Chapter 10: Intentionally and Accidentally

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True to what he said to himself, he seriously pursued her, he will go to the cafe anytime at any day and will bring anything that he thinks she may like. A trinket, a cap, a notebook with a pretty design, sometimes food, like a burger, a pizza - anything. Though she is still not warming up faster than he likes, at least she politely say her thanks and not throwing the things that he gave her - a plus point on his book considering that all he got prior to this was either a scowl, a frown or a complete silence. Right now, he still doesn't know what to do in order to have a proper conversation with her.

He is walking briskly when he saw her walking at the other side of the street with light steps and a merry face, the same one she is wearing on that Saturday when he first saw her, and it is a Saturday today. He smiled to himself upon seeing her, he decided to follow her wherever she will go, hoping she will not catch him doing so, otherwise, he will receive one of her signature scowl. He crossed the street and discreetly followed her, making sure he maintains their ten-feet gap.

He followed her until they are near the park where he initially met her. They are both at the crossroad waiting for the light to turn green for them to be able to cross, he then decided to stand nearer unnoticeably. The green light then turned green when out of nowhere a speeding car made a sudden turn towards the street that they are about to cross, shouts of people were suddenly heard, and he reacted faster than he ever thought possible and pulled her towards him for the car will hit the throngs of people in front of him. Good thing though that the car swerved slightly and the people reacted fast so no one where directly hit by it. Curses heard everywhere and he found himself underneath the very woman he saved, though roughly, if he may say.

"Are you okay?" He asked her and blue eyes met hazel eyes.

---

Ellie is walking with light steps while basking under the sun, she loves the warmth it is giving off. It is her day off, so she decided to go to the park like she always does, for her mind wanted not to see him, a complete opposite of what her heart really desires.

She's at the crossroad waiting for the light to turn green, unaware of her surroundings for her mind still wanders to the man whom she is presently avoiding. She started walking with other people as the green light was turned when shouts were heard and somebody pulled her away from a speeding car. It happened so fast that she was rendered immobile, and she only recovered when somebody shook her asking if she is okay, and found herself on top of the very same man she's been avoiding. The man with the bluest eyes she had ever seen.

---

Ethan was suddenly alert for she is only staring at him as if in trance. He shook her again and asked one more time.

"Hey, are you okay? Are you hurt?" He then proceeded to check her head for any bumps or blood, fearing she may have hit her head when they toppled over.

He noticed she is shaking her head, so he stopped what he is doing and grasp her shoulders, urging her to look at him.

"You're not hurt?" He asked to be sure whether her action signifies that she is fine or the other way around. He breathe a sigh of relief when she answered while looking at him with her mesmerizing hazel eyes.

"No, I am not hurt, I am fine, just a little shaken."

"Can you stand up?" He asked and helped her stand when she nodded. He just noticed that many fell on the sidewalk because of the car, some are helping other people while others are calling help for the people who had been hurt.

"Are you really alright? Do you need to go to the hospital? I think we need to go to the hospital to better check on you." He said in succession which she denied but he easily led her to the taxi he flagged down, maybe she is too shaken to fight him with his decision.

They were immediately assisted at the emergency room where they found out that she had scraped her knee and she had some bruises. He also suffered a scraped arm and some bruises to his side from when they fell but otherwise no fracture or head injury as shown by the x-ray film. She kept quiet the whole time while they were being treated, though he doesn't know whether it's from shock because of what happened or if she already put her mask against him.

When the doctor released them with prescription and other instructions and he paid the bills, he led her outside, she is still quiet which is making him quite nervous.

"Are you really sure you are okay? Because I think you are not." He said to her with voice slightly irritated and brows furrowing. She didn't react with what he said so he took her shoulders and slightly shook her. He cupped her face and urged her to look up at him, what he saw made his heart clenched - she is silently weeping. He felt remorseful for what he did and gathered her in his arms and comforted her, all the while whispering at her head.

"I'm sorry I shouted darling. It's okay, everything is fine. You're okay." His words made her cry even more, so he ushered her in one of the benches where he let cry on his shoulders until her cries became hiccups.

---

Ellie couldn't believe what happened back there at the street. She experienced a life and death situation, yes, it can be treated as minor compared to disasters, but being hit by a car even in your dream is frightening much more in reality, isn't it? And being saved from that life-threatening event by someone you do not want to see and been avoiding several times is rather ironic, isn't it? What could've happened if he wasn't there at that time? Can somebody did what he had done or will she just be a number from the statistics of people whose life had been taken by a reckless driver? Her thoughts made her shudder and she felt someone rubbing her arm up and down.

Reality came crashing back and she found herself at the hospital. She can vaguely remember him asking if she is okay and she kinds of remember that she refuses to be treated at the hospital.  A question popped up into her mind. How will she pay for the expenses when it so happens that all she got in her wallet is a five-dollar bill?

She wanted to speak out loud but the doctor already came and started talking. He checked her for any injuries and found some bruises and a scraped knee, things she only noticed just now. The nurse treated her wound and she was brought to the radiology department to undergo a series of x-rays where no fractures where found - a good thing. She knows she answered every questions that the doctor asked her but she knows that she is in a dream-like status because she is screaming at her head but her mouth is not responding. She can also see and hear the doctor speaking to the man she is with but it is as if she cannot understand every word they are uttering. She just let the people lead her to anywhere they put her into.

After sometime the same man ushered her outside where he said ask her if she is really okay, she wanted to answer but no words came and she suddenly found herself in his warm embrace - she is crying but she didn't noticed. She was ushered by him in one of the benches where she cried in his arms soaking his shirt but he let her until her cries subsided to hiccups. She doesn't know how long she cried. All she knows is that the fear she felt awhile ago came back in full force and so many questions rushed into her mind again.

What if she died? What will her mother do? How will she take it when she is already without a husband to lean on. She didn't fulfilled her dream yet and didn't even had a relationship with anyone. Her debts, their debts, how will her mother pay for it when they don't have any savings to cover it all?

She is thankful for the man let her weep in his arms while comforting her with words. Words that is muffled by her hair. His presence already comforted her as it is and him being there for her is more than enough.

---

Ethan let her cry some more until all her tears dried up. He is thankful she cried for it means she is already back, her eyes awhile ago seems empty, like she retreated to the deepest recesses of her mind and it made him frightened. He already heard that some people went to depression or went out of their mind because of severe trauma, and what she experienced can be considered as one. When he is sure that she stopped crying, he let go and cupped her tear-drenched face in his hand and looked into her eyes.

"Darling, are you okay?" He asked again, now more gentle than how he said it before she cried. He waited patiently with bated breath until she nod her head and speak.

"Yes, I am fine. Thank you." Her words came as a whisper but he will take that other than the silence she demonstrated inside the hospital.

He released the breath he had been holding when she spoke up and wiped the lone tear that escaped her eye.

"Are you sure?" He asked again to confirm.

"Yes." She answered with a nod for emphasis.

"Good. You scared the hell out me back there darling." He said with a smile, one which she return back.

"Where do you stay? I will take you home. You're still quite shaken." He thought she will not answer but she did, maybe she is still really shaken as it is.

They went to a pharmacy first to buy the medicines prescribed and bought some food at the convenience store they passed by before she lead the way towards her apartment. She live on the second floor, in an old building, two blocks away from the cafe. He was the one who opened the door for she cannot insert the key to the lock with how shaky her hand is. He ushered her to the chair inside.

"I will raid your kitchen for the utensils okay?" She nods at what he said.

He took out the necessary utensils and brought it to her. He let her drink water first before he offered the food he bought which she ate without any leftover. He stayed some more time before he decided to go, making sure that she is okay and she understood the instructions he said in taking the medicine. He already stood up and walking towards the door when she caught his hand and said in a quiet and pleading voice. Something that with any other female, will appeal as an invitation to do something that only adults do. Since he didn't respond the first time she said it, he heard her say it again, her hazel eyes now looking intently at him.

"Can you stay?"

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