Chapter 35- Ella’s POV

Heaven was the only word that I can use to describe the feeling I felt as soon as Edward’s lips pressed onto mine. I had been anticipating this moment ever since my birthday, back in December. It was the most amazing feeling in the world.

 I kissed him back, slowly at first, and then more urgently, while he grabbed my thighs and lifted me up against his stomach. I pulled away and looked at him, my face breaking into a smile as I tried recapturing my breath. He pecked my lips softly and put me down, still holding me firmly against him.

“You drive me crazy,” he murmured against my lips.

I smiled, his breath feeling funny on my lips.

“You do, too,” I said. I put a hand up to his face, feeling his stubble underneath my fingers. “I love you,” I voiced my thoughts. It still felt strange saying it, but I knew I meant it. I meant it with all my heart.

Edward kissed me again, and this time it was long and full of passion. “You have no idea how long I have waited for you to say that. I love you too, Ella,” he said, recapturing his breath.. He stroked my hair with one hand and held me close to him with the other. “So much...” he whispered. His lips moved to my ear and he added, still in a whisper, “Spend the weekend with me.”  

I nodded, his low voice sending me shivers down my spine. I stepped back from him but still holding on to his hand. I wondered how I would be able to get rid of Malcolm’s questioning regarding the weekend.  This was way more serious than everything else that occurred before.

Edward smirked. “This is so illegal,” he said in a low voice. His suggestive tone made me confirm that our relationship was going on a whole new level. He pulled me towards him and hugged me tightly.

“I could get used to this,” I mumbled. He kissed the top of my head and held me to him.

When the rest of the class came in for the last lesson, I took the usual seat and did not interact with anyone. I caught Edward’s eye a few times and he sent me a furtive look each time. I was so glad we had made up. I tried focusing on the portrait I was painting in acrylic, but my mind was still on him.

I picked up my bottle of water and paintbrushes and went to the sink, so that I would change the water and rinse the brushes. We had only one sink in the classroom, so when someone else arrived, he had to wait behind me so that I would finish first. I glanced back to see who it was, and it was no surprise when I saw that it was Nathan standing behind me.

“Hey,” he said, walking over to me so that he could throw away the water from his can into the sink. I moved up and he shuffled in beside me, so that we were cleaning our brushes simultaneously. “What’s up? You seem to be a lot happier today.”

I shrugged. “Nothing, just the same old stuff.” I figured that I shouldn’t tell him about Edward and I being back together, because it wasn’t his business, and anyway, it would be risky to even tell anyone. “How’s Jessica?” I asked instead. I hadn’t seen my friend in weeks.

Nathan’s frown changed into a toothy smile with the mention of his girlfriend. He was literally swooning as he spoke about her. Kill me now.

“She’s good,” he said. “I’m quite blessed to have her.”

I am, too, I thought, thinking of Edward. I wondered if I had acted so... giddily, when I first got with Edward. Awkward. I forced a smile as I filled my bottle with water. “Good,” I said. I turned to leave.

“Ella.” Nathan gripped my wrist and I turned around to face him. What now? I noticed Edward looking at this scene, but he did not intervene. Good for him, I thought. He shouldn’t be sticking up for me all the time.

“Yeah?” I asked Nathan. For the first time ever, his hold on me wasn't rough, but actually gentle. Jessica seemed to have tamed the beast. Or was it the person sending the notes who tamed him?

Nathan looked at me sheepishly. “Are you and Edward okay? Has he received any more notes?” he asked warily.

“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. Then I added suspiciously, “Why are you asking? You were the one who said you knew and then decided not to tell us whom it was.”

Nathan let go of my hand. “I had my reasons for that.” He frowned. “Anyway...” he added with reluctance, “if you need anything, please tell me. You know I’ll help if I can.” He let go of my hand and hurriedly walked to his desk. I followed him with my eyes, and then turned my glance to Edward, whose look was troubled as well.

I had my reasons for that...

I blinked and stood there for just a minute, baffled. Then I walked to my seat. Had Nathan just admitted that he couldn't tell me who the stalker was because the latter had shut him up? I thought of this possibility as I continued mixing the paint on my palette, and then applying it to my canvas paper. This was all too complicated. I took a deep breath, and motioned Edward towards me, pretending that I had a problem with painting the figure's hair. I couldn't care less about the figure right now, actually. 

Edward scooted over. "What's up?" he asked.

"Can't seem to get her hair right," I mumbled, glaring at the picture and then at him. He raised his eyebrow, knowing fully that I did not really care about the human figure I was painting. I sighed.

"How much is left of this lesson?" I asked in a low voice.

Edward looked at his watch on his wrist and then at me. "Ten minutes. Is it that boring?" he chuckled. "Or maybe you just want to spend time with me," he added in a hushed tone, putting his hand on mine. He grabbed my paintbrush from the same hand when he saw Nathan staring, so that he looked like he had been in the act of doing just that, but I was sure Nathan had noticed it all, and figured it out.

My phone beeped right then and I stepped back from Edward to see who had texted me. It was Malcolm. The text simply said, "Hey, can't pick you up today, sorry. Bus OK?"  

I smirked, knowing that I didn't need to catch the bus when I had my own personal driver. Actually, this just made things easier for me to get out of the house. Great.

"What are you smiling about?" Edward asked. I shrugged, figuring it would be better if I told him later. He was risking by being so friendly to me. He had been giving me the cold shoulder for weeks, and if he were to suddenly start being excessively friendly, like he was today, it would trigger suspicion from other students. And from his stalker.

When the lesson finished, I waited for all the others to leave the classroom, as per usual. Nathan caught my eye as he did, and his eyes flitted from me to Edward, and back. I'm sure he sensed something. He managed half a smile and left. I turned to Edward and explained what Malcolm had texted me, and he locked the art room behind us and we walked to his car. I had missed all of this.

Edward dropped me off at my home and said he would park his car next to his place, and then walk over to mine so that we'd walk to his house together. I unlocked the front door and entered, dropping my bag off at the entrance. I walked to the kitchen to get a drink, assuming that no one else would be home at this hour. However, when I got to the kitchen I found my brother putting clothes into a black backback. There were also clothes and everyday necessities on the dining table.

He looked shocked to see me. "Heyyy..." he said, trying to act like he wasn't surprised to see me. Ha, I'm not fooled, bro. "How are you already home?" he asked, breaking eye contact with me to look at his clothes.

I shrugged. "I got lucky," I answered, hoping that Malcolm wouldn't pressure me into telling him more. "I thought you weren't going to be home," I added, looking at him suspiciously.

"Mhm," Malcolm mumbled, looking at me. "Lucky eh?" He continued stuffing clothes into his backpack.

"Where are you going?" I asked him.

"Away for the weekend." Malcolm met my eyes.

Coincidences.

I took this as the opportunity to break the news to him. "Really? Me too," I said, and turned to leave.

"Where are you off to?" Malcolm's tone was sharp.

"Staying with a friend... you?" I swiftly turned around to see his reaction. He pursed his lips and shook his head. He wasn't going to tell me where he was off to, and because he wasn't, he could not expect me to specify with whom I was going to spend my time. "Have fun," I muttered, and turned around, bolting up the stairs to my bedroom. Edward would be here soon.

Edward's POV

I parked my car next to my place, got out and started walking towards Ella's house. It still amazed me that she lived just around the corner from me... it had to be one of the biggest coincidences ever. I had never seen her before, or even her family. Not that I've met her mum... but I had never seen her brother before anyway.

Speaking of the devil... here he was, standing outside of their house, opening the door to a car which I presumed was his. I started to turn away so that he wouldn't see me walking over to their house, but I realised that he had already seen me, so I stopped midway of turning around and just stood there awkwardly. Great. He was holding a black backpack in his hand as he stopped with the door half open, looking at me with narrowed eyes.

I forced a smile. "Hello Mr Campbell," I said. This is so stupid.

Malcolm glared at me. "Don't give me that crap," he replied.

I shrugged. "Fine. Hey, Malcolm." I smirked.

Sarcasm really was not going to get me on his good side, but I just couldn't help myself. I didn't like Malcolm, he was a know-it-all who pretended he was better than everyone, yet he was no better than I was.

"So it's you she's spending the weekend with, aye? I thought so." Malcolm shook his head, glaring at me in the unusual January sun. I shrugged and didn't say anything. He pursed his lips.

"You two made up, then?" he asked.

"We weren't fighting. I speak to her whenever I see her and help her with her drawing. It's my job." I smiled at Malcolm just to make fun of him.

I'm pretty sure that my gesture provoked the constipated look on his face. "Yes, your job as a teacher," he sneered. "Not as her illegal boyfriend." He suddenly looked disgusted. "Are you sleeping with her?" he said with a horrored look on his face.

I chuckled. "No, of course not" I said. Wow, Ella was right when she said he was overprotective.

"I'm worried about her." Malcolm dropped his backpack on the ground and put his hands on his hips, still eyeing me suspiciously.

"Yes, she's worried about you too."

Malcolm's eyes almost popped out of . "What?" Realization crossed his face. "She saw that photo?" he said, referring to the photo that he had not let me look at when he gave me the notes he had received. "Wait... YOU saw the photo too?"

Of course I did. What did he think, that I wouldn't inspect every centimetre of each photo? I too was being threatened. And the accusations I was facing were worse... and all of them true.

"I did," was all I said.

Malcolm frowned. "And you told Ella?" he yelled, looking much more worried now. Right at that moment I started wondering, where is Ella? I glanced towards their house, oblivious to Malcolm's panicked state. 

"I didn't tell Ella, she found out on her own. You know, you really should get help," I said calmly, looking at the windows of the house. Ella was nowhere to be seen.

Malcolm stepped forward. "That's what I'm doing. I'm going for therapy this weekend," he said in a lower voice, like it was something he should be ashamed of.

"Really?" I asked, genuinely surprised. Not many people admitted they had a problem. This was a very good start.

"I haven't taken anything for a couple of weeks," Malcolm said, seeming shy all of a sudden. "Hopefully I'll keep it up. You know how difficult it is to stay away..." He waited for my acknowledgement and when I nodded, he continued. "So I think therapy is the best option. I don't take much... usually... just when I'm with my friends... but you know." He shrugged.

"So? Stay away from your so-called friends," I answered. "They're not real friends if they get you to do things you don't want to do."

Malcolm chewed his lip in concern. "You think so?" he asked.

"I know so. I'm a teacher, Malcolm. I see these kind of things everyday. It's called peer pressure. I know you're not a teen anymore," I said, my gaze meeting his. "But these things still happen."

Malcolm raised his eyebrowss in defeat. "You're right.." he muttered. "Thanks man."

He put a hand on my shoulder and smiled at me, then dropped it and went to pick up his bag. Then he proceeded in entering into his car, and closed the door behind him. He started the car and started driving slowly. Before he left completely, he rolled down the window and said to me, "Take care of my sis, then!" and then drove off hastily, until all that there was was the faint smoke that the car left as it sped by.

I stared at the smoke for a couple of minutes, realising that I had just had a normal conversation with Malcolm, and he had actually taken my advice. He was going to get help. And he gave me his blessing for dating his sister- my student. I scratched the back of my neck, lost in thought about this fact.

This was good, very good.

The sound of my mobile phone ringing startled me. I retrieved it from my pocket, to see that I had received a message. More specifically, a video message. Out of curiosity, I pressed play. 

The video that came on showed my classroom, and it looked like the camera was fixed, meaning that someone had put a camera in the class without me noticing. Ella and I were in the video... on the day that I had kissed her for the first time, during her free lesson. The video showed all that happened during that free lesson.

As my blood ran cold, I recalled the message I had received after that lesson.

“Cheers, Edward. That was entertaining. I liked it so much that I have it all on tape.”

My stalker had kept his word.

My phone vibrated once again, informing me of a new text message. I reluctantly opened it. The message said,

"You kiss, I tell."

Hello guys, I updated! sorry for the delay, I've been a bit busy with my birthday and all. But the update's here now :) I know it's nothing special, sorry for that. But it will get better. Please vote and comment, you have no idea how much I enjoy answering you guys :)

Oh by the way, I bumped into my teacher yesterday. It's actually funny, cause I'm over him haha.. (I hope). But it's also funny because we seem to run in the same circles. Anyway, Edward's my guy now :)

Dedicated to my best buddy, of course :)

Please vote and comment hehe :) I'll update soon xxxx