Please listen to this song above.

!!

___________

Ethan's heart stopped when he felt her arms lose around his and her body fell out of his arms. His eyes widened as he rapidly grabbed her by her waist in reflex.

Her body jerked forward with a gasp left her mouth and they both stepped back from railing, in each other's arm, breathing heavily.

Ethan backed away a little to just stared at Aria. Her perfect eyes still closed of fear. Her lashes dripping in tears, her lips trembling. Her hands were clutching his shirt by waist.

He knew all along, it was never about this place he was holding himself from, but her. He knew how hard will it be for him to comeback and hold himself back from touching her, kissing her.

The hands which used to held her safely, were wrapped around her in a threatening way just now. But as a light struck him, he composed himself.

The second she let go her hands the fear he felt that moment was indefinable. It was as he lost her already.

"Open your eyes Aria," He was still holding her fragile body close to his heart. As if she'd vanish in air if he let go.

Aria slowly opened her red teary eyes filled with acceptance of her deed. They eyes were full of hate. Hate which she felt towards herself. Which she forced herself on. Her orbs filled with disappointment.

Why wasn't she dead yet?

She scanned around to see she was still standing on her feet.

He didn't push her? But why?

Her puffy eyes stopped at Ethan as she could see how clenched his jaw was. She could feel his uneven heartbeat and storm he was facing but now revealing by his expressions.

"You think I will let you get away from me this easily?" He shook his head and left her from his embrace completely and then stepped back from her.

He forgot what was he here for.

Aria composed herself as she pulled her cardigan on shoulder before she looked back at him.

"You know why I let go of you?" She wiped her tears with her palms. "Because this stupid heart knew you won't let go of me Ethan."

He just watched her with nothing on his face but he could feel the sadness in air.

Why he didn't let go?

He asked himself. The lump in his throat made it hard for him to breathe as he swallowed and stepped forward and turned his gaze no where in particular. His back now facing her.

"Don't be so full of yourself," His voice was sore as he was trying not to cry in front of her.

The clouds started to cover the sky as in nature is feeling their pain by turning blue grey, matching his eyes.

"Just go Aria! before I actually push you from here," His voice hold rage and redness but he kept his back to her so he wouldn't look weak.

"I'll be waiting for you Ethan. I know you'll comeback from wherever you're lost into," Her eyes full of epiphany. "There must be a reason God sent you back here to me."

With that she turned around, grabbed her bag from the concreted floor, which slipped off her shoulder earlier.

Ethan stood in his place waited for her to leave completely. His hands curled in fist, controlling his anger.

With the thud of the door. Ethan cursed loudly 'F*ck' and bang his fist against the railing in anger while ran his other hand through his dark hair.

He was trying to see where he went so weak or maybe he was all along since he started loving her.

°°°°°°

Aria stepped down slowly, her mind still filled with ethan. She couldn't believe he saved her. What's comforting yet hurtful was, she saw fear on his face. The fear she only saw when doctor told her that beth was gone back then.

But it was more than that today. He was deadly scared.

She continued to stepped down but as fate was never by her side she almost slipped on last one but got saved by two strong arms.

She moved her head up to see Nate holding her with crinkled lines of confusion scattered on his forehead. His eyes wide the next second he looked at her red puffy eyes.

"Why are you coming from upstairs?, what- were you crying?, what happened Aria, you okay?" He continued to ask questions one by one to which Aria just smiled which couldn't reached her eyes.

"Nothing in particular. Can you drop me home please?" Aria's body was hurting specially her back.

Nate was about to ask again but he looked behind her as Ethan rushed down with his bag on his shoulder.

The broken look from before was now hidden by smug look he was carrying. Nate knew things were not going well between these two so somehow he felt the very possible reason behind her shattered self.

"You two again together?" It was Ethan who said with a playful face. His anger was completely gone. The emotions which took over him before were lost again somewhere.

The school was empty by the time they both came down so there was no one to see them.

"What the hell did you DO TO HER!" Nate was about to step in anger towards ethan, when aria stepped in between them facing ethan.

"No Nate, don't," she pleaded as her eyes travelled down on Ethan's little bloody knuckles.

She looked back at him with sadness. No matter if he hated her now, she could never think to hurt him and seeing him hurt because of her, broke her heart.

"Your hand is bruised Ethan-" A whisper came out of her throat but audible voice and was about to touched his hand but he stepped back twice with a smirk and shook his head.

"Do not act like you CARE!" Nate was standing behind Aria was just looking at both of them. "Cause if you would've, beth would have been here with us."

And now he's back to his complete opposite self. The darkness of pain had blinded him to see the truth but this was not how things are going to work. Aria eyed him softly.

"And I can do whatever I want with her, DO THE HELL STAY AWAY FROM US!!" He screamed loudly and gaze hard at Nate before turned around and left her again.

Aria knew the anger he just radiated was because of Nate not beth. Somehow his presence worked like a fuel in fire. It didn't before. Nate decided and told Ethan before that they'd just be friends, so it shouldn't trigger him now. He knew well that Nate and aria were just friends.

But it didn't matter to her.

Nate was her friend and she doesn't need to prove it to anyone, if they wanna believe something on their own. Let them. She was tired of proving herself to everyone at this point.

Nate hold her hand which she flinched a little but didn't let go of his hands.

"Come, I'll drop you home."

°°°°°°

Shutting the door behind, I stepped out of my shoes and entered the small lobby of my house. Nate dropped me in his car, though he didn't ask anything about what happened between Ethan and me. Which I appreciated.

The thoughts of what happened were flashing again and again in my head of when i felt Ethan's hold tighten around me when I let go him.

Why did he do that? Why did he make me accept my guilt then saved me too?

When I said 'I knew he'll save me', I didn't mean It. I didn't let go of him because I knew he'll save me. I did I because I saw in his eyes that he won't.

So many questions lingered in her mind when smell of freshly cooked pasta sauce surrounded her body.

A small smiled captured her lips.

Dad was finally home.

He's been working over nights for so long that we couldn't got time together. Sometimes he came after I was asleep and left next morning kissing my forehead before I even wake up.

It hurts me to see he's doing all this because of me. Because of us.

No matter whatever I would do, I couldn't repay for what he has done for me.

I made my way to kitchen with silent steps to see him. He was there standing, wearing the apron and cooking my favorite pasta. I could feel my eyes teared up. God I missed him.

Not wanting to waste a second. I took out my phone and hold it in my hands before clicking some pictures.

He finally looked up because of shutter sound, as he cleaned his hands with the towel.

Since he got to know what I did in my therapy. This was the only time we have faced each other. So much has been going on that I forgot to apologize to him.

God!! I felt so shitty right now.

"Oh you're back, just some more time, it'll be ready-" His sentence cutt off when I hugged him from front tightly.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as he looked down but still couldn't process his daughter's behavior.

"I'm sorry dad, I know you want best for me, so sorry for what happened." My voice cracked as he patted my back. We stayed like that for a couple of seconds before he back away from me calmly and wiped my tears with the pad of his thumbs and passed me a small smile.

"I know you need time Aria and to be honest my day didn't go well without talking to my princess, without you kissing my cheek in the morning." I chuckled and kissed his cheek.

I didn't know but I felt a lot better than before as if a huge weight came off my back. There's one person who I couldn't upset in my life and it's him.

"That's alright but what's this burning smell?" I asked confusingly as his eyes widened and he looked at sauce which was slightly' burned by now.

He turned off the stove and shared a apologetic gaze with me, before the both starting laughing with happy hearts.

"It's okay, Carbonara with a lil burned sauce."

This was what I craved, not the pasta of course but the time we spent together. When his presence made me so carefree of tomorrow.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××