To Say These Words

Chapter One

Patiently she awaited his arrival. She had agreed to have dinner with him. She waited for him to meet her at her apartment.

I've kind of had this ah, this crush on you. But since you were with Ross, I-I didn't do anything about it. But, now that you're not, I'd really like to ask you out sometime. So-so that's-that's what I'm doing, now.

Mark's words surged through her memory as she spent her final minutes of alone time getting ready.

She recalled talking to Phoebe after Mark revealed his feelings. Rachel had set her heart on telling him she couldn't go out with him; it was too soon to be seeing other people. She knew she wasn't ready to move on from Ross, not with their relationship fresh in her mind.

Giving him back the belongings he had left in her apartment was supposed to be symbolic, even refreshing. Having no reminders of their relationship around her was supposed to symbolize her willingness to move on; it was meant to be a motivational way to help her forget.

However, another quarrel arose between the couple, ending with Ross taking his "Frankie Says Relax" t-shirt out of spite. He claimed he was only helping Rachel move on, in fact, he claimed he himself had moved on.

This bold statement gave Rachel an idea, a way to get Ross back for his wrongdoings. If he claimed to have moved on, surely he wouldn't mind if she accepted the date with Mark after all. It may have been a very juvenile way to handle the situation, but what harm could be done by teasing Ross for a bit?

Rachel began to pace across the kitchen floor, the heels of her shoes clicking in time with the passing seconds.

Mark saw this as a first date, the beginning of something more. It would devastate him if he knew the reason Rachel had agreed to dinner.

His knock on the door sent her heart pounding, creeping into her throat with nervousness.

"I'm coming," Rachel called, taking a deep breath as she approached the door. She tried to think of this as a regular date. She could kill two birds with one stone: make Ross jealous and, at the same time, attempt to leave their relationship in the past.

She gripped the doorknob, letting the tension flow from her hot palms. She twisted it, having gathered her courage.

"Hi... You look lovely tonight," Mark commented, calmly standing in the doorway. His gaze traveled to look her over for an instant.

The compliment left a bitter-sweet taste in Rachel's mouth - it felt strange to hear those words from Mark, nevertheless, his genuine compliment was thoughtful.

"Thank you," Rachel responded softly. "Why don't you come in a moment? I just have to grab a jacket."

"Sure," Mark replied, taking off his overcoat as he hurried across the threshold. Rachel closed the door behind him.

.....

They paused in the hallway between apartment 19 and 20, chatting about Chandler's hair problems after a workout. When the familiar creak of the door echoed through the cavernous hall, Ross couldn't help but glance in its direction. The men fell silent.

Ross's breath caught in his throat when he saw Rachel exit her apartment. A split second later, he wasn't able to breathe; not when he saw who closely followed her.

Nothing could have prepared him to see Mark.

Tension filled the air as Mark closed the door behind the pair. Rachel nervously passed Ross and Chandler, Mark wasn't far behind. Ross' disappointed stare met her eyes for a second until he could only watch Mark in shock.