Ethan woke up in a different surrounding and suddenly became nervous. He was about to scamper out of bed when he suddenly remembered everything that happened yesterday, especially the lady's invitation for him to stay the night, one he obviously accepted. Not a first time for him though. But this is the first time that nothing sexual happened, the first time to find himself on the bed, where he slept with a woman and able to kept his clothes on.

He took a deep breath and stayed on the bed for another minute wondering how she will react with finding him in her bed sound asleep. Will she thinks that he took advantage of her situation yesterday? For if she will, it will pose a big problem for him. Considering just only yesterday he was able to speak to her, though due to an unfortunate event.

He kept on pondering what to do before he finally decided to stand up. Took the covers off himself and fixed the bed, then walked out the room and found her in front of the stove, cooking what seems to be a scrambled egg.

He was about to greet her when she suddely spoke without looking up.

"There's coffee and I know that you like one. I am about to finish, so sit and be comfortable."

He took a cup from the cabinet where he saw one while looking for the utensils last night and prepared his coffee as how he likes it. Then took the chair by the table, one that is situated where he can see her directly when she turns. Still watching her cooks while sipping his coffee, he kept his silence, hoping and praying that her face will show how she feels this morning after the events yesterday. Wondering still, if she remembered how he ended up beside her on her bed and what will be her reaction. But as far as the situation goes, she is not mad for she didn't scream when she woke up and is now cooking some breakfast, so it is quite a good sign.

Still quietly sipping the coffee he made for himself, he watched her work in the kitchen and thanked her when she put the plate of buttered toast and scrambled egg in front of him. They ate their breakfast quietly, the sound of utensils the only sound that can be heard. Not being able to take the silence anymore, he asked still with care on his voice.

"How are you feeling?"

He heard her sigh before answering. "I am fine, thank you for asking. Thank you for yesterday and for last night as well."

"Do you remember what happened last night?"

---

Ellie was taken aback by the question, she can say that she did remember but the truth is, her memory of last night is kinda blurry. She almost screamed the house down when she woke up and found herself tucked safely beside him. She spent a good five minutes staring at his profile before she got up calmly, assessed her body and found nothing amiss, except for some bruises and the wound on her knee - the results of yesterday's happening.

She contemplated whether to tell him the truth, that she doesn't have a clear memory of last night or if she will lie and tell him that she did remember and let it go nonchalantly.

Her mind decided to lie but her mouth seems to have a mind of its own and found herself telling him the truth.

"It's blurry actually. I cannot remember everything." She said in an almost whisper.

---

Ethan expected her to lie or to evade his question so he was quite shocked hearing her response that he almost choked what he is chewing.

He coughed to cover it up and stare at the woman he is so interested with, that said woman who still refuses to look at him.

He cleared his throat before he speak. "Do you want to ask me what happened?" His question made her look at him and he bask at the moment when he got to stare at her eyes again that he smiled. He saw her blinked rapidly before she nodded.

"You ask me to stay last night after dinner, you remember that don't you?" She nodded as her answer and he proceeded to narrate everything.

"I know you were already asleep in your room around ten o'clock when I heard you weeping. I thought that you woke up and is just crying but then you screamed so I immediately went inside and found that you are having a nightmare, I comforted you and was about to go when you said not to leave you."

He saw her face go red with shame, and he thinks he heard her say "Oh my God.." while covering her face. She stayed like that for several seconds before she peeked in between her fingers.

"I'm sorry about last night. I didn't know why I had a nightmare, it never happened before." She said after she recovered from being ashamed.

"It's okay. Your nightmare may have happened due to the event yesterday."

"Yeah, maybe. Thank you again for saving me yesterday." She said and continued eating.

"Your eggs are quite good." He said praising her cooking which she answered with a hum.

"Can I get-egg on your face." He said while pointing on his face, indicating there is something on her face.

He frowned when she stared at him with wide-eye. He struggled for a bit thinking as to why she reacted that way, then rerun what he said into his mind and he chuckled.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it came out wrong. It sounds horrible, as horrible as the one I said at the park the first time we met."

She blinked several times then a giggle escaped followed by a hearty laugh, one with tears and all - a first she gave in front of him and he wallowed at the feeling it brought him, like a sunshine after days of storm.

After a good laugh, her's became a chuckle until it subsided into a wide smile.

"Yeah, it really sounds awful, even the one you said before at the park, it's offensive actually." She said with a chuckle.

"I agree and my mom will have my hide if ever she heard or get to know of that."

"So, can we start again?" He asked after sometime which made her confuse. He smiled, his winning smile at her and said and offered his hand.

"Hello, I'm Ethan, Ethan Dominic Anderson, may I know yours?"

"I am Ellie, short for Ellaine Margaux Wilson, nice to meet you." She answered and accepted his proferred hand.

"It is no nice to finally, finally know your name." He said teasingly.

"You mean, you do not know my name even at the cafe? I have a tag you know." She said disbelief evident on her voice.

"Yeah, I actually know there will be a name tag somewhere but I didn't actually notice if you are wearing one."

"Of course I am wearing one, it's stitched on the uniform." She countered his statement with a slight slap on his arm.

"So, are you still studying?" He asked which she answered with a shake of her head.

"What does that mean? No, means you are not studying? Or no, meaning you already finished it?"

"The latter one. I finished my degree in designing, just recently." She supplied the answer though asked indirectly.

"Well, congratulations then. You should celebrate."

"I actually did."

Ethan didn't know what to feel with what she said. It is not bad to celebrate considering she graduated. But what doesn't settle with him is how she celebrated it, was it with friends? At a club? Drinking? All the possibilities are swimming inside his head and he cannot control the doubt to appear in his voice when he asked his next question.

"You did? With whom? Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes, I did celebrate the occasion, though alone, since my mother isn't here. At first, I was enjoying it but then somebody ruined it by commenting something atrocious to how the way I ate my celebratory food." She said it so seriously, but then he saw the mirth twinkling on her hazel eyes that he suddenly gaped at her when realization came.

---

His reaction caused her to laugh again. She never laugh this much for a long time, since she had always been serious with everything, especially with her studies so having a good time with someone other than her mother is quite freeing.

"How about you? What do you do for a living?" She asked him and waited for his reply.

"I am an architect. I came from a family who owns a construction firm. I am the eldest which would mean, normally, that I will inherit the company. Though I care about our business, my heart is caught by architecture and building design, so I already removed myself from the list of candidates who will inherit it and it fell on the shoulders of my youngest brother." He explained lenghtly.

They talked some more about themselves, only the basic one, like family and what they like to do. She found out that he had three brothers and one sister - who is the youngest so they were very protective of her. They like the same movie genre and both love to draw, though it differs as to the focus of the drawing, for he likes buildings and bridges, and her - dresses, but it is quite nice knowing it actually.

"You are not so bad after all." She cannot helped but comment what she found out today about him. He is charming and kind-hearted based on his stories about his family.

"Good to know that your impression of me already changed." He said in a teasing tone which made her frown in confusion. He may have noticed her reaction for he supplied the answer without her voicing it out.

"You are always frowning whenever you see me, especially at the cafe. You always wear your frown or scowl when I am around, even when I am ordering."

"I can write a complain about your behavior towards me actually, you should be nice to me, since I am a regular customer. But alas, what you are giving me is different than what a barista serving her customer, no smile, just a flat out greeting and thank you, there is no jolliness in it." He said though in a serious face and tone, she knows he is joking, especially about the complain, and it made her laugh.

"Well, sorry about that. All I can remember about you was what you have commented at the park and nothing else. Oh, there is, you are a nuisance while I work especially if there are no other customers." She expertly countered his rant.

"Me?! A nuisance?! Me?!" He said in an exaggerated manner and followed it up with a hurt expression.

"You wound me darling, really." Something that made her giggle.

Their banter was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He excused himself and answered it, so she took their empty plates and put it into the sink to wash. He came back after the call and said that he needed to go.

She thanked him again for what he did yesterday and offered to pay him for the bills but he declined it.

They said their goodbye and she wished him well while he reiterated to her about taking the medicine and cleaning her wound, which she readily agreed.

The sound of the door closing made her feeling depressed, for the little time they spent together today, he already occupied a much bigger part inside her heart, something that she didn't wish to happen.