: Chapter 23

I let out a moan.

My eyes opened and the deja-vu took over. My face was planted on a rock-hard chest meanwhile my legs were at each side of the humongous bed snatcher.

Stone’s vice-like arm was wrapped around my waist tightly as if he was planning to keep my stomach glued to his chest forever.

My hands rested on his torso as I tried to pull myself away from the trap of his arms. It was no use as I kept on moving up and down and nothing happened. Nothing except a monster-sized something poking at my thigh.

I told myself over and over again in my head not to look further down than his abs as I tried to tickle his arm so he would let go.

The man below me took a deep breath and release it slowly.

‘You are not going anywhere, Medusa Baby.’ He whispered, his gravelly voice rough near the top of my head.

Before I could question his awakeness, he moved.

Two of his arms moved so that one was set firmly across my back. The other thick muscular forearm rested just under my butt as he applied pressure. A wonderful amount of pressure.

He made a feel-good groan as he buried his face into the crook of my neck.

I went still. I was too stunned to move. Then I felt myself smile as I realised something. Stone was a cuddler.

‘You are a cuddler.’ I said aloud.

‘No.’ He grumbled into my neck.

‘Yes. You are.’ I teased him.

He chuckled quietly after a moment of silence ‘Just with you.’

‘What a privilege.’ I joked as I tried to push the boulder off me.

When he eventually pulled away from the crook of my neck, he sat up and rested his head on the headboard. While doing this, he still did not let go of my body.

His hair was a little messed up, but it looked good. A stand fell on his face and nearly reached his dark eyes that were studying me intently.

I moved one leg off him, so I was no longer on top of him. This made his jaw tick once.

‘What are you looking at, Lurch?’ I teased as I crossed my legs while staying near him. I then noticed the lack of pillows ‘How did I end up on top of you? What happened to The Great Wall of China?’

‘Maybe it just fell down.’

My attention went to the pillows on the floor at his side that looked like they had been bashed.

‘Oh yeah?’ I asked, scowling ‘It just fell down? Then what? Did a ghost decide to take the fallen pillows and place them at your side of the bed?’

‘A ghost would explain the sounds.’ Stone rebutted with a smirk ‘All through the night, I heard little snores.’

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes before I glared at him ‘I do not snore.’

‘It was more moans than snores.’ He informed ‘It was small whimpers, and you were saying a name. I think someone was dreaming of me.’

‘No, I wasn’t!’

He hummed in a cocky manner.

‘I was probably dreaming of a landslide.’ I pretended to put my hands up like there was actually a landslide occurring before I pretended to call ‘Stone! Stone!’

His head went back against the headboard as he let out a rough laugh, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

A hint of a smile made its way onto his face. It was the first proper smile I had seen from him.

‘I should have let you drive home.’

His deep laugh was all husky, and I made a mental note that his voice in the morning was even more darkly sensuous than normal.

I continued to glare at him ‘I should have sent you on your merry way home. It was a way to get rid of you and steal your bike after you died. I get the bike and rid of you. Two birds and one stone.’

Stone chuckled again before he looked around the room ‘I am here so often that I might as well move in.’

‘That is a cruel thing to even make me think about.’ I said, crossing my arms.

My instincts fought against my conscience. It was a battle not to let my eyes wander downwards. In the end, my instincts won, and I let my gaze travel downwards.

I gasped at what I saw.

There was a massive red cut crossing the left-hand side of his abdomen. I reached out and let my finger trail near the cut and the redness that it caused.

‘How did this happen?’ I asked as I looked up to find Stone staring at me.

‘A knife.’

I went back to checking the cut while I questioned ‘When did it happen?’

‘Last night.’ He replied gruffly.

I got up from the bed and quickly made my way through to the bathroom. After finding what I needed from the cabinet under the sink, I came back through to him.

Leathering my hand in the antiseptic cream, I applied it evenly to his cut. I then wrapped it up, so it did not become infected.

During my cream application, I had happened to have moved one of my legs to the other side of him so I could get better access to his cut. It meant that I was straddling him.

‘You do not get hurt again.’ I scolded before I cleared my throat and motioned downwards ‘I am not doing this again.’

Stone looked to be in a trace as he continued to study me unfalteringly as he rasped out ‘My little nurse.’

I rolled my eyes before warning ‘Next time, look after your cuts yourself.’

‘No.’ He argued before his voice went to demanding ‘I need you to kiss it better.’

His tone was smug like he was enjoying it all too much I wanted to shock him. I wanted to shut him up, so I leaned down and left a small kiss right above the bandaged area.

The mouth of the giant twitched as he rumbled ‘You are so fucking cute.’

I flipped him off because of his teasing before I began to try and get off him.

He stopped me by clutching my hips in his large hands.

‘Can I help you, Lurch?’ I tilted my head at him.

‘I have a cut on my lip too.’

I hummed ‘I don’t see anything.’

He smirked as he reached up and held my face in one of his hands. His thumb flicked over my lip before touching my cheek and then moving a hair behind my ear.

My cheeks felt on fire, so I blurted out ‘I don’t blush!’

His smirk grew ‘I never said you did, Medusa.’

Rearranging his arms so that they rested behind his head, he grinned evilly. His pose was full of cockiness, and it looked like something straight out of a portrait.

Someone should make a statue of him. He was ethereally attractive, and his face was like a stoic statue with no emotion most of the time anyway.

It perplexed me how much I wanted to sit back and analyse him. I wanted to know all the things that ticked him off, that made him mad, that pushed him over the edge. I also wanted to know all the things that made him happy and that made him laugh. I wanted to know what thoughts went through his head.

Like any interesting book, you needed to read all of it to understand the full story. I was reminded then that I did not even know the title.

‘You still haven’t told me your first name.’ I pointed out, curiosity bubbling out of me.

‘No, I haven’t.’

Crossing my arms, I sighed in frustration ‘Are you seriously not going to tell me?’

He nodded.

I mentioned to him ‘You know my name.’

‘That is because you told me it.’ The nameless Titan tried to argue.

‘I didn’t tell you, my name.’ I argued, ‘Your little ally of a boss forced it out of me.’

Stone did not try and deny it. Rather, he still refused to tell me his name.

‘Your name can not be any worse than mine.’ I voiced before adding an exception ‘Unless it is something like Balthazar.’

‘Balthazar?’ He repeated.

Stretching my arms and letting out a yawn, I replied ‘Actually thinking about it, Balthazar is a pretty cool name. It sounds like some kind of fantasy antagonist. Evil like you.’

‘My name is not Balthazar.’

‘That is a pity’ I admitted, standing up from my bed ‘I will just call you Rumpelstiltskin.’

‘Who?’

‘You know the little guy from that fairytale. The only thing wrong with my analogy is that you are gigantic. The name thing however is accurate.’ I mentioned.

‘I have not heard that story.’ The deep voice replied.

‘Rumpelstiltskin was the guy who helped the liar of the princess convince everyone that she could turn straw into gold. Long story short, she promised the little creature who she did not know the name of, that if he helped her then she would give him her first born. Unless she could guess his name in three days then she could keep her baby.’

He nodded ‘Let’s do it then.’

I looked down at him with baffled as he lay on my bed ‘What do you mean? I’m not giving you my firstborn.’

Something that he was thinking about made his lip move upwards. It was like he was trying to contain a smile.

Stone shook the thought out of his and clarified for me ‘I’ll give you three days to try and guess my name.’

‘What happens if I can’t guess it?’

He answered, ‘Then you kiss me.’

I burst out laughing but then I saw his face. It was as serious as a volcanic explosion taking out a village.

My mouth opened then closed as I finally spoke ‘You are serious?’

‘Deadly.’

Memories of our last kiss resurfaced. I still felt his touch on my skin and his lips devouring my mouth. It would be the biggest lie in the world if I told myself that I did not want it to happen again and again and again.

I wanted it to happen an infinite number of times and that thought alone was terrifying.

I did not want to let him know that I was replaying the scene of us on the beach so I sarcastically utter ‘I am not that desperate to know your name.’

Before I could even think to praise myself for covering up how mystified I was by him, he was in front of me.

I unconsciously moved nearer because being close to him was not close enough. We were in a stance that from an outsider’s point of view might look like a face-off. I knew better. I knew he was waiting.

Like a predatory animal, he waited before attacking.

His hands pounced on my waist before he placed me down on the bed, climbing on top of me.

I was suddenly aware of his lack of clothes and my exposed stomach from the rising tank top.

He moved until he lingered at the side of my face, the hot air for his mouth tickled my neck ‘Guess my name.’

I met his eye, wondering how I was supposed to guess when I could not even think straight.

‘James?’ I guessed.

He did not look like a James, but I could hardly come up with an educated guess when my mind was preoccupied with other thoughts.

Stone’s head moved up ever so slightly so that his words ran along my ear ‘Try again.’

I tried to come up with something better, but I suddenly forgot all names in existence when he took my earlobe softly between his teeth.

I tried to guess again ‘Tom?’

Moving slowly, his lips became adjacent to mine. His eyes had darkened as he let his mouth trail to the side of mine ‘I am starting to think that you want to kiss me.’

My answer was my racing heartbeat. It was also my fingers twitching to destroy the gap between us.

My attempts were getting worse as I asked ‘David?’

The man on top of me growled.

I closed my eyes at the nearness, and I gently laughed ‘What are you growling at?’

‘I do not like other names that are not mine leaving your mouth.’

Sitting up slightly, I grazed his ear with my lip ‘Then tell me your name.’

He shook his head, determinedly ‘I am getting that kiss, Medusa.’

My laugh was near his jaw as I felt his stubble rub against my lip ‘Someone told me that a kiss from Medusa turns one to statue.’

His head tilted downwards, and his lip brushed my nose when he spoke gravelly ‘It is a good thing I am already Stone.’

Another name did not leave my mouth. Neither did a smart comeback. I could not even dispute that I had three days to find out his name.

The way he was looking at me at that moment was the only thing I could seem to think about.

A loud noise made me jump away from him.

Stone did not move. He just continued to observe me.

I broke eye contact and listened to the noise again.

When it happened for the second time, I jogged out of the room and into the hall. Somebody was at the door.

‘Who could that be?’ I mumbled to myself.

Another knock came from the door along with a familiar female voice shouting.

‘Ella! Are you still sleeping, or have you just decided to ditch me?’ She asked then she huffed ‘Knowing the lazy person you are, I am going to say the first option’

I had forgotten that I was supposed to meet Lana.

I let out a curse when I noticed that Stone had followed me through to the hall. Out of panic, I charged at him and tried my best to push him back to my room.

After a while of him not moving and me just feeling his chest, he let me drag him to my room.

‘It is Lana.’ I whispered ‘I was meant to meet her. Oh my god. What time is it?’

‘Just after ten.’

‘I was meant to meet her at nine. I have to go and get the door.’ I groaned before urging him ‘You need to hide. She can’t see you.’

‘Why not?’ He asked, finding the situation highly amusing.

My head tilted down towards the black material covering very little of his large self.

‘You know why.’ I tried to yell quietly ‘Hide under the bed!’

He chuckled ‘I am not hiding under your bed.’

‘I guess you are too big.’ I said, more to myself before I told ordered him ‘Stay here.’

I was out of breath by the time I had opened the door to the impatient blonde who was waiting at the doorway.

She pointed to my pyjamas and frowned ‘I can’t believe you forgot about our movie day.’

‘I am so sorry. I did not forget about it.’ I told her as I let her into the apartment ‘I just slept in’

I purposely left out the part about being trapped by a pair of massive arms.

Lana looked around the place for something and when she could find what she was looking for, she raised an eyebrow ‘You are acting weird.’

‘Am I?’

‘Yeah.’ She replied, her voice full of inquisitiveness.

I apologised and tried to draw the attention away from my supposed weirdness ‘Sorry. I’m probably just tired. What did you expect when you said to meet at nine? It is the weekend, and this is an ungodly hour to be up. The only reason i said yes was because I love you. On that note, I will go and get changed right now.’

Running away from her before she could say anything else, I slammed my bedroom door behind me.

Stone looked up from where he was sitting at the bottom of my bed. He now had on jeans, but he had not covered his tattoo-covered eight pack and his exposed wide shoulders.

A wave of realisation hit me. I had said to Lana that I was getting changed. She was waiting in the hall, and he was in my room. He could not leave the room I released a sigh and thought about it. I had on a bra and panties. It was not like I was nude, and he was facing the wall, so I decided to remove my tank top and my shorts.

When I opened my wardrobe to grab some clothes was when Stone lifted his head and stopped cold.

His eyes ran over me for a second, darkness taking over his irises as he did so. The second seemed to drag on until he let out a rough curse and turned the other way.

‘Fuck, Ella.’ He practically bellowed.

I did not know what had gotten him so riled up. It was not like I was naked. The dark green lace had covered up everything.

‘My bikini covers less.’ I mentioned as I slipped on a shirt ‘You have seen me in less at the beach.’

Stone grumbled under his breath ‘Because I handled that so fucking well.’

After I slid up my jeans, I sighed ‘You need to stay here until I leave.’

‘Why is that?’ He stood up and made his way over to me.

‘She would get the wrong idea.’ I replied as he towered over me.

‘What idea would that be?’

‘You know exactly what idea I am taking about.’ I spoke up from my level at his chest.

Surprisingly, he did not argue or tease any further. He instead asked, ‘Why did you not ask Brennan and I to come?’

The idea of inviting him had crossed my mind but then I remembered my conversation with Lana about her relationship. We had not had a chance to talk. Just her and I.

His voice had been teasing but I answered him truthfully ‘Because it is a girl’s day.’

As I sat down to put my shoes on, Lana shouted from the other side of the door ‘Ella! Hurry up!’

‘Just wait two minutes after we are gone to leave so she does not see you’ I muttered to him before turning to leave Stone half laughed and half grunted, ‘Maybe I will go get Brennan and come give you a visit.’

I fell for his threat and harshly hissed ‘Don’t you dare, Lurch.’

Before he could say anything, Lana called again ‘What is taking you so long? I know you take a while to get changed but this long? Really?’

Giving him a last glance, I opened the door and left him in my room.

Lana had her arms crossed when I reached her at the front door. She looked behind me ‘Who were you talking to? I thought I heard voices.’

‘Singing.’ I blurted out ‘I was singing.’

‘I thought I heard a deep voice.’ Lana raised her light brow.

‘I was practising my Darth Vader impression.’ I lied She did not look convinced, but she did not say anything other than ‘Okay. Let’s go.’

We took my car to drive to her house. My lateness was quickly forgiven as Lana told me all about her outing with Brennan. She also mentioned the new music she had been working on.

I wanted to tell her about Stone and my encounters with him, but I did not want to load more problems onto her. Not when she was facing difficulties in her relationship.

When we arrived at her house, we rushed inside and got our binge-worthy banquet ready before putting on a Barbie DVD.

‘So, Brennan and I talk fine when it is all four of us together. We always have something to talk about when we are with other people. Like we talk about you and Stone and school in general. However, when we are alone, it is so different. When it is just us, sometimes we sit in silence.’ Lana explained as she stuffed a handful of gummy bears in her mouth.

I was sitting crossed leg on her living room sofa as I tried to steal one from the bag, she was trying to keep to herself as I replied, ‘Is it a comfortable silence?’

‘I don’t know.’ She admitted.

We had been talking about Brennan and her for about an hour. I knew something was wrong when she didn’t hum along to the intro music to the animated Barbie movie. I did not sing to it either because I was still trying to convince her that I hated it when secretly I liked the movies.

I was also pondering over my thoughts about my overnight visitor. I was trying to focus on the whimsical fairyland and bright pink dresses but found myself thinking about the giant. I wondered if he had snooped around the place after I left or if he left as soon as I did.

Lana rearranged herself restlessly on the sofa like she had been for the past hour as she let out a huff ‘Do you think he is bored of me?’

‘I’m not a boy expert,’ I stated before giving her a confidence boost ‘but I can tell that Brennan really likes you. Anyone can see that’

She thinks for a minute before questioning ‘What if he doesn’t want to be in a relationship?’

Shaking my head, I told her ‘These are questions that I can’t answer. The only person that can is Brennan. There is no point of us to sit here and wonder what is going on in a guy’s mind. Males are complex species. I don’t think they even know what is going on in their mind. Although, I can’t say girls are any better.’

‘That is not very helpful.’ She informed me.

‘Sorry.’ I said, ‘As I said I am not exactly the most qualified to give dating advice.’

Biting another gummy bear head off, she frowned in disagreement ‘You went out with Chase.’

I rolled my eyes and feel the need to justify myself ‘I never officially dated Chase. Now we are just friends. We get on good.’

‘Friends like you and Stone?’

‘No.’ I affirmed instantly ‘Stone is different.’

My reply lit up her entire face and she sings her next question ‘And why is that?’

It was nothing I could put into words, so I ended up responding with ‘I don’t know.’

‘Maybe it is because you are actually attracted to Stone.’

Trying to sound persuasive, I failed by sputtering my next words ‘I am not attracted to Lurch.’

She hummed, unconvinced.

I moved the conversation on ‘Anyway back to you, are you going to ask Brennan about your relationship?’

‘What am I going to do?’ She whined ‘Write him a letter saying Do you still like me? Check yes, or no?’

‘Don’t do that.’

She shoved five gummy bears in her mouth ‘Do you have a better idea?’

My imagination and train of thought were so weird that I surprised myself with the solution I smiled at her ‘I have a great new theory that will test if you are on his mind.’

‘Your theories are always so random but okay…’ She trailed off, sceptical.

‘The Gummy Bear Theory.’ I announced like it was a big scientific discovery. Watching her munch the little bear-shaped candies and offer me a weird look, I described my new philosophy ‘So you ask him the question; if you are in a car driving really fast and you see me standing with two gummy bears on the road, one red and one purple. You realise that you can’t brake and that you can only avoid hitting one thing, who would you pick to save and why?’

She usually looked at me like I was an oddball but now she was gawking at me like I was from a different planet.

While still bug-eyed, she replied ‘That question is the most random thing I have ever heard.

‘Just answer it’

Lana did after a second of thinking ‘I like the purple bears better so I would save the purple one.’

‘There you go.’ I pointed to her ‘This theory proves your deduction skills and how much you are thinking about the person. I said you see me standing with two gummy bears on the road, one red and one purple so that means you are in the equation too. If the person you are asking is really thinking about you then they will pick up on the me part. The correct answer is to say I would save you over anyone.’

Giggling, she remained to look at me like I was crazy ‘That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I am going to ask him that the next time I see him just to prove you wrong.’

I was about to explain it further, but I was interrupted by her mom walking down the stairs with a load of laundry.

Mrs Armstrong greeted us with a smile ‘Hello Ella. I feel like I have not seen you in forever. How have you been?’

‘I’m good.’ I said, returning her smile.

‘What are you girls talking about?’ Mrs Armstrong asked us.

‘Boys.’ Lana replied.

Mrs Armstrong laughed as she walked to the kitchen. She stopped right at the door and turns around, remembering something.

She grinned ‘Taking about boys, your ones are outside right now.’

The idea of a girl’s day was thrown to the wind.

Lana walked over to the window and confirmed that both boys were indeed outside.

I motioned for her to come back ‘Just ignore them. They will go away eventually.’

She shook her head in disagreement and went over to the door ‘How did they even know we were here together?’

I joined her at the door and contemplate chasing Lurch down the street.

Rather than tell her the truth, I lied ‘I am telling you that those two boys are secret agents. Have you seen the muscles on them two? Especially Stone.’

A voice I instantly recognised as Brennan’s came from outside, behind the front door ‘Thank you, Ella. As much as we love you complementing us, can you let us inside?’

I managed to hold my laughter back as I called to the two intruders ‘Nobody is home. We have gone out. Try again later.’

‘Really? So, who are we talking to right now?’ Stone asked sounding amused at my stupidity.

‘A figment of your imagination?’ I replied.

Brennan chuckled and retorted ‘That actually sounds about right, Little Ella.’

Lana sighed and opened the door. The two males were grinning smugly. Brennan gave her a small hug while crossed my arms and glared up at Stone.

The giant sauntered over to me and spoke deeply yet quietly so the other two could not hear ‘I told you I would pay you a visit.’

‘What a treat.’ I deadpanned and walked away back to my seat.

The three of them followed. The two lovebirds went and sat on the sofa opposite. That left the only place for Stone to sit was next to me. With room for at least three people, he settled right next to me so that our legs were touching. Never mind my leg, every cell in my whole body was aware of the contact.

As soon as the characters on the screen broke out into song, Lana’s eyes were glued to the screen and Brennan looked to be trying to enjoy the movie for her sake.

However, Stone’s gaze was fixated on me. I side glanced at him and saw him smirking in my peripheral vision.

I turned my head to ask, ‘What are you staring at?’

He looked like he wanted to say something but whatever it was, he swallowed down and asked instead ‘Do you like Barbie films?’

Offering him a small smile, I nodded once ‘They are okay. Lana loves them and I love Lana. I have watched them so many times that they just seem like the normal to watch on a Saturday.’

It went silent between us until I spoke again ‘There is no point asking you if you enjoy them’

Stone laughed He knew fair well that his scary appearance and his no emotion attitude did not exactly scream pink princesses and magical castles He questioned anyway ‘Why not?’

I explained, ‘Because last time I asked you, you just grunted and did not even answer me.’

‘When?’ He demanded to know.

‘When we first met.’ I answered before reminiscing ‘The night at the pier feels like forever ago.’

He nodded, his lips up in a small smile ‘It is hard to remember a time I was not getting insulted daily by a tiny green gorgon. I can’t image a day without your nerdy insults.’

‘That sounds like you are trying to make me the bad guy. Do not act like you do not give just as bad as you get.’ I pointed out while I ate a gummy bear ‘I can’t imagine not knowing being insulted daily by you either. Who else would insult my green hair? Although you are still kind of a stranger now.’

Looking a bit taken aback, he raised an eyebrow ‘Why do you say that?’

‘I don’t even know your name.’ I pouted up at him.

Stone’s dark eyes lowered to look at my lips before he rasped ‘That is because you haven’t guessed it yet.’

‘I still have three days.’ I pointed out.

‘Why do you want to know so bad?’ He teased, already knowing that I was extremely curious My excuse was pretty lame, but it made sense ‘You know my name. I feel like you are one-up on me on the Ella and Stone scoreboard. Which will soon be changed to the Ella and whatever-your-stupid-first-name is scoreboard.’

‘You are determined,’ He stated in his deep voice ‘but you won’t guess it.’

‘Yes, I will.’ I declared persistently which did not make his smug face falter so I resolved to another tactic ‘I will because there is no way I am kissing you again.’

He smirked before leaning closer ‘And why is that Medusa?’

‘Because…Because I don’t want to.’ I ended up saying as I crossed my arms over my chest.

The gravelly sounding male spoke ‘Little liar.’

I came up with a different answer ‘Acqenemies do not kiss. It is a rule. Everyone knows that.’

‘Bullshit.’ Stone called me lit ‘Acqenemies is an Ella term. There are no rules.’

‘Yes, there is.’ I told him while restraining myself from moving closer ‘No kissing.’

‘Are you saying that you are backing out of our deal? He asked, his tone full of dark menacing.

‘I am not a quitter, Lurch.’ I argued ‘If that is what you are suggesting. I am going to find out your name.’

His next words rolled off his tongue and I wondered if he meant for them to be so seductive.

‘Then guess.’ He said.

As I was about to say a name, I was stopped by his hand going down to my leg. His fingers trailed from my knees up to my thigh. He stopped abruptly then began to draw circles on my leg. Even with material between his touch and my skin, his hand sets the lower half of me on fire.

It was unfair. There was no way of guessing his name when I could barely remember my own. Not with him touching me.

‘Giving up already, Medusa?’

Incapable of putting a sentence together, I tried the name ‘Noah?’

He responded lowly and huskily ‘No.’

Thinking about every name I knew; I blurted out a few ‘Liam? Mason? Ethan?’

Stone just shook his head and continues to move his finger along my leg.

Attempting to ignore it and trying to seem unfazed, I quietly asked more names ‘How about John?’

‘Your guesses are getting worse.’

‘George?’ I guessed as a joke ‘Paul? Ringo?’

He chuckled ‘Now you are just naming members of The Beatles.’

‘I know,’ I admitted ‘but I am running out of names. I think out of all the names I have said so far, Rumpelstiltskin fits you the most.’

When Brennan coughed, I instantly reached forward for another gummy bear which made forced Stone’s hand off my leg.

I did not think Brennan had seen us because he did not mention our contact and instead asked ‘So what made you want to have a girl’s day?’

Lana looked at him and asked, ‘Do I need an excuse to spend time with Ella?’

At that, the guy next to me whispered tauntingly in my ear ‘She does not need an excuse. I just do not see why she would want to.’

‘Says the guy that came willingly to my house yesterday.’ I rejoinder in a low voice as I grinned up at him.

His lip twitched twice as he moved his hand over his jaw ‘I have a warped taste.’

I nudged him with my elbow.

Lana spoke aloud and retold everyone about my lateness that morning ‘Ella slept in this morning so I went over to her place to go and get her. She took another thirty minutes to get dressed.’

Brennan grinned ‘Maybe she has an imaginary friend that made her take so long.’

I did not need to be a rocket scientist to know what he was trying to secretly suggest.

‘Yeah.’ I said, putting fake sarcasm into my voice even though what I said was true ‘That is what it was. My imaginary friend is a massive pain in the ass and that is why it took so long for me to get changed.’

Lana shook her head ‘Ella’s head is always in the clouds. She is too busy thinking up crazy theories or dreaming about different dimensions. That is why she is slow at everything. She is too busy somewhere else.’

She had a point.

Her voice filled the room again ‘Talking about theories and craziness. Ella, I think you should test your ludicrous theory.’

‘You are going to have to narrow that down. I have made a lot of theories over the years.’

She motioned down to the bag of gummy bears. The Gummy Bear Theory was a perfectly valid one. I just had to prove that.

I turned to Stone and asked him ‘If you were driving a car down a road really fast and you see me with two gummy bears on the road, one purple and one red. Then you realise that your brake is not working, and you can only avoid hitting one thing, who would you save?’

He chuckled, shaking his head as he peered down at me. His reply came out in one breath ‘I would save you, crazy girl.’

Lana was staring at me with wide eyes before she praised me ‘Your theory actually works.’

I crossed my arms and shook my head.

Stone just picked up on the me part of the theory because he was perceptive.

‘No. It does not.’ I burst out with ‘There is no logic to my theory. I was just making random stuff up.’

I shot a dirty look at Stone. Who did he think he was, getting my theories right?

After an hour of the fairy film and cheesy music which I had to say was fun, the movie ended. I had never seen two males look so bored in their life.

Brennan spoke up as the credits rolled ‘So my mom is inviting you to dinner tomorrow night.’

‘Really?’ Lana said, excitedly.

‘That is a big step.’ I teased her ‘Meeting the in-laws. You better not mess it up.’

Brennan laughed “That is okay, Little Ella. You will be there to keep her in line.’

‘What?’ I asked, confused.

‘Stone told mom that you are coming too.’ He informed me, nonchalantly.

‘He did what?’ I erupted before turning to the giant and asking him ‘Why did you you say that I was going? What if I had plans?’

He challenged “What are your plans then? Sitting on your bed and reading a book?’

‘Yes.’

‘Nerd.’ He taunted, chuckling to himself.

Lana put her hands together and pretended to beg ‘Please, Ella.’

‘My momma makes a mean barbecue chicken and rice.’ Brennan tried to lure me in.

‘Keep talking.’

‘She makes her own mint chocolate chip ice cream.’ Stone added, knowing that it was my favourite.

It was quite scary that he knew me so well. It was scary how that fact alone made my stomach flutter.

Stone had won me around, but I tried to play it cool.

‘I just remembered that I have a clear diary. I can make it.’ I told him with a small shrug.

‘Thought you might.’ A deep rough voice inputted.