Repellent

5- Missing Protein Bars and a Messy Bathroom

*First Draft

****

"How many of these protein bars have you been eating?" Ethan asks incredulously while sifting through the food storage cabinets in the kitchen.

"I don't know. A few." I shrug, keeping my face hidden from him.

I'm not all that surprised that he noticed as he is annoyingly meticulous about everything. I've been stuck in this ship with him for a few days now, and the man gets pissy whenever something isn't exactly as he put it.

"A few? There are about ten missing."

"You said, 'help yourself', so I helped myself.  If you didn't mean it, you shouldn't have said it. Besides, why are you asking me how much I've eaten if you already know?"

"Well, you're like 5'2" and not even a hundred pounds and you're putting down at least two bars a day, that's 4,000 calories, more than twice what you need."

"So? They taste good." They taste like shit, but it is the best and easiest thing to give to Roman. I've managed to sneak water and food to him once or twice a day, whenever Ethan is hiding from me. Lately, though, Ethan's time cooped up in the cockpit has gotten shorter and shorter. It is only a matter of time before he catches me in the act.

"Seriously? You think these are good?"

"Yeah. So what?"

"You're going to blow up like a balloon. We should save them for emergencies."

"What do I care if I get fat? You're taking me to Hestia, I'll probably die anyway."

Normally, this is when Ethan would storm out of the room and tuck himself away in the cockpit. He hates it when I mention anything about returning home or the dire circumstances that await me with the GSA. Sometimes I bring it up just to get him to leave. 

But to my dismay, he stays.

"The GSA has a strict code of ethics that they follow. They don't torture pesky human women," Ethan reasons, with his arms crossed, and his body lazily leaning against the counter.

"Magna said they would."

"Has it ever occurred to you that Magna was lying?"

"Why would he lie about that?" Doubt pierces my chest. I know Magna kept things from me. A lot of things.

"I don't know. Why would he?" Ethan asks, raising his eyes in an exaggerated expression.

"He loved me and he wouldn't lie to me. What I do know is that the GSA will pay an asshole to drug a pesky woman's drink and kidnap her. Doesn't sound all that ethical, does it?" I snap.

Ethan pushes himself from the counter, and stands to his full height. "I can be a much bigger asshole to you than I have been," he says as he inches his way into my space. He tries to use his size to intimidate me and I hate it. Mostly, because it works.

My instincts tell me to shrink back, but I don't show him my weakness. Glaring up at him, I taunt, "I'm sure you can."

"God, you're infuriating." He closes the distance between us, puts his hands to my face, and smashes his lips against mine. Shocked, I try to push him away, but his kiss only deepens.

How did talking about me gaining my weight in energy bars lead to this? I want him off of me, I'm not into him at all.

His lips are moving on mine, but I'm not participating in his kiss. Roman. Roman can probably see everything. My gut twists, and I try to bring up my knee and get Ethan in the balls.