Visions of Fate

1. A NEED FOR FREEDOM

Five years later…

"God, I loved that movie," Ethan said as the cast and crew played out on the TV screen in front of us.

A Sunday evening, as Ethan had explained over the phone, was the perfect time to have our long awaited movie night. Seeing as Mom was on her nightshift and Dad halfway through to Michigan, Ethan had tagged Sunday evening as the perfect time to have our date.

So there we sat, covered in tiny crumbs of caramelized popcorns, in an empty house. Ethan had dimmed the lights before our movie, setting the perfect scene for romance and a descent sense of sensuality. The cool temperature outside casually breathed it's way into the house, leaving me shivering slightly while curled up on the sofa in Ethan's arms.

"It was just the best, wasn't it?" I teased, listening to the orchestra playing in the background while more names danced up the screen. "Maybe we should watch it again then," I fumbled with the remote to prove my point until Ethan relented, earning a warm chuckle from my side.

"Fine, fine," he said, sitting upright, causing me to untangle my limbs from his and adjust my position as well. "It was awful. But you can't blame me for trying to make an effort."

Well, that was true. Ethan clearly understood how much I loved Hallmark movies, hence each movie night was specially dedicated to a movie of that sort, each one being, according to his constant whining, more gruesome than the last. Which was why we just had to include it into our date nights, exempting the fact that I was delusionally in love with those movies, of course.

I always loved seeing Ethan's contorted expression at every love confession, every insane plot twist that included bumping into the protagonist's eventual true love at the very peak of the tragedy, or the popular swapping of briefcases, or in this case, novels or gift cards interchangeably. These were all enough to leave him a scarred expression on his face, at the general cliche of the movie's plotline, which I thought was quite unique.

And God, I swear, watching the rueful expression on his face, the funny twists of horror that carved on his face after each love confession, was more entertaining than watching the entire movie itself. Which was why we kept repeating that particular category of movie. Every. Single. Weekend.

"You're right," I cooed as I leaned into him for a soft kiss. "But that doesn't mean we aren't watching Hallmark next weekend, though."

"Oh come on babe," he whined playfully, snaking his hand around my waist and trailing soft kisses down my neck as I giggled in ecstasy, feeling the warmth spread through my cheeks, replacing the stiff shiver that clogged my skin. "That's not fair."

Ethan, my Best Friend Forever, since the age of seven and my Parent-approved boyfriend since the age of thirteen was anything none other than perfect. His stunted growth and tiny posture I'd always mocked, taunted me back as he began to experience his growth sprout during his early teenage years.

Now, with a perfect six feet frame and breathtakingly broad shoulders, courtesy his distinguishing physique of a footballer, Ethan only looked like a ghost of his childhood self. A young prince specially crafted by zeus, to be more precise.

His mocha-brown hair was always left disheveled atop his head falling over his eyes repeatedly, and I had taken it upon myself to often weave my hands through his hair, always managing to sneak a kiss on his lips while I was at that. His oval jawline was on the softer side and did well to complement his soft cheekbones and well-rounded striking blue eyes that could keep one guessing.

Even I had fallen victim of those midnight blue eyes when I had set my eyes on him only for the first time at the mere age of seven. I remember peering down my cracked open window, hoping to steal a glance at the socially benefiting lives of other kids around me, only to be met by this deep blue sea that I accidentally drowned in. Ethan had caught my eye and smiled up at me, waving vigorously, just as naive to my life as the rest of the other kids.