CHAPTER 14

Anna sat still, eyes motionless staring ahead at the road as Ethan drove back to her home.

"I guess that guy is affecting you somehow"

Ethan's voice kept ringing in her ears ,how much ever she tried to distract herself by thinking about something else. Was he wrong? Wasn't Raven affecting her? He surely was and she knew it, could she deny it to Ethan ? Yes. Could she stop it? No.

Ethan glanced sideways at her, some unreadable expression plastered all over her face and her stare fixed ahead on the road. A smirk crept up his lips when he realized that his statement earlier had done this to her, he just wanted to tease her and see her reaction but he did not expect something like this.

Ethan cleared his throat and Anna blinked her eyes which were glued open since they left the hospital's parking lot, she looked at him and flashed the best smile she could and Ethan returned it before shifting his eyes back on the road,

"What are you thinking?" he asked casually.

"W-What? Me? No-Nothing, why?" she tried her best to cover her nervousness but her tongue betrayed her as she stuttered, a knowing smile grew on Ethan's face , nodding his head slightly,

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?"

Anna licked her dry lips and gulped before looking out of the window, away from her friend's gaze, "No" she said flatly.

"Yes you are , just accept it"

Her inner mind wiggled her brows at her which had Anna closing her eyes to control herself from freaking out. She sighed, and leaned back in her seat, eyes still closed as she tried to stable her mind and thoughts that were still wondering somewhere around the hallway of the hospital.

Her continues sighs drew Ethan's attention as he raised his brows, "Anna, what is it?"

"Nothing" her eyes were still closed, hands folded on her lap and chest heaving up and down. She could not break her thoughts from that man, Raven. She opened her eyes and looked over at Ethan who had a small smile on, one hand gripping the steering while the others elbow rested down on the window's edge.

"What's that smile about?" she asked as she sat up straight and looked at him properly.

"Anna, I know you since high school. Although your looks have changed but you still have the same personality, shy and..." He chuckled before continuing

"and bad at lying"

Anna furrowed her brows, "What are you talking about?"

Ethan shot her a glance before looking back at the road, "You can't lie to me Anna, I know you too well for that."

Her confusion deepened as she refused to shift her gaze away from him, "Okay, drop that" he chuckled at her not-so-scary stare as she slumped back in her seat.

She failed to understand what was wrong with her, her mind was going back again and again to his face, his hands, his stare, his eyes, those dreamy eyes that teared up infront of her. She did not understand why he was acting like that and now she didn't want to know it anymore. The moment she left him to the care of the doctors, her duty had ended, she told herself.

' I will never see him again. Thank God'

"Even if you wanted to, the hospital isn't that far"

Her inner mind giggled and Anna wanted to peal that stupid smile off her face and bang it's head somewhere. Her inner mind had suddenly come alive since she met Raven, and it spoke mostly things that did not make sense to Anna. She was frustrated at her own mind and that voice that keeps nagging her. It was nothing but her own self, a side of herself that she did not know existed, which was coming alive slowly.

Ethan pulled at the gate of her house as Anna stepped out of the car, closing the door behind her , she leaned towards the window and smiled at Ethan, "Thank you for everything Ethan, thank you so much"

He flashed a wide smile before shaking his head, "It was nothing Anna, don't thank me" Anna chuckled at the typical dialogue as she backed away from the car.

"Oh yes, Anna" he called her and she bent forward again,

"Yeah"

He took out a card from his pocket and handed it over to her , "Keep this, just in case..." he winked and drove away. Anna blinked at his weird behavior, as she flipped the card around, and her eyes widened at the name printed in bold,

"Raven Lorraine"

"Keep this, just in case..."

She gasped as she recalled what Ethan just said before driving away.

'What is he trying to say? I am always thinking about Raven? I can't concentrate anywhere else? I can't wait to call on this number?'

"Wait, did you just confess all that?" Her inner mind mocked her with a smirk tugging at her lips.

'Shut up.' was all she said before turning around, opening the door with the keys she walked inside and took off her shoes. She plopped herself on the couch and she let out a heavy sigh. Soon she heard footsteps behind her, knowing it's her grandmother, she didn't turn around,

"Everything is fine Grannu. He is fine. I got rid of him" she whispered the last one as she felt footsteps getting closer, she felt two hands on her shoulders, massaging the area around her neck and it felt like heaven, her eyes shot open as she realized her grandmother wasn't the one, abruptly turning around , she was greeted with a wide smile and two shining black orbs.

"Hey Eva" she squealed and jumped on her best friend and she caught her well. They hugged each other, rocking side to side and laughed like two young kids. After a couple of minutes they sat down on the couch as Eva handed over a small box to Anna.

It was a wooden box with a golden ribbon tied in a bow over it, she traced her finger tips on the smooth surface of the box before looking up at Eva. She motioned Anna with her eyes to open the box as she flashed a smile before pulling the free end of the bow, untying it. She opened the box and her mouth opened in surprise as she saw a beautiful bracelet inside.

It was a simple yet elegant gold chained bracelet with small diamonds and green Ruby stones around. It looked so beautiful that it sparkled in Anna's eyes. "Wow" was all she could say.

Eva chuckled at her reaction before taking the bracelet from her and putting it around Anna's wrist and hooking it, "It is called 'Amor verdadero' " she said as Anna looked at her like a lost puppy, the words passing over her head. Eva patted her best friends head before continuing, "It means True Love. This bracelet is called that because many people have claimed they found their soulmates after wearing this. So I thought I shall get you this, after all you have been single since forever" she chuckled as Anna fake gasped and hit her with the cushion.

"I'll make some coffee" Eva said as she got up and walked towards the kitchen. It was always like that, they were more of like sisters than best friends and Eva always made the coffee whenever she visited because Anna did not know how to make one.

After Eva left, Anna looked at her wrist as she ran her finger tips along the green stones. Suddenly a small smile spread across her lips as the green eyes that resembled those stones flashed in her mind, the way they stared at her , sparkling like the diamonds, so beautiful but intense at the same time, she could sit staring into them forever.

Her hand slowly crept up to the side of her neck, her fingers caressed the part on her skin where he had kissed her earlier in the car. Goosebumps spread all over her hands as she recalled the feeling of his soft lips on her neck, the way it never detached until she pushed him away, tho the reason was because he was asleep but she would be lying if she said she did not like it.

Her smile slowly faded as she realized they will just remain as some sweet memories with her but she could not help the thought that crossed her mind,

'I wish I could see him again'