Chapter 6: Chapter 6

April's POV

I had never slept next to anyone before...ever. So when I wake up and feel the warmth that has enveloped me, I don't want to open my eyes.

Not now...

There is so much sunlight and I silently curse myself for forgetting to close the binds as my eyes flutter open.

Chest and muscles is all I see, big and glowing in the sunlight. Then I look up, and silently say a prayer of thanks as I notice his closed eyes.

Somehow, in the midst of the night, instead of backing him, I was facing him. Our legs and hands had intertwined and as much as I want to push him away...I don't have the guts to.

To give up this warmth and comfort.

My eyes don't leave his chest as they gently rise and fall...and then I notice it.

A tattoo?

Yes. A yin and yang tattoo close to the left side of his chest and as small as a fist. I hold my breath as my hand slips out from under his and goes straight to where the tattoo is.

This is wrong.

So wrong.

So very, very wrong.

Still, I can't help but trace my fingers ever so slowly over the tattoo, feeling every curve, every touch of ink.

Why yin and yang?

The Chinese symbol of equality and balance.

Why a Griffin?

What stories are behind these signs of his?

My hands don't stop moving and my eyes follow them as they go up to his morning beard stubble, his chin..

Uh-oh.

Busted.

Grey eyes are staring steadily at me, sofly but with so much questions...or thoughts?  Or secrets?

"I'm on your bed." He says so softly and I feel his chest vibrate against mine as he speaks.

"I know." I whisper.

"You're touching me."

"I know."

"Should I leave?"

"I don't know."

I really dont. A yes or no could ruin this moment and I'm not ready.

"I don't know your name." I whisper, suddenly realising it as his hand covers mine and puts it back on his chest.

"Ethan. Ethan Griphen." He mutters.

I have no idea why we're both speaking so quietly but I don't want to complain.

Its like deep down, we are both trying to keep this unknown spell safe and unbroken.

"Ethan." I say and suddenly I want to say it over and over again.

"You have grey eyes Ethan." I whisper, then add,

"What are you hiding in them?"

"What are you hiding in yours?" He whispers back and I feel his hand on my cheek, tucking a stray lock of hair away and immediately setting my face on fire.

Ethan's POV

"What are you hiding in them?" Her soft voice said, eager green eyes never leaving mine and I knew she was getting caught up in the spell.

Hell, I am too.

"What are you hiding in yours?" I say, putting my hand to touch the red lock of her that I had ached to feel. She went red immediately but didn't look away.

Tell me...

"Every moment of--"

Buzzzz.

Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.

Her eyes shift to my trouser pocket where I had safely tucked her vibrating phone and slowly, I watch as the spell cracks then breaks all at once as she suddenly sits up and pulls every part of her body that is touching mine close to her chest.

"I told you I didn't want it." She says when I pull it out, suppressing a groan.

I had used it to find her room, thanks to studying and work based on computer science and now the damn thing had betrayed me.

"I forgot I had it with me, okay? You didn't take it earlier yesterday and--"

"Just go." She says and looks away.

Every fucking time. She is always chasing me away or running away.

Stupid bloody phone.

"Well, good morning to you to." I say and get up.

"Good morning? This isn't a couples retreat so don't expect any emotional words from me okay?!" She yells

"Yeah, yeah sure! Like you weren't just observing the colour of my eyes and begging to know my secrets!" I yell back as I slip on a shirt.

"You're tripping." She rolls her eyes and walks over to the wardrobe.

"Keep saying that cupcake and it might just be true." I say and slip on my shoes just as she turns around and glares daggers at me.

"Don't you dare, guilt trip me! You asked for one night and I've helped you. I owe you nothing now-- thank God--so please leave! Before you ask for a strip dance!"

"You sure you're not going to cry about it again?!" I yell and walk out, slamming the door.

***

"You guys went from 'tell me your secrets' to 'get out' in a minute? Intense." Trevor says, bursting into laughter as I nurse my coffee while he pours cereal into a bowl. I'm standing next to him in just a towel, thankful he had it in him to make coffee.

Somehow, talking to him always made me feel better.

"She is so stubborn, dammit." I say, drinking from the mug while Trevor pours a generous amount of milk into his cereal.

"Look at it the bright side, you slept like a baby."

He is right. I had never slept that long or quietly in...eons. Until I had felt the tingling of her wandering hands, I was ready to sleep all day.

"Ethan, it's okay. She's a girl in campus, you'll definitely find time to speak to her again." He says, munching on a mouthful as he walks over to me, eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Why are you so chirpy?" I ask and he smiles even wider.

"I don't know, man. Its amusing to watch you have girl troubles." He says, stifling laughter as he takes another spoon.

I roll my eyes at him even though I chuckle,

"Keep amusing yourself and you're gonna have all that milk shoot out of your nose."

"Speaking of milk, we've got to get some groceries. Its like a fucking dessert in the fridge."

"Really? I can't tell since you're the one adding 10 pounds every day." I tell him as he flexes a bicep for me.

"Oh, April. April, April, April. What hast thou done to my dearest cousin?" He says and takes off when I grab the saucepan.

"Stop stuffing yourself and let's go get some groceries...I'm starving." I say as I head into my room to shave and shower.

****

April's POV

Mickey mouse lamp.. where the hell can I find a Mickey mouse lamp?

Its all I think of as I stand in abyss of night stand lamp shades in Walmart.

You sure you're not going to cry about it again?

Cry about it? How dare he use that on me? Then he had walked out and slammed the door so hard, my beautiful Mickey mouse lamp had fallen down and smashed.

Sighing, I grab the Winnie the poo shade and march out. After paying for it, I couldn't resist going to the clothes section to get some new clothes and by the time I leave the place, it's already noon and I'm with four heavy bags and no car.

Great planning, April.

"Need help?" A familiar voice says and I clutch my bag hard, ready to whack it at Ethan if I so much as saw his grey eyes.

When I turn however, I feel the breath being knocked out of me as I stare at the blonde neatly cut hair and blue eyes that were all too familiar.

"Oh my God." I whisper as he walks over to me.

"I've been waiting out here for ages for you to be done with that shopping."

"Jay?" I say, still not be leaving as my eyes scan him.

It was him.

Here.

In front of me, with that smile.

Jay. The guy who was cheating on me with my own sister.

Anger suddenly surges over me and he pauses just in front of me as he observes my face.

"What the hell do you want?" I say so slowly, my voice comes out strained.

"Don't worry, it's nothing about us. Before you bash my head with whatever is in that bag of yours, just hand me the locket and I'm out of here."

WHAT?!

I nearly shout as his words sink in. The locket. The tiny silver trinket I had kept in my jewelry box that he had given to me on our first anniversary.

He was taking it back?

He was bloody taking it back?

He didn't even apologise, or show any remorse or even fear but he was ready to take the one gift he had given me in the entire relationship?

"You know you have got some nerve showing up here demanding the only thing you had ever given me!" I yell but his expression remains the same.

"Don't play this innocent crap with me April, just hand it over. I know you have it."

He is wrong. I had donated it to charity weeks ago but if this is what he wanted...then he had another thing coming.

"You're an asshole." I say and try to move when he blocks me.

"You don't want to do this, April. Hand the damn thing over."

"You son of a bitch. We've dated three years and I spent one of those years in the same college with you. I get a scholarship over here and you never fucking visited for those two years and now you're here to take gift?! You fucking coward. I hope you rot in hell."

He doesn't move but glares at me.

"I want that locket, April."

"Why? So you can give it to Ginger?! Fuck you, Jay!" I scream.

"At least she had the guts to." He says with a smirk and I don't know how I managed to but the bags in my right hand drop to the floor and I smack him in the face so hard he stumbles a few feet back.

Before I can grab my bags, his hands are on mine, squeezing as he glares at me.

"You're gonna wish you didn't do that."

Ethan's POV

"This time, I'll be in charge of the cooking." I say as I drive away from the grocery store while Trevor checks the items of the list.

"Look at us, doing grocery shopping like grown men." He says as he drops the list while I ignore him.

"Can we stop at Walmart for the beer? I need it for the game tonight." He says as the car nears the big supermarket.

"You always need it for a game. Try water, we're not stopping." I say to him but he's busy staring out the window intently.

"Whoa, Ethan. Stop the car, that girls being harrassed."He says and I turn briefly.

"What? Where?"

"Right in front of Walmart, the redhead over there."

Red head?

Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeecchhhhhh!!!!!!!!

"Jesus, Ethan." He says when I make a drastic U turn into the parking lot and turn to look.

I knew it.

"It's April." I say, already out of my car as I march over to where the blonde bastard was gripping her shoulders and is shaking her.

"That bloody thing cost me a fortune, April! You better spit it out." He was yelling but her defiant face remained, even though I could tell that grip on her must be bruising her.

"Let me go, Jay! Get your filthy hands off me!" She screams at him just as I get there and grab him by the shirt, forcing him to face me as he let go off her.

"Hey! She said let her go!"

April's POV

I was almost certain Jay would answer me with a punch but I didn't care. This is someone I had been ready to die for just a month ago...and here he was hurting me in desperate attempt to take back a gift.

"Hey! She said let her go!"

Ethan's hands were already gripping him as he let me go with shock.

Tears were already clogging my throat as I watched them. Ethan would do a number on Jay in a heartbeat considering his built up body and Jay's thin form.

But I still couldn't get a hold of all this...he really wanted it back.

"Who the hell are you?" Jay says.

"The guy that is one second away from turning you into pulp." Ethan growls out as Jay turns to me.

"You're banging a guy already in just two weeks? I knew you were always a trick."

"IF YOU SAY ONE MORE FUCKING WORD TO HER--" Ethan begins, already raising Jay well above the ground.

"Both of you, stop!" I scream as the tears roll down my face. My eyes wander from Ethan, who out of nowhere, was here ready to turn Jay into mush in a split second....to Jay, who I had adored my whole life, ready to crush me to take back something he had given me in a fake proclamation of love.

I couldn't let Ethan get into trouble for this,..because of me. People were already stopping to stare and a cop would be here any minute. And I just wanted Jay gone.

"You want your bloody money? Here!" I yell and dig into my pocket and throw my 750 dollar change at him just as Ethan throws him on the floor.

Ethan walks over to me as I cry uncontrollably and he picks up my bags.

"Just take me away from here." I say in sobs and he nods, not saying a word. As we turn to his car, he suddenly stops and turns around gives Jay a hard punch to the jaw, a loud crack ringing out as Jay falls to the ground again.

I get into his car, thankful that someone was in front as I curl myself into a pitiful ball at the back, sobbing for everything.

It was over now.

The first guy I thought had loved me just crashed every truth to that possibility.