Chapter Fifteen

"Okay Ella, I want u to take a deep breath" Amun said to me, as he walked slowly towards me.

"Okay" I said, breathing in and out for five minutes and I felt better but I was still angry at Derrick; I needed to see him now.

"Thanks Amun I feel so much better" I said.

Anne and Amun sighed in relief.

"But I still need to see Derrick" I said.

Anne panicked.

"Ella you can't go out there! Not in the condition you're in"

"Anne, I'm fine I promise, I won't do anything stupid, okay?"

"Okay then we're coming with you, come on Amun" Anne said, dragging Amun with her to the door.

"Anne please, I need to do this alone, okay?" I pleaded, stepping in their way to stop them from following me.

Anne sighed, a deep one actually.

"Okay"

I raised a brow in surprise.

"Okay?!" I said in disbelief and shock.

Who was this girl in front of me? The Anne that I know, never takes NO for an answer, but she's letting me go alone?

"Are you sure?" I asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Yes Ella, now go before I change my mind" She said as she pushed me towards the door and I was out the door.

"Are you sure we should be letting her go? Alone?" Amun asked me, as he faced me and crossed his arms.

I hushed him and looked up at him cause he was way taller than I was I think he was six foot and four inches and I'm only five feet and eight inches, but boy! This boy's as tall as they come.

"Of course I'm not sure but she doesn't need to know that, I just let her ho so she'd feel relief but..." I paused and smirked.

He raised his eyebrows.

"But?"

"You and I my friend are gonna do a stakeout for a mutual friend of ours, to watch out for her, come on let's go!" I said and quickly grabbed his hand and dragged him to the door.

"Whoa!" He yelped.

I saw Derrick swimming in the pool again; 'Did the guy have any idea how gorgeous he looked?' I wondered.

I guess so, cause even after seeing me staring at him, at his bod, he didn't even flinch or even look surprise.

"Hi" He said, as he sat on the pool side.

"Hey, don't mind my intrusion but I didn't think anyone would be here cause I wanted to have a swim before I slept but since you're here...there's something I need to ask you before I go" I said.

He smiled.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Do you...uhm...do you..."

'Oh god this is embarrassing'today I'm hundred percent sure, that my cheeks were really pink.

"What is it Ella? What did you wanna ask me?" He asked again.

"Do you like me?" I squeaked loudly.

By the expression on his face, I'm sure my question took him by surprise.

"What?" He muttered, he looked pale.

"I said do you like me?"

"W_we...well...No. Yes? Well_like a friend, yes. But if you meant the other 'like', then I'm sorry...No" He said and placed his hand on my bare shoulder.

My heart broke into two.

"Liar" I muttered.

"What?"

"I said liar! You're lying to me!" I yelled and pulled away his hand on my shoulder.

He suddenly looked uncomfortable with my behavior. Well, good.

"Gabriella, what's wrong why are you behaving like this?" He asked.

"I know everything, I know you like me and I know that cause Anne told me that you told her so yourself. So why are you lying to me Derrick? what did I do to you to make you lie to me?" I asked, almost close to tears.

Oh man! What's with today anyway? First I have a nightmare first thing in the morning, then I daydream about a witch who's tryin'a kill me, then I've been recently trying to cry no matter how hard I try not to and now?! I find out that the guy I've been having a crush, has always liked me?! Seriously what's with today?

"Ella, I'm sorry but I don't know what you're talking" he said.

"Wait, are you still acting clueless?"

"I'm not acting clueless, I really 'am' clueless as to what you're talking about"

I scoffed.

"You know what? Forget it, forget I ever loved and wanted to be with you for the rest of my life, forget that I ever had a crush on you, okay?! And...forget that I actually exist_in fact, I want you to forget the fucking hell about me!!!" I yelled and started crying, "Why? Why? Why is all this all happening to me? What did I...what did I ever do to deserve this?!" I cried even more as I sat down at the edge of the pool.

I felt him come closer to me.

"Ella...Ella I'm... I'm sorry...I" Derrick said as he tried to touch me; "Ella, I'm so sorry, okay? Please forgive me, the truth is I don't wanna see you hurt, okay?" He said and sighed. "The real reason I chose Susan over you was to keep you safe, my dad said he was gonna hurt you if I chose you that's why...that's why we can't be together" He said.

I looked up at him.

"But I don't care about that Derrick; all I want is you, I want you to love me like I love you, but why can't you?" I asked him as I stood up.

He stood up with me.

"I do Ella! Ella I swear to God I love you so much that it'd kill me if anything happened to you...please understand" He said, holding my shoulders and looked me in the eyes.

In his eyes, I could see that he was hurt, so full of despair and he was so...lonely.

I rose on my toes, I had no idea what I was doing until I kissed him, oh! It felt like heaven and brushed in closer to taste his lips more.

Oh God! What am I doing?!

I quickly pulled away from him and stepped back in shock.

"I'm so sorry Derrick, I didn't mean to do that, I'm so sorry, I have to go" I said, brushing past him, but he caught my left arm and pulled me back to his body with a force that I had to hold onto his shoulders to stand straight;he wrapped his arms round my waist then I looked into his eyes.

"But it felt like you did" He whispered to me before kissing me slowly but roughly like he was starving and I did the same kissing him back with the same passion. He tightened his arms round my waist and I felt his heart beat where my palm touched.

'Ah, so this is what heaven feels like?' I thought.

Then I snaked my hands up his black silky hair.

'Damn I've been dying to touch his beautiful hair and now I was!'

Gosh! If this was a dream then I don't ever wanna wake up.