AN: Sorry it's been awhile. Been so caught up with a few things in my life right now, but that's no excuse. Hope the chapter is enjoyable. Thank you SOOOOO much to the reviewers. Your reviews are always appreciated and much love goes out to you all for making my life brighter by sending me them.
Azlin: You are so sweet. I loved the Angels Trilogy and I'm glad that you think I was not too unfaithful to it, and was able to capture the greatness that was evoked in those books.
Jamie Lynn: I hated keeping you waiting. I hope you forgive me for my delay.
Anna Lena Farias: I completely agree with you. The ending of the books left me disappointed with so many questions and I don't think anyone could walk away from something after a great love like that. Hope you enjoy the rest of it!
Writingtiger: Hope you still like where you think it's going.
I-Got-You: Thanks for the sweet reviews. Hope my delays haven't made you lose interest.
SF: Thanks. Really rooting that I kept it up.
Luthien Telemnar: Much thanks for your reading and reviewing.
Kristinmilly: My favorite series too without a doubt. Thanks for the review.
Chapter 9. Sweet Silence
Waking up, Leah grumbled at her alarm clock. She tossed back her head and rolled off her bed to suddenly feel a splurge of energy that had her running to her closet to grab clothes and head to the bathroom. She ran past a sleepy Ethan and slammed the door, not wanting to waste another moment of her day out with Ethan.
When she emerged half an hour later in black high-waters and a crème white blouse, she smiled at her reflection in the hallway mirror, sure that her white headband was in place to keep her hair out of her face. Ethan sat at the kitchen table with his head resting on the table and his eyes closed. His long hair dropped down to his eyebrows, skimming his eyelids as he breathed deeply.
"Already falling asleep on me?" Leah said loud enough to have Ethan sitting up straight in an instance. "Hope I don't leave you to such boredom again today."
"I could never be bored with you, Leah." Ethan answered, standing up and wiping the wrinkle of his shirt. "This shirt wasn't wrinkled when I woke up this morning…"
Sitting at a small coffee shop in the mall,Leah watched as Ethan stared at the English muffin and cappuccino with a disturbed face. Taking some peanut butter and smearing it inside,Leah offered it to him and smiled, hoping that he did not think her as a complete animal for the wayshe lived.
"It isn't exactly a home cooked breakfast served with an apron or anything, but it does the job." Leah reassured him when he took the first bite. "I've taken many a friend to this joint and no one has died yet."
"It is nice," Ethan grinned, some peanut butter smeared over his lips. "Thank you for the breakfast today."
"It is my pleasure," Leah felt herself growing tense at watching Ethan eating and the peanut butter she wished to wipe away from his mouth. "You've got…"
Leaning over, Leah grabbed her napkin and pressed it to his lips. Immediately, Ethan sat erect, looking straight into Leah's eyes with a look of complete shock on his face.
"What brings you into these parts so early in the morning?"
Jay's entrance into the whole scene made it completely topple over. Leah turned sharply at her friend's voice, her arm knocking over the hot cappuccino. The scorching liquid had Ethan jumping up, knocking over the table so that it caught Leah off balance. About to topple over with the table, she was saved from colliding with the fallen breakfast when Jay stepped in and grabbed her.
"I know I take your breath away, honey, but not in front of the cutie." Jay helped Leah turn the table back up and gave Ethan her best smile. "I'm Jay. Leah's love fool friend. If there's a girl out there with a worst love story out there than Leah's, it just might be me."
"Worst love story?" Ethan turned to Leah in question and she felt herself blushing.
"Jay… this…"
"You haven't heard?" Jay interrupted, leaning on the table and staring down at Ethan. "Before Leah joined me in college, she had met the most fabulous fellow. He was perfect, handsome, and apparently the nicest and most sincere guy you'll ever come across. Of course I am jealous that I never had such a great guy, but some girls have all the luck, you know? Well, everything was going fine, but it was one of those relationships that was probably doomed from the start. The fellow came from another world… a completely different world… and so things came to an end, but isn't it just peachy how all great things must come to an end? It seems downright unfair, and I understand completely why the girl was down as can be in the beginning. It wasn't until I took her under my wing and showed her that there are much healthier ways to cope with heartbreak than the way she was dealing thatwe became the school party girls. I guess it wasn't all too bad, do you think?"
"I guess it wasn't all too bad," Ethan agreed, his eyes looking atLeah seriously.
"You must forgive my friend, Jay." Leah told Ethan. "She enjoys talking and she doesn't mind showing the world that."
"Damn straight." Jay emphasized proudly. "Someone has to do the talking for others out there that won't."
"And now Jay… this is Ethan." Leah held back a laugh when she made the introduction.
"Ethan!" Jay almost choked the word as she leaned more onto the table for support and moved closer to stare into Ethan's face. "Well now… it was quite a pleasure to meet you this wonderful morning day. I think I will just go now and leave you two be. I am sure there are many couples out there in love that I can interrupt and embarrass beyond repair."
"Thanks for stopping by," Leah waved.
Ethan got up to throw away their discarded meal and Jay turned around to mouth "you must call me back later", causing Leah to burst into laughter just as Ethan sat back down.
"Jay can get carried away sometimes," Leah bit her lip, not sure what to say after all that Jay had said. "Back in college…"
"Is that what you say about us?" Ethan questioned, the current situation presented to them.
"Jay exaggerates," Leah covered. "But the truth was, I really wasn't as great as I thought I would be when you left. I was a wreck until I went into college and met her. Then life has been pretty much one big party, until just recently again."
"I did not mean to cause you harm, Leah."
"I know you would never mean to, Ethan."
"I am not happy anymore either."
"You aren't? Why?"
"Because I am not with you," he stated simply. "But I am happy now. Though I am sad that your life is not as good as you deserve."
"Ethan…" Leah sighed and stood up. "We have a long day ahead of us. How about we get started on that shopping?"
The day had been very productive. Ethan had managed to look absolutely great in every piece of clothing he tried on, but he had settled for three pairs of jeans, two polo shirts, and a muscle shirt that made Leah feel like she was a teen, swooning over the most gorgeous guy she had ever seen.
Stopping at the stables in the afternoon for Leah to tend to the horses, she ran a hand on her favorite horse's mane and looked at how Ethan admired the horse, his touch with home apparent in his face and expression. She saw how his muscles flexed when he lifted up a bag of feed and felt herself growing hot, as if looking at Ethan this way was one of the world's worst sins.
"That shirt really does you justice," Leah commented as they walked back. "I don't think I've seen a guy pull off that look better than you."
"Thank you," Ethan grinned despite himself. "I have not worn English clothes for so long, I feel as if I am playing the role of someone else."
"You'll always be the same sweet Ethan to me, if that counts."
Leah's compliment caused a long hush to follow. Ethan remained speechless, unable to express that he was anything but the young boy she knew him to be, and Leah standing there, not knowing what to say to take back her words or make the situation right. So much being unsaid seemed like a barrier, separating them from getting any closer than where they stood, and both looked down like little children, too shy to do anything else.
"My mom is doing great," Leah told him later that evening, as they sat on the couch watching the flames in the fireplace. "For once, after losing her husband, she didn't go out shopping for a new one. But then again, Neil wasn't really like her other husbands. Still living in the same home and enjoying days out shopping, since it seems that going out driving and getting new stuff is just the way girls console themselves."
"Do you do that?"
"Me?" Leah laughed. "I'm not exactly sure what I do. I don't think that I do much of anything, which is probably why I am where I am."
"And where is that?"
"Wanna dance?" Leah evaded the question, standing up and grabbing Ethan's hands. "Come on. It'll be great. Just the two of us dancing in the firelight. Just like old times…"
Leah stopped herself from moving on, realizing that her talk was bringing up a topic that seemed to have become taboo between them. At least for now. Not knowing what to do next and releasing Ethan's hands, she took a step back and turned around, facing the fireplace and hoping to escape her present reality by getting lost in the dancing flames. It wasn't until Ethan's firm hand rested on her shoulder and he turned her around, that Leah smiled.
Though awkward at first, the full discomfited moment came and they both looked down in different directions, their steps large as they stepped on one another's feet.
"I've missed you," Ethan stated. "Everyday… I thought of you."
"I've missed you too, Ethan."
"Whatever it is that is wrong, I hope that it shall soon be resolved." Ethan said it slowly, not sure if it was appropriate or not. "Perhaps it will no longer be a problem by the time that you decide to tell me."
"College was so hard at first."
"I have never experienced it."
"But not because I was at college. I wanted only to be with you."
"Do you know why I don't want to be with Martha Dewberry?" the distance between them diminished and they now moved with their torsos touching and their hearts accelerating as Ethan whispered the words into her ear. "I only want to be with you."
Some things were too great for words.
Sighing in happiness, Leah rested her head against Ethan's shoulder, and they continued their dance in complete silence.
Never was silence so sweet than that which followed, their heads resting on one another's shoulder, with the only means of rhythm being the beatings of their heart.
AN: So... what do you think?
