"Where are we going?" She asked when she noticed that Hunter was going the other way.
"Fries and shake, our friendship ritual," he said with a wide grin.
Ella smiled and shook her head. She was still a little uneasy, she knew even a tiny bump in the road is enough for her to shit her pants right now. Hunter got their food from a drive-through and drove to a quiet and peaceful spot. It was the edge of a beautiful hill. They both got out of the car and walked near the edge. They sat down and silently enjoyed their food. Hunter cringed every time Ella dipped her fries in her shake.
After they were done, she pulled her legs close to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she gazed at the beautiful scenery before her.
"Ella..." He breathed out
"Hm?" She said in a questioning manner.
"I brought you here for a reason..." He trailed off.
She turned her head to look at him. "What?" She asked
"I love our friendship... I do. I really do!" He said and waited for her reaction.
With a tiny frown, she smiled. "I love our friendship too,"
"But that's not how I wanted to be with you," he said with a frown.
She looked at him perplexed. "What do you mean?"
"You really don't know my intentions, do you?" He asked
"I know that you like me... At first, I thought you only annoy me to get on Ace's nerves but now I know... It was never about him, was it?" She asked staring into his eyes.
He shook his head. "From the first day, I saw you to this day. All I ever wanted was to be with you but not just as a friend..." He inhaled deeply. "I want to be with you in every way possible."
She released a sudden sigh, tried opening her mouth to speak. But no words flowed out. Gulped. Then with a little more strength, she said. "I don't understand..."
He stared her in the eyes. He had that weird look again, the one that makes her knees weak. "Ella, the thought of losing you scares me and I felt it today. I want to be your boyfriend. I want to mark my claim on you... I want all the guys to back off, who think they have a chance with you. I want them to know that you belong to me as I belong to you and I really want to know if you feel the same."
Ella looked away. "I... We can't, Hunter" her voice barely a whisper.
A line appeared between his brows. "Why?"
She looked at him with big shiny tears in her eyes. "Because I don't wanna lose you"
"What does that mean?" He asked
"Love complicates everything," she said, looking down.
"We don't know that---"
She cut him off. "I know that!" She took a deep breath. "What we have right now is incredible. Why do you want to ruin that?"
"I don't want to ruin it. I want to turn into something more"
She shook her head. "You don't get it. I have lost a friend because I let my feeling get in the way and I don't want that for us."
"It won't be like that for us. You are it for me, Ella Carter!" He said with determination. "You were it for me when you were not even with me!"
"You are saying that now" she mumbled
"What are you even saying, Ella?" He asked with a deep frown. He couldn't understand her hesitation.
"Hunter, we should stay friends. It's better this way"
"Better for who?"
"For both of us"
"I don't think I can be your friend when I love you!" He said in a single breath.
Ella sharply inhaled. "You love me?"
"Yes... Yes, I do" he said with finality in his voice. He looked so proud of himself.
Ella stared at him bewildered. She got up and walked towards the car. Hunter got up as well and followed her. He held her upper arm and turned her around. "Where are you going?"
She pulled herself out of his grip. "Home!" She deadpanned
"Why are you reacting like this, Ella?"
"Because you don't love me! You think you do but it's just infatuation. It doesn't mean anything!" She shouted
"Where is this coming from?" He asked frustratedly
"Because Ace loved me too! He told me that over and over and over again for years but he didn't mean it. I was only good enough to warm his bed and once you sleep with me, it's gonna be like that all over again! I don't want that for my fucking sake!" She yelled
"I'm not Ace Fucking Harding! I'm Hunter Grey and I want the whole world to know that I love Ella Carter! I don't wanna sleep with you" he said and paused. "I mean I do... But on your terms. I'm willing to wait for you and I can even live without sex if that's what you want"
Ella's eyes teared up. "You don't mean that" she whispered
"Why are you punishing me for what Ace did? Why are you punishing yourself for what he did." He asked lowly.
"I'm not punishing anyone. I'm protecting myself because no one else will!"
"I'm not gonna stand here and tell you that I'm going to protect you. I'm not gonna make some big ass promises. I just want to be with you..." He told her sincerely.
"I... I need some time" she answered, ignoring what he said but in reality she just wanted this conversation to be over.
He nodded. "You can have all the time you want..."
They both stood there awkwardly. "I want to go home"
He walked to his car and she followed him. The whole ride was riddled with uncomfortable silence. She kept staring out of the window and he kept looking straight ahead, driving slowly, so she won't get frightened. He dropped her home and without saying goodbye, he drove away.
She stared at the back of his car until it disappeared from her sight. She looked towards the Harding's mansion and saw Ace leaning against the wall, staring at her.
She closed her eyes and sighed. She turned around and walked inside her house without looking back. She strode straight to her room and slumped down on the bed. She checked her cell phone and found no texts from Hunter. They texted so much in the past few weeks that she has become accustomed to it. Texting with him all day long.
Why are you punishing me for what Ace did?
She thought about what he said again and again and he wasn't wrong. She was hesitant only because of what Ace did. He messed her up so bad that now she thinks she won't be able to love anyone anymore. She has this constant fear of getting heartbroken hanging over her head all the time.
She needed to get rid of it. She needed to get rid of him from her life. She needed to move on. She got up and walked to her closet. She needed to do this for herself.
She pulled out a suitcase and started to take out all of his clothes from her closet. They were just so many, even the ones that didn't fit her anymore. The ones from when they were young. Her eyes welled up with tears. It wasn't because he broke her heart, she was crying because amidst everything they lost a beautiful friendship. A relationship they shared from when they were merely three years old.
She held out a hoodie and stared at it. He gave it to her when they were twelve years old. It was raining and Ella was wearing nothing but a strapless dress. He took off his hoodie and made her wear it.
It will keep you warm, I'll be fine
She smiled sadly and put it in the suitcase.
Next, she took out all of their pictures. Their stupid photobooth photos. She stared at them with one thought in mind. This is the person she thought the world of, and this is also the person who wrecked her. In every picture, Ella was looking in the camera and Ace couldn't take his eyes off of her. Ella also kept an album of all their fun times together but the last entry was two years ago on his fifteenth birthday, the day they had... She heaved a sigh and blinked away her tears, shaking her head.
Every little gift or knick-knacks he has ever given her. She even kept the birthday cards he made her himself. She put them all in a suitcase and zipped it with difficulty.
She needs to do this. This is for the best. She needs to move on from this phase of her life.
She pulled out the suitcase handle and dragged the suitcase along with her. She decided to just leave it at his place. She hauled it down the street and finally made it to Harding's mansion.
She leveled her breathing and rang the bell. One of the guards came out and saw Ella through the metal rods of the giant gate. She heard the buzzer and the gate opened.
She walked in until she reached the main door. She decided to leave it right on their door. She placed the suitcase and rang the bell. She was about to turn the other way when the door opened.
"Ella, sweetheart" Hannah smiled warmly. "Come in" she stepped aside.
Ella shifted her weight from one leg to another. "Oh, no need. I just wanted to give Ace some of his stuff"
"Well, he is in his room. Go on" Hannah said.
"No, it's okay. Can you tell a maid to take it to his room?" Ella said fumbling with her fingers.
"Ella, go and give whatever you want to give him in person." Hannah impelled, she knew that there was something wrong between Ace and her. She wanted them to make up.
Ella gave up. "Okay..."
Grabbing the handle again, she dragged it to his room. She heard mixed chatter from inside of his room. She meekly knocked on the door and waited. The door flung open and Ace came into her view. Behind him, Veronica, Axel, Zoe, and Chris were all sprawled across his room. It's seemed like they were having a small party in his room.
Ace's smile fell when he saw her. He wasn't expecting her.
All he wanted to do was pull her in and threw everyone else out.
"I just came here to give you your stuff back," Ella said hurriedly before he got any other idea. She pointed at the suitcase next to her. "It's all in there"
The blank, emotionless expression swept over his face as the realization of the moment gradually seeped in. He just stared at her as the words came out of her mouth.
She avoided eye contact with him at all costs. "I am sorry, I lost the chain. Um... You could tell me the price... I'll pay you back. But everything else is there" she said feeling awkward by the way he was staring at her.
She internally sighed, she even forgot how to act around him.
"El..." He whispered.
He could feel a searing pain in his heart. What was she trying to do? Was she trying to cut all ties with him completely? He didn't want her to forget about him. Yes, he was with Veronica but no one can fill the place Ella left in his life. His best friend... His first everything...
Letting Ella go meant letting all of his childhood go. He wasn't ready for that.
A small lump was stuck in her throat "I'm sorry, I looked for the chain everywhere" she mumbled
"It's okay..." He shook his head.
She glanced at his face then hurriedly averted her eyes. "I know it was expensive. I can pay you"
"It was yours..." He told her, his voice cracked a little.
Long, slim arms with manicured nails wrapped around Ace's waist. Veronica poked her head out from his side and smiled at Ella sarcastically. "Are you done? Can you leave now?"
Ace squeezed his eyes shut. His mouth had gone hard and his muscles tensed.
Ella felt embarrassed. "Yes, I... Um... I was just leaving" she said and gave Ace a light smile.
She walked out of his place with her head held high. She thought that she'd cry but surprisingly she didn't. She came back into her room and laid in her bed, staring up at the ceiling.
It finally felt over...
And
A/N
Hey, everybody!
Here's your bonus update!
I hope you like it! ❤
Now, who's ready for Ace's POV?
Hold your breath because Ace and I will see you on Monday!
XOXO, Jane Doe! 🖤
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