Chapter 38 Could he do that?

Rachel's POV

My eyes widened when I saw what David was about to do. He wanted to hit Marina!! Before I could do anything, the man standing beside Ethan had rushed to the front and held David's hands.

"How dare you try to hit a woman?" He said angrily, protecting Marina from David's gaze before shoving his hands down.

I felt a surge of gratitude towards the stranger, but it was quickly replaced by my own anger and outrage.

How dare David try to hurt Marina like that?! I marched towards him, my heart racing with fury.

"You disgust me!" I spat, my hand raised before I even realized what I was doing. I slapped him hard across the face, the sound echoing through the room.

David's eyes widened in shock, his cheek red and stinging.

"You...I'll..." he started, but Ethan cut him off.

"What would you do?" He asked, coming to stand in front of me, glaring at David. His huge body hid mine completely, shielding me from David's piercing gaze. I looked around for Marina and found her staring at Ethan's friend's broad back, which blocked her view.

"Marina, are you okay?" I asked, coming to stand beside her, checking her for any injuries. "I'm fine, I'm fine..." Then she leaned closer to me, her voice tuned to a low whisper.

"Who is he?" She whispered, gesturing to Mark.

That was true. I had absolutely no idea who the man was.

"I don't know, this is the first time I'm seeing him."

"Rachel, you raised your hand at me!" David yelled, as soon as he got over the shock. I flinched a bit at the loudness of his voice.

Damn... This was the most angry I had ever seen him.

"Don't speak to my girlfriend in that manner, that's if you still want your tongue," Ethan threatened in a calm tone. But anyone could tell that it was not a threat.

I felt butterflies in my stomach when Ethan called me his girlfriend. Heat rose to my cheeks, I instantly bent my head low to hide it.

"Let's just go, David... People are starting to gather," Lana, who had been quiet all this while, finally spoke up, tugging at David's suit jacket.

"Let go of me. Can't you see that... that... that bitch slapped me!" He yelled at Lana roughly, removing her hands from his jacket, and Lana flinched in fear. Even Lana couldn't handle his anger.

"You... You, Rachel..." He pointed at me behind Ethan, his tone threatening. "You brought these two... these two lowlives to threaten me, Rachel, including this wretched friend of yours..."

"Don't call her names," Ethan's friend said in a menacing tone. Wow... He was scary. I looked at Marina, and she was lost, gazing at his back. I would really have to talk to Ethan later about who this friend of his was.

"Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough, David? I think it's best you leave before I make you," Ethan's voice turned cold as he ordered David.

Could he do that?

"Can he do that?" Marina asked the question in my mind. I just shrugged. We had only just begun to know each other again... It felt like, despite all those years we spent together in high school, I had no idea who he was and he was not ready to open up to me.

"I'll be back..." David said with a glare before he left the place, with Lana running after him. Mark turned around to look at Marina, who was still staring at him. Immediately she caught his eyes, a blush appeared on her face.

... This was the first time I was seeing Marina blush for a guy! He held her shoulders so he could take a good look at her.

"Hey... Are you alright?" He asked, his voice filled with concern. He was the perfect gentleman, gently turning her around to check for any scratches. Marina shook her head, her face turning even redder.

A smile unconsciously appeared on my cheeks.

"Mark, keep Marina company. Rachel, come with me," Ethan said before I could respond to him. He held my hand, dragging me away from Marina and the man he called Mark.

"We'll talk later" I murmured to Marina who nodded before Ethan dragged me away from them. He dragged me out of the house and down to the garden before I succeeded in removing my hands from his.

"Ethan, what is it?" I yelled, refusing to move any longer.

"I should be asking you. What was David doing with you?" What? Did he just ask me that?

"How am I supposed to know that he was going to be here? I'm just as surprised as you are, I didn't even know you were coming" I yelled back at him.

What was wrong with him? Ethan let out a long sigh, running his hands through his hair.

"I'm sorry, I'm just... That David just got on my nerves."

"If he got on your nerves, imagine how he made me feel... I felt like strangling that bastard when he almost slapped Marina."

"I almost had a heart attack when I saw his hand raised to hit Marina... Thank God for your friend, who saw it on time."

But then it hit me. Ethan was much closer to David than his friend, so he could have stopped him but he didn't.

"Wait a minute, Ethan..." I walked up to him, looking at him closely.

"You could've stopped David before your friend did. Why didn't you?"

I shook my head hoping that Ethan would deny it.

Ethan's expression changed, and he looked away, his jaw clenched. "What are you talking about, Rachel?"

He didn't deny it... Instead he's trying to feign ignorance!

"Don't play dumb, Ethan. You were much close to David than your friend... What was his name again... Yeah, Mark. You could have stopped David from trying to hit Marina, but you didn't. You let your friend do it instead."

Ethan sighed and rubbed his temples. "Rachel, it's not what you think. I didn't need to stop David because Mark was already handling the situation."

I crossed my arms, unconvinced. "That's not an excuse, Ethan. You should have stopped him, no matter what. But you didn't, because you still hate Marina don't you?"

Ethan's eyes snapped back to mine, his face tense. "What are you talking about, Rachel? I don't hate Marina."

But I just laughed, a bitter sound.

"Don't lie to me, Ethan. She was the worst to you back then in school, actually I wouldn't blame you if you still hate her. But seriously, what if your friend wasn't there? Huh? You would've just watched David hit my best friend? "

Ethan's face darkened, and he took a step closer to me.

"That's not true, Rachel. And even if it was, don't you think I've changed? Don't you think I've grown up since high school? "

He indeed have changed. No more glasses, just a hot face and body.

"I may dislike Marina but I don't hate her, most especially because she cares for you. How can I hate someone who cares for you? " He asked making my heart beat faster.

I shook my head, my heart racing.

Why was he talking like this?

Despite the weather was cold outside, I felt hot... Really hot especially with that gaze Ethan was using to look at me.

It was doing things to me...

Ethan took few steps closer to me and I gulped.

He was getting too close to me.

" Ethan... I".

" I didn't help Marina because I knew Mark would handle it, plus I don't hate her, because she's your friend". He said in a low hoarse voice.

My stomach churned as I heard his voice, the voice I was so accustomed to hearing daily for the past one month.

This was the first time I was seeing him face since I left one month ago...

He looked a bit more... Manly.

His face now had hair by his mouth, though just a stubble but it made him look even more hotter.

I felt Ethan's big hot hands on my chin as he raised my head to look up to him.

Our gazes met and his beautiful blue eyes pulled me in. Revealing countless emotions, but like always I was not able to name any one.