Ella's POV.

I was grinning like an idiot all the way to Jessica's house. I still couldn't believe that my mum had given me permission to visit her. Although it was hard to convince her but a little emotional blackmailing helped me. Actually, it was Jessica who gave me this whole idea of blackmailing. She even told me how to use words to convince her and it worked. I guess I had my luck helping me today because dad went for an important meeting this morning and would be coming late at night so I was able to get my permission from my mum.

I promised her that I'd return early but still, she was hard to convince. In the end, she decided to let me go but on one condition that she'd go with me and I agreed to it. So now I was sitting in my car along with my mum and heading towards Jessica's house. We had four bodyguards in the other car along with us as well because we didn't want to take any risks. I and mom hadn't told dad about this because he would never allow me to go there so it was a secret from him.

The driver pulled the car into her driveway. It was the first time that I had come here and probably the last one as well. I was really excited because it had been a year since I had left home and now to come here was like fresh air for me. I was glad that I was able to make it here.

"Let's go in, " I said to my mom whilst smiling.

"Ok, sweetie. Antonio! You all wait in the car," My mom said to our driver, indicating that the bodyguards and the rest of them should wait in the car. He nodded and we went out of the car.

Jessica's house wasn't as big as ours but it was quite beautiful. A small lawn in front as in the doorway, some plants were placed on the side. A car was parked in the driveway in the front of the garage door and behind that our two cars were parked. The house painted in a light orange colour as the sun shining on the house making it look prettier. I knocked on the door as it got wide open by Jessica.

"El!" She greeted me and hugged me tighter.

"Hello, Auntie!"She greeted my mom and my mum enveloped her in a hug.

"Hello, Jessica. How are you?" Mom smiled pulling away from her.

"I am fine. Thank you. Come in please," Jess said and we both followed her to the living room. My mum and I sat on the couch as a few refreshments were placed on the table in front. Jessica's mom came in and after greeting us, she sat on the couch in front. It was the first time I was meeting Jessica's mom. She looked sweet and her way of talking was really nice. I looked between her and Jessica. They both were a lot alike well except for their eyes. Her mother had black eyes whilst for Jessica, she had hazel eyes. Their facial features were so much alike.

"It's the first time I got to see you," Jessica's mom said and I simply smiled.

"I am not much of an outgoing person."

"Oh, I see." She smiled and again we went silent. The whole situation was awkward. No one knowing what to say. The first meeting was always an awkward one for me because I wasn't much of a talker and I don't know how to start a conversation.

"So, how do you feel coming here?" Her mom asked.

"Uh... It was Jessica who forced me to come over here. She said she wanted her mom to meet me. It's actually great to be here." I was nervous but I managed to answer her question. It felt like I was being interviewed and this was making my all nerves tense up.

"Hey, El! Come, I wanna show you something. Our both moms can have a bit talking. Come," Jessica said and I simply nodded. I looked at my mom and she simply nodded indicating that I was free to go. I got on my feet and followed her.

"Where is Sara?" I asked as we both were climbing up the stairs.

"She'll come late," she simply said while grabbing my hand and hastening her steps.

"Why in a hurry?"

"No specific reason " I could sense a slight smirk from the corner of her lips. I had a hunch that she was devising an evil plan because she smirks only when she plans a prank or an evil plan. A shudder went through my body followed by skip of a beat. My mind drifted to the last time when she planned something and I remembered I ended up in his arms. My heart flipped on remembering that time. The time we bunk school and how Xaiden and I ended up. My mind drifted to how we went to a Ferris wheel and how I was just a millimetre apart from tasting his lips, and how he comforted me at the end of our day. My body at once went cold remembering her and missing him and his warm embrace.

I miss him again and again and again...

Why?

Where are you Xaiden?

Why you left me?

Didn't you love me?

I hate you for leaving me.

I hate you...

I wanna ask those questions from him. I wanted him to hold me and once again, to promise that he won't leave me. I hated him but still, my heart ached on remembering him. I wanted him but I hated him as well now. I even asked Jess and Sara but no one knew where he was now. My steps halted as I held on to the railing to steady myself. My heart constricting in my rib cage as our sweet moments swayed against my eyes.

"Ella! You fine?" Jess turned her head to see me frozen in mid-stairs.

Ella! Calm down.

Don't think of the impossible. He was your past. Forget him. Don't think of him.

I closed my eyes and easing my running tensed up nerves, I let out a deep breath.

"I am fine," I whispered opening my eyes and gave her a broken smile.

She simply nodded and taking my hand again, she headed towards her room. She opened the door and made me sit on the bed.

"I'll be back. Wait." She smiled and smiling, I simply nodded.

My eyes raked through her room to see it was well arranged. A small shelf holding the books was placed in the corner. In front of her bedroom, a dressing table was placed having different kinds of stuff on it. It looked like some kind of bodysprays or perfume bottles. A hairbrush placed beside her nail polish collection. I looked to the right to see a small cupboard that was decorated with the stickers of her favourite Korean band. A few posters also hanging around her wall, showing how much of a fan she was.

I stood up and went to check the book collection she had resting on that shelf. I stood there as my eyes raked through different novels placed there. They were of different genres. A book caught my eye and I took it. I opened it to see pictures of some sort of cartoons drawn in it and their dialogues written in a speech bubble. I looked at the beautifully drawn sketches of the female cartoon and admired the work of the writer. I guessed this was the manga about which Jess once told me. My eyes started reading it and I started enjoying the story. I heard the door opened and assumed that Jess had returned. I closed the book and put it back on the shelf.

"Sorry. You were gone so I decided to read some-" I turned around smiling, to face her but as soon as my eyes landed on the person standing in front of me, my words cut off in mid-sentence and my smile faded. I held onto the shelf to steady myself. My breathing fastened as my heart collapsed in my rib cage. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths to ease myself. I would do this whenever I would dream of him. This thing helped me to calm me down and if this was a dream then I was going to wake up soon.

Ella! Deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out.

I ranted those words and let out deep breaths. I slightly opened my eyes, hoping to wake up from my dream but still, he was standing there. I blinked them twice but still, he didn't vanish as he would always do in my dream. I bit my lower lip and averted my eyes from him. If this was a dream, then it was becoming a long one. I wanted to wake up. I didn't want to see him, I didn't want to meet him. I didn't want him close to me. I didn't want him to come in my dreams because when I would wake up, he would be long gone. I huffed in frustration because no matter how hard I tried, this dream wasn't ending.

I didn't look up but felt him moving. I remain standing there not moving an inch but I felt him coming closer. I bit my lower lip still keeping up my composed posture. I knew this was a dream just like earlier ones. Nothing of this was real. I guess I had dozed to sleep while reading that book and now I was dreaming again of him. No matter how many times, I tried to forget him but he would again haunt me up in my dreams.

I just need to wake up.

I sensed him coming closer to me as my nerves again tensed up and my heart hammering against my rib cage. My hand getting sweaty as they were clenched into fists. This strange dream was making me nervous and making my mind lose control. My body trembled when I heard his fastened breaths like mine but I didn't dare to look up. I had my eyes fixed on the floor. This dream was the strangest of all because it looked so real. The only thing that was making me believe that it was a dream, was my mind knowing the fact that he had left me and he would never come. I was losing my mind because of this strange nervousness.

I needed to get out of here.

I stepped to the side and turning my head towards the door, I took a step towards it. All I wanted at that time was to wake up from this haunted dream and to escape the strange nervousness and uneasiness building inside me with every moment. I took a few steps more and was about to reach the door when my hand got caught. My heart seized its beat at once and I sucked in a deep breath by the so familiar touch. My lips quivered, my every breath shaking and then I heard his voice. The voice I was yearning to hear from a year, the touch I was missing from a year, the feeling of my lungs losing their air when I would see him. I was missing it all for a year.

"Ella!" He slightly whispered and his voice making me go weak in my knees. My name rolling on his tongue so smoothly. My name from his mouth affecting me the same way it did the first time. I closed my eyes and bit on my bottom lip to stop it from quivering. I didn't look back and wriggled my hand to escape it from his hold, to free my hand and my existence from his presence. I wanted to run away and just hide somewhere. Whether it was really a dream or my own fantasies, whether it was a reality or my own mind playing tricks with me. I didn't care now. The only thing that I know was...

I hated him now...

*************
What do you think will happen now? What should Ella do?

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