Concealed Love

Chapter-17 look down on someone i like

Quite some days past peacefully after that, Simon, Jace, Dane, Aldrich, Irene, Ella, and sometimes even Jonathan, they often get together and got closer with each other.

Ella was often or most of the times the listener, she didn't know much about the people in the society nor was she interested, further she didn't know how to make small talks so she just enjoyed listening to the others and the others also didn't ask much from her while talking, understanding her personality.

During their gatherings Al often showed his interested to Ella with small actions though not openly, he didn't want to go too fast and scare her off.

As for Ella, she sometimes wonder if he was interested in her but she never dared believe it to be true so she didn't speak of it.

Ella spend her days going to and fro from Jace's to her own house checking on how the work is going on and instructing them they way to do it. She had some knowledge of pretty much many things in life.

That day she left to check out on her house again and before she got back, she got a message from Al.

Al: ' Hey, do you have time today evening. '

Ella: ' Yes, I'm sure I do'.

Jace: ' Can you drop by at a pup on your way back, the other guys will be there as well'.

Ella: ' Sure, send me the address of the place. '

Al: ' Sweet, I'll be sending in right now.'

Al: ' Take care, see you in the evening. '

Ella: ' Okay, bye. '

Al: ' Bye'.

Ella smiled and closed her phone and looked around the new renovated place, it was pretty much completed, the only thing left was for the paints. She looked at her room and not much had changed, the basement could not be opened by someone else except for her through her powers so didn't had to be worried about it.

She helped the workers finish painting the paints inside the house and moved back her things.

By the time she finished work, she had some time before evening so she cleaned herself up and as usual took her staff and gloves and went out towards Old Li's shop.

When she reached the place, the shop was closed and no one was there. She thought it was odd because the shop was closed but wasn't locked. She pushed opened the door and surely there was no one there.

She looked around but nothing rare or out of the ordinary was there. She waited a while for him to come back and when he didn't she left.

It was already evening when she got out of the store, so she directly went to the place Al had sent her.

She reached the place and as always the same sign ' singles' was hanging on the door. Ella pushed it open and saw that it was quite a quiet place, she received a call form Iri and through the phone she heard her say, ' look up', she looked up and around and noticed the familiar faces of her acquaintance there.

While she was walking pass the room she noticed the weird way the man on the counter was looking at her. When she entered the room above she saw that only Irene, Dane, Rachel and Simon were there. They smiled at her and invited her in.

Simon told her " The other guys are coming a bit late, heard they got caught up in some emergency work. "

Ella settling herself down on the couch said nonchalantly " Oh, that so, we can wait. "

Simon than with a pompous posture said " Anyway welcome to the place, I'm sure it's your first time here, the guys often meet here and you ladies are welcome too. " He ended that with a playful wink, he had always been a cheerful person.

Looking at his behavior the quiet Dane couldn't bear it and said " Why are you acting like the place is yours. "

" Well, it is our private place so why not". Than he turned to the other two and said " This place belongs to that guy on the counter down there, he's also a friend of ours. "

" Oh, I noticed him when I entered, he was staring so he must have guessed that I was with you guys" Ella tried to clarify her doubts.

" Ah, he must have and might also have got the wrong idea. On your way in did you notice the sign at the door? "

Ella nodded " Yes, I did it was very. ..unique? " She said and they all laughed.

" It sure is, he hates couples ever since his ex cheated on him and even went as far as to name the pub singles and I'm sure he must have thought that this was a date so he must have not been happy". Simon said.

" Oh" She uttered and Simon said " He was so mat at them even after some time passed. " He chuckled

Dane also spoke up with a calm face and voice : " Well, they cheated right in front of him, why wouldn't the poor guy be mad".

Iri with a pitiful expression said " Aw, that's mean of them".

Simon also sympathized a little "He has put it past him now I hope, anyway this place is just for us friends to spend time peacefully, no other customers are allowed in this room. "

The girls made an 'ooo' sound then Iri asked Ella " Talking about place reminds me, how is our place going Ella? "

Ella answered " It's going great, we can move back in a day or two. " Iri said " Oh great".

Simon heard their conversation and said cheerfully " When it's done, you have to invite us".

Iri and Ella both smiled and said " Sure, why not? ".

While they were talking someone knocked at the door and when they looked back they saw two girls, Preci and two other girls standing there.

They asked shyly " Can we join you guys", and having got permission from Simon, they cheerfully walked in.

They sat themselves down near Dane and Jace, and Preci introduced the other two to them and looked at Ella asking " I'm sorry have we met before? "

" I don't think so". Ella was not someone that can get friendly with anyone and appeared cold most of the time.

Knowing her personality, Iri intervened " Oh she's Ella". In fact Iri didn't know them too well either, the last time she and Preci were on a shoot together when Jace came to invite him and seeing her together with Preci, he assumed that she was Iri's friend and invited her too which was gladly accepted by Preci. But even so Iri was a friendly girl so she didn't mind.

However it was not so for Preci, she didn't had any intention to really get along neither with Ella nor Iri and hearing Ella's name made her even more jealous, remembering the last time Al talked about her.

"Hey guys, sorry for being late". Jace and Al had finally came. But seeing at the extra people in the room Al was not pleased.

He went and sat himself down silently greeting Ella and telling her he was got up in work.

The other girls immediately brightened seeing their new handsome targets and tried to get their interest but having got no reaction from Al whose whole attention was given to Ella they got angry at her.

Preci decided to take action " Umm, miss Ella cam I ask what you do for a living?. I know about the others and and wanted to know you too". She tried to sound as friendly as she could smiling innocently.

" Oh, I just invest in companies and doesn't work much". Ella answered sincerely but her other acquaintance knew it that her ' investment' was not to be talked of like that, like it was nothing much.

But Preci and the others clearly didn't know this so the girls persist " Oh than you must have a lot of free time, we thought everyone here had a busy working schedule. "

Their voice may sound sweet but their was a clear mocking sneer. Ella was not one to notice nor care about it, for her they were nothing more than speaking dolls so she just said " Mmn ".

Sensing the awkward situation, Simon and Jace tried to change the topic but didn't work.

The girls not getting the reaction they were hoping from Ella got more pissed " Miss Ella really is stingy with words, well you must have not been out in the social circles often? we just wanted to be friends".

The other added with scheming smiles " Yes, we also want to know how to get so close with the people here", they were indicating that how did someone socially awkward and low like her according to their own understanding got close to the famous and rich people.

Ella was just going to dismiss them again but Al snapped, " Why should she bother telling you, and more importantly when did it become so that anyone could enter this place".

The pressure in the room got intense and the girls tried to defend themselves " We're sorry we don't mean to be rude, we didn't mean anything bad by it, and they agreed when we ask them to invite us as well". They said it so softly and sweetly acting wronged.

" Surely you huh " He mocked and the girls blushed in shame and remained quiet.

" Well the day's ruined now, shall we go back Ella? " He said softening his voice as he said her name.

" Okay then, we'll be leaving first" Ella stood up and left with Al.

On their way to the parking lot, Al asked " Why didn't you say back anything to them? "

Ella understanding what he meant said " It's okay, they were just asking and it's not gonna hurt anyone ".

" They were clearly trying to look down on you" Al stated a bit angry.

Ella smiled and say " Haha, it's okay and I've lived this far those aren't important to me".

" Ya maybe for you, but it is for me, I don't like it when they try to look down on someone I like", he was so furious he didn't know he had just blurted out his feelings.

They both stood outside the lot and stopped after he said that and Ella looked surprised.

Al was a bit flustered at first but decided to tell her clearly, he took her hands in his and said " I'm sure you've known or guessed my feelings before, and I know it's not been long since we've known each other but I'm serious about it and I hope you'll consider it too and give me a chance".

Ella pulled her hands away and said " I'm sorry, besides what about miss Minerva? Weren't you.... " She was trying so hard to make him stop advancing further but Al didn't back out.

" She and I have decided to each go our own way moreover we never had anything to do with each other. " Al clarified stopping her midway.

But Ella did not want to listen anymore, she walk in to get her car, Al tried to stop her but she left. She went straight to her house without going to Jace's and sat herself down on the kitchen chair.

Ella was afraid and panicked, she decided to just protect him, she's not worthy of standing beside him, that's what she had always told herself and believed. She told herself that what Al's feelings for her is only a temporary impulse and will go away in time besides she thought ' Once his memories returned, I'm not the one he is gonna choose. It never was and never will'.