Chapter 27

I think the chapter is very long...I'm sorry.

Ethan's POV

"Ta-da" hearing Lauren's voice, I turned around from the window to look at her.

She stood in front of me wearing a bright smile with a steaming coffee in her hand.

Unbuttoning my suit jacket, I sat at the desk and she placed the cup in front of me.

"Here is your coffee." She sang in her happy voice.

"Why are you so cheery today?" I spoke sipping the coffee.

"Can't I be happy?" she shrugged her shoulders.

"Ah, wait. I think I know the reason." I leaned forward placing the coffee cup on the desk.

"Is it? what did your little brain come up with." She smirked folding her hands.

"I at least have a brain, unlike someone," I smirked back at her and she returned a scoff.

"I think the reason you are happy is because of a kiss from certain someone," I spoke. At the mention of the kiss, Lauren turned red.

"Oh, let me add. Some handsome man." I added.

"You're delusional." She glared at me with a playful glint in her eyes.

"I know I'm right." I smiled at her and she smiled back at me for a tiny moment before changing the topic.

"How is it?" she asked.

"The kiss? It's so tasty like strawberries and also soft-" Although it's true, I started exaggerating my answer just to annoy her and embarrass her a bit.

"No." she whisper-yelled and I inwardly smiled at her reaction.

"What?" I feigned a frown and blinked my eyes innocently.

"The coffee. Is it good?"

I knitted my eyebrows at her unusual question.

She has been making me coffee since she joined here but never asked me that. not even for once. it's like she is too confident in her coffee. Well, her coffee stands out from her other horrible dishes. So, we can say she makes good coffee.

"Why the sudden question?"

When she glared at my question, I answered her.

"It's good. Not the best though." I shrugged sipping my drink.

"Ha, I knew. She was just ruffling me." I heard Lauren's voice whispering to herself.

"What?" I asked wondering who the 'she' I heard of, is.

"Nothing." She quickly waved the topic away.

"I arranged your meeting with Mr Hudson today." She spoke.

The meeting. I didn't know when it slipped away from my mind.

I think it's because of the woman standing in front of me.

When I returned home last night and saw her crying, I didn't know what to do exactly.

I didn't even know how to console her when she said she doesn't deserve good things. If anyone deserves any good, then it has to be her. I would do anything to give whatever my Lauren wants.

My Lauren?

Wait, did I say that?

I winced listening to how cringey it sounded.

Is it because of the rom coms I lately started watching with her? I completely blame her for that cringe.

Moreover. She isn't a possession. Even If I want to, I can't claim her mine.

When I saw her crying in my arms last night, I saw a little baby in her whom I wanted to keep in my arms forever and protect from evil people.

It still baffles me that I don't know what happened last night for her to think that way.

Whatever it is, if she will not tell me the reason, I will find it by myself.

"When is the meeting?" I asked her getting out of my thoughts which are filled with her.

"At three." I nodded.

"I have a lot of work to do. See you later." She walked away giving me a big grin. And I didn't miss the way her eyes sparkled every time she grins.

Once she left, I took my phone out and waited for Tom to pick up the call.

"Yes sir." I heard his usual attentive voice.

"Tom, Did Lauren seem off when you dropped her last night?"

No, sir, she was chatty as usual and even joked about her driving skills."

I nodded in understanding before opening my mouth again.

"Tom, check if anything unusual happened yesterday and also see if she met anyone after you dropped her last night."

"Yes, sir."

***

"So, are we good with the business contract?" I asked Chris.

A long conference table, with ten seats on each side, sat between us.

Lauren awkwardly stood beside me with our business contract files. Her eyes constantly flew between Chris and me.

"Yes." He finally spoke.

Lauren placed the file in front of me before going to the other side of the conference table.

Chris smiled at her when Lauren placed the contract file on the desk in front of him.

She quickly walked back towards me rounding the table.

"I finished my cardio for today." Patting her hand on her forehead and cheeks, Lauren whispered to me.

When she saw my annoyed face, she gave me a shy apologetic smile.

"It was a joke." She whispered.

Once Chris read, he signed the papers and I mirrored his actions.

"It's done," Chris spoke and was about to get up when I interrupted him.

"Wait."

Lauren stared at us both before clearing her throat in understanding.

"Oh, I forgot to make an important call. I'll leave you two." Not a moment later, Lauren disappeared through the door.

Chris folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. Anyone would have been intimidated by that action and his stoic face. Not me.

If we have a one-on-one fight, I might not win it completely. But I'll make sure he will not defeat me.

"What is it?" Listening to his words, I came off my wandering thoughts.

"We have to talk," I spoke and he lifted his eyes only to glare at me.

Should I be afraid of that glare?

I'm sorry, they seemed like a kitten's eyes to me.

"I don't want to." He cut me off harshly.

I visibly scoffed at his audacity.

"I'm talking to you now, only because I promised Lauren. Or else I wouldn't even be here." I leaned back in my seat controlling my rage.

"Ah, there it is. You are talking to me only because you promised Lauren," he stated and the hurt in his voice made me feel guilty for a moment.

"You should have thought about it before sleeping with Olivia."

Olivia...

He fired up at the mention of her.

"If you still think that way about me. you don't deserve my answer." His eyes had a mixed emotion of fury and sadness.

Listen to him, once Ethan. You don't know the whole story. Lauren's words replayed in my mind.

He was about to get up from his seat when I spoke.

"Why?" I asked afraid of his answer.

"What why?"

"What exactly happened that day?" That topic still hurt. Not Olivia's part but Chris'.

"And here I thought maybe you finally opened your eyes and came to your senses."

"Senses? Please do tell me how should I behave with a person like you."

"Person like me? What kind of person do you think I am?" He asked and I got up from my chair and stood.

"A person who doesn't have any friendship or relationship values." My answer ruffled his feathers harshly.

"Mind your words, Ethan," he warned.

"What about you? You are still the same bastard as yesterday." He added.

"Look who's talking. Do you think you are any better?" I yelled storming towards him. "You are worse than me. Who sleeps around with just anyone? You don't care about others. A traitor, an assho-"

The series of colourful words flying out of my mouth stopped when I felt his fist connect with my jaw.

"Don't. you. dare." He warned me stressing each word.

"Did you just-? How dare you." my hand didn't waste any time connecting with his face making sure to break his jaw.

And just like that, the usual clean office looked like a storm passed through it with flying papers all around and damaged furniture.

***

I opened my mouth and winced at how my jaw hurt. I'm sure I have a broken lip and fist marks on my face.

Chris is no better than me. I surely did a good job on his face.

After throwing punches at each other till we are satisfied, we finally sat on the floor leaning on the wall, too tired to do anything.

"I was never involved with Olivia." My neck hurt with the speed I turned towards him.

He is sitting beside me on the floor.

"What?"

"That night, she was very drunk and called me. when she told me she is in a bar alone and a man was harassing her, I tried calling you. I even called Ryan but your phones were off. So, I went to the bar myself to drop her home."

I stared at him and my mind went to that night. The night when I saw them both in her room. Kissing.

"I was about to walk away after safely dropping. But she wasn't completely conscious so I walked her to her apartment."

"But I saw you two kissing."

"She grabbed me and kissed me out of nowhere. It wasn't even a kiss." He looked disgusted talking about it.

"Olivia did?"

"Yes. And when I wanted to explain everything, you blamed me. I lost hope when you didn't even give me a chance to speak anything."

I felt hurt, betrayed, angry all at once." My mind wasn't ready to erase that memory.

"Your emotions were justified, Ethan. But your reasons for not listening to me were harsh." He stressed his words.

"I tried to clear everything, but you didn't even glance in my direction at least once." He spat the words.

"I was alone. I felt lonely, I felt betrayed." I tried justifying myself.

It was better than realising that I'd been wrong all the way.

"What about me? You at least had Ryan but I didn't have anyone." He scowled at me.

"Ryan was always there for you." I reminded him.

"But he also believed that I was involved with Olivia. That I betrayed you two." The hurt and pain are evident in his voice. "It just broke my trust, even more, when you both started watching me as a traitor when I didn't even do anything."

My mind felt giddy and my throat felt dry with all the emotions flooding inside me.

How could I be so delusional?

But when I saw them together with my own eyes, I didn't search for any other reason to protect our friendship.

I was harsh to Chris.

I should have just listened to him that day.

If I would, how different these past years would have been?

What am I going to do now?

"I'm sorry." I finally spoke and my eyes felt moist at the mistake I made which affected many people.

He smiled for a moment before turning his head towards me.

"For what?" He asked me looking ahead.

"For everything."

My heart felt lightweight after the apology but also heavy looking at my mistake.

He smiled at me for a moment and I returned the gesture.

"I didn't know, you could apologize," he spoke lightly and it reminded me of the old days.

Although, Ryan was the joker of the gang. Chris also had a weird sense of humour.

"I tend to do that a lot after marriage." I laughed and he smiled in return.

"I met Lauren in Milan. She kind of cheered me up when I'm down." He spoke with a soft smile.

"She tries to do that with everyone," I spoke.

"I think that's the best quality of hers." He mused and I couldn't agree more.

We shared a silent minute before opening my mouth again.

"It wasn't the same without you."

He frowned and I sighed explaining what I meant.

Ryan and I, although never expressed, we missed those days a lot. We missed you. I missed how I could talk to you every time some trouble comes up." I looked down.

He nodded at my answer.

The guilt I had started easing up slowly maybe because I had accepted it.

The dynamic didn't change drastically between us. The awkwardness and the pain still exist. But the blows on each other's faces and the honest talk after years overshadowed them.

We stayed in comfortable silence for a bit more when the office door suddenly opened.

"Lauren called me telling me about you two and I m so happy-" Ryan stopped talking when he saw us on the floor with bruises on our faces and at the condition of the office.

"Wait- no. wrong timing." He widened his eyes foreseeing his future for a moment and turned around.

"Wait." Chris stopped him.

"I'm angry at him too. Why is his face so clean?" Chris stood up slowly walking toward Ryan and I couldn't hold my laugh when I saw Ryan's face.

***

I looked down clearly annoyed with Lauren's stare. She looked around the office staring at us three who sat at each corner.

After a few minutes of her interrogation on how we ended up here, she finally calmed down.

"What are you? Children?" Hearing her voice, I looked up at her still concern-stricken face.

"Look who's talking," Ryan smirked from the corner and Lauren glared at him.

"At least I don't fight till I get bruises." She glared at us three.

"Wait, why do your faces look like clowns, but his face is so clean," Lauren asked me and Chris, pointing at Ryan.

"He has a shoot tomorrow." Chris scoffed at Ryan's smirk.

"Don't be so sad. They made sure to hurt other parts except for my face." I snickered listening to Ryan.

"Now I'm happy." Lauren sighed playfully.

I smiled at how Lauren and Ryan never miss a chance to pull each other's legs. They are so snappy to each other, but I think it's just their way of communication.

"I swear she is literally the worst person. You both suit each other so well." Ryan mumbled to me and I just ignored him but Lauren made sure to stab him ten times with her glare.

Lauren helped us clean our wounds.

While Ryan continued talking to me about many things, I watched Chris laugh at something Lauren said.

That unconsciously brought a smile to my face.

***

We are currently sitting in a bar which has been a hanging spot for the three of us back in the day.

The place never had many customers. It was a small place with limited facilities, so naturally, no one showed interest in hanging out there.

"To be frank, I was scared I would never see you two together again," Ryan spoke downing his drink.

"Man, don't make us sound like lovers who got back together." Chris made a disgusted face.

"Please, I am married. Exclude me." I joked.

"Like I am interested in you. Sorry to disappoint but I'm more into women." Chris shrugged and I scoffed.

"Pity, you both could make a good couple." Ryan butted in.

"Shut up"

"Shut up, Ryan." Chris and I spoke at the same time.

Ryan just rolled his eyes at us and we continued drinking.

"I haven't visited this place after that incident." Chris started.

"I never did too," I spoke.

Sipping my drink, I looked around the place and many shared laughs, each other's annoying moments flashed in front of me.

"I did." We turned towards Ryan.

"I regularly visited this place whenever I needed a drink. Although it wasn't the same without you both, this place alone had many memories of us which always made me feel better." Ryan added looking at us.

"I should have listened to you rather than jumping to conclusions." My guilt made it hard to enjoy the moment.

"You should have." Chris glared at me playfully.

"I'm sorry."

"But I would have done the same thing if I were in your place. So don't bring that up again, Ethan. I think we held enough grudges for a long time."

Looking at Chris, I smiled at him and he returned the gesture.

"Kiss, Kiss. Kiss." Ryan whisper-cheered trying to hide his smile and annoying us to our peak.

Ignoring him, Chris and I continued drinking our drink.

"Guys, you both missed a chance. I mean I would have kissed either of you in a heartbeat." Listening to Ryan, Chris stomped his glass down harshly.

"Ok. I'll stop now." Ryan raised his hands in surrender.

"Remember once we had a drinking competition and Ryan puked when he couldn't take alcohol anymore." After a bit of comfortable silence, I opened my mouth.

"Remember when I cleaned that puke with your shirt," Ryan smirked at me.

"Remember when Chris beat you to death for puking in the first place." I hit back and Chris laughed.

Ryan too had a small smile on his face.

"Why don't we have a drinking competition again?" Chris asked us excitement evident in his voice.

"I'm in. Don't worry my alcohol tolerance has raised its bar." Ryan spoke first.

"Sure." I finally answered.

"We should have included Lauren in the contest." Chris joked and my eyes couldn't widen anymore.

My little Lauren will create havoc just by drinking two drinks. I can't imagine what will happen if she participates in a drinking contest.

"No."

"No." This time, Ryan and I answered at the same time.

Looking at our reaction, Chris snickered.

"So, ready?" I asked and they nodded their heads.

***

After losing the track of the number of bottles we ordered, my consciousness is slowly slipping away but I am hell-bent on winning.

Surprisingly Ryan survived the booze and Chris was the first to lose among us.

Clinking our glasses together, Ryan and I chugged our drink down.

"I don't think I can drink anymore." I slurred.

Chris is almost passed out laying his head on the counter.

"I know I am going to win." Ryan giggled like a teenager raising his glass.

Just to contradict his statement, I filled our glasses again for the nth time.

After two more rounds "I think I'm sick." Ryan rushed out naturally making me a winner.

Triumphantly I chugged the last glass and my eyes are slowly dropping.

When Lauren's drunk face flashed in my mind for a split second, I searched my phone with the sudden urge to talk to Lauren.

Drumming my fingers on the counter I waited for her to pick up my call.

"Finally, I thought you are never going to come back. I didn't call you to not disturb you, but you could have called me. Don't you?" Lauren's angry voice filled my ears.

I could imagine her controlling her annoyed expression right now.

"Moreover, do you even know what time it is?" I looked out and it is pretty dark. Maybe it's night. I laughed at my ridiculous thought.

"Hello?" she asked me unsure.

"Ethan?" she repeated.

"Don't tell me you got kidnapped or something." Her panic is evident in her voice.

"Lately, you've been watching a lot of crime." Anyone could guess how drunk I am by my slurry.

"Ethan, are your drunk?" I nodded my answer with a smile.

"Yes," I answered when I realized she couldn't see my nod.

"What? Where are you right now." I could hear some shuffling from the other side.

"Far. Very far away." I answered placing my chin on my palm.

"But not too far away from your heart," I added quickly.

"Ew, man." Chris raised his head just to make a gagging face at my answer before quickly going back to sleep.

"Wow, you are drunk." Lauren laughed at my answer.

"I know."

"Ethan, where are you three?" Lauren asked me again and this time I answered the bar address which I could remember partially.

Lauren stayed silent for two minutes.

"Why did you stop talking?" I asked her pouting and my eyes started getting heavy.

"What?" she asked me quite taken aback.

"Talk to me. I like it when you talk a lot. I like listening when you talk." I stood up from my stool and walked out to enjoy the cold breeze.

"You like it?" Lauren's voice filled my ears.

"Hmm."

"The way you look at me, or the way your eyes twinkle when you smile, or the way you tuck your hair when you're nervous. I like them a lot, Lauren. I like everything about you, my sweet potato." The words I always wanted to say to her, slipped out of my mouth.

When she didn't talk anything, I thought she hung up.

"You are drunk, you don't know what you're talking about." Her voice suddenly sounded sad.

"Lauren, I am drunk. But I know what I am talking and I meant everything I said."

Well, I never forgot what I did on my drunk nights. It is kind of advantageous.

"Wait for me. I'm coming." that was the last thing I heard before hanging up my phone and didn't even realise when sleep won against me.

***

Ryan's POV

When my stomach didn't hurt anymore, I walked out of the restroom after cleaning myself up.

Never doing the drinking contest again. My mind still felt kind of heavy.

When my phone rang, I answered it without looking at the screen.

"Hellooo." I slurred.

The other person stayed silent for a moment listening to my tone.

"Mr Parker, I'm sorry to call you up this late. But I have something important to share." Replied a voice, which I could recognise anytime.

Eva's soft but commanding voice filled my ears.

"Ms Harris." I sighed and smiled at the same time.

"Yes."

"Your case trial is arranged on the first of the coming month, which is the day after tomorrow. You have to attend the trial." She spoke monotonously.

When she talks, she reminds me of Ethan and Chris a lot. They have bossy tones.

But, In a way, I think she is more similar to Ethan for many unknown reasons, I don't know why.

Maybe it's just my drunk mind finding similarities.

"Ms Harris. Why did you reject me?" it would be a lie if I said her rejection didn't hurt me a lot.

More than my pride, something else in my heart hurt tremendously.

"Mr Parker, I think you're drunk. I'll call you later."

"Wait." I quickly slurred afraid she will cut the call.

"Yes?" she spoke unsure.

"Was I not good enough for you or what?" I asked desperate to know the reason.

"You asked me the question during our first meeting. You don't even know me," she spoke this time timidly.

"I'm not asking your hand for the marriage, Ms Harris, that I should know everything about you. I'm asking just for a date to get to know you better." I swear I use better words when I am drunk.

Maybe because drunk words come from the heart.

"What about a bet?" if I win, go on a date with me. Just one." I suggested when she stayed silent.

"Fine." she finally spoke trying to sound casual.

"What's the bet?" she asked me confused.

"If I win this case trial, go on a date with me. If I lose, I'll back off." My eyes are heavy but I still waited eagerly for her answer.

"Don't you think the odds against it are favourable for you? I'm in your legal team. Of course, you're going to win the trial. Don't you think it's unfair for me?" She complained.

"Who said I wanted the bet to be fair?" I giggled.

"Get ready for our date, Ms Harris. Good night." I quickly hung up to not hear her complaints anymore.

I just want to meet her and talk to her for once. Not the attorney Eva but just Eva. I don't know I kind of felt attracted to her the first time I saw her.

If she doesn't want to do anything with me even after the date, I'll leave her alone.

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