56| Sweet Confessions

For a moment, both Ethan and Althea stayed still in that position. She had no idea why she just hugged him like that but she felt safe all of sudden. For some reason, she felt like he was the only one who will search for her, and he did. He came for her.

Slowly, she parted away from him, their eyes still locked together. Ethan lowered her down on the ground but his hand still remained around her waist.

"Let's go." Ethan said and laced his fingers with her.

They both walked forwards hand in hand, into the dense trees, until Ethan stopped at a particular point.

"What happened?" Althea asked.

"I forgot the way." Ethan said and she gasped.

"What do you mean you forgot? Didn't you put a sigh or something?" She asked.

"No." Ethan huffed anxiously. "I was worried about you so I forgot to do that."

"Wow. What a knight in a shining armour you are!" Althea said and walked forwards into one of the pathway.

"Where are you going?" He ran behind her and that's when he noticed her limping. "What happened to your foot?"

"I fell down." She said.

"Let me see." Ethan stopped her by gripping her hand.

"It's okay. I am fine. Let's find a way out." She responded.

"No. Let me check first. What if you have some serious injury?" Ethan guided her to a nearby fallen tree and helped her sit on its horizontal bark.

He carefully pulled the slippers out of her feet and inspected the area. "Ouch." Althea winced as he put a little pressure on it.

"It looks a little swollen. Let's stay here and wait for help." He said and slid the slippers back in her feet. While doing so, his eyes remained fixated on her legs. She definitely had the sexiest legs he had ever seen, not that the rest of us was any less.

"No thanks. I just had a one on one meeting with a monster cockroach. I'd rather find my way back." She replied.

"Don't be stubborn, Thea, unless you want to get lost in denser part of the jungle. Someone will come to find us soon." Ethan said.

"Fine, but I am not waiting here. Let's find a safer area." She said and stood up, with Ethan following her. They walked for some five minutes after which they found a plain area surrounded by trees.

Ethan took off his shirt and spreaded it on the ground to make some place for Althea. Then, he sat down beside her and stretched his arms to relieve exhaustion.

"You didn't have to take off your shirt, show off." She commented as she adjusted on that spot.

"I didn't want to listen to you complain about the ground for five minutes." Ethan replied. "By the way, what were you doing here in this jungle?"

"I... I just wanted some time alone." She replied.

Ethan watched as her beautiful face lost color suddenly. He has been looking at her since childhood but she still manages to take his breath away. And the fact that she was wearing a bikini covered by a poncho didn't help either. Breathtaking would be a small word for her.

"And why is that?" He asked.

"I just thought nobody will notice." She said in a gloomy voice, hidden behind her fake confidence.

"And who fed you this bullshit? Didn't you hear what I said? I was looking for you everywhere." Ethan said, scooting closer to her.

"But you shouldn't have. Wasn't everyone feeling better without me? I am sure your girlfriend liked my absence." Althea replied sourly.

"Cindy? Is it about her?" Ethan asked and Althea shook her head in no. "Thank God because Cindy isn't even---" He stopped himself before he could reveal the truth.

"She isn't what?" Althea asked.

"Nothing." Ethan said.

"Tell me Ethan, what is it that you both are hiding? Did you impregnate her or something?" Althea exasperated.

"No. She..." He contemplated about telling her the truth. "She isn't what you think she is."

"She isn't straight?" Althea asked and Ethan's eyes widened.

"Did you know?" Ethan asked with his jaw hung low.

"No. But I saw her sitting with Olive last night. The way her cheeks was flushed, I figured she might be bisexual or something." Althea said. "Wait? Did you just ask me how did I know? Does that mean you know as well?"

"I... Um... She isn't bi. She is gay. She likes girls." Ethan sighed.

"What?" Althea shouted.

"We were never in a relationship. This was just a deal we made." He said.

Hearing this, rage blinded her and all she could see was red. How could he play with her like that? Every time she saw them together, it was hell for her but for him, it was just a stupid deal. Did he like her misery? Was her state somehow enjoyable to him?

"You fucking liar!" She roared and stood up in anger.

"Althea, where are you going?" Ethan followed her as she started walking.

"Away from you. You are such a hypocrite, Ethan. You let me believe you are in a fake relationship for so many months." Althea screamed back.

"Althea listen," Ethan kept running behind her. "She needed my help. Her parents are strictly homophobic. She needed a fake boyfriend."

"And what did you get in return?" She stopped in her tracks and asked. "Tell me."

"I wanted to show you that I can be in a relationship." Ethan replied in voice thickened with guilt.

"Can you? Because for your kind information, the only relationship you have ever been is a disgusting lie." Althea growled.

"It's because of you. If you have given me a chance---"

"You don't deserve a chance, Ethan." Althea said.

"Just---"

Their words got caught in their throats when they heard a loud roar nearby. Both of them jumped in their spots and moved closer.

"Shit." Ethan muttered under his breath and locked his hands around Althea's wrist.

"I am not going anywhere---" He stopped her by placing his hand over her mouth. Althea tried to free herself but Ethan went behind her and picked her up by her waist.

"Wherrarhwjyoutakinnme"

"Ssshhh." He said and pulled her to a dark corner surrounded by trees. He then led her down and pinned her against a tree, with his hand still covering her mouth.

"I want to live a long life, princess. So stay quiet." He said and slowly pulled his hand away. If looks could kill, he would have been six feet under the ground by then.

They heard another howl but it was coming from a distance this time.

Althea angled her neck to check if any animal was coming this way and then turned to face Ethan. "Leave me. If I am going to die tonight, I don't want to die in the arms of a liar."

"A liar? That's what I am? After loving you for years, that's the only name you have for me." Ethan said, caging her in between himself and the tree.

Althea's heartbeat quickened as he stared into her eyes with so much passion. "You love me? Well, so does half the Majesty High. Get in line." She snapped back.

"No, they don't love you." He seethed. "They love this perfect version of you. They love your beauty; I love you even when you are wearing rags. They love you because you are always so well-mantained; I love you even when you are throwing a fit or having a break down. They all love you because you are smart, and intelligent, and rich, and classy. But I am the one who is in love with you, Althea Harper. I love you in your best and in your worst. Grow up and open your eyes, I am the right one for you."

By the time he stopped talking, they both were breathing heavily. A silence prevailed between them and both of them kept looking into each other's eyes. The distance between them had somehow decreased to mere inches.

They both had no idea who was the one who diminished the distance between them but soon, they found themselves kissing the other person hungrily.

Ethan cupped her face gently with his hands and kissed her soft, supple lips. She may act like an all-knowing genius but in this case, she was still inexperienced, as evident by her urgent, eager flicks. So he held her by the nape of her neck and took over.

Slowly, he coaxed the entrance of her lips and entered his tongue inside. All the nerves of his body started tingling when their tongues fought against each other for dominance. And for the first time, Althea Harper gave up and let him dominate.

Stopping for a small moment, he picked her up and guided her legs around his waist. The sight of her face dripping with desire urged him to continue what he was doing. He once again kissed her cheeks and then made a path with her lips down to her neck.

As his mouth applied gentle pressure on her neck, Althea threw her head back and sighed in pleasure. She had never let someone go this far with her but right now, she couldn't stop. For the first time in ever, she lost the urge to plan everything and measure the pros and cons of her every action.

"Ethan," she whispered although she didn't know what she wanted to say to him.

"Hmm?" Ethan said and continued kissing the junction of her neck and her shoulder. She smelled heavenly, something that can't be described with words. He had waited his whole life to be this close to her.

"Ethan," she said again.

"What do you want, Althea?" Ethan asked, tracing a pattern on her bare thighs that caused her to shiver. "Tell me what you want and I'll do that. I'll kiss the ground you walk on, I'll worship the air you breathe in. God, I love you so much." He said and once again kissed her.

Althea couldn't think straight because of the way her heart was pumping and her body was heated up. She wanted something but she didn't know what.

"Tell me, do you love me?" He asked, licking her earlobe with the tip of his tongue.

Althea trembled in his hold and tried to speak. "I..."

"Tell me, Thea. Do you feel something for me?" He asked again.

"I... I do." She said and opened her eyes. They both stared into each other's eyes and nothing else mattered at that moment. Once again, Ethan's mouth landed on Althea's and they both kissed each other as if their lives depended on it until....

"Ethan! Althea! Where are you?" They heard a familiar voice from a distance.

"Zachary." Althea said, pulling her face away from him.

"Shit." Ethan said and slowly led her down on the ground.

"Ethan! Althea!" They heard the voice again.

"We are here." Ethan said and they both followed the source of the voice.

A sigh of escape released all of their mouths when Maya and Zachary came face to face with Ethan and Althea. Zachary moved forwards to hug Althea and she hugged him back.

"You scared me, sister." Zachary said, kissing the top of her head.

"I am fine now." She said and her eyes met Ethan's briefly. Both of them gulped the saliva down their throats and looked away.

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A chapter for Ethan/Althea's shipper.

Tomorrow, we will be back to Travis and Zoey and so that I can instill some senses into both of those idiots. It's about time.