Kristina's hand was stinging from the slap across Trey's face. "Don't you ever do that again!" She screamed.
"Kristina, I'm sorry. You said that you forgave me. Did I misread something here?" Trey said as he held onto the side of his reddened cheek.
"I forgave you for what you did to me. That doesn't mean that I want you back! Damn it, Trey!"
"Oh… Kristina, really I'm sorry. That will never happen again. I promise. I thought that you wanted me too."
"Well I didn't. Look, Trey, I meant it when I said that I wished good things for you, but I don't think it's a good idea that we talk anymore. At least for a while anyway. You need to move on from me."
"Like you have?"
Kristina thought about lying to spare Trey any hurt feelings, but was consumed with memories of last night with Ethan. He hadn't told her yet, but she knew it was coming. She could see a future with him and she was certain now that Ethan could too. "Yeah…" She couldn't contain her grin. "I got to go, Trey. I have to get back to work."
Trey swallowed hard as he watched Kristina walk away. He wasn't going to get her back, he knew that, but hopefully with Ethan witnessing his lips planted on Kristina, he wasn't going to be getting her either. When he seen Ethan walking up, how could he resist taking the opportunity. He loved kissing Kristina again even though he knew that she didn't want it, but making Ethan believe that she did was so much more gratifying.
Kristina could barely keep her mind focused on her work after she seen the text from Ethan. She kept finding herself daydreaming about how the night was going to go. She'd walk into the door and the smell of roasted chicken would be filling the loft. Ethan would greet her with a glass of wine and lead her to the candle lit table. They would have lovely conversation with a few flirtatious laughs tossed in here and there. Ethan would then lead her to the couch where he would crouch down on one knee and profess his undying love to her. Then he would…
"Kristina… Kristina!" Maxie shouted for her. "Sorry, Maxie. My mind is kind of elsewhere today. What did you need?"
"Yeah, I can tell." She rolled her chair over to Kristina and handed her a file. "So tell me, who's the lucky guy?"
Kristina's cheeks flushed. "What are you talking about?"
"Kristina, for the last two hours all you have managed to do is shuffle some papers around and smile nonstop. Clearly it's the work of a man. So who is he?"
Kristina's heart began to race. She didn't want to jinx it, but she had to tell someone. "It's Ethan."
"Ethan?" Maxie asked, surprised at her answer. "But I thought you got over that crush a while ago?"
"Yeah, I did. I mean at least I thought I did."
"So what's changed?" Maxie followed Kristina over to the center table where Kristina began fiddling with the pedals on the bouquet of flowers.
"He wants me now too."
"He does?" Maxie shrieked.
Kristina could no longer contain her own excitement. "He hasn't said it yet, but I think he plans on telling me tonight!" She grabbed her cell phone from her desk. "Look, he's making me a special dinner tonight."
"Kristina, that's so exciting! Finally he sees what an amazing woman you are!"
"It took him long enough. Maxie, I have waited three years for tonight."
"So what are you still doing here? Go, get out of here! Run to your man who's waiting!" Maxie grabbed Kristina's purse and coat and shoved them at her stomach.
"Maxie, I can't go yet. Ethan isn't expecting me for another hour." She sat her items back on her desk.
"Oh, well, you're not being any use to me here." Maxie grabbed her own purse and pulled out a set of keys. "Here, go to my apartment and freshen yourself up. You need to look hot for your date tonight and a work suit is not going to cut it. Go into my closet and grab anything you want, but make sure that it's sexy. You're going to remember this moment forever so you want to make sure you look good."
"Oh my god, are you sure?" Kristina asked.
"Of course I'm sure. Now go! Make Ethan realize that he's making the absolute best decision."
"Okay." Kristina grabbed her stuff and rushed to the elevator. "Thanks, Maxie!"
Kristina slowly walked up the stairs to Ethan's loft. She'd chosen a blue dress from Maxie's closet. The top of it was very tight to the body and came off the shoulders. A black belt at the waist separated the slightly flowing bottom of the dress that stopped several inches above the knee. When she finally reached the top of the stairs, she took off her coat and laid it across her arm. She wanted Ethan to completely see what he had in store for him tonight. She opened the door and took the first step in, inhaling deeply expecting a rush of aroma's to hit her, but there was nothing. And no Ethan in sight either.
She sat down her coat and without losing her smile or excitement she made her way to the kitchen. The stove sat clean and no dishes had been brought out. "Ethan?" She called out, but no answer. She walked to the bedroom, but it was empty and so was the bathroom. She pulled out her cell phone to double check that the plans were in fact for tonight and at home. She figured something must have held him up. She made herself comfortable on the couch, careful not to wrinkle her dress and waited. And waited some more. No Ethan. Now she was getting worried. She picked up her phone and decided to send him a text.
Where are you?
Is everything okay?
She waited another hour and when she still hadn't heard from him, she texted again.
I'm worried, Ethan.
Please call me."
The night had passed on and Kristina had fallen asleep on the couch. She awoke to the door crashing open. "Ethan." She said as she lifted herself up back into a sitting position, only to witness a stumbling drunk Ethan stagger right past her to the kitchen. "Ethan, where were you? Didn't you get my texts?"
He leaned up against the counter and looked her over, releasing a laugh that caused her to look at herself. "Yeah, I got them."
"So why didn't you answer? I thought we had dinner plans."
Ethan grabbed a beer from the fridge and headed over to the couch. "I'm sorry, something better came up."
Kristina heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. She felt embarrassed. "Something better?" She whispered, but Ethan could still hear her.
"Yeah… Cindy. A girl I met a long time ago. I was lucky enough to run back into her today. She finally agreed to go out with me and let me tell you, she was totally worth the wait, if you know what I mean." He laid across the couch and buried his head into a throw pillow. "You understand, right?"
When Kristina swallowed, it felt like a ball was lodged in her throat. She could feel her eyes start to swell. She quickly turned her head away, even though Ethan's own eyes were already closed shut. "Of course." She took off to the bedroom where she quietly closed the door behind her. Her body slid down the door as she buried her mouth in her hands in an attempt to conceal the sound of her cries.
The next two days were the most confusing to Kristina. When she would wake up for work, Ethan would be passed out on the couch, reeking of alcohol and when she would return he was never home. It was like a double edged sword. When she would see him, it reminded her that she had been a fool for him again and when she didn't see him, she couldn't help but imagine that he was off with… Cindy.
It was the day before Christmas Eve now and Kristina was having dinner by herself at Kelly's when Johnny walked up behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she jumped. "Hey, sorry, what's got you so jumpy?"
"Johnny, no, I'm sorry. I was just in another world, I guess."
"Eating by yourself? Where's Ethan tonight? I thought you two were joined by the hip now." He sat down across from her.
"I honestly have no idea where Ethan is, but I could probably tell you who he's with if you want to know."
"What are you talking about?" Johnny was expecting Kristina to be all over telling him about how Ethan finally confessed his feelings for her, not disgust at the mere mentioning of him.
"I'm talking about Ethan and his new girlfriend."
"Girlfriend? Kristina, I'm confused. I thought Ethan…"
"Was what? A good guy? Someone that cared about his friends?" She interrupted. "Well he's not. He's just like the rest of them."
Well now Johnny knew that something was definitely wrong. Last time he seen Ethan, he was completely in love with Kristina and was going to tell her just that. "Didn't Ethan talk to you the other night?"
"You mean after inviting me to a dinner he was suppose to make for us and then blowing me off for some skank and then telling me about how great she is, then yes, I guess he did talk to me the other night. But that is the last time he has spoken to me."
Bewilderment was all over Johnny as he scratched the top of his head. "This isn't right, Kristina."
"Well then maybe you should talk with Ethan, I'm sure he can tell you everything for himself."
"I mean the last time I seen Ethan he was looking forward to seeing you. He had something important to tell you."
"Well I could've done without the news of Cindy."
Johnny leaned in. "Look, I don't know who this Cindy is, but she is not what Ethan had originally planned to talk to you about. Something must've happened."
"If it wasn't Cindy, Johnny, then what was it?" She asked.
"Kristina, whoever Ethan said he has been spending his time with, is a lie. You need to go find him and talk to him."
"What are you trying to say, Johnny?"
"It is not my place to say and I don't know what happened, but what I will tell you is that you're going to regret it if you don't go and find him."
Kristina was intrigued by Johnny, but shook her head as a way to shake it off.
"Kristina, do you still care about Ethan?" He asked.
"More than I ever did before." She hung her head.
"Then make him talk to you."
Kristina took a deep breath and hurried it out. She took some money out of her wallet and sat it down on her dinner check and then stood up. "I'm done chasing Ethan around, Johnny. You're my friend and you know what he means to me. But even my love for Ethan cannot overcome the fear of his rejection again. My heart can't take it another time." She began to walk out the door.
"Kristina!" Johnny called to her.
Her head wanted to turn back around and hear what else he had to say, but her heart just wouldn't let her. Instead she walked back to the loft and wasn't surprised at all to find it empty. She went to her room and after changing out of her work clothes, she began to start packing up her things into two suitcases. It was clear to her that she had over stayed her welcome.
Ethan came back home from his poker game around two-thirty in the morning. And like he had done the past few nights, he quietly made his way to the bedroom. He only opened the door a couple of inches so that he could just make sure she was safe asleep. As much as he hated the thought of Kristina being back with Trey, he still needed to know that she was okay. His biggest fear was opening the door and the bed being empty. He didn't want to picture her laying somewhere else with someone else. He then went over to the couch where he made himself a bed and laid for at least another hour as he did his best to push her out of his mind… and out of his heart.
It was Christmas Eve and Kristina had told her mom that she would be over at six. Of course she had made these plans a week ago when she thought her and Ethan could spend the day together. Now, when she woke, there was no Ethan. She could go to her moms early, but she just wasn't in the Christmas spirit as much as she usually was. She laid around most of the morning and ordered some lunch from downstairs at The Rib. When she went down to get it, Ethan was working behind the bar. She started to walk his way, but when he seen her approaching, he quickly turned away. She didn't understand what she had done to make him start treating her this way. She made a turn and stopped one of the waitresses. "I have an order to pick up for Kristina."
"Sure, just give me one second."
"Hey," Kristina stopped the waitress again. "How late are you guys open til tonight?"
"Coleman said we can shut down at five."
"Thanks." Kristina said and opted to sit at a table instead of the bar as she waited for her food.
Once she was back upstairs, she ate her food sitting in front of the TV. She watched several Christmas movies before finally deciding that it was time to get ready. After putting soft, long curls throughout her hair and doing her make-up, Kristina slipped on her red dress. (Think the white dress she wore in the Dominican, but red). She slipped on her matching red heals and headed over to the bedroom's closet. From the back she pulled out the wrapped present that she had made for Ethan. In the last couple of weeks, she had spent every available moment working on it. She grabbed hold of her suitcases and headed to the front door, only stopping for a second when she placed his present under the tree.
The Floating Rib was empty when she walked down, all but for Ethan. He was still behind the bar wiping it down with a wet rag. She figured she at least should tell him that she wouldn't be coming back anymore.
He felt a lump form in his throat. "What's with the suitcases?" He asked.
"Well it's been kind of obvious over the last few days that I have worn out my welcome. I just thought I would let you know that I'm leaving." When Ethan said nothing, she continued on her way.
Ethan grabbed tightly onto a fifth of scotch. It took everything he had not to throw it across the room. "I guess old habits really do die hard."
Kristina spun around. "What's that suppose to mean?"
"You really do keep choosing the wrong men." He spit out through clenched teeth.
"Yeah, I guess I do." She agreed, for the first time ever looking at Ethan as a mistake.
"Do me a favor. When Trey breaks your heart again, don't come back crying to me."
"Trey?" She was confused, but her anger sent her charging back toward the bar. "Ethan, what the hell is your problem? I don't know what I did to make you treat me this way, but I'm done with it. If you have something that you want to say to me, then just say it. Quit acting like such a coward!"
"You know that I am no coward, Kristina. You're the one that has the fear of living a happy, better life. For God's sake, Krissy, Trey tricked you into marrying him. And all I have heard from you is how you will never be a victim again and the first time the guy says that he loves you, you start making out with him again in the front of Kelly's!"
Kristina immediately flashed back to the unwanted kiss from Trey. Ethan must've seen it and assumed she was kissing him back. Trey probably knew Ethan was watching, that's why he did it. It all made sense now. Except the fact that instead of asking her about it, Ethan tortured her by giving her the silent treatment and taking up with some girl. "That's what this is all about? Ethan, not that you deserve an explanation, but Trey kissed me that night. I didn't kiss him back. In fact I about sprained my wrist slapping him across the face. I guess you didn't stick around for that part, did you?"
Ethan's face softened as soon as he realized that he had been wrong. He was indeed the one who was a fool. "You're not moving back in with him?"
"No, I'm not. I'm going back to my moms. Ethan, why didn't you just ask me about that kiss?"
Ethan was trying to get his thoughts back together. "I don't know, I just assumed that…"
Kristina was not pleased with his answer. "Well you assumed wrong." She walked back to her suitcases and grabbed back onto the handles.
He couldn't let her leave. "Kristina, wait! Don't go!"
Kristina had no more fight left in her. She relaxed her voice. "Ethan, tell me one good reason to stay."
He watched her staring back at him from the other side of the bar with the same beautiful eyes that first looked at him years ago. The overhead lights were reflecting softly on her now glassy eyes. He had done it. He had hurt her again. He was frozen as he watched the pain he had caused slowly fall down her cheek.
Kristina waited for several seconds, but then realized that Ethan wasn't going to give her an answer. "Goodbye, Ethan."
No, no, he couldn't let her walk out of his life. He had messed everything up. He needed to say something, anything to get her to stop. She was about to leave him and he couldn't figure out the right words to say. He knew how he felt, but in this moment, in this most important moment, he couldn't get the right words to leave his mouth. That's it, he didn't need any words to show her how he felt. "Kristina!"
Ethan rushed out from behind the bar and reached Kristina just as she was turning back around to look at him. Without a moment missed, he placed the sides of her face in the palms of his hands. He applied soft pressure as his lips worked their way over hers. Kristina's arms hung down at her sides until she was able to realize just what was happening. Then her hands went flying to the back of his head. Finally, after years of waiting, Kristina had gotten her kiss from Ethan. And there was no sign of it letting up.
Kristina tasted every bit as expected to Ethan. He held her body to his as close as he possibly could while his hands made their way through her hair and down her back. He needed to feel more of her. Their lips broke apart when he scooped up under her legs and picked her up. He carried her up the stairs. Neither one of them breaking eye contact with one another. Ethan was breathing heavily by the time he walked them through the door, but it had nothing to do with carrying her there and everything to do with the way she was making him feel.
As soon as Ethan sat her feet back to the ground, Kristina pulled his lips back to hers by grabbing hold of the back of his head. Their bodies were burning and Ethan pushed Kristina up against a wall. His mouth was exploring her earlobes and neck as his one hand ran along her side down to the hem of her dress, making its way back up along her warm, silk like skin. Forming it over her but, then back down to the knee where Kristina lifted her leg and held it against his side. Running his hand back up he jerked her hips toward his, causing Kristina to release a small moan, driving Ethan even more crazy.
Kristina pulled up on the bottom of Ethan's t-shirt taking it up under his arms where Ethan took over and pulled it the rest of the way up over his head. Her hands went right for his chest and glided her fingers up and down. For one moment, she thought that she must be dreaming, because that was the only place she had ever been this close to him. She kissed across the front of his chest and Ethan closed his eyes in pleasure.
They had worked their way further into the loft when Ethan hoisted both of her legs up and she wrapped them around his waist. Ethan could feel the laced texture of her panties as he carried her off to the bedroom. Once inside, Kristina's body was aching for his to be laid over her. But instead of throwing themselves onto the bed, Ethan gently placed her down and took one step away from her and closed his eyes while taking in a deep breath.
Kristina thought Ethan was having second thoughts. "Please, Ethan, don't do this. Please don't pull away from me. I need you tonight. I want this."
His eyes slowly opened back up and he smiled. "Love, I am not pulling away from you. As you can tell I want this just as badly, but…"
"But?"
"But not like this. Not a quick roll in the sack. Believe me, you have got me so worked up, but you deserve to know exactly what you mean to me. I just want to slow it down a bit. I want to remember every second of being with you."
"So you're not pushing me away?"
"Oh no, sweet love. I'm just getting started." He gently turned her so that her back was to him. He brushed her hair to the side and over her shoulder. His lips grazed softly over the side of her neck and onto her other bare shoulder. Kristina gasped with delight. "You smell so good, love." Ethan returned the moan as he inhaled all of her sweet scent.
He started to pull down on the dresses zipper and Kristina's body quivered when he reached the small of her back. Using both hands, he pulled the dress forward over her shoulders and then guided it down past her hips where it fell the rest of the way to the floor exposing Kristina's black, lacy, bra and panties. She slowly turned back around to face him, feeling exposed but completely comfortable. He studied her body for a moment and she let him. "You are absolutely breathtaking, love."
She smiled at his approval. "Please don't keep me waiting much longer."
"I couldn't if I tried." He picked her back up and laid her across the bed, her head resting against a pillow. He kept focus on her as he took her heels off one at a time. Before Ethan got into the bed, Kristina sat up and unbuckled his jeans, pulling open the button and then down on the zipper. Ethan helped them down the rest of the way before stepping out of them.
He laid down beside her and quickly the fire was raging back inside both of them. Their hands and mouths exploring every inch of each other. Their now naked bodies were finally going to be as close as they could possibly get them when Ethan paused and looked directly into Kristina's eyes.
"I'm sorry I couldn't figure out how to say it before now, love, but I can not deny what I feel for you any longer. I love you, Kristina."
Kristina didn't think she could want this man anymore than she already did, until that moment. Hearing him say those three words was so much more intense then she had ever imagined it would be. Finally, he was hers. "I love you too, Ethan."
Ethan rushed his mouth back to hers and lowered himself completely onto her. The night seemed endless as Ethan made good on his promise of taking it slow. He was proving over and over to Kristina just how much he loved her. Kristina, in return, did the same. Ethan knew Kristina wasn't a virgin, but was pleasantly surprised on just how good she was at keeping him wanting more. Neither one of them wanted it to end so as with all good things, when it was over, they just started up again.
The two were laughing and talking as Kristina was wrapped up in Ethan's arms. Everything was perfect. Nothing could ruin this night…
"Kristina!" The knocking on the front door was so loud. "Kristina!"
Ethan and Kristina both shot up in the bed and fear reflected back at one another. Kristina was the first to speak. "It's my mom and…"
"Sonny!" Ethan gulped.
Authors note: Okay so there it is, my story on how Ethan and Kristina would have found each other if he had come back. I will continue this story if enough of the readers tell me that they want me too, however they may be further apart in postings. I also do other writing and having writer's block brought me to writing this story and believe me it helped a lot. I do have a question for my readers, though. The site's rating system confuses me a bit. I wasn't sure how far I could go with an M rating so I held back a ton, but now feel that this story could possibly fit under T.
Thanks for missing Ethina as much as I do!