Nick was the first one to turn to the old lady and looked baffled at her. Where did she pop up from? Was there a back door or so? But looking at the lady seemed like they had woken her from her sleep. Was she sleeping here? So many questions rolled around Nick's mind. He knew that the lady wasn't Mrs. Kingsley, as he had met that lady. Not able to bear any more, Nick's eyes looked for Ella with so many questions and confusion. Ella didn't expect to have this conversation. She still continued, "Nick; Mrs. Willow, my dear employer. Mrs. Willow; Nick, my friend."
"So, he's the boy you would smile about all the time." Ella sent a silent glare at Helen Willow, which she seemed to ignore, obviously. Ella scratched her neck and said, "Don't you have to sleep? Sorry we woke you up. We are leaving", saying that Ella was dragging Nick along with her. While Nick was feeling stupefied of the situation and wondering how and where was the lady staying here. As much he had enquired, there wasn't any residential houses within a mile, for the lady to just come out to take a stroll in her shop!
Helen narrowed her eyes at Ella and said looking at Nick, "Don't do something too rough!"
"Helen!", if there was a moment for Ella to have the ground swallow her, it would be now.
"What? Just concerned for you darling", she gave this innocent look at Ella, as though she wasn't bullying her the past week.
Ella glared at her and left the shop with Nick, not bothering to lock the door, as now Helen would be able to do that, since she was so upright. After crossing the street to the bus stand, she asked him, "Where are you staying?"
"Where is she staying?", he finally asked out his curiosity.
"In the shop itself", answered, knowing that he was talking about Helen Willow.
"Where? In the freezer? Other than that, I couldn't see anything else!"
"What can I say, she likes to stay invisible", winked Ella.
"Where to now, Nick?"
"Uh, I haven't decided yet. Sorry. I just had to see you, so I headed to the shop as soon as I reached here. I was afraid I would miss you", he said while looking at her eyes. They both knew that she had not yet given him her address or number, which hurt him as it was evident on his face.
"It's not that I don't trust you. I just, I was scared, I haven't ever let anyone know about where I stay yet. Not even Mrs. Willow is aware. I'm sorry, I-"
"Hush. I know. I believe you. You don't have to worry, I'll stay in a hotel, closer to your shop.", replied Nick cheerfully.
"It's not mine exactly." Nick looked around the lesser crowd when he saw a camera at the bus stand. He grabbed Ella's elbow, whispering to her, "The place has cameras. How often do you pass from here?", he was worried to have her exposed.
"I don't. I'm aware of the cameras here. I just came here so that you could go where you were staying." Now that Nick recollected, Ella was standing way out of the range of the camera. He praised her quick thinking, proud of his girl. No, not his. He didn't even know whether she wanted to be his. "Alright, I'll see you later", saying that Nick turned to the opposite direction, when she grabbed his hand, he turned to her then, with a question in his eyes. "I have an accommodation for you, but there are rules to stay there." Her eyes stared at him, asking him whether he would take up on the offer, when he asked, "What rules do I have to follow?"
"You have to dismantle your phone during your stay there. You will be checked for any other electronic devices that can be tracked.
To which Nick asked back, "Will you check me?", his voice smiling.
"Do you agree or not?"
"As you say. I wouldn't say no to living with you."
"How can you be sure that I'll take you to my house? I may very well be taking you to a prison", replied Ella while walking along her way, with him tagging along.
"I wouldn't mind that. As long as you are there with me", came the serious reply of Nick. Moments like these would make her more and more guilty. Of course, she loved Nick, but not enough to be in love with him. It felt more like she was leading him on. Ella remained quiet at that realisation.
Nick thought that she was tired, because he felt that she suddenly withdrew from him. Again. He had to do something about that. He had taken all advises from his friends, friends of his friends, to make a girl his. Hell, he had even called Callie once; for knowing more about Ella. The conversation there was so awkward. As he had to again learn how to communicate about a person to someone without telling about the person, or that he was interested in the person. It was extremely hard-working for Nick. But he managed to learn up as much as he could.
He had decided to convince her this time. And if he couldn't, he'll just try harder. Maybe he should threaten her with his suicide, or maybe trap her with him to an unknown place. Such ideas were storming his head when they were walking side by side. Then he looked at her face, which seemed to have been through a lot in her life. And then and there, he let go of all those strange notions he was thinking to apply. He would stay with her, as long as she allowed. However she allowed. He couldn't bring himself to worry her. She turned to him and smiled, as though happy with his decision. It didn't help that he had missed that smile for a long time, which was only engraved in his mind; making him fall for her more than ever.
Being in his thoughts completely, he hadn't even realized that they have arrived to a very remote area, near countryside, with less to no people passing by, spare for some trucks on the road. She grabbed his hand pulled him to the path of the forest, taking a lot too many turns and finally arriving to a well-built house. Frankly, looking at the path, Nick had expected the house to be more of a shed; than this beautiful simple bungalow. He was awed by it.
"Where did you find this place?", whispered Nick, in the quiet night. He thought that a little more sound might welcome the animals in here. "Why are you whispering?", asked Ella. "Shhh... There might be gorillas or tigers roaming around. Have you told the authorities to check here? They should remove out all dangerous species.", Nick continued whispering.
"There aren't any dangerous ones. Just some deer and monkeys who pass by sometimes.", she said shrugging.
Nick had his eyes wide and looked at her like she said 'she lived in the zoo with many animals and she's totally lovin' it'. "Are you out of your mind? You living here is practically inviting danger!"
"I was born in danger, Nick. It's fine. The animals are harmless here as long as you don't harm them. They got to protect themselves too, right?"
"You coming?", asked Ella while moving ahead and reaching the entrance of the house that seemed to be a ghost house, with no lights around the corner. Nick gulped and followed her, saying a faint 'Yeah'. The entrance of the door opened and led into a passageway, with two rooms on either side of the way. The end of the passageway was not so visible to him in this dim lighting. The light was purposely kept dim, in order to not attract much attention.
Ella answered his curious eyes, "There's a backdoor there, with the light you won't be able to see much, from this far. It was purposely kept this way. Doesn't attract animals or anyone else for the matter. Perfect place for a hideout." Nick understood her words, when he found that the house was donned with curtains covering up the interiors completely.
"Now you have to strip", said Ella to him, like discussing his anatomy was a great pass time.
"Um, here?" Ella nodded and went inside the way. He had been through many dates and with many girls, why was he always so surprised and nervous around her. It was him who was controlling his urges when there she was ordering her around like now. Things you do in love, he thought. He went on to remove his jacket, followed by his shirt and the others. For others, it would seem intimate, but he knew that was not the case and she was just protecting herself. When he was about to pull down his underwear, she emerged with a robe and gave it to him. He wore that and then removed the underwear, all the time looking at her, who was looking sideways from him. "What now?", he asked her, curious to know what happens next.