•The Journey•

Chapter 9: We Kiss

I open my eyes and see Ethan sleeping next to me.

He looks so peaceful in his sleep.

I would always describe sleep as my only sweet escape from the worries of the world. Today, its just the same with Ethan.
I shift a little towards him and close my eyes. I can feel the warmth of this body.
I suddenly feel his arms wrapping around me. I assume he is sleeping. I slightly open my eyes to see if he asleep. He is awake. His hands around my belly. Looking at me.

Why did I even open my eyes?

Our eyes lock for the longest ten seconds. I end this awkward silence by asking,
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, pretty much okay." he smiles.

His hands are still around me. I look deep into his eyes. There is sadness, anger, fear and I guess happiness too.

"What happened after you saw her with Jace?" I ask.

"She saw me. We spoke about it. I was ready to forgive her, ready to start all over."

He continues, "But she wouldn't stay. She left me. She left Harry. Thankfully, I had my mother to look after Harry while I was at work."

"Ohh." I say softly.

"That's it, your turn maybe."

I look at him. Into his brown eyes. He holds me tighter and closer and whispers into my ears,

"It's okay, you can share with me." The sound of his voice is more soothing than ever.
I begin.

"I know Jace since I was twelve. He had just shifted to the city with his parents. He was new at our school and I was his first friend.

We did all the school work together. It was always me at his place or him at mine. We were friends , just friends, till tenth grade.

One day, I was at his place, precisely his room. We had exams in a week. I remember everything so well of that day.
We kissed.
The young lovers kiss. Passionately. Gently.

We weren't just friends since then. Not lovers too. It was just something we couldn't explain.

We kissed whenever we had a chance.
Being always together.
It was my seventeenth birthday when he proposed me. I said yes without a second thought.

I had fallen for him right when we first kissed. Wedidn't tell anyone .
No one knew about us.It was all perfect for a year. The perfect couple.

We fought, we laughed, sometimes a kiss , sometimes something more.
Just like Claire, he started changing too. Being busy all the time. Excuses for everything. We even spoke about it , he'd always say he had his tournaments in sometime so he had to practice as much as he could. It went on like this for a couple of months.

And honestly, I was okay with it because I loved him.
I was ready to wait.
One day, he called me.
"Mia, we need to meet now."

"Now ? Why ?" I asked

"I need to talk to you."

"Is everything okay?"

He says yes and tells me to meet at the cafe near by.

"I had been planning to go to America. And now, I have a chance so..."

"So what Jace?"

We need to end this."

"End what?" I ask him. I knew what he meant but I didn't want to accept the fact that he was talking about our relationship.

"This. What we have."
"Why end it ? I can wait for you Jace. We can still continue it." I tell him almost crying.

"No no. It can't happen."

"I won't disturb you for sure. Please?"

I tried all that I could but he wouldn't stop.
He had already planned to end this. So, within just fifteen minutes, he ended what we had for years.
I was left broken.
Always sleeping.
No studies.
No activity.
It was music that kept me awake for sometime.

I finally decided to tell my parents everything.
And honestly, it was their support and motivation that you see me here. It took me two months to heal from the scars he left me with."
I sob.
"And now when I thought I had actually healed, I get to know the actual truth. That he left me because he loved someone else. Not because what I had been believing for two years. It sucks you know, Ethan."

I look at Ethan. He looks at me. Before I could withdraw my mind from its far places, his arms were around mine. I felt again the rush of helplessness, the sinking yielding, the surging tide of warmth that left my limp.

He bent back my head across his arm and kissed me, softly at first, and then with a swift gradation of intensity that made me cling to him as the only solid thing in a dizzy swaying world.

My eyes are still wet. We stop kissing and just lay in bed.
Without a word.
All I can hear is his heavy breathing.