MEETING WITH FRIENDS

      "What?" Nora's eyes were wide and she looked hilarious as the cream from the burger smeared the side of her mouth. They were at the hospital canteen. "He said that?!" 

        "I am in trouble," Faith replied. 

         "No, you are not." Nora started smiling and looking away.  "It is happening," she muttered to herself, but Faith heard it. 

         "Miss matchmaker, stop it, just accept that it's not going to work, alright? I'm not even certain of my life right now." 

         "I feel you guys have undeniable chemistry, you just don't want to let it bloom." 

        "Of course, I don't want it to bloom. I am still sore from Noah and I don't want to ever, ever fall in love again." Even as she spoke, her heart kept telling her that she was lying to herself. What she felt for Ethan was beyond attraction, but she doesn't want to let go. She didn't want another heartbreak. She was scared. 

        "Why?" Nora asked sucking the drink from her straw. 

     "Nora, I'm still uncertain where my life is heading to." 

    Nora reached for her hand across the table.  "We are all uncertain of where life is taking us to, but we can only live through it by grabbing opportunities and enjoying the good times why it lasts." 

       "While it lasts, exactly my fear. I'm not capable of being loved. I'm just so unlucky with it." 

        "Now, I hear you repeating the same thing that Belle said to you." 

        "But, isn't it true? I mean look at me..." 

        "I'm looking at you right now and all I see is a woman trapped in the cage of her past. How did you manage to date Noah?" 

       "That's it. I threw caution to the wind and I did what you all want me to do now. I forged ahead, I put the past behind me, but it still hurt me." 

       "She is still holding on to something and it's not letting her live as she ought to," Ethan said and dropped his bottle at the table. 

     Axel gulped down his drink quickly so that he could reply to Ethan.   "What's she holding on to? I thought love breaks all barriers?" 

       "It does, at least when you know what those barriers are. Faith doesn't even know what she wants, she is as confused as hell. I understand her though. From the little thing I know about her, it's pretty messed up and this is all from her psychology. There is something that needs to be corrected."

      "She is a psychologist, yet she can't help herself?" 

      Ethan eyed him and grabbed his bottle of beer again.  "Doctors don't treat themselves, dude. She needs to overcome whatever it is that is restricting her from moving on and I'm not in a hurry, I am just going to follow her every step of the way." 

     Axel chuckled.  "You are in a hurry, dude. Do you remember that your father's will states that you have to be married to get his properties?" 

      "That's not the reason I want Faith. I have fallen in love with her and I'm going to give her all the time in the world to understand that what I feel for her is deeper than all her doubts in the world." 

      Axel remained quiet staring at him, then he shook his head.  "I have never heard you speak about a woman like this before, what's so special about her?" 

      Ethan swallowed and chuckled.   "Nothing," he replied looking behind Axel.  "I can't even comprehend it. I have seen smart women like her, independent, beautiful and kind, but my heart chose her." 

        "Are you sure this is not pity you feel for her? Love and pity can be confused at times." 

     Ethan's eyes shifted to Axel and he squinted at him.  "I know when I feel pity. I fell in love with Faith the moment I saw her." 

       "Really?" 

      "Maybe, I was just overwhelmed by her then. I don't know but that day something stirred up in me, something unknown and as time passed I realised that I have fallen for the woman, I didn't even realise how deep I have fallen until it was too late." 

       "And after saying all these to her what did she say?" 

   Ethan shrugged.  "Nothing. It ended in another kiss. I can't even control myself when I'm with her. I can't keep my hands to myself, I want to touch her, I want to hold her, I want to kiss her... It's just...it's just madness." Ethan gulped his drink. 

      "I understand. I felt that way too when I met Camelia. Listen, I got Camelia faster with the help of her best friend. Faith has a friend like that too, you can talk to her." 

    Ethan remained quiet for a while as if he was considering it, but he chuckled and shook his head. "Faith is not someone to be convinced to do anything, the woman is stubborn. If she ever considered her friend's opinion about me, I'm sure we would have been together by now." 

       "How do you know?" 

      "Because I have overheard Nora a couple of times trying to matchmake us and at first I hoped it would work, I really wanted it to work until I started getting to know who Faith really was." 

       "I don't understand why she is making it difficult for you. She was in love with that her ex, did she give him this tough time?" 

        "Who knows? But, I guess he triggered everything in her. I am guessing, when she met the guy, she decided to throw caution to the wind and take a big step with him, you know. Not really certain that she wanted to but trusting him to hold her hand to the end. But what did he do? He left her hand and pushed her down and let her drown again, deeper than she was before. Now, she is not willing to give it a try anymore, she is not willing to grab any hand anymore, she is so scared of coming up to the surface again only to be left again to drown even deeper. Do you understand me?"

      Axel understood him now, he nodded and gulped down his drink. "I think I understand her now." 

      "Right, that's why I want to take things slow with her. It hurts me though, but it's nothing compared to the hurt she has felt and I can't blame her if she refuses to grab my hand, I can only try." 

        "I just hope you win." 

        "I will,"  Ethan said confidently.  "I will. It's just a matter of time and patience. She feels strongly about me too, but she is putting a leash to it because she is scared, but I'm going to break down all her defences." 

        Axel just stared at him. 

       "Well, as much as I understand you, I also want you to know that no two humans are the same. My instincts never lie to me." 

       "Mrs psychic. What are you saying now? Ethan is my husband because we had sex? You have seen my future already, it's very beautiful, isn't it?" 

       Nora smiled.  "You are so stubborn. Eat your burger, please. Talking to you is a waste of time." 

       "What? Are you saying that I have never listened to you?" 

        "When have you ever listened? How are we friends? We are so different," Nora said and bit into her burger. 

     Faith leaned closer.  "Because unlike poles attracts and like poles repel." 

     Nora eyed her.  "Keep deceiving yourself." 

      "You look hilarious with that cream smeared beside your mouth, anyway." 

       Nora touched the corner of her mouth and wiped the cream.   "You are a wicked creature. You have watched me with this on my mouth all this while?" Nora wiped it with her kerchief and looked around.  "No wonder, all these people have been staring at me all this while, I thought it was because I look extremely beautiful today." 

      Faith burst into laughter and laughed for a while.  "You make me laugh even in times like this." 

       "And you make me cry," Nora sighed bit into her burger in a funny way, making Faith, throw up in fits of laughter. 

      Nora tried to keep herself from smiling, she held the burger in front of her mouth so that Faith won't see her smile. Faith kept laughing until she saw someone behind Nora and her laughter gradually subsided. 

     Charlie walked up to them, carrying a tray and he set it down on the table, a beautiful smile on his face. Faith fumbled in her bag looking for nothing. 

     "Look who decided to join us," Nora said. 

    Charlie sat beside Faith.  "I'm afraid, this is the only table mostly available, so I have to join you guys." 

      Faith stood up.  "Welcome, Charlie, I was about to leave." 

      Charlie stood up.  "No, you were laughing so hard. What does Nora say that always cracks you up?" 

      Faith couldn't help but smile. The next thing she knew, she was in Charlie's arms and she was astonished. 

        "I miss you so much, girlfriend," Charlie said and rubbed her back. 

       Faith stood there like a statue, not knowing what to do or say. It was all a surprise to her. Charlie pulled away, held her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. 

        "Did you miss me too?" 

     Faith stared at him for a while.  "Come here you adorable jerk." She hugged him and Nora clapped for them. 

     A few others around the canteen started clapping too. Faith and Charlie pulled away from each other immediately. 

        "They think we are lovers," Faith whispered. 

     Charlie made her sit down and he sat down beside her again.  "They can assume what they want." 

         "What of Josh? Is he not going to be furious that you are still friends with me?" 

           "It's his business." 

           "He is the love of your life." 

          Charlie snorted and looked at Nora. Nora eyed him. 

       "Why did I encourage this at first? I had my bestie all to myself all this while, now I have to start competing for her attention again," Nora said feigning anger.

          "That's because you are so in love with me that you can't deny me anything," Charlie said. 

         "Keep shut!" Nora said and raised her hand as if to hit Charlie. Charlie winked at her. 

        "You guys have started again.  I will just unfriend you both." 

        "Reason why you shouldn't unfriend me. I will ditch your brother for you," Charlie said .

    Faith shot him a sharp look.   "Do you want to die?" 

       "No, ma'am," Charlie said immediately and the three of them started laughing.