OUTSIDE LYRA'S HOUSE

The boy outside if Lyra's house sighed, he was not bothered of how wet he has gotten due to the rain and how cold it is, but what he was bothered the most is how Lyra acted towards him.

Ethan close his eyes and lowered his head feeling defeated and sighed, " Who am I kidding? Of course she's gonna be mad at me for not visiting or calling her."

"I might as well take my leave now." Ethan sadly said. He was about to turn around when suddenly the front door of Lyra's house opened. Ethan went wide eyed after seeing Lyra. Lyra just stared at him with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Lyra, I- " Before Ethn could even finish what he was going to say Lyra interrupted him, " Come in, I don't want to be the one responsible if you became sick."

" Uhmmm thanks, I guess?" Ethan said unsurely while rubbing the back of his head.

The moment Ethan enters the house, Lyra close the door and said, "Go wash yourself and after that meet me at the kitchen."

"O-okay and Thanks." Ethan said uncomfortably.

AFTER A WHILE

Ethan reach the kitchen and saw that Lyra already prepared some food for them to eat. Ethan take a seat which is across Lyra. They just ate silently with Marill squeaking now and then. As they finish eating, Lyra was cleaning the table and after that she was getting ready to wash the dishes .

"Let me wash the dishes for you." Ethan offered but Lyra just ignored her and started washing the dishes. Ethan just sighed but took his seat waiting for Lyra to finish.

" The room on the left is empty, you can rest there." Lyra said not looking back at Ethan.

" Thanks for the offer, but I'm not sleepy yet and I - I want to talk to you about some stuff." Ethan said gulping, afraid of the response that Lyra would give him. Lyra stop for a moment and sighed, after that she resumed washing the dishes.

' I hope you could forgive me Lyra.' Ethan thought while sighing. " I guess I'll just take a short nap, Lyra's still washing the dishes anyway."

"Hey, wake up." Ethan groaned when he heard a feminine voice.

"Just a few more minutes, Mom." Ethan replied groggily, the girl just sighed. Ethan heard the footsteps getting. farther and farther.Then he suddenly realize that he was not in his house, His head shot up and saw Lyra walking out of the room.

Ethan stand quicly at his his seat abd run after Lyra. He manage to caught up to Lyra and with little effort, he grab Lyra's arm, making her stop walking.

Lyra turned her head towards Ethan with an angered look which made Ethan gulped and loosen his hold to Lyra's arm. Ethan quickly shaking his head, ridding his uncertainty.

" I can't back down now, because if I did whose to say that she will give a chance to talk to her let alone even go near me. " Ethan thought.

" Listen I-"

"Let go." Lyra said full of finality in which Ethan grants Lyra's request.
Lyra sighed after Ethan remove his grasped from her arm

"Lyra, I'm sorry." Ethan bowed in front of Lyra. " I know I hurt you deeply and no matter what I did won't lessen the pain you've endured but would you stil forgive me? Please Lyra" Ethan pleaded.

For a few minutes without a reply from Lyra, Ethan grow more and more anxious and Ethan gettung impatient finally looked up and saw Lyra who looks very angry at him with tears starting to form from her eyes.

Ethan saw Lyra clenched her first and he prepared himself for another slap but instead of a physical pain that he was expecting he receive something much worse than that.

" Do you know how much you've put me through?" Lyra asked full of hurt.

" I- "

" Don't you dare say that you understand what I've been through for these past 2 years !!!" Lyra yelled furiously, Ethan was so shocked that he was unable to say anything.

"I BELIEVE in you, you know that !!!, I thought you're different from them, from my parents, but It turns out that you're just the SAME as the REST of them !!!!" Lyra poured out all the anger that she've been feeling ever since Ethan left.

Lyra unable to contain her tears any longer, lowered her head not wanting Ethan to see her crying.

" Y- you said you wo-would s-stay with me but in t-the end y-you leave me j-just li-like a-anyone else, You p-promise me y-you'll call me but you ne-never did. I-I w-was so alone y-you k-know, a-and so-sometimes I-I w-wonder i-if y-you fo-forget all about m-me." It all came out as a mere whisper but Ethan heard all of it, each and every word that Lyra said, Ethan felt a stab in his heart.

Lyra finally looked up and look at Ethan eye to eye smiling but both of them know it's not genuine. Lyra wipes her tears with one hand and forcefully said, " If my parents we're able to leave me, then whose to say you won't do the same." With that Lyra turned around marking that as the end of their conversation but Ethan wouldn't have it like that, especially now that he realize how much pain that he caused her. Ethan reacts quickly and grabbed her hand pulling her into a tight embrace not even allowing Lyra to react.

Ethan's right hand was positioned on top of Lyra's head which leads to Lyra's head being on top of his shoulders. One of Lyra's hand is positioned on Ethan's chest while her other hand is entwined with Ethan's other hand.

Lyra tried to struggle but Ethan just hug her tighter. Sighing, Lyra given up seeing it would only be useless, sensing that Lyra finally given up, Ethan buried his head on top of Lyra's head. They stay like that for awhile, at first they were stiff in that position but later on they became comfortable and relax in their positions.

"I'm sorry but I promise you I'll ." Ethan stopped midway hearing Lyra sighed.

"Don't make a promise you can't keep." Lyra said sadly.

"Lyra I-," Ethan stated but was cut off again by Lyra saying, " Please Ethan, I'm be-begging you, don't make me cling to a false hope." Seeing how broken Lyra is, Ethan decided to stay quiet.

" Do you remember our promise from two years ago?" Lyra whispered, it made Ethan smile a bit. "You probably don't rememer it do you?"
"I remember it silly, that promise is the most important promise for me you know, and yet I still broke it." Ethan said sadly, "And Lyra don't think for a second that I'll forget you, because to me you're the most important to me."

"T-then why? W-why didn't y-you visit me or even r-return my calls?" Lyra croaked.

"Because I promise you that nothing will change between us. I thought by staying away, I was doing the right thing for the both of us, but it clearly backfired." Ethan spoke slowly, Lyra tense after hearing what Ethan said, Ethan also senses it because Lyra's other hand grips his hand tighter that was entwined before.

"Do y-you hate me so much t-that you wa-want to le-leave me? " Lyra asked which made Ethan hug her tigher.

"I don't hate you Lyra, never have, Never will." Ethan stated calmly never letting go of Lyra.

"T-then why?" Lyra whimpered.

" Because I've fallen in love with you "