"Bright never said I was hot, did he?" Hannah turned to Amy, understanding dawning on her. When no one responded, she looked down, embarrassed, "Can I go home now?"
"Yeah," Ephram, glanced at Amy, willing her to stay seated, "Yeah, come on, I'll walk you."
Amy looked hurt, but said nothing. She knew she'd messed up, and now she had to deal with the guilt.
"Thanks," Hannah whispered, sliding out of the booth and following Ephram to the the door without a second look.
"Listen," Ephram said, when they got outside, "Amy- she means well."
"No," Hannah said quietly, "She didn't really."
"Hannah," he tried again, "She was jealous, she realizes it was stupid, and she's sorry."
"I'd like to hear it from her," she rolled her eyes slightly.
"You will," he assured her, "I just didn't think you'd want to talk to her right now."
"You're right on that one," she kicked a rock, blowing a wisp of hair out of her face.
"You're going to like it here, eventually," he said, "You know, Everwood, it grows on you. I can tell you from experience."
"I guess," she shrugged, "You were lucky, though, you have Amy."
"I didn't from the jump though," he informed her, "We've had a long, treacherous road, us two."
"Oh yeah?" Hannah eyed him suspiciously, "Amy doesn't seem like the type who has long, treacherous roads."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Girls like her, pretty girls," Hannah shrugged, "Things always seem to go so easy for them."
"Well not Amy," Ephram defended her, "So, lay off, okay?"
"Okay, fine," Hannah held her hands up defensively, "Listen, you don't have to walk me back, okay? Go back to Amy, I'll find my way home."
"Hannah, it's not like that," he grabbed her wrist as she walked away, "Don't be mad."
"I'm not mad," she said sharply, "This is just so typically male, I shouldn't even be surprised, really."
"'Typically male'," Ephram repeated, hand over heart, "Ouch."
"No," Hannah said harshly, "You don't get to do that now, play the good guy card. Because, you know, I thought you were one of the good ones, but tonight really sucked for me, and you're siding with Amy. I know you're dating her, but jeez, you should still be able to understand why that wasn't cool, what she did."
"It wasn't," he agreed, "You're right, okay? But I didn't know what she had planned ahead of time, and I couldn't really stop it, alright? What did you want me to do?"
"Stand up for me?" Hannah suggested, "Like a friend would've? I mean, look, I understand it was Nina's idea for you to babysit me, but I kind of thought we had a genuine connection. Now I get it, we don't- you can consider me no longer your problem."
"Hannah, no," he turned her to him by her shoulders, "I do- we did have a genuine connection, okay? Don't you see that's the problem? I waited forever to get together with Amy and now just like that, you're here and you- you like manga and you watch cool tv shows and read and, and you wear that ridiculous beret. Amy's right to be concerned, because in any other scenario, I would fall for you, don't you see that?"
"Don't try to flatter me," Hannah said, looking hurt, "You're only making me feel more stupid by lying to my face."
"I'm not lying, Hannah," he wiped a tear as it fell from her eye, "I haven't felt this quick of a connection, with anyone, ever. I could see myself with you, and that scares me to death. When I felt that way about Amy it never works out and Madison's the only other girl I've dated, and that was always destined for failure, which it did- brilliantly I may add."
"So you've been in two terrible relationships," Hannah concluded, quite loudly, "Mazel tov."
"And you're Jewish!" Ephram sighed, "No one in Everwood is Jewish except me and my family."
"Sorry!" Hannah shouted, "I didn't mean to intrude on your religion as well as your relationship, I can't do anything right, I guess!"
Frustrated and unable to come up with anything better to say to explain himself to the girl, Ephram did the only logical thing he could do- he leaned down and kissed her.
"Ephram!" she shouted, pushing him away, "What are you doing?"
"I wanted you to stop yelling at me," he said, throwing his arms out, "I didn't know what else to do."
"Well that plan sure did backfire," she shoved her pointer in his chest to emphasize her point, "I mean, you can't just-"
He kissed her again, and this time she kissed him back, melting into his arms. The, she supposed, they'd have to figure out later.