"I can't do that, Chels, you know I can't." Ethan's hushed voice is what I start to hear as I stir awake, his words hardly coherent to my sleepy state. "Chelsea, I can't just pick up everything and come see you."

My heart drops at the sudden mention of her name. He's speaking to her? In front of me?

He mumbles "fuck's sake" under his breath, letting out a long sigh. "Chels, I have a life, just let me figure it out and I'll let you know, okay? I'll call you when I have a moment alone." After he says this, I faintly hear a woman speaking on the other end. "No, not now, she's asleep right behind me and that won't be for much long, so no. I will ring you tomorrow or something... Chelsea, I will." And he drops his phone to his bed, ending the conversation.

With my heart aching and pounding in my chest, a lump in my throat, I finally get the courage to speak up. "Who's Chelsea? And please don't lie to me, Ethan."

He visibly stills at the sound of my voice, and he slowly turns towards me, but I don't move from my position in bed, my head against the pillow, looking at the clock like it's the most interesting thing in the room. "Hey, sleepy head, did you sleep okay?"

"Ethan, please." I beg, holding myself together.

"It was nothing, don't worry about it." He shrugs it off, but it's not nothing. Not to me anyway.

He crawls onto the bed and I purse my lips as I turn towards him, looking him dead in the eyes. "If you're keeping something from me then it's obviously not 'nothing'."

"It's nothing for you to worry about, though, Francesca, I promise. I wouldn't do anything like that, you know that, right?" He checks, seriousness in his tone.

"How do I know that? Am I supposed to just trust your word here?" I frown, unsure at what he's trying to do. He's saying that he's not cheating, but if not, why is he being so secretive?

"I am telling you with all my whole heart, I would never cheat on you, darling, I would never." He says and I sigh, closing my eyes. Do I choose to believe him or not? Protect my heart because my head is telling me to, or ignore my head and go with my heart?

"Okay, so say that I believe you, how do you explain what I just heard? You were just speaking to a woman and are planning to speak to her again." I decide to not say that I know about the missed calls last week.

"She's not... Fuck, she's not who you think she is. It's complicated, darling." He sighs as he gets up out of bed, like he's dismissing the conversation?

I purse my lips and look down at my hands, allowing silence to fill the room. It's deafening, and only makes my heart ache more.

"So, you have nothing else to say?" I mumble, just needing a little bit more to assure me. His words should be enough, but my mind is being cruel today.

"What exactly do you want me to say, Francesca?!" He snaps, and I sit up with a frown, not expecting that reaction. "I have said I am not cheating on you, and I have told you she's not who you think she is, so, what else do you need, huh?"

"I want transparency! I trust you, but your actions right now are making me fucking doubt that!" I raise my voice, feeling just a tad bit brave.

"Just because you have trust issues-" He stops mid-sentence, and I nod, getting at where he was going with that before I stand up to leave.

"I need space, I think." I mumble under my breath, grabbing my jeans.

"Don't leave." He says from behind me.

I spin around to face him, and I shake my head. "I will not let you deflect what you're hiding, onto me and my problems. Yes, I have trust issues, yes, they fucking rule my mind, but I am not making things up or seeing something that isn't here, so don't you dare pull that shit. You are keeping things from me and for me to be okay, we need space, so, yes, I am leaving."

He rubs his hands over his face and groans. "Fine, fucking leave."

"You're being serious?" I question.

"Are you? You just said you were leaving, so leave." He shrugs, hiding any feelings he's experiencing right now.

"I said that as a chance for you to tell me not to. For you to stop me. You know what? Fuck you." I really hate arguing, but he's pissing me off. "All I needed from you was honesty and you can't give me that, so there's simply no point. Do you know how frustrating you are?"

"I'm not fucking someone else, Francesca, I promise." He tells me in an attempt to assure me.

"Ethan, I don't care about that anymore, because believe it or not, I actually don't think you'd cheat on me. In fact, I care more about you hiding something from me. For the last week I have been thinking about so many scenarios about who she is, and-"

"'The last week'? You've known about her since last week and didn't tell me?" He questions, and my heart stops at my mistake. He rubs his hands over his face once more. "You saw the fucking phone."

"Yeah, and then you lied about who it was, said it was Felix." I fill in the blanks with a hint of sarcastic joy to my tone. "I just want you to be honest with me for once. I was once a hypocrite at that, but when anything happens in my life, I fucking tell you. I don't keep anything from you. I want to know one thing, just one fucking thing, so please can you just trust me like I do you?"

"I do trust you." He whispers, and I sigh, getting the feeling we're going to go in circles with this argument.

"I understand that you find it hard to speak about things, but I'm your girlfriend, someone who will love you unconditionally and someone who will not judge you whatsoever. It may not be any of my business, nor anything for me to worry about, but you will never be a burden in my life. I just wish you could talk to me, like I know I can talk to you." It honestly saddens me that he doesn't appear to trust me, even though I know deep down that he does.

"Chelsea is my biological sister." He blurts out before he sighs, looking up at the ceiling. 

"Your what?" I blink, not expecting that.

"Chelsea, Ashley and Britany are my fucking sisters from LA, who are calling me, pleading with me to go visit them to sort out a business I have no clue how to sort out." He tries to humor his words, but I can tell he's out of his depth with it.

"I'm confused, you have three sisters?" I don't know why I'm so shocked by this. I just never expected it. Like it was never a thought in mind.

"If you insist on knowing the whole truth; I got a letter the week before we left for New York. It was from my biological father; a goodbye letter along with his will. He died two weeks earlier." He doesn't seem phased by the news, but considering that was five months ago, I'm not surprised. "In that letter, I found out that I had three sisters; one older, two younger. That I, a 'son' who has never met him or heard from him, got his business over them. That he was such a mysoginistic asshole, that he left me fucking everything."

His dad left Ethan his business? Jesus Christ.

"Chelsea is the eldest, she's the one who has been trying to speak to me, but I just... The whole situation is fucked up. She first rang me in January, just days after me and you broke up and I was a mess. She was yelling down the phone and I couldn't deal with her accusations, so I just... hung up and ignored her calls until I felt better." He admits, sitting down on the bed, so I join him, now wearing my jeans. "About a month or two after, I finally rang her, she was still angry, which was to no shock of mine, but we finally got to speak through some shit. Basically the girls had no idea about me, nor did I about them, so they just assumed I was part of his secret life or whatever. Their daddy dearest had died, then two weeks later, found out they weren't getting the club that they've been basically managing for the last few years anyway. I don't have the same mom as them, I still don't know who she is, but basically my 'father' and her had an affair, which I was the product of. So, the girls just assumed I was always in his life, which isn't the case. Even months later, I'm so fucking confused by why I'm now the owner."

"Woah." That's a lot of information to process. "How are you doing? I mean... it must be a lot, finding out who your dad is, but hearing he's passed."

"He's not my dad, Scar is. I won't lie and say I didn't shed a tear or two, because I did, but that man... he lied to his whole family. He cheated on his wife, got someone pregnant and then they both abandoned me. It makes no sense to me that only now, twenty-one years later, I find out about him and it's because he's so mysoginistic that he wouldn't let his daughters handle the fucking club, something they've put so much work into." He runs his hands through his hair in frustration.

"So, you technically own a club?" I question, and he chuckles dryly.

"Not only that, but I own a strip club. Yes, my father gave me his strip club." He lies down, letting out a groan. "Chelsea has an office there, Ashley is a dancer, Britany is in college but sometimes works at the bar. Chelsea has been working at this club since she was eighteen, she's now twenty-three. I need to go out to LA, but the thought of confronting them is seriously seeming like a nightmare. I know when I get there, I'm signing it all over to Chelsea, but I have to face them. What if they look like me? What if they hate me? What if-"

"Hey." I murmur, cupping his jaw to calm him down. "You know what? They might. They might look exactly like you. They might even hate you a little bit, but it's something that you eventually need to do. Whether that's in a month or three from now. As long as you speak to them openly, share your interest in meeting them, then they should be okay. And do you really think you're going to LA alone? If not me, take Felix or Scar. We're all scared of things, Ethan."

"I'm not scared." He's quick to say, and I raise my brows at him. "I- Okay, maybe I am."

"And that's okay. I just wish you trusted me enough to tell me what was happening. Have you at least spoken to Scar or Felix?" I hope he has.

"Scar was the person who gave me the letter, he was there when I opened it. So, yeah, he knows he is dead, but nothing about the club and everything." He mumbles, looking over at me. "I am sorry for not being honest with you, I really am; I'll try to be more open, but I guess I'm just so used to dealing with everything alone since a child, it's something I'm used to. I don't like to burden you with my shit anyway, not when you've got your own things going on."

"Babe, listen to me and listen carefully. I could be in a hospital bed and I still would want to hear your so-called shit. We are in this together; nothing you could tell me could burden me, I promise. Relationships aren't just sunshine and rainbows, it's the rain and storms also. If you have a bad day, you can talk to me. If you have something on your mind, just tell me. We're here for each other through it all." I assure him, needing him to hear all this. "Relationships aren't just one sided, if you can comfort me, then I can comfort you."

"I know, it's just new. It shouldn't be, but... it is." He mutters.

"As you said, it's new. We're new. But I'm here for you, and whenever you want to deal with Chelsea and go to LA, I will support you through it." I whisper, stroking my thumb over his knuckles.

"Will you go with me?" He asks. "I don't think I can do it alone. Of course, I don't expect you-"

"I will. Of course, I will. Name a date and we'll do it, but maybe after finals? They're coming up, fast in fact." I roll my eyes at that. They start next Wednesday, continuing until the Friday after. But then, college is over again until September, something that can't come quicker.

"How are you feeling about them?" He questions.

"I think I'll do okay, it's just the usual nerves around keeping my grades up." I'll be fine though, I'm sure. "What about you?"

"Meh, I think I'll be okay just like you." He answers, seeming pretty chipper about them. "I've been studying a bit every night, just keeping on top of things."

"Same, I've been studying with Lauren. Anyway, let's not talk about dreaded finals. On the long lost sister front, how are you feeling?" I ask him, giving him the chance to speak it out.

"I'm just confused with it all, it's been months of confusion. I really need to meet up with these girls and just talk it all out, let them have what they rightfully have earned. But as you said, I am scared. I haven't been to LA since... God, since I was eleven years old. I was born there, and I have a sense that a lot of old feelings will come back when I do go, and I'm not sure if I want to face them. My birth mom, for all I know, could walk on the same street as me and I wouldn't have a clue." I really do sympathise with Ethan, it must be fucking awful knowing your parents - well, parent - is still out there, but doesn't want to know you.

I understand to an extent why he didn't say anything, but my heart still aches knowing he was going to continue to keep this from me. I just wish he could talk to me like I know I can talk to him. I know it's not a problem with me, it's something he has been doing since a child; keeping everything to himself.

For half an hour, we continue to speak through what he's been going through in the past few months, me reassuring him that he's okay to think the way that he does. And here we are, in silence, and yet, I still feel like I have a huge weight on top of my chest.

I feel lighter now that I know exactly who Chelsea is and what he's been keeping from me, but I'm so overwhelmed by everything, that I still feel like I'm drowning in my mind.

"Hey." I murmur, grabbing his attention. "I, um, I think I'm going to go back to the dorms, and catch movie night with our friends. Is that okay? I don't want to leave you, but I think I just need a night to myself. I'll text you tonight?" I offer, feeling like a bitch. 

"You're not going because you're still mad at me, right? Please, what can I do to rectify this?" He searches my face for an answer.

"I understand you, but I need some space. I'm hormonal, tired and a bit overwhelmed. We've had such a busy day, and I just want to get in my bath, put on my pajamas and have an early night. I know I can do that here, but I just-"

"Go see your friends, sleep in your own bed for once - I won't miss you hogging the covers." He jokes, and I scoff, shaking my head.

"Okay, hypocrite. Kiss me, I'm leaving now." I demand, and he chuckles, pulling me closer with the collar of my t-shirt. I grin into the kiss, feeling a little bit of weight from my chest lift as his lips move with mine. I mumble into the kiss before pulling away, not before adding another peck on his lips, though. "I love you, don't think any different. I'll text you when I get home. Oh, and can I take you car?"

"Cheeky bitch." He tuts, and I raise my brows at him. "Yeah, yeah, keys are in my jeans."

"Thank you." I go to get up, but he tackles me down on the bed and kisses me again. "Ethan, I need to go."

"One more minute." He mumbles against my lips. "Just saying goodbye and sorry all at once." And so, even though I may regret it, I kiss him back.

~~

Shuffling through the door with my blanket over my shoulder, my slippers on and my muscles more relaxed than before, I make my way over to the sofa where Matt, Lauren and Hanna are all bundled under a duvet, ready to watch 50 First Dates.

"C'mon, c'mon, there's space here." Lauren lifts the duvet for me to fit between her and Hanna.

"What about the bump?" I frown, not wanting to squish it.

"I'm not that fat, bitch, I'm only twenty-three weeks. Get in, we haven't had a night like this in ages." She makes me laugh, and so I climb over the back of the sofa to get between her and Hanna.

"How's the tattoo?" I ask Hanna.

"Bit itchy, but doing good." She says with a grin. "Matt, hand over the popcorn, you popcorn hogging whore."

"Hey!" Matt passes it over to her, and I laugh, leaning into Lauren's side.

"Today's been good." Lauren mumbles, and I smile up at her. "I can't believe we've started the process of buying property number three."

"I mean, it was kinda meant to be." Matt smiles over at us. "We saw eight houses, nothing compared to it."

"But it's actually happening? That's crazy. We're actually all going to be living together." She chuckles to herself.

"Has the last two years meant nothing to you?" Hanna frowns, gesturing to our dorm.

"You know what I mean." Lauren shoos her away.

"How many movie nights do we have left here?" I mumble, looking around our living room.

"Two more, but we'll continue the tradition in our new house. I think it's something we'll always do while we're young." Matt says.

"I can't believe I have to leave you guys for the summer." Hanna mutters, shaking her head.

After we finish college in two weeks, we have to pack up this dorm again for the summer. While we're waiting to get the house, Hanna and Matt will be traveling home, and Lauren and I will be moving in with Scar and Maria; something they suggested a week ago now.

We're all hoping that we will be moved into a house, whether it will be this one or not, before the baby is due in early September.

It's May now, only over three months away.

~~~

A/N

2 updates in one week? I think I'm doing good.

Also, the secret is out!! I won't lie to you, when I first was brainstorming the mini plot of this book, it was going to go completely different where a murder was involved, but I scrapped that and put something in that I think is needed. Chelsea is a bitch to Ethan, but she has her reasons, which I think are very clear.

Lately I've been trying to hash out my plan to make it better. It's still going to be 82 chapters, but some of the context to a mini plot has changed a bit, but for the good!

Life update; I somewhat forgot to mention I have a new dog. She's called Stevie, after Stevie Nicks herself. Yes, I have a character in this book called Stevie, which personally makes me laugh. Anyway, she's a little cutie, and is fitting in perfectly.

I hope everyone is doing okay lately, my dm's on Instagram are always open, I love speaking to you all.

Question of the chapter:

What are your hobbies?

Mine are writing and reading, which I think a lot of people will relate to.

Anyway, have a good week! I love you all.

3202 words!

~ B