Faith made to stand up from the bed but Ethan held her tight. He turned her over to lie on her back. Their eyes met and her eyes widened as he sat on top of her, looking straight into her eyes. She stared at him and pushed him away, he lost his balance because he didn't expect her to push him. He fell on the rugged floor with a thud. Faith snickered in fits of laughter as Ethan stood up and rubbed his butt in sheer humiliation.
He eyed her. "You look so soft but you are so aggressive," he said.
She kept laughing and fell back on the bed and he quickly jumped on the bed and before she could fathom what was going on, he was on top of her, pinning her hands above her head. She was helpless and she squirmed, moving her body under him and tried to free herself, but he was too heavy for her and his grip was so tight on her hand.
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
He smirked, his green eyes gleaming wickedly as he looked down at her. Her breath started coming out in quick, short gasps. She tried to get free again, but it was impossible.
"Oh, Faith, do you think you are ever going to defeat me in this life?" he asked.
He was playing with her but her body was on fire. She started hissing like an old kettle when he leaned closer, bringing his face down to her until it was a few inches away from hers.
"What are you doing?" she asked again.
"What am I doing?" he asked rhetorically and closed his eyes as if in thought.
She looked at him, taking that time to look at his face. She admired his extremely handsome face, his thick eyelashes fell across his cheeks and his lips looked so luscious, paused in thought and were so invitingly tempting to kiss. She was almost swooning, but his eyes flared open and locked with hers, trapping her and she felt her cheeks growing hot.
He stared at her and she removed her eyes from his and couldn't find where to place them. He smirked, his eyes glittering in the light.
"Why are you blushing? You have a dirty mind," he said.
"I'm not blushing," she denied.
"Of course, you are not," he mocked sarcastically and brought his face closer.
"Uhmm, I...you promised nothing was going to happen tonight."
"What's happening?"
"Your...your face is too close to mine."
He chuckled. "You are scared of getting kissed?" She scowled at him. "Do you think I wanna kiss you? I'm punishing you right now."
"What punishment?"
"Watch and see." He put her hands together and pinned them down with one hand and she tried to move, but it was as impossible to move as it was when he pinned her with his two hands. He trailed his other hand on her arm, leaving a burning sensation as he trailed.
She tried not to think about his fingers on her skin, she tried not to think about the sensation and the fire that was surging up her veins, she tried as much as possible to remain calm, but the goosebumps gave her away. Was he punishing her like this? Her thoughts started running wild. Was he going to kiss her? What would happen after he kissed her? Could she resist him, could she resist his charm?
She felt her heart beating uncontrollably, she could almost hear it. She started puffing. He seemed to be enjoying the torment because he still had that mischievous smile on his face. Her mind was busy running to other things but Ethan had other plans for her. His fingers trailed to her elbows and started approaching that danger zone—her armpit. That was when she understood what he meant by punishing her.
He was going to tickle her to death. Her alarm system went off and her eyes widened.
"No! No! No!" she started to scream.
He started laughing. "Who is laughing last now?"
"Don't try it!" she warned.
"Don't try what?" he asked, removing his hands from her armpit.
She breathed with relief when his fingers left her armpit and he even left her hands that he had pinned, but his weight was still on her. She looked down at her tummy, he was sitting on her stomach. She tried to say something but his arms went to her sides before she knew it and started the torture of tickling her. She barked out with laughter as he tickled her, she kicked her legs behind him. He was smiling wickedly at her and she didn't even have the power to push him away. She tried to defend herself, but he was killing her.
She was grateful when his phone started to ring and he looked at the phone on the nightstand. It was Charlotte. He quickly got off Faith.
"Don't think that I have let you go."
Faith got up from the bed as he picked the phone from the nightstand and sat on the bed, his legs on the floor. Faith went and sat down at the table for two.
"Charlotte is calling," he announced.
"What?!" Faith exclaimed. "Is she okay? Have she come to?"
He glanced at her and she stopped talking. "That is what I'm trying to find out." He placed the phone in his ear.
"Hello, Charlotte."
"Yes, it's me," Charlotte's voice sounded from the other end. It was still weak, but she was alive.
"Hey, you're awake. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke. Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm good. Where are you? Are you coming tonight? I need to tell you something."
Ethan rubbed his temple and closed his eyes temporarily. "I'm so, so sorry, Charlotte. I can't make it back." He looked at Faith who was looking eagerly at him. "I kind of got stuck somewhere remote with Faith, but it's not what you think. She fought with Nora and I thought I should cheer her up and our car broke down and..."
"Ethan, how many times do I have to tell you to stop apologising for going out with Faith? I'm not even your girlfriend, I have no claim on you, please, don't think it's hurting me. I am the one that should apologise for coming between you two."
"I'm sorry."
"You don't need to be. I just called to know that you are okay. Send my regards to Faith."
"I promise I would be there first thing tomorrow morning."
Charlotte laughed a hearty laugh. That brought a smile to Ethan's face. "Then be here in the morning, I have something I want to do. I saw it in my dream."
"We are gonna do everything you wanna do, alright?"
"Bye, Ethan."
"Bye, Charlotte. Keep living until I get there," he added.
"I will."
He hung up and looked at Faith who was looking at him curiously now. He ignored her and stood from the bed and went towards the table.
"Are you going to pretend that you don't know I am curious about that phone call?"
He stood in front of her, a smirk on his face. "Why? You want to know about my phone calls now?" He opened the covered dish and took a piece of meat and threw it into his mouth.
She scowled. "Was that Charlotte?"
"That's my girlfriend," he said and took the wine from the table.
She scoffed. "Are you trying to get me jealous?"
He popped the wine. "Are you jealous then?" He poured wine into the wine glass in front of her, holding her eyes.
"Tell me how she is faring, that's what I wanna know."
"Let's eat," he said and went over to the other seat opposite her and sat down."
"Can you answer my question?!"
"We could talk about this while we eat."
"I don't want to eat," she snapped and placed her elbow on the table and supported her chin with her palm and looked away from him.
"You will have to eat it, imagine the trouble they had to go through to put this up for two people who are not even friends, talk much of lovers." He sipped wine from his glass, observing her from his glass.
She took the wine he had poured into her glass and sipped from it looking at him too. "Is Charlotte alright now?"
He dropped his glass on the table. "Alright to satisfy your curiosity, she is fine now, she sent her regards to you."
"Did they say anything else is wrong with her? Is she having a haemorrhage?"
"I don't need you to feel guilty, but did you think you could kill her?" He dished the food on a plate and passed it over to her and he started dishing for himself.
"Can you just answer a question without trying to sound funny?"
"Can you eat your food without asking too many questions?"
"I kind of feel guilty because she got hurt during our fight."
"Why were you two even fighting to the extent of getting physical with each other and then hurting my girlfriend in the process?"
Faith sighed and dropped her spoon. She didn't want to talk about it. Could she tell him how it had happened? "I just lost my appetite." She rose from the chair. "I'm taking the bed and remember not to turn off the lights when you are done." She fell onto the bed and closed her eyes.
"Hey!" Ethan called from the table.