ethan-huttinger

[ethan-huttinger]

chana-adelberg‌:

Chana smiled a little at his suggestion. It was exactly what she had been thinking. Fire her publicist. The one that had insisted on this ‘dumb blonde’ routine. Maybe it had worked for Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield but she didn’t want to be another blonde who died too young. She’d have to get a new agent as well. One that actually took her seriously. Take up some of these offers from directors too. Directors who liked her acting not just her looks. It would be hard but maybe she’d be happier. “I think you’re right. Maybe one day I’ll actually win an Oscar like you. Have you written anything new? I would love to read it. I was serious when I said I loved your writing. I’ve always have. Even before I met you. Your book got me through many hard times. Even though my agent told me it was a long shot I’d get a role in your film I still wanted to audition. I’m glad I did.” Even after her life fell apart after their divorce she never regretted auditioning for his film. It was still the only movie of hers that she actually owned a copy of. “I think you might be right. I think I’m done reaching my expectations. I don’t know why I was even doing that. It was stupid.” She smiled at little when he said he was proud of her. That was the best thing she heard in a long time. “Thank you for letting me stay.” She sighed in relief that he wasn’t asking her to leave. She looked around the classroom, her eyes settling on his desk, “Are you happy Ethan? Working here as a teacher?” That’s the one thing she wanted for him. To be happy. It didn’t matter to her if he wanted her back or not. Maybe her heart would hurt a little less knowing he was happy even if it was without her.

"You don't need one to prove you are a good actress." He couldn't even remember where the award was, probably at his parents' home. He knew that his mother bragged about that every chance she had. "Uh, no I haven't." That wasn't a lie, he had written stuff but most of them ended inside a trash can. "Thank you, but I'm trying to step away from writing for some time. You know, take off the pressure and all that." At least that's what he told himself because it was worse when he thought about it. "You were the perfect fit for that character. We saw many actresses, but no one got the character like you did." He smiled at her, sincerely. Even if their relationship had a rocky start, he never doubted of her talent. "It wasn't stupid, Chana. We all try to fulfill the expectations and sometimes it's not possible." For some reason, Ethan didn't feel as tense as when this conversation had started, maybe it was seeing her in such a vulnerable position that eased things up. Her next question was difficult to answer. What does it really mean to be happy? He cleared out his throat as his gaze scanned the classroom. "It's fine and the kids are not that annoying," he chuckled. "I don't know if it makes me happy, but I'm enjoying it." A smile curled on his lips. He was at least miserable than in New York. "What are you planning to do after you finish your next film?"

[ethan-huttinger]

chana-adelberg‌:

She had thought about that question long and hard. Why had she stayed in Hollywood for so long? Why didn’t she just leave when she stopped enjoying her life there? “For the longest time I did it because I wanted the world to love me but I don’t need their approval. That doesn’t make me happy. I love when I fall in love with a character. When I get on set and bring them to life.” Maybe he was right and she was actually a good actress. She wasn’t sure anymore. The roles being offered weren’t the ones she wanted. Maybe she should just be more selective. Only do the ones she wanted. It wasn’t like she needed the money. Not like in the beginning. Really she wished he would write another script. That had been her favorite role and not just because she met him. That had been her favorite book way before she ever auditioned. Way before she even knew they were turning it into a movie. “Yes fear. In the back of my mind I always think something’s going to happen and I’m going to end up back in that cabin on that mountain. That I’m going to be like my mom. Raising a dozen kids. Married to a miner that’s going to drink away the money. I know it’s stupid. I have money. That’s not going to happen. I’ve been working with different organizations that help Appalachia. They donate food and clothes. Things like that. I think I want to start my own. I want to help the people where I’m from. The ones way up in the mountains that everyone seems to forget. Spread awareness about it. Do interviews and all that.” Finally admit to the world where she came from. Show them that she wasn���t ashamed. “Are you sure Ethan?” She looked into his eyes, the first time since they had started talking. “I’ve hurt you so many times already. I don’t want to keep hurting the one person I love most in this world. Just say the word and I’ll be gone. I’ll get in my car and drive as far away from this town and you won’t ever have to see me again. I promise.”

Ethan never had in doubt in his mind that she was a good actress. Even when he didn’t have the experience to claim such thing, there was something about Chana when she transformed into a character that was simply amazing to witness. “Maybe it’s time you start taking the reins of your career and do projects that mean something to do.” He wished he could follow his own advice and start doing more for his career but after years of trying he was exhausted and right now, for the first time in a long time he didn’t feel miserable about his job. It wasn’t what he would’ve liked but he didn’t struggle to wake up every morning and come to work. He was able to understand her fear, she had always been afraid of that. “That’s not going to happen. You have changed your life enough for that to happen. Listen, maybe our relationship didn’t also work because we were too busy trying to fulfill the expectations we had about our lives.” He said, the first time he admitted that. He still was trying to reach those expectations. It was hard not to want that. His lips curled into a smile as she talk about the work she’d been doing to help her community. “I’m proud of you for doing that,” he said with a nod. “I tried to hate you and maybe at some point I did but it doesn’t matter anymore. I will never feel better if I keep having all these grudges. So, yes I’m sure.” She had hurt him. She had broken him but it had been years ago and no matter how easier was to feel hate, he couldn’t keep living like that. “Stay. I can handle it.”

[ethan-huttinger]

chana-adelberg‌:

“Maybe but instead I just ended up a depressed starlet in Hollywood. I just wanted off that mountain. I was too young to realize what I was getting into. To realize just how fake the movie industry is. There’s always a pack of wolves waiting for you to fall. A pack of wolves willing to use your fame for their gain. So called friends. Agents. Publicist. Directors. They’re all fake and they just use me.” Something that he had never done. He could have. He had every opportunity to during their marriage and after. He knew all her secrets. All her flaws and insecurities. He could have made a fortune just writing about her alone and yet he never did. He was one of the few that had never used her for their own gain and she loved him for that. “I honestly don’t know what I am anymore Eth. I don’t know if I’m cold or nice or happy or sad or what. All I know is that I hurt right now and I need to rediscover who I truly am. Get back in touch with my backcountry roots and the things I love. Such as singing to old 60s songs that no one has heard of or taking a picture with my camera or reading some history book about an event from long ago. Things I gave up because of my fame and my façade.” She wasn’t sure what she wanted him to do with that information either. It just felt nice to finally get it off her chest. Maybe she could finally breathe again without it hurting. She knew she didn’t deserve a second chance nor did she expect him to give her one. Not after the way things ended between them. “You want the real reason? I told you I’m here for me. I want to be able to walk down the street without a sea of cameras following me. I want to eat a bowl of grits and not have to worry about getting too fat for a role. I want to discuss a history topic and have my opinion be taken seriously instead of them just calling me a dumb blonde. I want to ride my mule around my property and not have to worry the world will think I’m a hick. I want a life that it real and I’m not going to find that in Hollywood.”

His gaze tried to meet hers when she mentioned she was depressed, it was something he never thought would hear even if he knew that most of the people in the industry suffered from it. "Then why do you keep doing it? For the love of acting?" Maybe she had gotten used to that lifestyle, it was one that people easily embraced but not many could handle. It wasn't the first time he heard that, although it was the first time he heard it from her. In the years their marriage had lasted, he got to know a side of her that not many knew. It wasn't the same with him, Ethan considered himself a very transparent person, at least back then but Chana was different. "What's stopping you? Fear? I think you've been afraid for many years, but you have to do something if you really want to show the world who you are." He knew her, or at least he thought he did. After their divorce, he questioned everything he had learned of her, but now looking at her so vulnerable he couldn't help but think of those first dates and how he managed to break her walls to see her true self. Ethan nodded, glancing her way. "Okay, then stay and do all that. It's not gonna be easy for me having you in the same town, but I can handle it. Just do whatever you think will make you happy."

[ethan-huttinger]

chana-adelberg‌:

Most of the time she didn’t feel like a good person. Most of the time she felt lost and alone but that was her own doing. She had been the one to put up the walls around herself and now she had to live with the consequences. “Sometimes I think about where my life would be if I hadn’t left that mountain. I’d be married to some miner worrying about him dying in that thing or developing black lung. I wouldn’t be this cold, unfeeling person like the world thinks I am. Sometimes I wish I really was like this whole façade I put up. It’s better to feel nothing than to feel this much pain.” She didn’t regret leaving though. If she hadn’t then she wouldn’t have met Ethan. Wouldn’t have had the few years of happiness she had with him. They were some of the best years of her life despite the broken heart that she now had. “It changes everything though Eth,” She used her old nickname for him. “I always thought that it was a façade. A show I put on for the cameras but what I did just proves that I really am a cold hearted bitch. You don’t treat people you love like that. I got so consumed with my Hollywood image that I became the type of person I hate and I’m sorry.” She flinched when she heard him snap, her mind going back to that final year of marriage. To all the fights they had. He sounded just like he did back then. “Our story started too soon. We were too young. We didn’t know each other long enough. We’re older now though and I’ve done a lot of growing. I’m not the same person I was back then. I don’t need the world to love me like I thought I did. I just need one person to love me like I love him but I ruined that. And I’ll have to go my whole life knowing I lost out on the one good thing I found in Hollywood. Despite how much I would love to hate you I never can and I think that makes my heart hurt even more than it already does.” Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out one of the scrapes she carried, “This? This could never be worth shit. You said I should realize I’m a good actress well I think you should realize you’re a good writer. Nothing you could write would be worth shit. Not to me.”

"Maybe," he started, glancing her way, "but you would have ended up a bitter person for not doing what you wanted." He tried not to think of what would've happened if he had made different decisions, there was no point to put himself through that when nothing could be changed. He hated to admit it but hearing her say that she was in pain was more hurtful than he would've liked. "At least you are now doing things for you and not for anyone else." He shrugged, a half-smile appearing on his lips. "I don't think you are cold," he started, even if he didn't know who she was now. Many things had changed since he had last seen her. "And you know, fame changes people." The problem with her apology was that there was no hint of fake or mock honesty. He could hear the pain in her voice when she said those words. He hated them, because he didn’t understand what she wanted from him. "I'm very happy that you've realized of all that, but I don't know what you want me to do with that information." Why was she really here? He was analyzing every word that left her lips but the context as a whole remained a mystery to him. "I don't hate you either." Not anymore but there were some unsolved feelings and a part of him still held grudges against her. He wasn't expecting what she did next, seeing that she had kept those scraps of paper he had tossed away was a shock to him. "Why are you really here? And don't tell me that is because you wanted a secluded place to live, I want the real reason."

[ethan-huttinger]

chana-adelberg‌:

Chana knew she should have done exactly that a long time ago. Should have focused more on him and their relationship instead of her career but at the time it had seemed more important. A way out of her family and the mountain she still called home. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. That’s just the way of Appalachia. We all knew he’d get it eventually. It was just a matter of when. Maybe if I had stepped in and helped out a long time ago he’d be ok. Maybe he wouldn’t have had to work in the coal mines but I can’t think of that. I can’t dwell on the past. I’ve been paying their electric bill so they’ll at least have that. I send momma some money every month too. I just hope she gets it before he does.” It was the first time she had talked about her parents out loud in a long time and it felt good. He was the only one she trusted even after their divorce. The fact that he never spoke to the press after their divorce just proved that he was a good man. “Maybe you’re right and we were just too stupid to notice it crumbling around us. Too stupid to figure out a way to save it long before I did what I did. I’m sorry about that by the way. I shouldn’t have done that. I hurt the one man I love more than anything and I’ve regretted it every day.” She had never apologized for what happened before and it felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “But why can’t they? Why can’t stories have happy endings?” She glanced at him despite the coldness of his voice, “I don’t understand why you don’t like the things you’ve written. I think it’s brilliant. You’re amazing when it comes to the written word. Probably why I’ve kept all those scraps of paper you used to write. The ones you didn’t think were good enough.”

No matter how much Ethan tried to relate to the childhood his ex-wife had lived, he couldn't. It was beyond his understanding and experiences. He had been lucky enough to have grown up in a healthy household and money was never a worry for them, but he still could feel empathy about her situation. "Just because you knew it would happen doesn't mean I shouldn't feel bad for what you are going through, Chana. You don't deserve it. Despite how everything ended between us, I know you are a good person." He might still hold some grudges against her but he could never say a bad thing about the person she was, the one she had let him get to know and love. Ethan never considered the idea of getting married to a movie star, but after getting to know her he realized that she was more than that and being with her was worth the sacrifice of being part of the Hollywood industry. Many so-called journalists called him to talk about their relationship and divorce, they also offered a lot of money but he wasn't interested. He wanted nothing more to do with that life. "Don't apologize, it's in the past and it doesn't change anything." Hearing her use the word 'love' in present made his chest hurt, did she still love him? He had to push that thought away and once again tell himself that everything between them had to end after this conversation. It was for the best, or so did he wanted to believe. "Because they wouldn't be real, Chana!" he snapped for a moment, before taking a deep breath to regain his composure. "Our story was never supposed to have a happy ending. It was doomed from the start." He hated his words and they made him feel but he had worked so many years to convince himself of that. "If it was brilliant someone would have wanted to publish it." And one time someone did but he was too entranced in his new liking for alcohol to make it to the deadline and the contract ended. "If I were you, I'd toss them away. They're worth shit."

[ethan-huttinger]

chana-adelberg‌:

“So do I,” She admitted. It wasn’t something she used to do before she met him but it wasn’t something she wanted to give up now. She had grown to love them despite how sad she got knowing he wasn’t next to her watching. “Thanks. I think I might take some time off from Hollywood and my career. After I’m done filming this movie. Focus on my family. Something I should have done a long time ago. I went and saw them a few months ago. My dad’s sick. He has black lung from working in those mines all these years. I gave him money for his medication and instead he bought alcohol with it.” She should have known he would do something like that. Should have known not to have given him money but still it hurt. “Are you sure you didn’t mean it like that? Everything always feels like it’s my fault. Especially our divorce.” She moved her hand away from her eyes, giving up trying to wipe her tears away. At this point it was useless. “Jealous? Jealous of me? Why would you be jealous of me? Anyone can say words but you can write such beautiful words. I think you were just trying too hard. Your first novel was amazing. I still keep a copy by my bed. Have you ever thought of just writing about the things and people you know? How about you write about us? About a scared little mountain girl running off to find the big city and how she met the most amazing writer. It doesn’t have to be an autobiography. Fictionalize it. Give us the happy ending we never got.”

There were times he found himself asking what their lives could have been if they had tried to work it out but the thought was always pushed away. He knew he couldn't live off imaginary scenarios. "That's a good idea, you should do that," he said and meant it. Despite everything, he didn't wish her wrong. "Oh, Chana... I'm so sorry to hear that." He didn't know what else to say, he didn't have the right to let her know what he thought of her family or give her any advice, especially when it came to alcohol as he continued to get through the bad days with the aid of it. "Our divorce wasn't entirely your fault. Maybe what you did only put an end to it, but we both know it was over even before that." He had his part to blame, and he knew it even if sometimes he struggled to admit it. Seeing some tears streaming down his face almost broke him, but he knew he had to stay on his lane and not try to mend what was already too broken. It meant the world to him to know she still kept a copy of his book, but she would never know as he wouldn't say it. "You know that the best stories don't have a happy ending," he said quietly, looking down at some of the words that were scribbled on the desk. "I don't want to write about us. That's the past. I'll find something to write, eventually," he said coldly.

[ethan-huttinger]

kimberly-walker‌:

                 "You just wait for it.” She chuckled, hazel hues turning to look up at him. “Crownsville is full of surprises. You’ll either love it or hate it. There’s never a between.” There were so many people in this town that wanted out and Kim was once one of them. Now, rethinking her whole New York experience it was totally not worth it. The town she once hated now she loved, and there was nothing compared to the safety it provided her with. “Sounds like people have been welcoming to you. That’s nice.” He was easy to talk to and she liked that. “Two? Two desserts? Oh, I didn’t know I was going to go out with a daredevil.” Kim joked, shaking her head at his words. “Let’s see if you can handle one first, okay? Their portions are huge. When I was a kid, my brother and I would have to share one and I’m telling you – I’m not one to share food or desserts.” 

“I’m glad you didn’t. I don’t think I’d give you the best impression if we went for fries to a food truck. But, for your information, we’re talking about the best fries you’d ever try.” Maybe they could go another time, since Kim didn’t want him to put off what he had worked so hard to plan. “Yeah, it’s bad. Where’s your hometown?” Kim questioned, more curious than anything else. “You think so? Thanks.” The truth was she had been feeling like a mess for taking such a big decision but she did not have any regrets. “I mean.. for me it was the adventure. I wanted to walk down the street and be no one - not Kimberly Walker, the pastor’s daughter. It’s weird really, growing up in a place like this where everyone knows you.” The brunette spoke honestly, before shrugging her shoulders. Those labels people gave you stuck around with you, but going to New York had been mind opening. She smiled at him, happy to know they both shared that feeling. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we did. I’ve met so many people for the two years I spent in New York, I think I’ve met enough for the rest of my lifetime.” Kim responded, “I was a casting assistant. I, um, worked with Mark Hawthorne.” 

"How do you feel about it?" he asked, glancing her way. Maybe it was a small kid syndrome and everyone hated the small town where they had grown up, he knew he did. "I'll let you know if my thoughts about this place change, but so far they're positive." It was simple, compared to the lavish lifestyle back in McLean and he liked that. Ethan nodded, a smile making its way back on his features. "People have been very nice, but maybe I've just been lucky and ran into the polite ones." His smile turned into a cocky one that soon was broken by a soft laugh. "Yeah, that's me. Just living a dangerous life." It was easy to joke around her which made him feel a lot more relaxed, and she had a sense of humor, so it was an improvement from his last date. Ethan brought a hand to his chest, feigning to feel offended by her comment. "I'm no amateur. I'm used to large portions. My mother used to put cheese and fry everything, and I don't think she cared about healthy portions. So, I can handle two desserts."

"What are you talking about? I would have been very impressed, you would have cracked the top ten in my dating history. Well, top five, I haven't been on that many," he admitted with a chuckle. "Best fries? That sounds fake. I have tried many fries in my life, so I'll be the judge of that. The best fries I've found were in Philly." Many great things came from that city, the one he still considered his hometown even if he hadn't grown up there and only went back there for the holidays. "I grew up in Virginia, this place called McLean. It was a unique place," he said, not able to bring himself to talk bad about the town so early in the night. "Yes, that's the impression." He didn't know her full story, but he knew his and New York had managed to suck at least five years out of his life. Ethan nodded at her comment, he understood exactly what she meant about making a name of themselves. "And was it? An adventure? If it's any consolation, I don't know the pastor, so if I ever meet him he'd be Kim's father to me." He offered her a genuine smile. "I know the feeling. When I was living in LA and New York, I used to meet dozens of people every single day." It was exhausting, especially to someone who hated small talk and fake smiles, Hollywood was full of them. The name Mark Hawthorne did ring a bell, maybe he had heard his ex-wife naming him or someone else. "I think I've heard of him," he admitted with a nod. "Uh, maybe that's why we are so familiar. I used to go to a lot of parties where he used to be."

[ethan-huttinger]

chana-adelberg‌:

“You still watch those cheesy history documentaries? You know the books are always better right?” Chana tried to joke. That was one of the things she had loved about him. The fact that he could get so excited about a new documentary about some obscure event from hundreds of years ago. She remembers just curling up on the couch with him to watch one and how she would try to find a book about the same topic. “Maybe you’re right. I don’t know. Maybe it’s too late to change what Hollywood thinks about me. Maybe moving here will help me realize that and move past it. I finally got my GED and have even done a few college courses online. Maybe I should tell the world that and drop this whole façade. Maybe I’m scared.” He was the only person she would ever admit that to. Even after all these years he still seemed to manage to break down the walls she put up around herself. “You’re right. I can’t blame them. I can only blame myself and I’ve done that every single day.” Every single day since she signed those papers. The papers that ended the one good and real thing in her life. She wiped at her eyes, though that did nothing to help the tears falling from them. Finally she asked the one question she had wanted to know since signing those papers. “Why didn’t you support my career in the end? I read everything that you wrote and thought it was amazing even when you didn’t. I always encouraged you to keep writing even if no one else would ever read it but in the end you didn’t seem to support me the same way. Why?”

"I'm a writer, of course, I know the books are better." The corner of his lips curved upward, and there was a semblance of a crooked smile he used to give her back when things were at their best. "But yes, I still watch them." His face returning to a more serious semblance. He didn't want to think of those days when he would talk all through dinner after watching a new documentary and how she used to put up with that with a smile. "Really? I'm happy for you, I know you had always wanted to get your GED. I'm not gonna tell you what you should do with your career, but maybe it will take some weight off your shoulders if you dropped this façade." He shrugged, his gaze swinging back to her face before moving to sit in the desk next to her. "I didn't mean it like that..." Not everything was her fault and she shouldn't blame for everything that had happened in her life. He also hated that he wanted to comfort her and tell her that she had done nothing wrong, even if that wasn't true but he wasn't perfect either. At her words, he dropped his gaze regardless to look straight at her. "I don't know," he said, shrugging before taking a deep breath. "It's stupid but I guess I was jealous. I wasn't happy with how my life was going and yes, I took it out on you. It wasn't fair, but it's done."

[ethan-huttinger]

clarissa-evans‌:

The woman huffed a laugh and a shake of her head - not at all surprised that Ethan somehow always found a way to make her feel a little better. “You have a point.” She conceded, lowering her gaze to the path they were walking. She inclined her head to the side as Ethan murmured, often too wondering the same thing. “I didn’t either, to be honest. Your family is so different from anyone there but I’m glad they did too. You’re… you’re my best friend, Ethan, honestly. You always have been, and I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you around. I don’t think I would have made it to adulthood.” And it was true. While Addison had been her best friend too, Clarissa had always considered Ethan the same. The man held a special place in her heart, a place that would only ever be his. “You’re very special to me.” Throughout her life, he was the only constant. The one always there, no matter time nor distance. “I know – it’s difficult but just know that your story isn’t over just because you peaked early on. You still have a long way to go and I can’t wait to see you peak again.” She smiled at him, her eyes bright with the certainty that Ethan would amount to even greater things in the upcoming years. She had faith in that. “That’s all I ask. That you try and reach out when you just need someone to sit in silence with you on the bad days. And it’s okay to have bad days.”  She pressed him a sweet smile, giving his arm a comforting squeeze. A comfortable silence befell on the pair of childhood friends as they finally arrived at the first listing. Gazing at it, Clarissa scrunched her nose before turning to look at him. “I’m all for simplicity but Ethan… this looks awful from the outside.”

Ethan always believed that their staying in Virginia would be temporary. His father used to tell him that it was only until the Eagles offered him a job, which never happened and they had to stay there. "Does Addison know this? She won't like it," he said with a chuckle, knowing that being 'friends' with her was something he had to do because of Clarissa. "You're my best friend too. I think you are doing adulthood very well, a lot better than me." Especially after every Clarissa had been through, she still always managed to see the bright side of everything. She also had been the only person he found sincere in McLean. "Okay, you're right and I will call you whenever I need some minutes of silent support." Ethan was used to never talk about what was going in his mind, something that really happened after he left his home (where no one could keep a secret) but maybe now it was time to try and be a bit more open. Upon arriving the first listing, he had to look at the photos on his phone and back at the place before them. "I guess they forgot to update the pictures. I don't know a lot about architecture or design but this doesn't look right at all."

[ethan-huttinger]

thatmancoop‌:

“So you actually like cleaning then?” He asked as he lifts an eyebrow and looks at him. “Just make sure you send me your contact information if you ever leave.” Sure he could have looked for him on facebook but not everyone checked their account daily, so it was helpful to know the best way to contact someone. “ My parents  and grandmother, especially my mother and grandmother, told me I could do what I wanted, but I was going to learn to cook so that my future wife didn’t have to be the one stuck in the kitchen all the time” 

"No, not really but it's the best I can offer in this situation," he admitted with a laugh. The only person he knew actually enjoyed cleaning was his mother. "I will, but I have no plans to leave." Not yet, he was really enjoying his time in Crownsville. "I wished I had taken that lead, maybe I wouldn't be divorced," he joked, although he knew that the cause of the separation had nothing to do with his cooking skills. "I can barely make eggs," he added with a chuckle.

[ethan-huttinger]

chana-adelberg‌:

“That’s one thing you and I will always have in common. Both hating the place where we grew up.” She never fully understood why he hated McLean. She had always found it a nice place to visit when they were married. The mansions. The country clubs. The wealth. It was everything she had longed for growing up but she never judged him for his hatred of the town. “You ever think that this façade is the only reason my career has been as successful as it has been? The dumb blonde is much more attractive to the camera than the one of the hillbilly mountain girl who wore patched up clothes and didn’t finish school since I had to help my momma with the young'uns.” Her Appalachian accent that she worked so hard to break herself of started seeping in as she spoke. It only happened when she was scared or nervous and he made her both. “I have the means but we both know my daddy would find a way to ruin it like he does everything,” She pointed out. “You realize there are two people in a marriage right? I may have cheated but we both know that marriage was over way before I did that. I’m not the only reason our marriage didn’t last.”

"I'm sure there are many other things." There had been a time where Ethan could have sworn she was perfect for him and vice versa, but now that didn't seem the case. In the last years of their marriage, they had made sure to expose their differences more than what they had in common until he could barely remember why they thought marriage and a relationship had been a good idea. "You are the only who thinks that. The world doesn't need another dumb blonde, and if you think that acting dumb gave you the roles that made your career then you have to rethink your whole career. You are a good actress, but it seems like everyone knows that but you." He had to admit that when he had seen her for the first time in the audition room he didn't think of her as more than another actress until she started the audition and managed to convey the character he had written so perfectly. "You can't change your family, Chana but you also can't blame them for everything that has happened in your life." Maybe he would never understand the life she had lived, not when his reality had been the opposite of that. "I know that and back then I accepted that I also didn't try to work things out but when we signed the papers I knew that was it for me. I would have never shown up at your workplace. I mean I didn't even want to live in the same state as you did and you come here and move to the same town. I'm sorry if I'm a bit confused."

[ethan-huttinger]

chana-adelberg‌:

Chana chewed on her bottom lip as he spoke. It was a habit of hers whenever she was nervous. A habit that she tried to break at least when the cameras were around. There was no need for her to worry about that here. Not when they were almost in the middle of nowhere. No one would look for her here. “I should have figured you’d go back to New York or your hometown in Virginia.”  McLean was a nice place. She had thought about moving there but being so close to his family wasn’t possible. Not after what she did. She snorted a little at his question, “Living here is better than living in California where everyone thinks I’m just some dumb blonde without an intelligent thought in their head. It’s better than going home too. At least here I have running water and electricity. A car instead of taking a mule down the mountain and a bathroom inside instead of an outhouse out back. I didn’t come here for you. I came here for me.”

Ethan could tell that she was out of her comfort zone and somehow that made him feel more relaxed. “I did go back to McLean for a few weeks, I ran away as soon as I could,” he said, finally letting out a chuckle. Just a few days back in his hometown was enough to remind him why he had left. Perhaps the people who haven't grown up there saw it as an idyllic place, full of beautiful mansions and country clubs but the reality was different for those who had lived there their entire lives. "We both know that you are not dumb at all, and the rest of the world could also know that if you decided to drop that façade of yours ." His words were a lot harsher than he had intended but it was hard to show sorry for her situation after what had happened. "You have the means to improve your childhood home, but you don't want to go back there. Listen, no judgment, I get it. I also don't want to go back to McLean unless I have to," he said with a shrug before rolling his eyes. "Oh, I know that. It's been long enough since you've done something for me, so don't worry that didn't even cross my mind."

[ethan-huttinger]

chana-adelberg‌:

Chana wasn’t sure she could admit it out loud. Not to him of all people. Not to the person she had opened up to the most. The one person that she use to share everything with. The one person that knew everything about her and not just the fake Hollywood image of her life. He knew everything and yet she had been an idiot and let that slip away. She took a seat at one of the desks, her legs no longer able to hold her up. “There is such a thing as google you know,” She tried to joke. Really if you googled his name then stuff about his writing, his movie, and their divorce is what popped up. It took a bit of digging to find out about his job here. “You mentioned this town a few times. And I always wondered where you ended up after…”

His gaze followed her as she sat down, following her lead and leaning against the desk. The Google thing managed to almost get him to smile, knowing that there was no way that information could end up there, especially not after being off the radar for so long. "I moved here just a few months ago," he said, his gaze suddenly dropping to the ground. "I tried to live in New York, but it's hard to move on in a town where everyone knows what happened." It also didn't help that he had taken an unfortunate taste for drinking that cost him his job at NYU, but she didn't need to know that. "Chana," he said, his tone softer than before, "what makes you think that living here would be good for you?" For him or them. Ethan was struggling to see the real motives behind the reasons she was telling him.

[ethan-huttinger]

athena-barnes‌:

“Well, thanks. I’ll pass that on.” Athena smiled. “I wish I could have done more for people other than just make flower bouquets to send to their loved ones that got hurt.” she laughed a little. 

"I think that helps. People go crazy about flowers." Okay, he didn't know for sure if that was the truth but most people always seemed happy when they received a flower bouquet. "I was there and I couldn't do much either, I tried helping some of the people but given I was blind on one eye, I was pretty useless."

[ethan-huttinger]

thatmancoop‌:

“ And I hate cleaning, so I am always happy to spend hours in the kitchen getting everything ready,  especially when I know that someone else is going to be doing the cleaning up for me.”  He replied as he laughed looking at him.  “Well if you aren’t I’ll just have to send you an invite to my opening!”  He replied as he looked at the man, hoping one day sooner rather than later he’d be opening his own restaurant.  “ Yes, it’s always been something my whole family has been good at.”

"It's a perfect match," he said with a chuckle. "That's a great back up plan. I would make sure to be here for the opening." He really wished that the whole process would go faster than he had planned, and wouldn't take him years to open it up. "I envy that skill of yours. I've never been talented in the kitchen. I don't think anyone in the family is, well, maybe my mother but I'm sure professional chefs and health experts wouldn't approve her recipes," he admitted with a laugh.

[ethan-huttinger]

clarissa-evans‌:

Clarissa turned her head to look at Ethan, resisting the urge to sigh at his words. Ethan had always seen the best of her…but then again, she reminded herself, he wasn’t one to not call her out on her crap. So, she supposed, maybe there was some truth in her words, even if she didn’t quite believe them. “I don’t know. Maybe… but that doesn’t mean it feels good.” She murmured offhandedly. However, she couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled from her at his comment, a snort of amusement coming from her. “You can say that again.” A shudder shook her as she thought of their hometown and everything that it entail. “God, I hated that place so much. It felt more like a prision than a home.”  There was a moment of silence that passed between them before Clarissa spoke again, peeking over at him. “And listen, I get that your struggling but Ethan? I think you exactly where you need to be right now. You’re right, you have a ton of potential but… you don’t always have to have your foot on the gas pedal. Sometimes you have to let it off a bit. This is your waiting time. Use it.” She let it sink in for a bit before shaking her head and nudging him gently. “Alright, how far are we from the first housing option?”

"If it felt good then it would be a problem," he said with a smirk. People who didn't care about others didn't feel the way Clarissa was feeling right now, proper selfish people only cared about themselves and no one else. She wasn't like that at all. Clarissa could make the word 'selfish' mean something good. "I never understood why my parents decided to move or stay there, but in a way, I'm glad they did because I met you and you are the only good thing that has come out of that town." He liked how there could be full moments of silent and he didn't feel the need to fill them, at least not around her. He glanced her way after she finished talking, her words still echoing in his head. "I know, it's just when you peak so early in life it's hard to enjoy the waiting time." He really was trying his best to be more positive but sometimes it was hard to keep that upbeat mood. It was easier to focus on the negative and drown the sorrows in a bar. "But I will try, and it's gonna be fine, for both of us," he added, smiling down at her. "I think two blocks away but don't trust me, you are the expert when it comes to this town."

[ethan-huttinger]

chana-adelberg‌:

It took every inch of strength she had to not turn around and run out of there. To not get into her car and drive as fast as she could out of this town. Out of this state and back home to California. It felt like a lifetime ago since she had last seen him. He was just as handsome as she remembered. Well in a geeky sort of way. Her legs shook as she walked further into the room. She knew she should have closed the door but she didn’t think her shaking body would allow it. His eye looked awful but she knew she didn’t have a right to ask about it. She hadn’t had that sort of right for years. Not since their divorce. “I…I moved here. I needed to get away from Hollywood for a while and what better place to hide out than in some small town in Georgia?” Her childhood home would have been better but she didn’t mention that.

He had moved here for one reason and that reason was to stay away from everything that reminded him of her and somehow his past had found him even in a secluded town in Atlanta. Looking at her it was if time hasn't passed, she hadn't changed at all and was still as beautiful as ever. He hated himself for still feeling that way around her, to even give her that small amount of power. Ethan couldn't resist the chuckle filled with incredulity that left his lips. "Of all the small towns in Atlanta, you chose this one?" He asked, shaking his head, still, in disbelief that she was standing right there. "There are so many other places you could have run away to. How did you even know where to find me in here?" he finally asked, before pressing the bridge of his nose.