NOT A DATE

        Faith came back earlier than usual and was exhausted, she slumped down on the sofa and kicked her shoes, her feet hurt and she pressed them a little. She glanced at Ethan's door and wondered if he was around. The kiss they shared in the kitchen last night came back to her and she smiled and touched her lips. He was a good kisser and knew how to make her melt with his kisses. 

      She recalled what happened last night after the kiss. Ethan had pulled away from her and they had stared at each other and burst into laughter. She had not known why that had happened. After laughing, Ethan had said he was sorry for kissing her again. She had handed him the spoon to continue the cooking and they cooked dinner together again, talking like friends. Although what he said had been on her mind, she tried not to think of it. She didn't want to believe he could love her. 

      The kitchen door opened and brought her out of her reverie. She saw Ethan coming out of the kitchen. He stood and looked at her for a while. 

       "Are you okay? You look pale," he said. 

        "I feel exhausted, I don't know why, but I'll be fine." 

    Ethan moved closer to her and handed her a bowl of noodles soup.  "I made this, maybe you need to eat." 

      She stared at the bowl for a while. She wanted to reject it but she didn't want to hurt him. She took it from him.  "Thank you." 

         "I'll go get another one," he said and returned to the kitchen. 

         She stared at the bowl in her hand and smiled to herself, then she tasted a few spoons from it, savoured it and nodded. He always knew when to step in, she was tired and hungry. She dropped the bowl of soup on the table and held her shoulder, she felt like she was beaten on her shoulders. 

       "Oh, I need a massage," she said to herself. 

   Ethan came out with another bowl of noodles soup and sat down on a couch adjacent to hers. 

       "You said you don't know anything about cooking yet you make superb meals," she remarked. 

        "Is that a compliment?" 

         "I'm just stating the obvious. I mean you can't tell me you cook this perfectly with a manual." 

        "Faith, I told you I am good at following directions," he said with a smirk. Faith smiled and nodded.   "You look tired." 

     "Oh, yes. I had so many appointments today," Faith said stretching out one arm and hitting her shoulder with the other. 

       "That's because you are good at what you do." He stood up, dropped his bowl on the table and went behind her.  "I can help you." 

         "That's because I had to see them today, I won't be available tomorrow. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow." 

       Ethan massaged her shoulders, it soothed her, but she didn't want him to be that close to her, she didn't want to get that intimate with him, but then logic stepped in and reminded her that they have been more intimate than this, so she allowed him. 

       "I can accompany you to see your doctor tomorrow." 

     She remained quiet for a while as if she didn't hear him.  "I'm sure you have your own plans." 

     He leaned closer and whispered in her ears.  "When have I ever had a plan? I can take you to your doctor tomorrow." 

       "I...I really appreciate it, but I don't know if that would be okay with my doctor." 

       "If it isn't then, I will stop." 

        "I don't... I don't want you to..." 

         "Hey," Ethan said and came in front of her. He squatted in her front and looked straight into her eyes. She didn't know where to look.  "You are a strong, smart woman who has been doing it on her own for long now, you are also a good psychologist who helps people overcome their problems, but you don't want people to help you. For once, Miss Prescott, can you not be stubborn and let someone help you?"

     Faith finally settled her eyes on him. His gaze melted her and made her heart thump faster, she could hear her heartbeat and wondered if he heard it too. She didn't know when, but she found herself leaning closer to him, her face moved closer to his, it was just like a magnet. She knew she shouldn't be doing that, her brain is willing to stop it, but her whole body kept leaning forward until she could feel his breath fanning against her face. 

       Her phone rang like it was angry and they jerked away from each other, snickering. 

      "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," they said to each other. 

    This won't be the first time they made rules. They always make rules of no touching and no kissing, but a few hours after making that rule, they break the rule and remake it, sometimes it was immediately after the rules. After last night's kiss, they had made the no touching and no kissing rule again, but here they were almost about to kiss. Faith had been so certain that she wasn't going to break that rule this time. 

       Since Ethan has confessed how he felt about her and she feels she doesn't want to lead him on, she had decided to stay as far away from him as possible, so that he won't feel hurt and used when she leaves. She wasn't going to use him. But a force keeps pulling her towards him. 

        "One moment, please," she said as she fetched her phone from her purse and looked at the screen, it was an unknown number, and her heart skipped. The first person that came to her mind was Joshua. 

      Even Ethan noticed her shaking hands. He gently placed his hand on hers, aiming to soothe her. When she looked at him, he encouraged her with a nod. She decided to answer the phone and talk to her brother, if she had to beg him, she would. She slid to the green icon and placed it to her ear. 

      "Hello," she said slowly. 

       "Faith, I knew you won't answer if I called with my other number, so I decided to call with this number," the voice from the other end said hesitantly. 

        First, Joshua would not call her Faith, second, he won't speak like he was scared of her reaction. She recognised the voice. It was a voice she had heard over and over on the phone. It was Noah. It eludes her, what he still wants from her. 

        "What do you want?" 

         "Just one dinner. I promise to explain..." 

   She hung up and tossed her phone aside. Ethan stared at her for a while. He didn't probe, didn't want to. If she finds him worthy enough, she would tell him, if not it was still fine. 

        "It's Noah," she blurted. 

   He felt anger seethe through him and he suddenly felt like cracking some bones. How dare that guy even try again? His hands clenched into fists and he swallowed hard. 

         "What does he want?" he asked and was even marvelled at the roughness of his own voice. 

       She was surprised too and it didn't fail to show on her face, but she was happy. It made her happy that it infuriated him as much as it pissed her off. Noah must think that he was a kind of god to her for breaking her heart twice in one and a half months and think he could always walk back into her life. 

        "Listen to me, Faith," Ethan started and his rough voice made him look even sexier.   "You are nobody's fool. I want you to see yourself the way every other person sees you —the way I see you. Beautiful, smart, neat and descent, you are too good to be treated like that by any man. I am not trying to patronize you or anything, but I am telling you the truth and heaven knows it's nothing but the truth. Don't let anyone see you as lesser than who you are. 

       "You are too beautiful and possess great qualities any man could fall for. Don't take this advice from me like someone who has an interest in you, take it from me like it's Nora that is talking to you." Faith smiled.  "Don't go back to someone that doesn't deserve you, just because you are scared that no one would ever love you as much or because you keep dwelling in the past. It's time to face the future." His lips twitched in a mischievous smirk.  "And I am the future." 

       She snorted.  "You had a great speech coming on. Did you have to spoil it with this?"  Ethan grinned. Faith grabbed his collar and pulled him closer.  "Come here," she said and kissed him. 

        He was surprised at first and his brain worked for a few seconds. He shouldn't allow this to happen, she would get hurt after, but then, to hell with logic. His logic can't function properly when it comes to Faith. He kissed her back, dominating her, taking the lead from her. They kissed until they were both breathless. It was always magical each time their lips meets, it doesn't matter how many times in a day or how many hours or minutes or seconds, it was almost like the first time.

       She pulled away from him as easily as she had taken him.  "Thank you," she said staring into his eyes. 

      He didn't want to hear the thank you, he just wanted her soft, warm lips on his. He nodded.   "Let's have dinner tomorrow—if you would be free." 

       She considered it in her head for a while.  "It's not a date," she said. 

       "That's a yes, I guess. It's definitely not a date. Now come here." He took her into his arms and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back.  "I want you to be happy," he said while rubbing her back.   "You broke the rule though," he said after a while.

       She pulled away from him.  "We broke it together."

     "No, don't make it collective."

      "No, I'm not…"

     He drew her closer to him and their lips crushed. He kissed her for a while and pulled away.   "Now, we  are even." She just stared at him.  "Now, we can reenact the rules again," he said.