"I told you I wanted some apple pie, not blueberry muffins." I pouted and he just laughed and gave me quick kiss on the cheeks. I missed that apple pie and it would be very much perfect with my caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream in the fridge. Anyways, muffins are fine and he bought them for me so I appreciate them.
"I'm so sorry babe, but they ran out. I checked the other local bakeshop and they don't have as well. Please?" I smiled and threw a pillow on his face. He just smiled an dived in the bed with me. I hear him sniffing my newly washed hair. I love it when he does that.
"So, have you made up your mind about ski trip? Your sisters love winter, right? I can buy ski gears for your sisters and for us as well. I believe your 'appa' approves of me, right?" 'Appa' is father in Korean. He's trying to indulge himself in the 'Hangul' or the Korean language I barely much speak. I lived in the US my whole life and Korean is actually a very complex language for me.
"Ski gears are expensive, Ethan. I don't like it when you spend for me and my family. My parents earn well and I work at night so you don't have to, okay? I will buy them those and we can just hangout in the ski resort without you spending a lot, okay?" He rolled his eyes and took off his shirt.
"But I want to spend for them. They're like my sisters and why can't I?" He just pouted and took out a muffin in a box and placed it in a kleenex on my lap. He started eating the other one.
"Because I have a part time job and my father can pay for it as well. It's not okay, yet. Maybe if we're married we can do things like that but now is not the right timing. I don't want people to think that I am just after the money." He giggled and placed an arm around me. The free spirit in him just makes me wanna love him more. I don't want to sound like my world revolves around him, but my world just won't move without him.
My sisters warned me but I know Ethan is a great guy. He's not some Upper East Sider who lives off his trust fund by partying all night. He's finished college and currently taking his Masters of Art in Economics which is exactly why he's still with me here in school.
"You know that's not true. You are the only one who loves me to death, Aria. My father doesn't see me and my mother is in rehab. Who would love me like you do? No one else, trust me on that." I started munching on the muffin. Some bits fell on the blanket and he immediately cleaned up the bits. I love it when he takes good care of small things. It make me feel special somehow and he makes me feel out of my father's iron grasp.
He's that kinda guy. He's the guy who cares.
"See? They're delicious." Then he winked.
"I know." I replied.
"Hey, Monica Sinclair invited us to her boyfriend's party and you might wanna join? It's two weeks from now and you're probably available that day so, can we go? They boys are going there." He smiled sweetly. When he says 'The boys', that means Dan Fitzpatrick, Stephen Collins and John Hunter will be there. They just happen to be bad news altogether. Monica Sinclair is the daughter of Madison Sinclair, the CEO of the infamous Sinclair Cosmetics that rakes almost 10 million dollars a year for its popularity worldwide. Ethan is kinda part of their circle so he's invited and I'm just the extra baggage
I cleared my throat. "No weed, Ethan and I mean it." He smiled and kissed me on the cheek.
"I promise!"
"Make sure of that or you will have to rely on your hands in the next couple of days for good sex." His smile faded and I started laughing.
I tossed a pillow on his face.
"That's not a good joke, Aria."
"Oh, so my only way of making you happy is through sex?" I changed my tone. I got a little irritated with his remark. Sex isn't supposed to be just a way to make him happy. Men are always this way. The call of the flesh is the loudest thing they hear. How about the thumps in a girl's heart? Did they even try to hear them? Why is it always have to be the call of the flesh?
"I really don't understand why her boyfriend throws a party just because it's a frigging normal day. Alcohol, sex and weed are always gonna be there that's why i never really attended one of her parties. She invited me once, and two girls were raped that day. Thank goodness Dean Johnson asked me to do some paper works or else... damn." He frowned.
"I will never let a guy lay a hand on you. He's got to die first before he can even think about touching you. You are safe with me and no kids from Greek houses are gonna be there. All grown ups, I promise. All are above 21 years of age." I rolled my eyes and he just giggled.
"What? You still don't believe me, mi lady? Why? Saranghae." And he said that again. He told me before that 'Saranghaeyo' is his favorite korean word.
It means 'I love you'.
"Stop making that 'gwiyomi' face, Ethan. It doesn't work on me. 'Joo gu lae'?" It means, 'you wanna die?' So he would just shut his mouth and play on his PSP.
"Why is it white men can't be cute? You all think we're all about fierceness and aggressiveness."
Diiìiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing
It was a bad night. Michael rushed to the mansion to bring me some meds and he took me home as well. I didn't even see any compassion in Ethan's eyes as Michael carried me. He just didn't seem to give a fck about me.
It was my alarm clock. Again, I kept on dreaming about Ethan and our past. That's not good. How can i shake off all the feeling he left to me? The fate is really to blame here. If fate didn't just acted like little btch, then i could be married to Ethan right now and I am addressed as Atty. Jennings.
Sadly I am not.
I saw Michael cleaning his glasses while remained seated on his favorite beanie chair. He smiled at me. "You had a rough day, right?" I nodded and stood up to grab my migraine meds.
"You keep getting migraine these days, you should let my friend check on you. He's a very good neurologist. I highly recommend him. Please?" I bent down on him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"I will, after I settle the twitter feud with Mia Donovan and Jessica Miller today. I still have to make sure no one boycotts her ballet performance so she doesn't really have a choice but to listen to me." He giggled and stood up to walk with me in the kitchen.
I took my black robe and collapsed on the couch while he makes me coffee and toast. He's a health conscious so no bacon and eggs at mornings or pancakes. He's a little bummer but he's really good at nutritional diet. He's a doctor after all.
"I want butter and cinnamon on my toasts please. I meant 'toasts', as in three toasts. A rough day again is awaiting for me so I need a good breakfast." I said and he just rolled his eyes.
"Okay." He responded.
Michael is half Irish and half American and it doesn't really show much because he will always tell me that he's just a regular white guy. He's handsome with his copper brown hair and hazel eyes. He has a very good physique because he's a doctor so he needs to be a good example. He doesn't smoke and he occasionally drinks. I actually met him about a year ago when I was rushed in the hospital for some stitches I needed in my head. I got involved in a car accident before and that's all in the past. I don't want to remember anything about it.
"So, how was the great love Ethan Jennings? Is he still the handsome guy who takes your breath away?" He sarcastically asked. I stood up and walked to him at the kitchen counter. This is how he gets jealous.
"He's fine, Michael. He just hates me, you know. He hates me to the core." Then something heavy in my chest is starting to build up. I grabbed my coffee and tried to divert the topic.
"So, I remembered suddenly that you are in need of a good back massage. We can go to that Thai spa center near the law firm. They are amazing." He smiled and that's his way of assuring me that he understands that I don't really wanna talk about Ethan.
Because Ethan kills me.
"I'll take a shot of that Thai massage, but make sure to visit the hospital. Your health is deteriorating. The last time they checked on you was two months ago. Your migraine that time was still mild but now it drastically progressed." He loves lecturing me about my health issues. Thank goodness he doesn't know about my smoking habits. It would drive him insane.
He pulled out a plate and laid in there my toasts. He spread butter on them and dusted it with cinnamon powder. I smiled at him and he know that it's my favorite.
"You and your calories, Atty. Park." He said and he sat with me to read news on his iPad. Like me, he also reads the Huffington Post. He's a news freak as well. I guess we developed the same habits.
"What's wrong with my calories, huh? I'm only 60 kilos and I'm 5'8" so that's basically on BMI." He giggled.
"I know, silly girl." I don't really know why i can't wholeheartedly offer my love to him. Ethan and the btch of a fate wasted me. I should really give Michael a shot but how? I don't know where to start. He doesn't even give labels in our relationship but he's better than a boyfriend but lesser of a husband. He takes good care of me and I really appreciate it, but Ethan shakes my heart. Michael can't do that.
"Oh, tell Christine that she can do her internship at our hospital. The nursing staff are short so tell her that i will vouch for her. Tell her to give me a call." I smiled at him.
The thing is, even if he cares for my sisters, they still think that Ethan was my best boyfriend. Their bond with Ethan is different. He treated them like his sisters and they sometimes go out without me. I remember one time my sister Annie got this cheerleading practice and Ethan was the one who drove her there and waited until she finished.
Ethan just marked in my life.
"I will call her at the office. She will love it." I replied.
The difference between them is that Michael will be part of the wolf pack but Ethan will come back leading them. He got this different personality that attracts everyone. They love him for his adorable personality. He's sweet and very thoughtful. He can win everyone's hearts. He once won my father's heart but now he can't.
And he will never be.
"Tell her to do it quickly. There are too many people applying in the hospital. I'm only giving her a week to grab this opportunity and after that it's gone. It will be difficult to find a spot for her." He's always this organized. That's another factor why i like him.
But I'm Ethan's flightless bird.
Enough with the penguins, Aria. He found his flightless bird and I have nothing.
I showered for fifteen minutes just thinking about how Ethan responded to everything Jessica does. His gestures towards her just killed me. I can't witness the things he loves doing to her. Those sweet little things i used to have are now hers and I can't take them back. I lied on the shower floor with the shower still on, just thinking about the things we wasted and lost.
I have so much to tell him and now it's too late.
"Aria! Are you okay? You still have to do you makeup thing!" Michael shouted outside.
"Yeah! Just washing my long hair thoroughly!" I replied back.
That's another thing that i like about Michael. He cares a lot. He cares for everything. He wants me to be always on the good side. He never influenced me to do anything reckless. Just like me, he's studious. I guess it's because we're both in difficult careers that's why understand each other. It takes one to know one.
He knows me.