Rebel The Odds

Chapter 23 - A white lie

Chapter 23 - 2/2

"Ask me" he said, 

"Ask me anything you want to know about me. Even if it seems inappropriate or insensitive, just ask me. I'll answer all of them as best as I could" heck, he would tell her all the passwords of his bank account and pin number if she wanted to.

"Who was that earlier?" Leah didn't shy away to ask when he had said that, she knew if Ethan said it, he would genuinely mean it, but what she didn't know is how far he was willing to actually go to simply answer her.

Ethan inhaled her scent heavily to calm him down at the jealousy he felt when she mentioned another man that is not him. The feeling to monopolize his Leah had been increasing more than ever. All Ethan wanted to do was keep her safe inside and not let anyone from the outside world see or harm her in any way. That way, he was sure, she wouldn't leave him.  

He never knew he was such a jealous man until now.

"That was Isaac. My neighbor and a school friend" he said.

"What do you do in the gym, while working?" she asked curiously. She never works part time during her schooling so she found the idea quite amazing and was full of respect for him.

"During the day of Saturday and Sunday, I help people practice and guide them some things I know, I also supervise them"

"And during the special nights, I fight" he answered honestly.

"Fight?" he heard her asking,

Ethan held her, pulling back slightly to stare at her, his hands casually drape around her waist as they stare into one another.

"I fight in a rink with whomever who challenges me and win a lot of money when I won"

"That doesn't sound good" she said honestly, her eyebrows creasing with one another in concern.

Ethan's heart melted and he ruffled with her hair slightly as he gave her a soft smile, "I am really good at it, I've never lost"

She kept quiet for a moment, letting him adjust the baby hair above her head that stick out messily from a day at school. She never really like them but Ethan seems to be immersed with them.

"That day... When we met... Did your leg get injured because of the spar? You had a cut at your face."

Ethan leaned his forehead against her, closing his eyes in content. He could live like this forever, actually, no, he wanted more then what they had. He wanted to kiss her worries away, pepper her face and body with his lips, worshiping her like the deity she was.

"That wasn't from work, partially, it is but it doesn't happen often" he reassured her. Leah didn't say anything.

She didn't like it.

"Any more questions?" he asked lightly, waiting in anticipation at answering what she wanted to know about him.

There was a silence that passed through for a while, Leah opened her mouth, hesitating to ask the next question as it sounded a little too personal even for her but she wanted to know about it.

"It's alright not to answer..." she begins softly, Ethan opened his eyes and look at her hesitation. 

"It's fine" he whispered back.

"If you don't mind me asking..." Leah begins, her lips pursing slightly as she thought it through, she opened her eyes and asked,

"What happened to your parents?"

Almost as if a thunder bolt shot him, Ethan almost jerk his body but he didn't let her go, instead, he pulled her for another embrace.

"I am sorry" Leah quickly said, noticing the change of body language from Ethan as he hugged her tighter, her hands found his back and she rubbed it comfortingly,

"It's alright, you really don't need to say anything" she reassured softly. "It was impolite of me to ask"

"I am sorry for asking-

"Their dead"

Silence followed through as the two teenagers hug under the streetlight, on the paved sidewalk. Leah's hand momentarily stops from rubbing his back, to suddenly hugging him tighter against her. Their bodies flush against one another but she couldn't care less, her eyes squeezed in pain and regret, she sobbed softly,

"I am sorry Ethan"

Ethan held her close, now it was his turn to rub her back repeatedly to calm her down. "It's fine Leah, I wanted to tell you sooner anyway"

"I shouldn't have asked" Leah murmured quietly, her eyes were glossy but she didn't allow any tears to escape from them. "I should have just waited for you to tell me, not force you on to it"

"Hey, hey" Ethan pulled them apart slightly, but his hands were still close surrounding her petite frame. Holding her felt so right. Leah looked down, her eyebrows creased together and her lips pursed, she felt ashamed.

"Leah, look at me" Ethan said, nudging her chin up with his thumb for their eyes to meet. His heart thumped heavily when he saw her upsetting face. She looked adorable, pouting and furrowing her eyebrows but he didn't want her to blame herself for anything.

Especially for something that wasn't necessarily true.

"It's alright" he whispered, giving her a soft smile as he slowly leaned his forehead against hers. His eyes gradually closed by themselves when he could feel her warm breath in the midst of the cold autumn air, and feel the edges of her lashes tickle him slightly.

He sighed contently.

This was bliss, Leah is his drug and serenity.

"I want you to never stop asking me questions. No matter how ridiculous or insensitive they sound, I want to hear it all" he said honestly. He then opens his eyes slowly to see her looking at him with her big doe hazel eyes, her lips so close to his that he had to push everything in him to not simply ravish them like a starving man.

"I will tell you everything you want to know. And I want you to know everything about me, can you promise me to tell everything about you too?" he whispered lowly, looking at her straight in the eye with an absolute love-struck face and loving eyes.

"I'll try to" Leah whispered back, she never noticed just how blue his eyes were until she saw them this close.

Ethan smiled and simply give her nose an Eskimo kiss.

"I haven't told you all the truth yet, I am not sure when will I actually be ready to tell you but will you wait for me?"

Leah nodded her head eagerly, it was the least she could do for asking such personal question and hearing his answer.

"Don't push it" she had said, "There's no need to force yourself only to tell me"

Ethan smiled, there was just so many things he was willing to do for her. Even if she had just carelessly mention it, he would do it like the pious man he was, devoted to his religion. 

All he had to make sure was every lie that he would say, every little white lie he told her, would eventually became the truth. 

It wasn't hard. No, far from it. 

Ethan would do anything for her.

He would even kill for her.