Reborn Tycoon; Ethan Wayne’s Rise

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

He'd have knocked, perhaps they'd have had enough time.

Perhaps.

If the door wasn't already open.

“Maddie?”, Ethan said softly, knowing what time it was. Madison's neighborhood was unusually quiet and they seemed to like to keep the peace. Once, he'd tickled Maddison so hard, she had almost laughed her head off. Her next door neighbor had come over the very next day to complain of how disturbing they were. That would have been a one off if they had been visited by two other neighbors on the same day, saying exactly the same thing.

Weird, right?

Ethan thought it was more than just weird. It was crazy. Ethan closed the door behind him, his mind switching back to why the door was open. Maddie never left her door open. At least as far as he knew.

He looked into the kitchen, wanting to call on Maddie but deciding otherwise. Perhaps she was sleeping.

Perhaps she was so tired, she had to take her clothes off in the living room.

Perhaps her lingerie too.

A red gown, matching lingerie and then a big shorthanded Polo, he'd never seen on her.

Perhaps.. Perhaps the sound from the room was her air conditioner.

Perhaps.. because he didn't think it could be otherwise.

Perhaps, it couldn't.

Perhaps…

Ethan pushed the door lightly and it slid open slowly, the revelation within coming to Ethan blurry at first. He switched on the lights and there was no perhaps to what was before him.

“Ethan!”

************

The two disentangled immediately. One of them actually. Sad he knew both.

The usual bed sheet drawing happened. Funny, she'd been ok being naked in blue led lights a minute ago.

“Ethan .. what… wha .. wha … What are you doing here? You… you… didn't.. didn't… did you call?”, she asked, struggling to cover up as she pulled the covers over and over on herself. She reached for her phone on the side table simultaneously, probably wanting to check if he'd called.

Ethan just stood there, looking at the scenery before him. Ethan couldn't explain the feelings rising in him, couldn't tell if it was the smug smile on Lucas’ face or the jittering composure of his girlfriend, mumbling words he didn't want to hear. Slowly, his hand began the rhythmic dance of vibratory movement, the door handle coming off of his instead of vice versa. He looked at it, his hand dropping off rhythmically but slowly until it landed just beside him. When he looked up, he could see Maddie in front of him and a laughing Lucas behind.

He couldn't hear them. His ears had failed to work. But he knew she was somewhat pleasing as he saw himself back away.

Lucas was shouting something in the background as Maddie followed him, dragging both the bed cover and herself. The blurry background noise was slowly coming to life and around Ethan felt surreal.

Lucas' laughing was becoming real as well, like a slow rising volume from a loud beat box.

A ringing sound in his ear.

“He can't even be man enough to face me”, Lucas said, a hand over his face in laughter. Ethan had his hand on the door when he stopped, the statement echoing and re- echoing in his head. It took him in a minute to turn and then everything happened in a flash.

In seconds, he'd pushed Maddison to the ground and rushed for Lucas. The punch landed directly on Lucas' nose and he flew across the room, hitting hard against the passage wall. Ethan drew him by the Polo shirt he'd put on, punching him repeatedly. His nose had broken and blood streamed freely but Ethan only saw red.

“Ethan!”Maddie rushed to him, half limping as she had hit her side.

“Ethan, stop! Stop it!”, She screamed as she tugged on his shirt, struggling to drag him away.

“Stop!”, She screamed again, finally pulling him away though that was more of his effort than his. Lucas lay almost lifeless, his face dripped in blood. He bled from every possible place and Maddison in her teary voice, shouted at both men in a confused, distorted state.

The blurring of background noise was slowly coming to life again and he could hear Maddie shouting.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!”, she screamed at him, scrambling to her feet and pushing him. Lucas groaned, his strength too little to even move.

“Do you wanna kill him?! What the hell is your problem?!”, She screamed at him, pulling and pushing him as she tugged his shirt, his dead eyes staring into her.

“Get out! Get the fuck out! Go!”, She shouted at him but he was more lifeless than Lucas who struggled in pain on the ground and Maddison felt she would go mad. She breathed heavily, going back on the ground to help Lucas.

“How long has this been going on?”

“What?”

“How long have you two been fucking?”

Lucas groaned but Maddison had stopped dead like she'd been pointed a gun to her head.

“You never loved me, did you?”

Maddison didn't respond and Ethan held all the urges he had to beat her up. His fists tightened and he breathed heavily, shakily so badly he had to hold himself.

“Just go. Go Ethan”

Ethan walked out slowly and shaky, emotions bursting in him. He shook like a drenched chicken and his eyes were widened. Ethan was running mad. Suddenly, he felt weak and almost couldn't feel his legs. But he kept walking on. He walked on and on to the main junction.

He walked on and on into the road.

He walked on and on and…

Smash! Into the moving truck.

Ethan couldn't see but the blurry background music was starting to come to life in his head. The slow beeping of an ambulance truck.