LEAVE ME ALONE

     They drove home in silence. All through their ride home, Faith was quiet and was looking out of the window. She didn't know what to think anymore. She had told herself that she had moved on from Noah but she didn't know why his words hurt her that much. How could he say those words to her after they had been together for so many years? Men are not trustworthy. 

      She tried to control her tears until they got home. When they got home, she didn't wait for Ethan to open the door for her, she didn't talk to Ethan, she just went out of the car and headed to the elevator. Ethan locked the car and went after her. He caught up with her before the elevator door closed and entered inside. He stood beside her and looked at her. 

      "What is wrong?" he asked. 

      She didn't answer, she just sniffed and wiped away the tears that were running down her cheeks and looked away. Ethan didn't know what Noah had told her, but he had promised himself that the next time he sees Noah coming close to her, he would kill him. They got out of the elevator and walked down the dark hallway to their door. Ethan waited for them to get into the living room before he grabbed Faith by the arm. 

       "You need to stop locking me out, I'm mad too! As a matter of fact, I'm enraged with the situation." 

      "Leave me alone! What do you want from me?!" she cried. 

     Ethan squinted his eyes at her in surprise and tilted his head back.  "What do I want from you? Faith, you know that I want from you, I want you  to be happy, that is what I want from you." 

      "Leave me alone."  Faith made to break away from his grip but he held her tighter. 

      "What did he say to you? Why are you locking me out?" 

     Faith turned to him, tears still falling from her eyes.  "I just want to be left alone. Please stop...stop being nice to me, leave me alone..." 

       "You mean I should leave you alone for real?" 

       "Yes, for real. Leave my life." 

      "Why?" 

       "It's not going to happen. I don't want to go through this again. I don't want to be pulled down again. I might not survive it. I don't want to hurt so much again." 

     Ethan's jaw hardened, he left her and his hands clenched into fists. He suppressed the fury and fought to keep himself under control. Faith started towards her room. 

    "I am sorry that he had to put you through this and you have to feel this way each time you meet him, but don't dare compare me to him in any way. I am not him and he is not me. You know, I have tried understanding you, I have offered you my heart, I have tried to protect you, to be there for you, but what do you do? Hurt me!"

      Faith stopped short and hiccuped in spasms of tears. 

    "You chose not to see my feelings or you close your eyes to it. Don't you know I get hurt too? I guess you can't see it because all you ever think of is yourself and how you feel. You can't see the feelings of the person beside you. I have heard you. You want me to stay away from you? I will. I will do that since I can't prove myself true enough." He started towards his room and his phone started to ring. 

     Faith wiped her tears and her sob turned into weeping. She broke down and fell to her knees, holding her face in her hands and sobbing into them. 

      Ethan looked at the screen, it was Danny, he sighed and tossed his phone on the bed. He was not in the mood for any vote of thanks at that moment.  He pulled off his shirt, dropped his car keys on the nightstand, kicked his shoes and fell on the bed, huffing loudly. The phone stopped ringing for a moment and started ringing again. He picked up the phone and stared at it for a while and decided to answer it. 

       "Hello," he said into the phone. 

      "Mr Ethan Floyd, sorry to disturb you, it's me, Nora," Nora's voice came from the other end. 

     Ethan sat up and removed the phone from his ear and looked at the screen. He placed it back on his ear.  "Nora, why are you suddenly sounding so formal with me?" 

      "Why won't I be formal? I know you told him not to tell me, but don't blame him, because I pressured him to tell me and I promise to do you the favour you asked. If you hide your identity, I'm sure there is a good reason for that and you alone are in the best position to tell anyone about it…"

      "Nora, are you crying?" 

     "Because I'm overwhelmed..." Nora said with a cracked voice and sniffed.  "I love this house and I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't stepped in. You are the answer to my prayers. Danny slept throughout today, he hadn't slept like that in a while now..." 

       "Nora, it's nothing..." 

        "Let me finish, please." Nora interrupted and sniffed.  "I wouldn't have believed it myself if Danny had not shown me on the internet. He had to look you up to know if you were legit." She chuckled.  "Sorry for that." 

       "You and Danny saw information about me on the Internet?" 

        "Yes. It said you are the CEO of Floyd empire and many other assets." 

       Ethan rubbed his temple and closed his eyes.  "Nora, can I call you back, please?" 

       "Thank you so much, I will thank you in person soon." 

      Ethan hung up. He had asked Tyler to make sure information about him was removed from the internet. He went over to the table and put on his laptop and waited a few seconds for the system to boot, then he looked up his name and his information was displayed immediately. He sighed, picked up his phone again and dialled Tyler. 

       Tyler answered almost immediately like he was waiting for Ethan's call.  "Yes, Sir?" 

        "Tyler, what is my information still doing on the internet?" 

        "About that, Sir..." 

        "I asked you to remove it!" Ethan yelled and banged his fist on the table. There was silence at the other end and he used that moment to recollect himself. He was furious and frustrated, but it has not been Tyler's fault. He shouldn't pour his aggression on his poor assistant. "I'm sorry for snapping at you." 

       "I'm sorry, Sir. I should have told you sooner. Your mother refused me from carrying out your request." 

    Ethan shut his eyes for a moment, opened them and walked to the window. He rubbed his forehead as if he was trying to soothe a throbbing headache.  "Why would you tell my mom about it?" 

       "I didn't, she heard you herself. I was in her office the day you called." 

        "Where is she now?" 

        "In her office." 

        "Put her through," Ethan said and looked down to the street. He saw the car he had spotted stalking Faith and him the other day. He kept his eyes on the car, the same man he asked not to stalk them again, came out of the car and crossed over to a cafe across the street. 

       "That jerk, I warned him to stay away."  He grabbed his car keys from the nightstand, took a long-sleeved bodywarmer, wore a flatter shoe and left his room. He didn't see Faith in the living room when he came out. He left the apartment and went into the elevator. 

       He went into the garage and opened his car. He drove out of the garage with speed and headed straight for the car of the stalker. He rammed his car into the trunk of the car, the tail light of the car shattered and an alarm went off as people gasped and stopped to watch what had just happened. 

       Douglas heard the crash outside and he glanced outside without interest and was about to face the counter again when he had a mental picture of his car. He looked again and saw that it was his car that was crashed. He excused himself and went outside to find out who was driving recklessly that early evening. 

       Ethan sat in his car and watched him as he came. He knocked at Ethan's window and gestured for him to open the door.  

          "Are you drunk or something?!" Doug yelled when he couldn't see through the window of the car. 

     Ethan slowly opened his door and stepped out of the car. Doug's eyes widened when he recognised Ethan. 

       "You?" he asked pointing at Ethan. 

        "Yes, me," Ethan answered and looked around at the people that have gathered around.  "I'm sorry Mister, let me take charge of the damages!" he said aloud with a charismatic smile.

      Douglas just stared at him as the people dispersed one after the other. Ethan's face returned to a straight face, he looked at Douglas. 

       "I said I never wanted to see you again, didn't I?" Ethan asked. 

       "You can't limit where I go to because you are there at that particular time." 

       "I know you are not from this neighbourhood. Look at your clothes, they are expensive, your car too." 

        "Was that why you crashed my car?" 

        "I'm sorry, but that's my parking space and my brain had been programmed to always park there, so I tend not to see things parked there." 

      Douglas chuckled sarcastically. Ethan moved closer to him and set his eyes on him. 

       "This is the last warning I am going to give you. Don't ever let me see you anywhere near me ever again or it would be your life I would be crashing the next time." Ethan removed a chequebook from his pocket. "Tell me who to address this cheque to?" 

        "Keep your f*cking money, I don't need it," Douglas said. 

    Ethan put the chequebook back inside his pocket.  "If you say so. Don't come near me nor this house, nor Faith again." He went back into his car and drove away.  

   Douglas stood there looking at him until he drove back into the garage, he turned and looked at his car.