Chapter 10
Ross whistled cheerfully as he rinsed the dishes and set them in the dishwasher. The last plate went in and he dried his hands with a nearby towel, happily dusting them off as he looked at the neat and tidy kitchen.
Monica would be proud, he thought to himself and chuckled. He turned off the light as he left the kitchen and found himself standing in his living room, hands on his hip as he looked around.
Life was good right now. No, that was an understatement; life was great. He had a successful career, a caring family of friends, and to top it off, an amazing girlfriend to share this great life with. Though he knew that his memories hadn't fully returned to him and that he wasn't completely healed from his amnesia, he had finally reached a point where he could find peace with himself and the others around him.
Life was great… except one thing.
That thing was his roommate; his best friend, his confidant and favourite interest, who he knew was hiding out in her room doing whatever she does every night. She had been acting strange lately, locking herself away where no one can see or hear her and purposely spending a lot of time alone. He'd noticed that she'd been avoiding him as well, distancing herself away from him and pushing him away whenever he tried to question her odd behaviour. He was becoming more and more worried. She was his best friend after all and he knew something was bothering her immensely to avoid talking to him.
At first he had thought it was something he had done, perhaps something he had said that offended her or something he had done that was deserving of receiving the silent treatment, but when asked about it, she had immediately said that he had done nothing wrong.
Then he began to wonder if she had a problem with Mona. He worried that perhaps his best friend didn't like his girlfriend and that because he was with her, it was causing this rift between them. Throughout the week he had kept an eye out for any possible indications of whether this was true, but as he saw how well Rachel and Mona got along and how the two women talked so comfortably with each other, he had dropped his assumption completely.
So what was it that was bothering her so much? What was it that was causing his always cheerful Rachel to become this hard shell of a person? It bothered him to know that something was bothering her and he hated seeing her so sad and depressed all the time. When asked about it, he had been given every excuse in the book; she was sick, she was tired, she was just in a bad mood, but he saw right through her lies and could see it in her eyes that there was something far more than just time to time emotions. He had seen into her soul and saw how torn she was on the inside and it broke his heart to see her in such emotional pain.
Ross sighed and he turned towards the bedroom, seeing the dim light of her bedside lamp through the cracks of her door. He cared too much for her to let her go on like this any longer. She had to remember that he'd always be there for her through thick and thin and he knew that no matter how much she shut him out, he had to push through to get her to open up to him.
Nodding his head, he closed the living room lights and headed for the bathroom to clean up. He made his decision: tonight, he'd find out the truth.
…
The night was cold, though she no longer cared or felt it anymore. She was far too numb on the inside for the chilly night air to have an effect on her. Sitting in the same position she always sat in every night; Rachel leaned her back against the headboard of her bed and clutched her blanket to her chest as soft tears trickled down her cheek.
She was wearing her favourite shirt; the Frankie Say Relax one as it was the closest thing she had to him. His smell still lingered in the fabric of the shirt along with her own personal smell, creating this feathery aroma that brought her back to the days when they were dating. Back then, the only smell she could remember was that of when they cuddled up together in bed; his fragrance mixed with her fragrance and topped with the smell of fresh sex. That unmistakable smell intoxicated her with happiness, comfort, and all the sexual needs she'd ever need in the world and if she could pick up even the slightest bit of this aroma, she'd be satisfied.
But alas, even the smell was fading away, much like her hope of a better tomorrow.
How did life get to this point where she'd be so emotionally drained that she'd rather cry alone in her room than go out with her friends to a bar? Well, she knew exactly how she got to this point, and it was because of him. And it was because of this inexpressible feeling of love and compassion she felt for him that drove her mad with emotion.
To see him with another woman crushed her more than any physical pain on this earth. Sometimes she felt as though her heart had been torn out of her chest completely and that she was an empty soul wandering around. But that was what love was; it was this thing so desirable and needed that if you didn't have it, you would have nothing but once you did have it, you'd have everything. She wanted that feeling, she wanted her everything.
She wanted him.
But she couldn't have him.
She was alone.
And so sitting in her bedroom void of any other emotion but sadness and despair, she cried until her heart could cry no more. She'd cry and sob until her mind could no longer take the pain of emptiness and would shut off, sending her to sleep. Then the whole process would repeat the next night, and the night after that. When would it end? She knew when it would end. It would end when the void space in her heart is filled with his love and compassion, and only his love and compassion.
Rachel sniffled and closed her eyes, allowing the suffering to begin and take over. Her thoughts of better days were clouded by thoughts of the present time, where she had nothing but her own skin and bone to get her through the day. Her heart ached, like a hand grasping and tearing at it until it tore in two, but she had also gotten used to this too. This was what rock bottom felt like and she prayed that the saying 'thing can only get better' reigns true.
Since she was so indulged with her thoughts and feelings, the sudden sound of knocks on her bedroom door startled her. Suddenly she began to panic, knowing that was most definitely him outside and that if he saw her like this, he'd undoubtedly begin to worry. As quick as she could, she began ripping tissues out from the box on her nightstand, desperately trying to wipe away the continuous flow of tears from her eyes but it was all too late. The door swung open and he walked in.
"Rachel, could I talk to you about… oh my god!"
His look told her he was startled to see her with tears streaming down her face and as she tried to come up with an excuse, all that left her mouth was a desperate sob she had been holding back. After that, she broke down.
Ross quickly dropped whatever he wanted to talk about and rushed over to her side, taking a seat on her bed and embracing her in a comforting hug. She hugged his body tightly, burying her head into his shoulder. She felt relieved to finally be able to fall into is arms again.
"Shh, it's ok, I'm here," he whispered gently, caressing her hair. "Don't cry sweetie, you know how much it hurts me to see you cry."
All she could do was continue to cry. This was the first time in a long time she was finally able to be open with her emotions with him and right now, all she wanted to do was stay in his arms. As she sobbed hard into his shoulder, Ross kept whispering sweet nothings into her ear. Occasionally he'd give her cheek a little kiss to assure her he was still there and that kiss would be felt in the bottom of her heart.
Eventually her sobs died down and only the simple tear would fall from her eyes from time to time. With another tender kiss to her forehead, Ross gently broke the embrace, wiping away her tears on her cheek and looking deep into her eyes.
"Rachel, please tell me what's bothering you."
She looked down to avoid his pleading brown eyes and a lump appeared in her throat. "N-nothing's bothering me."
"Yes there is, I can see it in your eyes," he said, gently tilting her chin back up and this time they locked eyes. Their faces were so close she could feel his warm breath against her lips, sending a tingling feeling through her body. "Please talk to me," he reiterated.
She could feel his eyes searching for answers deep inside her soul but luckily her pain from the past few days covered up her secrets in the darkest of clouds. She desperately wanted to tell him but she had to shut him out. She had promised Monica and herself that she would.
Not getting an answer, Ross tried again. "Rachel, do you not like me anymore?"
She immediately perked up and blinked away a few tears. "No! Of course not!"
"Then why won't you let me in? Tell me what's wrong, let me help you. You know how much I care about you, please talk to me," he begged in the sweetest voice, making her heart melt at his affection.
Just like that, the internal conflict began again. Her heart and her mind were at odds once more and the pain of having to hide her feelings overcame her current emotions. Slowly, the tears returned to her eyes as she finally broke away from his compassionate eyes.
"I-I'm sorry, I can't," she cried, her voice getting weaker as she broke down once again. "I can't-… I just… I-I just… I…"
Instantly he wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her into his body once more. She buried her face into his chest, clutching onto his shirt as he gently rocked her back and forth.
"Shh, no, don't be sorry. I'm sorry for asking." Ross gently rubbed her back as her small form quivered in his arms. "I've just been so worried about you Rachel. You never talk to me anymore and it hurts to see you so sad all the time. Please tell me you know that you can always talk to me and that I'll always be here for you."
She gently nodded against his chest and he sighed.
"Well then I guess as long as you know that, I'll stop worrying so much."
She nodded again and he gently squeezed her small frame into him more. Her tears stained his shirt but she was so grateful he was here with her. She felt so guilty not telling him the truth and knowing how much he worried about her just reminded her of how sweet of a guy he was. He was her perfect man; the man of her dreams, except right now she was still living in a nightmare. Until he'd finally be hers again, she'd never be able to escape her living hell.
The two of them remained in that position for what seemed like hours. Her small arms clutched tightly around his torso as her head gently rested against his chest. She could feel the powerful toned muscles he's developed under the shirt and as she inhaled, his scent helped relieve the pain of broken love. At that moment, she desperately wanted to stay in this position forever and when she felt him begin to pull away, a light whimper escaped from her lips.
"It's getting late, you should sleep," Ross whispered softly, gently resting her down against her pillow and covering her up. He saw the pleading look in her eyes and he tenderly kissed her cheek and her forehead.
Seeing that he was tucking her in, she suddenly didn't want to be alone tonight. She knew that asking him to stay was very much testing the limit of her boundaries and that if Monica found out, she'd surely get an ear-full the next day. It was stupid, it was selfish, it was extremely irresponsible, but honestly, she didn't care. For once, her heart and her mind came to an agreement that they didn't want him to leave tonight.
As he stopped caressing her face and stood up to leave, a light tug on his arm wouldn't permit it. He looked down to see the desperate look she was giving him and he got lost in her big, attractive blue eyes.
"P-please, stay with me tonight?" she asked in a soft, velvet voice.
He smiled softly and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. "Of course I will. Anything for you."
A small smile came onto her face as well as she watched him turn off her light and slip under the covers with her. Lying face-to-face, they gazed into each other's eyes, lost in a moment of pure compassion and care. His thumb reached up and traced her cheek, wiping away the few tears that still remained. She let out a soft laugh and his smile lit up in the dark, melting her pained heart.
She moved over onto his body, intertwining their legs as she hugged his body and rested her head against his chest. She felt his hand caressing her back and she sighed. Feeling the comfortable warmth of his body against hers and the soft sound of his beating heart, she gently closed her eyes.
"Thank you," she whispered quietly and dozed off, finally allowing her thoughts to take over.
…
Rachel walked through the early streets of New York, her eyes fluttering shut on occasion as she tried her best to stay awake until she could grab her morning coffee. Tired was an understatement, she was exhausted.
Surprisingly, she hadn't slept well at all last night. With him as company, she had thought that she'd be able to have the most comfortable sleep she'd have in a while but instead the opposite happened. She had been plagued with nightmares all night and if she remembered correctly, she had awoken multiple times as a result of these bad dreams.
What were these bad dreams about? Well, they were about him. That night she had felt a sense of guilt, like she was forcing Ross to cheat on Mona with her for her own selfish needs. This feeling had carried over to her dreams where she had been reminded countless times of how he wasn't hers and that she was making a huge mistake by asking him to stay with her for the night. She kept seeing him with her, over and over again. And each time, she was just his friend, nothing more, and by the end of it, he would always choose Mona over her.
All in all, she had not slept well and when she had woken up in the morning to find a note saying he had to run some errands, she was more than relieved to know she wouldn't have to encounter him in the morning.
She quietly shook her head at herself and opened the doors to Central Perk, stepping in and inhaling the coffee smell lingering in the air. As she entered, she noticed all her friends sitting around the orange couch and she went over to greet them all.
"Hey Rach," they responded individually while Ross just gave her a small smile from the couch. He looked just as tired as she did and she wondered if she was the cause for that.
She circled around the back of the couch and set her purse down on the small table, ordering a small coffee from Gunther from the counter. As she turned to see what her friends were talking about, she immediately took notice to the large number of empty coffee mugs sitting on the coffee table in front of Ross and she silently questioned it in her head.
However she wasn't the only one to notice this as the rest of her friends were all watching Ross with intent eyes as he downed the next cup of coffee in one go. When he was finished, he placed the now empty coffee mug next to the several other ones and reached for the full one in the corner of the table.
"Wow, you're drinking a lot of coffee this morning Ross," Monica pointed out as Rachel got her own coffee from Gunther.
"I have to, I've got an important lecture later today and I feel exhausted."
Chandler snorted as Rachel gently sipped her coffee. "Well you sure look exhausted. Did you not get any sleep last night?"
"Not really…" he yawned, "Rachel kept rolling around in her sleep."
Instantly her eyes widened, as did everyone else's, and she unconsciously spat out the coffee back into the mug. Panic filled her entire body as there was only one thought on her mind at the moment.
D-did he just say what I think he said?
"YOU DID WHAT?!" Monica exploded and she gulped. Crap…
"Calm down Mon, all we did was sleep with each other," Ross said calmly, taking a sip of his coffee. He clearly didn't understand the alternative meaning he was letting on. She winced when she caught Monica's death-piercing glare.
"YOU SLEPT WITH EACH OTHER?!"
"Yes, that's what I just said," he responded with a chuckle and at that moment, Rachel wanted to find a hole and lie in it. The shocked looks on all her friends faces told her this was not going to end well.
For a moment, everyone just kind of looked at each other; Chandler, Joey and Phoebe with their astonished looks, Monica looking like her head was about to burst, Rachel shyly looking away and avoiding her friend's gazes, and Ross, who understood none of this, just looked around with a hint of confusion on his face. Suddenly, before anybody could move or say anything, a phone went off and Ross yawned again, reaching into his pocket to answer it.
"Hello you've reached Ross Gellar, what can I do for you?... Oh hey Mike, how's it going man?..." Ross looked over at Phoebe who gave him a little wave. "… Yeah, I'm here with everyone… yeah… Phoebe says 'hi'… mm hmm… ok… really?"
He put a hand over the receiver and stood up, motioning to the phone. "It's Mike, I've got to take this," he explained to everyone before walking off into the back to continue his talk.
As soon as he disappeared, all eyes fell on Rachel and she felt increasingly uncomfortable under the intense stares. She quietly took a seat on the couch where Ross was sitting, avoiding everyone's eyes.
"WELL?!" Monica aggressively pressured and she swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Well…what?" she played dumb.
"Well what?! Well why don't we just forget the fact that you SLEPT with him last night!"
Rachel put her coffee down on the table. "Ok, we slept with each other last night but nothing happened! I… I was upset and he came to comfort me… so… so I asked him to stay with me for the night."
"What the hell were you thinking?! What if something did happen? Knowing you, anything could have happened and you chose to risk that just so you could feel comforted?!" She looked down in shame as Monica continued to scold her. "I told you not to do anything stupid and you go ahead and do this!"
"Rach, Mon's right. That was really irresponsible of you. Even Joey wouldn't have done something like that," Chandler added in a more relaxed tone and Joey nodded in agreement.
Monica huffed. "Irresponsible, that's an understatement. You know-"
"Alright!" she finally yelled, looking up with tears in her eyes. She knew her friends were only looking out for her and Ross but lately, she's felt like they've been against every decision she makes.
"I get it, what I did was stupid. Don't you think I know that already?" she looked down softly, holding back a sob. "You guys are supposed to be my friends… can't you take a look at my perspective and see what I've had to deal with lately?"
Monica's look softened, as did everyone else's, and she took a cautious step forward. Placing a gently hand on Rachel's shoulders she took a seat on the coffee table.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you Rach. I guess I never thought of it like that."
Rachel gently looked back up and sniffled a bit. "Mon, you once asked me if I knew how painful it was to tell someone you love them and not have them say it back. B-but do you know how painful it is… to love someone so much… but not be able to tell them you love them b-because they wouldn't understand… or… or worse, risk hurting them…?"
Her voice was slowly breaking down but she refused to cry out again. She struggled to hold back her tears as the sympathetic looks of her friends peered at her from the outside.
"Y-you… you have no idea of how much p-pain… and suffering… I've had to deal with. And… and when I see him with her… it hurts. I-it hurts so much… I…" A soft sob escaped from her mouth and she quickly wiped away a tear that was forming in her eyes. Suddenly she remembered that he was still here and could return any moment to see her like this. "I-I've got to go."
The group watched as she quickly stood up and grabbed her bag, avoiding eye contact with any of them to conceal her true emotions. As she started heading towards the door, Monica reached out and grabbed her arm.
"Rachel," Monica said, stopping her in her tracks, "I'm sorry."
She sighed and closed her eyes, allowing a single tear to roll down her cheek. "I know. I… I just want to be alone right now…" And with that, she disappeared out the door.
As soon as she left, the four friends looked at each other with the same look of empathy as they each took their seats again.
"I feel awful," Monica said as she looked towards the door.
"It's alright honey," Chandler said, rubbing her shoulders. "She knows you didn't mean anything you said. She just needs a little time to herself."
Monica nodded and opened her mouth to say something else, but before she could, Ross returned and took his seat on the couch.
Looking around, he noticed the soft looks on everyone's faces and he raised a questioning eyebrow. "What happened? You all look like someone's dog just died or something." He looked around again and saw that Rachel was no longer there either. "Where's Rachel?"
"She said she had to get to work early," Phoebe lied and her friends eyed her carefully.
"Hmm ok…" Ross seemed to consider something as he took a sip of his coffee. "You know, she's been acting really strange lately. Has anyone else noticed that?"
The four friends looked at each other with the same knowing look.
"Um… what do you mean?" Joey countered.
"I don't know really know… all I do know is that she's been looking so sad recently and whenever I try to talk to her, she just pushes me away. Then last night I found her so upset. I've never seen her cry so hard before and I'm really worried. Any of you know what might be bothering her?"
The gang once again exchanged nervous glances with each other.
"Nope."
"None from me. Phoebe?"
"No idea. How about you Monica?"
Monica didn't respond right away. In her mind, she was still thinking about how she had scolded Rachel for doing something stupid when she hadn't even taken the time to consider how her feelings were being affected. Truthfully, she still felt very guilty and at that moment, an idea popped into her mind that could not only ease that guilt but could also repay Rachel for how she acted.
"Actually, I think I might now what's bothering her…"
"You do?" Ross perked up, desperately wanting to know what's been having such an effect on his best friend. "I'm so worried Mon, please tell me."
Monica cleared her throat and avoided the confused and shocked looks on her friends' faces. "Well, I think one of the reasons Rachel has been so distant lately is because she's been feeling lonely."
"What? Why would she feel that way?"
"Well, ever since you started dating Mona, Rachel's been telling me how you guys never get to hang out anymore and she's really beginning to miss you," Monica explained and in the corner of her eye, she noticed the small smiles on her friends' faces as they finally understood what she was doing.
"Wow… I… I had no idea…"
Ross looked down at the ground, lost in thought. Now that he thought about it, he really hadn't had a chance to spend some quality time with her and though they saw each other every day, they hadn't gone out or done something together in weeks. A part of him wondered why she hadn't mentioned it earlier and a small feeling of guilt arose in his stomach. Is this why she was pushing me away? He knew what he had to do.
Looking down at his watch, he saw that he was going to be late for his lecture if he didn't leave soon and he quickly downed the rest of his coffee.
"Alright, well I have to go. That's for telling me that Mon," he said as he gave her a light kiss on the cheek.
"So what are you planning on doing now?"
He smiled. "I have something in mind..." and he left the coffee house, unknowing to the large grins on the others' faces.
As he crossed the street, an idea formed in his mind and he knew exactly what to do later tonight. He took out his cell phone and dialed in a number, holding it up to his ear.
"Hey honey, it's me. I'm really sorry but I don't think I can make that date of ours tonight…"
…
Later that evening, Ross opened the door to his apartment and walked into the living room, only now just getting home since he usually works late on Wednesdays. As he began to take off his jacket, he looked around expectantly, knowing that she was home since the lights were on.
Almost on cue, he spotted Rachel stepping out from the kitchen door, softly munching on some crackers. He noticed the tired, almost saddened look on her face, though she was still stunning as he still saw the inner beauty that not many saw beyond her looks. He smiled, wondering how she'd react when she found out what he had planned.
"Hey," he greeted happily.
"Hi…" she responded in a soft tone, glancing into his eyes before inadvertently looking away. "So, uh, got any plans for the night?"
Ross just smiled. "Sure do. We're going out."
Her face dropped and looked down. She really didn't want to know about whatever date he had planned for Mona. She guessed that it'd be another lonely night in her room by herself again.
"Oh… where you, um, taking her?"
Ross chuckled, knowing that she thought he was talking about Mona. "No, I mean we're going out. Go get dressed; I want to leave as soon as possible."
She perked up at his response. "Really?"
"Of course," he laughed at her innocent look, making his way over to her. "I realised that we haven't done something together in a while so I thought I'd take you out tonight."
"B-but what about Mona? I thought you guys usually go out on Wednesdays."
"Not tonight. I canceled so we could spend some time together."
A small smile appeared on her face as she thought about what he's done for her. Had he canceled a date with Mona just for her?
"Besides," Ross said, nudging her playfully, "Monica told me you've been feeling a little lonely lately and I can't have my wittle Wachel feeling all sad now can I?"
She laughed softly at his nickname for her and inadvertently blushed. Monica… God, she'd have to thank her later. She'd have to thank her a lot. Her lonely night had just been turned upside down.
Seeing her lost in thought, he gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. "Please tell me you're happy now."
She looked up and smiled lovingly into his eyes. God, and him… he was so sweet. She loved him so much…
"I am."
"Good," he said, planting a soft kiss on her head. Suddenly he pulled away and gave her a gentle push towards the bedrooms. "Now go get changed. I know you take forever anyways."
And she had to laugh.
…
The place was livid with action when they arrived. People were dancing and chatting and having a good time as light fitting music played in the background.
Rachel had been surprised when he had brought them to a night club that she had never been to before, even though it had been within walking distance from their apartment. Ross had explained that it was a newly opened club that Mike wanted him to check out since he was being offered a job to play here. It was also the reason for Mike's call earlier that morning and when he had found out about how lonely she's been, he immediately had the idea of bringing her here.
"Killing two birds with one stone," he had said which made her laugh.
Looking around, she had to nod at how positive the atmosphere felt inside. It was a casual place for casual people, and she made a mental note to tell Mike to take the job.
"So, what do you want to do first?" Ross asked, gently placing his hand on the small of her back.
She shrugged and looked over at the bar. "I'm kind of thirsty."
"Then drinks it is!"
They ordered their drinks and took a seat at the bar, talking and laughing with each other as they lightly drank to their amusement. It wasn't practical to get drunk in the middle of the week so they made sure not to go overboard, although they still enjoyed themselves nonetheless, even taking shots sometime later.
As she laughed at some joke he had made about one of his students at the university, she couldn't help but think about how well this night had been so far. Talking to him was the best feeling in the world and she recognised the warm feeling in her chest when he touched her from time to time. It was nice and comfortable, and all just came naturally. He was her best friend after all. No one could ever get her to laugh like he did.
The night progressed and they found themselves on the dance floor some time later. Neither of them were good dancers but they really didn't care. As long as they were together, they found themselves dancing the night away to any genre of music. Slow songs, upbeat songs, jazz songs, karaoke… it didn't matter since they still had fun and at the end of every song, she still managed to return to his arms with a smile.
Swaying to the music, she giggled when he spun her around and pulled her into his arms. She looked up and stared into his eyes as they slowly moved to the romantic song playing in the background. The familiar feeling of her heartbeat pounding in her chest combined with the intense look he had in his chocolate eyes made her feel like she was falling in love with him all over again. And again… and again… and again…
She couldn't remember the last time she had been happier, and it was all thanks to him.
The song changed and they remained on the dance floor, dancing till their hearts content. It felt like hours later when they finally returned to their seats at the bar, still laughing about how stupid they must have looked while trying to match the moves of the other.
"Had I ever told you of how I tried to make it as a dancer?" Ross mentioned, taking a sip of his beer. By this time, most of the people had cleared out and only a few stragglers remained, including them.
"No way!" she giggled at the image of him in spandex and he nodded in amusement.
"It's true! I had this dream about it and when I told Monica, she laughed and showed me pictures that my grandma had left over."
"Well now I can't wait to see them."
"Oh no, you do not want to see me in those tiny pants," Ross chuckled.
She laughed again. "Come on, it can't be that bad. I'm sure you looked just as cute as you do now."
"Hah! I'd love to see you in spandex."
"In your dreams Geller" and they both broke out laughing.
Rachel took a sip of her own beer and set it down on the counter, looking over at him and giving a heart-felt smile. She loved every moment of this night and truthfully, she never wanted it to end. It had been so long since she'd been able to enjoy his company like now, especially when Mona had come around, and though he had made it clear countless times that he'd always put her as importance, only tonight did she finally realise that he was being honest.
She hadn't lost him as much as she thought she did. He was still her friend, her best friend and though that didn't sound as pleasant as lover, it was enough for now.
Their eyes locked and with her eyes she expressed her gratitude for what he's done for her tonight. In response, he gave her a small smile that said 'anytime' and she returned it. They both began falling into a trance but a sudden tap on her shoulder startled her and broke their eye contact.
Annoyed, she turned around to find a man standing behind her. The large grin on his face told her he wanted to do more than just talk and she immediately took a disliking to the stranger.
"Hi," she said, blatantly showing her disinterest in her voice.
"Hey girl, I saw you from across the room and thought 'what was such a hot girl doing at a place like this?'"
She frowned, smelling the alcohol on his breath. "Um… thanks."
The man flashed a toothy grin and leaned against the counter of the bar. She felt his eyes scan her body, particularly lingering on her breast and she immediately found him disgusting.
"So, what do you say we get out of here," he slurred, "I know a motel around here and I sure could show someone like you a good time."
She looked at the man with even more disgust from before. What was it with her and drunks? She hated situations like these, especially when she just wanted to enjoy her time with Ross.
"So…? What's it gonna be baby girl?" he pressed, leaning towards closer towards her.
"Sorry, I'm, uh, seeing someone," she lied. For some reason all she could think about was Ross and when she did, the words just seemed to fall out of her mouth.
The man frowned. "Yeah? Is it this guy?"
She turned back around to look at Ross, who seemed to be inspecting the man closely. The look on his face told her that he didn't like him anymore than she did.
"No I'm just a friend."
Damn it Ross! She screamed in her head as she nervously glanced back at the drunk.
"Oh so he's not here then, that's perfect. So what do you say girl?"
"No thanks, I'm uninterested," she responded coldly and turned her back on the man. She expected him to leave them alone but of course, that would be too easy.
"Come on baby. You won't regret it."
"I said no."
"Don't be like that, I know you want to. Ditch the loser and I'll give you the best time of your life." The man tried putting his hands on her shoulder but she flinched in disgust.
"No, leave me alone," Rachel said more forcefully and peered at Ross, pleading for his help with her eyes.
"Hey, she said 'no' so why don't you just back off?" Ross barked at the man who seemed taken back a bit. She smiled at him and completely turned her back to the drunk.
"That's it, stop being such a little bitch!"
Suddenly without any warning, she felt a hand grab her left breast and grope her. She yelped and slapped the man's hand away, jumping of her seat to hide behind Ross for protection. The man tried to grab at her arm but she felt a large presence pass her by and a moment later, a slam was heard behind her.
"Don't you dare lay a finger on her!"
Ross glared at the man who he had thrown to the counter. In the background, the music stopped and everyone turned to see what was going on as he pinned him by the collar.
"Whoa man, chill out," the drunk slurred, "I'm just trying to get laid here. Besides, I don't see why you're not banging a chick like that already."
Anger boiled inside of him as he pressed down harder. How dare he think of Rachel like she was some sort of object. At first, the man tried to fight his grasp but Ross was stronger than he looked and soon, incompetence turned into fear.
"People like you disgust me," he spat in his face. "I may not be her boyfriend but I care for her too much to let some bastard like you treat her like that."
The man tried to say something but Ross was pressing down so hard that it appeared like it was hard for him to breath. He continued to glare at the drunk with an intense look of anger and fury.
"I'll make your decision easy for you. You are going to apologize to her for what you did then get the hell out of here. I never want to see you anywhere near her or this place again or I'll be the first person and last person you'll have to deal with. Got it?!"
He picked up the man who took a needed breath of air. "Apologize!"
"I'm sorry."
"Good, now get the hell out of here."
With that, Ross practically threw him towards the door, making the drunk stumble and fall. He quickly got up and sprinted out the door, not looking back as everyone who was watching gave Ross a round of applause.
Quickly, he walked towards Rachel who had her arms wrapped around her body and a distraught look on her face. She trembled slightly at his touch but when she saw it was him, her eyes glistened with tears.
"Please tell me he didn't hurt you." Rachel shook her head.
"Thank God, come here."
He engulfed her in a hug and felt her close her eyes and rest her head against his chest. Another round of applause went off behind him as he gently stroked her hair and comforted her. They remained in that position for another minute before she pulled away and he kissed her tenderly on the forehead.
"Let's get out of here."
…
They silently walked the streets of New York with his protective around wrapped around her shoulders and her head gently leaned on his shoulder. A cool breeze gave her chills but she didn't mind because with him so close to her, she would always be warm under his touch.
He had saved her, again. The anger in his eyes when that man tried to grope her. That fiery look he gave him when she was being abused and overwhelmed. His care and concern for her made her heart melt and at that moment, she so badly wished she was able to call him her boyfriend.
As they turned a block, Ross nudged her playfully and looked down into her eyes. He gave her a caring smile and she smiled back, unable to control the amount of love she felt for him right now.
"You know Rachel; I had no idea that you're seeing someone right now."
She gulped. Crap, he remembered that?
"Um ,y-yeah I am," she stuttered, "he's really shy though so I don't think you'll be able to meet him."
"Oh? Well tell me about him."
She stopped in her tracks and he stopped as well. She began staring at the man she loved so much, looking into those large brown eyes as she let her heart speak for itself.
"Well, h-he's tall and very well built. He's got brown hair and these amazing brown eyes. Then he's got this smile that just lights up my world and makes me feel like I'm in heaven when he looks at me."
Ross seemed to take in all this information, nodding his head. "Hmm, ok. What about his personality?"
"He's the sweetest, nicest, most amazing guy I've ever known in my life," she explained, not breaking the eye contact with him. "He's smart, and funny, and so extremely caring towards me. He treats me like I'm some kind of princess and comforts me whenever I need him. I like him so much... but… I'm not sure if he feels the same way right now."
"Well why don't you ask him? I'm sure he likes you just as much."
She looked down. "Maybe…"
He lifted her chin up with his finger and stared into her deep pools of blue. "Listen, you're the most beautiful and adorable person I know and this guy should consider himself lucky to be with you. And if he doesn't know what he has then he's not the right one for you because you deserve only the best Rachel."
They looked at each other and sub-consciously, the both began leaning in. She could feel his breath tickling her lips as she continued to stare into his eyes. A kiss was bound to happen if she didn't control herself but it seemed like neither he nor her could push away this connection they had between them. For her, it was something she had longed for for so long and for him, it was something completely new yet somehow familiar.
Suddenly the sound of a phone went off and their moment was broken. She quickly looked away, hoping he didn't see how deep of a blush she had as he picked up the phone.
"Hello?... Oh hi sweetie… yeah Rach and I are just going back now…" Her heart dropped when she realised that it was Mona calling. "… What? Now?... Oh, ok, I'll be right over."
Ross hung up the phone and turned to her. "That was Mona, she said she has some emergency at her place and wants me to go over."
She had to try desperately hard not to frown. Why did she have to call now? "Oh, ok."
"Yeah, I'll probably be staying over there too so you can just head home if you want," he said, noticing her look at the ground. He took her hands in his and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I had such a great time tonight. I hope we'll be able to do this again soon."
She forced a smile onto her face. "Yeah… me too."
He smiled back and gave her another kiss on the cheek before turning around and walking the other way. She just stood there, in the cold, alone, watching him walk away and leaving her to be with his girlfriend.
He was her protector, her saviour.
But he still wasn't hers.
…
Author's Note: Sorry for the later update but as I said before, at this point in the story its quality over quantity. I hope you all enjoyed and feel free to leave a review.
By the way, do you guys like Epilogues? I'm wondering if you guys want one for the ending of this story and I'll probably end up publishing it along with the final chapter.