Chapter 7
Ross was mechanically doing his day time routine. It was affecting him so deep that he never wanted to see Rachel or the others. But fate had other plans for him. He was awake since past couple of hours and he always kept his thoughts for himself. He was in a very tough situation so was Rachel. He was trying to push her thoughts away from his mind, but he was unable to do , he decided to put some meditation music to calm himself down. He needed to fight with someone or basically something to remove his anger and he was unable to do so.
Just then, he came out of his room into the living room to see Rachel on the couch. She was also lost completely.
"Hey, wanna come to the gym?" Ross nonchalantly asks her
"Sure." Rachel agrees to come with him."I'll just change into some gym clothes and come.
"Get your jacket . It's slightly cold." Ross tells her.
She changed into her sports bra and some yoga pants along with a jacket.
They both exit out of the house and are in the garage to take the bike. Ross puts his helmet on and gives her a spare helmet
"You get the goofy looking helmet." Ross tells her while giving her the helmet.
"Goofy looking?" Rachel smiled at the reference of the helmet.
"Yeah, it looks like a goofy looking helmet or that's how I put it." Ross joked.
Rachel chuckled at his joke. She looked at him so dreamily while he strapped the helmet on her chin and made sure that it was strapped on fine.
They both go to the gym. Ross was wearing a tank top and his muscles were completely bulging. He looked very muscular and Rachel was completely turned on seeing his muscular body. With all those abs,those six packs and the bulging biceps any girl would drool upon him. She was observing him doing some dead lifts, weights,rowing and many more exercises.
They both later meet at the lobby. Ross and Rachel go to the place where the bike was parked and then suddenly, Ross remembered about something.
"Rach, would you wait here?"Ross asks her." I seemed to have forgotten my biking gloves in the locker room. I'll get it as soon as possible."
"Sure Ross." She understood his predicament.
He runs quickly back into the gym to retrieve his gloves. Meanwhile, some guys are near Rachel trying to harass her.
"Wanna come " One guy asked her
Rachel whimpered. She was unable to answer
"Get in the car. We'll go for a ride." Another guy tried to coerce her
Rachel was completely worried. She needed a guy to save her desperately than ever. She needed her knight in the shining armor. Just then, Ross sees her surrounded by some guys. He carefully approaches them and one of them turns towards Ross
"Leave her." Ross tells them sternly.
"Who the hell are you? Who do you think you are?" One of those guys tried questioning Ross while approaching him.
"If you wanna get her, you have to cross me." Ross sternly tells them.
One of the guy tries to pull Ross's collar. He was angry beyond imagination. He punched the guy in the face while the other guy armed with a baseball bat menaced towards him. Ross had managed to dodge the hit of the bat on his left hand. He punched the other two guys so badly that they were injured. But Ross ,he completely forgot about the pain and fought for Rachel. He fought for Rachel. She looked at her ex boyfriend in awe as he fought for her. It wasn't the same Ross who used to be bruised like a peach.
Just then a couple of cops arrive at that moment where Ross was trying to subdue those guys. The officer forcefully pushes Ross and leans him towards the car violently
"Officer, he was trying to protect me." Rachel nervously tells the officer who pushed Ross against the car
"Rachel, shut your mouth. I'll manage." Ross angrily whispered
"They'll put you in jail." Rachel whispered
"She is the one who is lying officer." One of the guy shouted towards the officer
"No officer. They were trying to harass me. And he tried to save me." Rachel truthfully tells them
"Do you know him?" The police officer asks her
"He is my boyfriend." Rachel tells the officer in the heat of the moment.
Ross was taken aback. The officer somehow believes her and then releases Ross and takes those three guys who tried to harass her. The police exit the area and take those three guys.
"Are you okay?" Rachel asks him concerned.
"I'm fine. I guess." Ross tells her
Rachel was impressed by the way Ross stood up to her by protecting her from those goons. If this was Ross's avatar 9 months ago, he would've beaten the pulp out of Mark for coming near his girlfriend. They both sit on the bike and leave from the place
"Ross?" Rachel started."Thanks for saving me."
"After all, you are my friend." Ross nonchalantly tells her
Rachel's face fell down after hearing that she was just his friend.
...
Ross and Rachel reach home and see all others have woken up and reading paper or watching news on the TV. Thanksgiving was almost a 3 days away and as we know that Monica completely became the honorary self appointed chef of the house.
"Hey guys, where did you both go?" Phoebe asks them.
"We went to the gym." Rachel excitedly tells them.
"Ross, where are you going?" Monica asks him
"I'll just freshen up real quick" Ross tells her
Ross comes goes into his room and takes a long shower.. He is completely lost in his thoughts and the bruise on his eye was there. He was wondering what should he do to get rid of Rachel's thoughts. He wanted to be with her but at the same time he did not want to be with was taken aback on the moment when she saved him from the police officers who tried to arrest him. After his shower, he opens his diary and pulls out a pen to write his thoughts and his inner turmoil.
A few moments later, Ross comes out of his room to see everyone chit chatting and talking and having a good time.
"So, what do you guys wanna do?" Ross asks them.
"I don't say Ross." Monica replies.
"Hey, we can go for a day trip to Waco. It's almost an hour and half or else we could go to Six Flags park. Or else, we can go to ice skating or Arbor Hills Reserve Park. It'll be fun."
"I can agree. Anyways we are all planning a trip to Corpus Christi right?" Monica asked.
"Yeah. I know Mon. We can chill right now." Ross tells her
...
After a long discussion, they all decided to go to ice skating and later visiting Arbor Hills reserve park to enjoy the scenery.
Monica seemed to have a good time ice skating. At first , she seemed a bit shaky but later got a hang of it. Meanwhile, Chandler kept on slipping many times. Phoebe didn't seem up to do it because she wasn't interested. Ross wanted to do but was sitting lost in his thoughts.
"Ross?" Phoebe pats his shoulder." You seem to be lost completely. What's going on?" Phoebe notices his behavior
"Nothing Pheebs. Just some work related stuff." Ross lied.
"Come on, you are not like the old Ross who was bad at hiding feelings." Phoebe tells him
"Wanna join me for ice skating?" Ross asks her
"Sorry Ross. If I slipped, I'll again bruise myself." Phoebe reasoned.
Ross put on his skates and went into the rink. Monica was enjoying it. Rachel was also enjoying it. He remembered the moments when they dated, they went for ice skating. They both had a best time when they were ice skating. Rachel was lost in her own world. She goes into her reverie.
Rachel and Ross were holding each others' hand and were having some fun. They both kissed each other and were lost in their own world without the care of anyone. After a couple of moments, she came out of her reverie as Chandler accidentally slipped and made her fall along with him.
"Chandler honey, you need to get out of the rink." Rachel advised him
"Okay fine." Chandler said and exited the rink. He was tired of slipping.
Overall, they all had fun with exception of Phoebe and Chandler. Phoebe didn't want to do while Chandler kept on slipping for most of the times.
...
After the visit to the Arbor Hill Park, they went to the supermarket to get the essential stuff that were required for Thanksgiving celebration. It was their first celebration outside of New York.
"Man, it was one hell of a day." Chandler said and plopped down on the couch.
"Except you kept on slipping." Ross said
"But we all enjoyed that park more than ice skating."Joey said.
"Yeah." Monica supplied."It was the best."
Ross was surprised on how his friends were comfortable in Dallas. It reminded him of the moment when he took a lot of time to settle in Dallas and following a period of depression. No one knew his depression nor his new friends of Dallas. He concealed it for almost 9 months and never really dated any girl in those past nine months. Those wounds were still afresh in his mind. After everyone slept, Ross sits on the garden chair and buries his head into his arms crying silently. Whenever he wanted to be alone, he wanted cried himself almost for nine months. He never bothered to tell anyone and kept quiet about it. He just coped it up by trying to keep himself busy for many things and he concealed it too well from the world.
Just then, Monica notices him. She was concerned about him. It was almost a week since they came and she noticed him never revealing his feelings and then only one thing he did when he saw Rachel was only to break a glass of champagne and then bleeding himself.
"Ross?" Monica goes and taps his shoulder
"Yeah Mon." Ross quickly cleans his tears.
"Are you okay Ross?" Monica asks him
"Yeah I'm fine." Ross clears his throat.
"What are you doing here?" She asks him
"Nothing much. Just reflecting on myself. Where I am standing. What's my future and what not." Ross covered up
"Ross, are you fine?" Monica asks him
"Yeah." Ross vaguely replied.
She touches Ross's forehead to check whether he is fine or not.
"Ross, you are warm. You are having fever. Go sleep right now." Monica tells him like a mother
"I'm fine Mon." Ross tells her
"Ross, you are being stubborn. Now go to sleep. Tomorrow is an important day. Better get some rest." Monica tells him in a caring way.
Monica takes him into his room and puts a wet cloth on his head. It would be a tough road ahead for him. He needed someone whom he can confess his feelings. It was just overwhelming for him
...
Author's Note: Hi everyone, I hope you like this story. I am sorry for the late update. It's been a long hectic week with project deadlines and examinations coming up. I'll publish my other stories soon and please read and review. Cheerio :)