Eve that she was her daughter, and still wanted to get her way. Eve, unselfishly, dropped the topic…for now.

“Look, I have to get back to the hospital, okay? Are you going to be alright here?” her eyes were flooded again with motherly concern. Despite dropping her demands that Whitney fill her in on what she was thinking, she still was worried and anxious for her. There were still so many things going on in Whitney’s head that Eve wasn’t privy to, and that concerned her greatly.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll finish my cup here, and maybe head over to the bookstore later. I’ve got to be at the hospital for my shift at 3 this afternoon, so I’ll see you there, okay?” she leaned in for a kiss on the cheek, and Eve obliged, touching her daughter’s thick curly hair momentarily, before she left.

Whitney settled back in her chair, twirling her mug around and around, before deciding, resolutely, what she was going to do, now that her mother had left. She looked up, through narrowed eyes, at the young man in the herringbone sportscoat, who was now sitting at his own table, his back to her. Whitney stood up, leaving her mug on the table and gathering her leather bag from the floor, then strode confidently over to the young man’s table.

“Excuse me, sir….but is this seat taken?” she quipped, coyly. In what seemed like slow motion, the man turned around to stare up at her, confusion, then recognition, and finally, delight, crossing his features within seconds.

“Whitney Russell! Oh my God – look at you!” Ethan Bennett jumped up, almost knocking over his chair, swooping the tiny Russell daughter up and into his muscled arms, spinning her around and around, with no sign of wanting to put her down. But he did, eventually, letting her slide down until her toes grasped the floor, and he left his arms around her waist. He smiled down at her, towering over her by a good 6 or 7 inches, taking her in – her beautiful, thick curly hair, the soft, lingering scent of Issaye Miyake’s florals, her deep brown eyes, crinkling at the corners with an irrepressible toothy grin.

“It’s been so long!” he breathed, hugging her yet again.

She laughed, a sparkly, tinkly sound, and pulled back, reluctantly from him.

“How long has it been now? Like, 8 months or something? And when did you get back in town? And why didn’t you call me??” The words came out, tumbling over one another like a thick, gushing waterfall. Ethan threw his head back and laughed, so happy was he in that instant.

It was like the most pleasant part of his past had come back to him. And that, of course, was Whitney – the only person in his life who hadn’t lied to him, or betrayed him. A woman who’d experienced the loss of the person she’d loved, both family and lover. They had so much in common, and when they’d just started to bond over their shared likenesses, reality had come up to slap them in the face…the reality of Theresa and her undying love for him, the reality of Theresa and her friendship with Whitney (forever destroyed when Theresa witnessed the one and only kiss, a farewell kiss, shared between Whitney and Ethan), the reality of Chad and his jealousies, the reality of T.C. and his hatred of the Cranes, and the reality of too much pain and anguish, too many lies and barriers and destruction and gossip and hatred for any two young people to get past. So Ethan had left Harmony for good (or so he thought), to put everything behind him and to start anew. But he found he couldn’t stay away from his past. He had to come back and confront it, all of it, in its ugly glory, and finally put to rest the guilt and pain he’d been experiencing all of these months, and the years before that. More specifically, he wanted to come back and be a family with his mother, Ivy, and his father, Sam. And yes, he wanted to see Whitney again, and mend and repair their broken friendship, which had never become more than that…

“I’m here now – I just got back a couple of hours ago. Thought I’d come to my favorite coffee shop…” Ethan started.

“You mean, Harmony’s ONLY coffee shop!” Whitney interjected, and they laughed, together, just like old times.

“It’s really so good to see you – I’m glad you’re here,” Ethan said, suddenly serious, releasing his hold around her waist, to take her hands in his.

Disappointed, her sides left cold from the sudden removal of the heat of his hands, her hands warmed by his touch, she smiled up at him.

“I’m glad you’re here, too.”

“Well, then….that makes TWO of us!” came a response from out of their corners of vision, a peeling, rich voice that could never be mistaken...