Chapter 6

"I love you," her parting words echoed in his head.

He seemed so distant from Catherine lately. Ross didn't reply to her, and she looked so upset but he really didn't feel the need to do so. From the door, he looked past Catherine as she left and saw Rachel approaching Central Perk. She stopped and greeted Catherine. Then a breeze went by Ross, he suddenly had the urge to shout, "I love you too."

Catherine looked back, smiled at him and waved.

Rachel on the other hand looked at Catherine, then at Ross, and placed a hand on her chest and smiled, as if saying 'how sweet!' She chatted with Catherine for a few more seconds then went to Central Perk.

Ross couldn't stop looking at them... he felt like a fisherman, with his legs on two different boats. When Rachel was approaching him, he instantly looked away and just looked at her again when she was in front of him.

She smiled, said 'hi' then entered the coffeehouse.

He smiled back, closed his eyes and smelled her perfume, merged with her infamous coconut-scented shampoo. Then he followed her in like a bubble floating on air, trailing behind her golden hair.

"Could you be any more obvious?" Chandler loudly whispered after Rachel left for the bathroom.

"Huh?" Ross confusedly asked.

"Ross, your eyes could've just popped out and followed her to the bathroom!"

Ross looked down.

"Man, are you okay?"

Monica paid attention to them both, "Ross?" she asked after hearing no reply.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," he admitted, "I just can't stop staring!"

"Are you thinking of her naked?" Chandler asked.

Monica shot him a look, "Chandler!"

"What? If Joey says it, it's fine. But when I say it, it's not."

Ignoring her husband's sarcastic remark, Monica turned to Ross, "How long has this been going on?"

"I don't know.. Three weeks? Four weeks?" he replied.

Monica, remembering her talk with Rachel that long ago, nodded as if she knew nothing.

"Did she see me looking at her?"

"I don't know, man. But you better shut up cause she's coming." Chandler bounced back on the couch and widely smiled at Rachel.

Rachel came back and happily sat on the arm chair. "What?" she asked them, sensing a conversation that went on.

"Nothing," Chandler answered, "Ross was just talking about some naked woman he imagined."

Rachel shot Ross a disgusted look, "Eeew!"

Evilly eying Chandler, Ross changed the subject, "So how's Emma?"

"My mom said she just slept."

"Wow, she didn't look for you tonight?"

"She did… she and my mom had an argument because she wanted to go home, but eventually she fell asleep."

Ross traced the sadness in her voice… Emma was her life. "At least you have the night off!"

"Yeah… but there's nothing to do on a Thursday night! I'll probably just watch TV then sleep."

"Then let's all go out!" Ross blurted all of a sudden.

"All?" Monica asked.

"Yeah! You, me, Rach, Chan, Phoebe and Mike!"

"O-kay," Rachel agreed.

"Mon and I can't! We have a dinner with my 'dad'," Chandler butted in making air quotations, "which I would love to ditch but can't."

"I remember Phoebe can't either, she's ovulating and-"

"and we don't need to hear the rest of that!", Ross cut her sister.

"Well Rach, it's just you and me!", Ross said.

Rachel looked at Monica who was glaring at her, then at Ross with his puppy eyes. "I'm fine with that!" she smiled at him.

It was a beautiful evening. The moon was full and the children's laughter along Central Park seemed like music. Ross and Rachel quietly walked side by side, admiring the view while walking to the cinema.

"Ross?" she began, breaking the silence.

"Hm?" he replied.

"Emma told me yesterday that she wanted a baby brother."

"What?" Ross confusedly asked.

"I said Emma told me she wanted a baby brother."

"Why, why, why did she ask that?"

"Apparently her classmate just had a baby brother… and she wants one too."

"First, it was sex. Now, babies? Are we sure Emma's in the right school?" He asked, half-joking, half-serious.

"Ross, both stories came from the same friend. Her parents must've explained why her mom was pregnant… and well now she has a baby brother."

"Okay, okay. What did you say to her?"

"I said she had Ben as her brother…"

"…and?"

"And she frowned…"

"…and?"

"And then I changed the subject. I mean, what's there to say to her?"

Ross paused, creating an uncomfortable silence. "Emma's growing faster than I thought."

"I know," Rachel agreed, silently thanking him for replying.

The theater was a few yards away. Ross stopped in his tracks upon seeing Catherine with her girl friends.

'Of all people to see!' he told himself. "Wait," he said, holding Rachel back.

"What?"

"It's Catherine."

"Where?" she began to look around.

"She's in front of the ticket booth."

"Oh, let's say hi!"

"No," he immediately replied.

"Um… you wanna eat instead?"

Sensing his uneasy reaction, Rachel nodded her head.

"Great. Tavern on the Green?"

"Okay," she smiled.

Tavern on the Green… Rachel hasn't heard that name in years. It used to be their favorite restaurant as a couple, and had too many memories either of them could remember.

There was this one time, Ross and Rachel decided to go on a date to celebrate Rachel's new job at Bloomingdale's. It was one of the best dates they ever had. After meeting Rachel on her first day in Bloomingdales, Ross treated Rachel a sumptuous, fine dinner in Tavern on the Green. The entire night, all Rachel did was teasing him. She began after the waiter took their order. Gently tracing her Ross' thigh with her hand, he quivered in surprise. Rachel had a sensual gaze and Ross tried his best to avoid it.

She looooved teasing him, and he hated it because she was damn good at it!

"Honey, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Ross pleaded.

"And why?" she shot back.

"I can't-" cleared his throat when Rachel approached a vital part, "You know I can't handle that…"

"But honey I'm not doing anything bad," pouting at him like a little child, then continued to stroke his thigh.

Ross began to frown, "Rachel, it's not funny anymore," trying to be serious.

"I'm sorry baby, I thought you'd enjoy it.", she whispered to his ear, playing along with his seriousness, gliding her hand to his zipper.

"Rachel!" he screamed.

People around them looked at him. "I love you!" he retorted, forcing a smile.

Rachel giggled, "I love you too honey."

"Rachel, I swear if you don't stop, I'm gonna… I'm gonna-"

"You're gonna what?" kissing her still boyfriend at the back of his ear.

Ross began to breathe deeper, "Honey please? I'm begging you."

Rachel evilly smiled.

"Fine, you'll pay for this," Ross squinted.

The waiter came and brought their food. The whole meal, Ross tried not to look at his enticing girlfriend. She started with eating the cherry in her cocktail drink, circling it first then slowly biting it off the stem. Ross, then again, was groaning… although Rachel removed her hand from his thigh, her eyes remained fixated on his, making her every move graceful and luring.

Finally, Ross gave up and laid his fork down. "Let's go," he announced.

"Now?" she replied, gesturing at her remaining slab of beef.

"Yes. Just have it wrapped."

"But honey, I'm still hungry."

"No, we're going!" he demanded.

"Ross-"

Before knowing it, Ross grabbed the plate from her place and called a waiter to have it wrapped.

"No," he shot her a look.

The bill came several minutes later. After leaving the payment, he grabbed Rachel's hand and went outside the restaurant.

"I wanna walk," she whined while he hailed a cab.

"What are you doing to me?"

"Nothing… Ross, the apartment's a few blocks away. Hailing a cab at this hour will take longer."

"Okay fine!" He held her hand and began walking.

Mischievous Rachel was walking slower than him, gently rubbing his palm with her thumb.

Ross was perspiring despite the cold weather. He couldn't control himself any longer and thought of the only way he could get back. He stopped walking, pulled her close to him and grabbed her face. Hastily, his lips approached hers which took her by surprise. "You're gonna pay for this," Ross frantically said, and kissed her hard, leaving Rachel moaning and gasping for air.

Successfully, hegot her in the same situation he was in. She needed him at that moment, but her apartment was still a few blocks away. "Ross," she groaned, "hail a cab!"

He simply laughed at her then hailed a cab.

Gratefully, one was vacant. Not long from then, they were making love like animals inside her bedroom.

Rachel snapped out of her thoughts when she spotted Ross staring at her. 'Was he thinking of the same thing too?' she asked herself. That date at Tavern on the Green was too good of a memory to forget.

"So, are you up for Surf and Turf tonight?" he asked.

She smiled at him, making him smile back at her. It was the exact meal they had that night. 'Maybe he was thinking of the same thing.' "You bet I am," she gladly replied.

After a sumptuous dinner, Ross brought Rachel back to her apartment.

"Thanks for dinner, Ross."

"No problem," he replied. He paused, gazing at her lovingly.

She paused as well, returning his amorous stare.

His lips suddenly approached hers, silently hoping for her reply... but Rachel, taken by surprise with his advance, froze.

Realizing her stillness, Ross stepped back, looking down. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!"

Rachel was speechless.

He rubbed his face with his hands, embarrassed of what he did. Then suddenly, "Okay you know what, I'm taking it back."

"What?" Rachel asked.

"I said I'm taking it back. I'm not sorry. In fact, you should be the one sorry."

"What? You can't just come into my home, kiss me, and think that it's MY FAULT," raising her voice.

Ross stared at her. His face was steaming with anger and lament. "God, why of all people did I have to fall for you?"

Rachel was astonished with his rage.

"I'm not a rock, Rachel. It took me years to get over you. Not even… it took me a lifetime. And now that I've found someone who loves and cares for me, you decide to come back."

"How is that my fault?" she managed to say in between tears.

"Because you still love me," he simply replied, looking her straight in the eye.

Rachel gasped, "What?"

"I've known you for too long, I've loved you for a lifetime… I think I would know, Rach."

She gazed into his eyes, trying to find something other than anger but found nothing. "What do you want me to do, Ross? Go back to Paris?"

"Why didn't you stay Rach? Better yet, Why didn't you just stay here? Why didn't you give us a chance?"

"Ross-"

"Don't tell me you were scared because that's not enough."

"I was scared, Ross. It's not just us now… we have Emma. I didn't want her to-"

"To what? To have a happy family?"

"How the hell would you know?" she finally snapped.

"Rachel, I would give anything and everything to make us work."

"That's the thing, Ross- it's us. It's either we give too much or nothing at all… whatever happens, we always end up hurting each other. I loved you more than you think I have… but for some reason, things just keep us apart. And I'm tired of getting hurt."

"Well so am I, Rach. I hurt everyday knowing that you're not with me or- or that you're with someone else is." He tried to calm down,"But I guess you're right… whatever happens, something always has to keep us apart." With that, tears started to form. He looked at his Rachel who was alreadyweeping by the wall.

He began twisting the doorknob, but before leaving, he looked at her one last time… "I'm getting married Rach. I proposed to Catherine a month ago," and left.

Rachel couldn't look at him, or at anything for that matter. She bawled, collapsing on the floor, thinking of the decision she had done. She shouldn't have left.

The pang of pain… It had to happen again.

It took longer than expected, but at least I had time despite my busy schedule! I hope you enjoyed reading this. Be generous with reviews, I just can't get enough of them)