It All Started At 6 a.m.

Chapter 31

"Good morning, Leah." Savannah's chirpy voice greeted me. How can these Adams be so energetic in the morning?

"Morning, Savannah." I turned my face to smile at her. "Coffee?" I asked and she replied in affirmation.

"How did it go in Eugene?" She asked after we had sat down at the table with our cups of coffee.

"It went alright. I didn't know you lived there."

"Oh yes. We lived there for quite a long time." She took a sip of her coffee before continuing, "So I believe Ethan opened up to you, yeah?"

"He did. We visited the old house and the cemetery." I traced the rim of the cup with my pointer finger as I stared down at it.

"He needed to do that. After what happened, Ethan had completely bottled it all up. He wouldn't even see a therapist, you know. It was as if...as if he had entirely shut us all out, wouldn't allow any of us in, refusing to talk about it even with his family. But I guess I did the right thing by sending him with you."

"Not you too, Savannah. Yes, he did speak to me but I didn't do anything tha-"

"No, Leah. You don't see it. Sometimes you really don't have to do anything but just be there for that person, just lending him your ear for him to speak and a shoulder for him to lean on. Yeah, we were there for him, all of us were, yet he decided to confide in you. Why? Because he trusts you, Leah. He trusts that you'll not only just listen to him but comprehend him as well."

"Why are you both making this about me?" I cried out. "You are his family, Savannah. Of course, he trusts you."

"Maybe that's the reason why he didn't open up to us. Because we are his family. We already knew what happened. He didn't speak to us about it because we knew what had happened to Nathan and that we already had our own baggage of thoughts. Maybe he didn't want to add more to it. He wanted someone who wasn't a family member, who didn't know what happened." She looked so tired right now. When we had first met, it wouldn't have even crossed my mind that this woman has lost her child. She was always so positive that it would cause you to let go of your own negativities.

"Then why not someone professional? A therapist? Because the therapist wouldn't have been a family member."

"Who said a therapist needs to be someone professional?" She smiled at me and drank the remaining of her coffee. "A therapist would listen to you speak about what's bothering you and would give you professional advice on how you could deal with it. I agree with that. But, Leah, you are his friend. Yeah, you did the same thing for him, except the advice that you gave him wasn't professional but it came straight from your heart. And maybe that's what he wanted from someone."

"God, this is so..." I trailed off not knowing what to say. Her words felt right yet wrong at the same time.

"Don't stress too much about it, Leah." She stood next to me and gently squeezed my shoulder. "I know for a fact that whatever happens, you both have got each other."

"Of course, Savannah, we are friends." I don't know why but it really sounded weird. I mean there was a time when I despised that boy. We never even acknowledged the blooming relation between us to label it as friendship. And now that I admitted to myself that I was falling for him, it felt strange.

"Just friends?" She raised her eyebrow at me and smirked. "Don't you think I'd be knowing what's going on under my roof." That was the cue for the heat to rise up to my cheeks as I thought about what she was hinting at. "So, when will I be getting to hear all of the juicy details? Ethan won't tell me but I expect a bit from you."

Really? Juicy?

"Savannah!" I shrieked and covered my face with my hands as her laughter boomed in the kitchen. "There's no juice between us." That sounded pathetic, by the way.

"Yet. There will be soon." She winked and left the kitchen, laughing all the way up to her room.

I need a distraction. Seriously. Like right now.

Then I remembered I had to get back at Ethan for bursting that freaking balloon filled with ice water above my face.

I rose to my feet and found what I needed in one of the drawers in the living room and after taking a piece of that clear tape, I climbed up the stairs to Ethan's room. When I opened the door to his room, thankfully, he was still working out with his back facing me and he squatted down in a squat. And because the speakers were loud, he didn't hear me coming into his room. I tiptoed my way to him and stood behind him. Taking out the peel, I stuck the tape at the nape of his neck and pulled it immediately.

"Ow! Holy shi-" I clamped my hand on his mouth to stop him from cursing. Lord knows if the twins were awake.

"No cursing." I took my hand off and snickered.

"Did you peel off my skin or something?" He asked with wide eyes. He looked like a little kid.

"Nope. Just these." I waved the piece of tape that had a few of his hair stuck to it.

"Oh my God, Leah, why would you do that?" He looked at the pieces of hair as if it were his kidneys that I'd pulled.

Eh, nevermind. Not a good visual.

"It's just a few strands of hair. It's nothing when you compare it with a balloon filled with cold water. Don't be so dramatic. Even Ivan and Ivory are more matured than you." I stuck my tongue out at him and walked towards the speakers to lower down the volume.

"Maturity? Says you who sticks out her tongue like a kid." He said as he stepped towards me.

"Huh. What would you know." I held my head up high and stepped around him to get out of his room and get a shower.

"And where do you think you are going?" He asked me, catching my wrist and spinning me around.

Next, I did something that you could say was a spur of the moment action. I stepped closer to him and snaked my arms around his neck.

"I was going for a shower," I whispered and trailed my fingers up his face and saw his adam's apple bobbing up and down. I had no clue where all this boldness came from but I pulled his face close to mine as he turned bright red.

"Leah..." He whispered huskily as his breaths came out ragged and I was trying really hard not to burst out laughing. Because I was really close to losing it.

Standing on my tiptoes, I leaned my face in and looked him in the eye as I kissed the corner of his mouth and let go of him as he stood there with his eyes wide open and his jaw hanging off his face.

"Go and take a shower. You're stinking." I wrinkled my nose at him and ran out of his room.

"You tease." I heard him yell as I finally let out my laugh as his dumbstruck face crossed my mind.

Oh boy, now, that's what you call a good morning.

******

Oh, the pleasure of eating warm pakoras (fritters) when it's raining outside is beyond words. What can go wrong when you dip those warm pakoras in that chilled, minty chutney, yeah?

Anyway, enough of it. What do you think of the chapter? Don't forget to vote if you liked it.

Until next time.