The Boy Next Door
fourteen.
Harry can’t do lunch the next day; nor can he do dinner. He’s been whisked away again and although Ella knows it’s not his fault, she feels slightly disappointed she won’t be seeing him. After the kiss, Harry has been on her mind more than ever. She could barely sleep because she could still taste his lips on hers and because his texts weren’t helping either. After he left, he kept texting her, telling Ella how gorgeous she looked and how he wished he could have stayed longer. It sent butterflies through her stomach all night and she no longer needed the alcohol to give her that buzz.
“Any plans for today?” Ella’s mum asks as she walks into the kitchen. Ella shakes her head and takes a bite from the toast she had just made. “I thought you were going out with Harry and his friends?” Ella didn’t want to tell her mum that it would just be Harry and her, so she had said that a group of them would be going to lunch.
“The guys had to leave last minute again, but it doesn’t matter, I’m sure I’ll find something to do.” Ella shrugged.
“Well Kye will be here soon and he mentioned if you were free, he wanted to take you out to buy your present and spend some of your birthday money.” Ella smiles at the mention of her brother. She had missed their trips together past the gate and now he was coming here, her knight in shining armour saving her from a day full of boredom and overthinking.
Ella heads back to her room to shower and ready herself in time for when Kye gets here. The day ahead doesn’t seem so horrid now Kye is coming down.
When Kye finally arrives, they head into town. He drives and Ella feels that familiar sense of freedom when they pass through the gates.
“I do not miss that,” He laughs, putting his foot down a little as they join the busy town of London.
“You’re so lucky you aren’t trapped behind here anymore,” Ella sighs, looking out the window and smiling at how busy the streets are. Cars and tourist litter every available space. This is what she wanted… What she needed.
“You’ll be away from here soon as well. Mum tells me you’ve already received offers from universities.” Kye briefly looks at his younger sister before his eyes fall back to the road ahead. They stop dead at a standstill, which is an always in London.
“That’s if I decide to go,” Ella says, looking at her brother. She had never admitted out loud to him about her doubts about university.
“You don’t think you’ll go to uni?” He asks and Ella just shrugs.
“You know I’ve always wanted to travel. I mean, I’m not going to say never, but I think I night take a gap year or two before deciding. Are you disappointed?” Ella wonders, watching as her brother smiles and pats her knee.
“Of course I’m not disappointed. Sometimes I wish I took a gap year to travel and do more things for myself, but I’m almost done and who knows, I might just take that break after. I think about working and I don’t like the idea of not having a little bit of freedom. I say go for it. University will always be there, but your youth won’t.” Kye has always been full of great advice and Ella felt silly for thinking he would be disappointed.
They finally park up and head down Oxford street, the busiest and best place to shop. Kye is the best shopping buddy and gives her a budget for her present. Ella finds some new summer pieces as the weather seems to be picking up. She spends half her birthday money, knowing she better put some away rather than just spend it all.
After grabbing some lunch, they finish up and head back home.
Ella dismisses herself to the garden when they get in, where she finds a lounger and sits back and brings up a book on her kindle. Kye is sat watching a football game with their dad and their mum is meeting with a client.
Ella is deep in her book when she suddenly feels the presence of someone else. Looking up, Oscar is the last person she thought she would see.
“Oscar, what are you doing here?” Ella shrieks, standing to her feet and stepping back.
“I hate that you react to me like that,” Oscar sighs, running a hand through his hair. He looks like he hasn’t slept in a while, which makes Ella feel slightly guilty, but then she remembered why they were in this position in the first place, and the guilt subsides slightly.
“What do you want?” Ella sighs, running a hand through her hair and sitting back against the lounger. Oscar sits on the edge of it, his eyes watching her, gauging every second of her reaction.
“I want to put this behind us. I don’t expect you to fully forgive me, but can you try and forgive just a little. I miss hanging around you and the group; I realise now that I have to wake up from this ridiculous fantasy. I’m trying with Tamera, and things are going great- but I don’t think I can fully relax until I know I have just even an ounce of your forgiveness.” His eyes are watering and his head now bows as he places it in his hands.
Ella sighs again, closing her eyes and trying to decide if you she could simply forgive and forget the incident with Oscar. Deep down she knows that he wouldn’t have carried on, he would have stopped. Oscar is a good guy and Ella really isn’t someone who does grudges.
“I can forgive you, but if you carry on with this declaration of love you have going on, then that’s it. Give Tamera the chance she deserves- you’ll realise soon enough that your love for me comes from familiarity. We were good together, but somehow that’s what was wrong, we were too good. The thrill and excitement had been replaced with routine.” Oscar nods like he understands.
“Can we at least hug it out?” He smirks, that charming smile and attitude creeping back onto his handsome face. Ella laughs and opens her arms, watching as a relieved Oscar shuffles into them. She welcomes his familiar warmth and is thankful to have him as a friend again. She hated holding grudges- it just wasn’t her style.
He finally pulls back and places a gentle kiss to her forehead, though Ella can feel that this isn’t one of his desperate attempts at affection with her; it is a truce that finally this endless circle of chasing her is over.
Ella can only hope as she looks up and watches Harry’s bedroom light flicker off.
“Any plans for today?” Ella’s mum asks as she walks into the kitchen. Ella shakes her head and takes a bite from the toast she had just made. “I thought you were going out with Harry and his friends?” Ella didn’t want to tell her mum that it would just be Harry and her, so she had said that a group of them would be going to lunch.
“The guys had to leave last minute again, but it doesn’t matter, I’m sure I’ll find something to do.” Ella shrugged.
“Well Kye will be here soon and he mentioned if you were free, he wanted to take you out to buy your present and spend some of your birthday money.” Ella smiles at the mention of her brother. She had missed their trips together past the gate and now he was coming here, her knight in shining armour saving her from a day full of boredom and overthinking.
Ella heads back to her room to shower and ready herself in time for when Kye gets here. The day ahead doesn’t seem so horrid now Kye is coming down.
When Kye finally arrives, they head into town. He drives and Ella feels that familiar sense of freedom when they pass through the gates.
“I do not miss that,” He laughs, putting his foot down a little as they join the busy town of London.
“You’re so lucky you aren’t trapped behind here anymore,” Ella sighs, looking out the window and smiling at how busy the streets are. Cars and tourist litter every available space. This is what she wanted… What she needed.
“You’ll be away from here soon as well. Mum tells me you’ve already received offers from universities.” Kye briefly looks at his younger sister before his eyes fall back to the road ahead. They stop dead at a standstill, which is an always in London.
“That’s if I decide to go,” Ella says, looking at her brother. She had never admitted out loud to him about her doubts about university.
“You don’t think you’ll go to uni?” He asks and Ella just shrugs.
“You know I’ve always wanted to travel. I mean, I’m not going to say never, but I think I night take a gap year or two before deciding. Are you disappointed?” Ella wonders, watching as her brother smiles and pats her knee.
“Of course I’m not disappointed. Sometimes I wish I took a gap year to travel and do more things for myself, but I’m almost done and who knows, I might just take that break after. I think about working and I don’t like the idea of not having a little bit of freedom. I say go for it. University will always be there, but your youth won’t.” Kye has always been full of great advice and Ella felt silly for thinking he would be disappointed.
They finally park up and head down Oxford street, the busiest and best place to shop. Kye is the best shopping buddy and gives her a budget for her present. Ella finds some new summer pieces as the weather seems to be picking up. She spends half her birthday money, knowing she better put some away rather than just spend it all.
After grabbing some lunch, they finish up and head back home.
Ella dismisses herself to the garden when they get in, where she finds a lounger and sits back and brings up a book on her kindle. Kye is sat watching a football game with their dad and their mum is meeting with a client.
Ella is deep in her book when she suddenly feels the presence of someone else. Looking up, Oscar is the last person she thought she would see.
“Oscar, what are you doing here?” Ella shrieks, standing to her feet and stepping back.
“I hate that you react to me like that,” Oscar sighs, running a hand through his hair. He looks like he hasn’t slept in a while, which makes Ella feel slightly guilty, but then she remembered why they were in this position in the first place, and the guilt subsides slightly.
“What do you want?” Ella sighs, running a hand through her hair and sitting back against the lounger. Oscar sits on the edge of it, his eyes watching her, gauging every second of her reaction.
“I want to put this behind us. I don’t expect you to fully forgive me, but can you try and forgive just a little. I miss hanging around you and the group; I realise now that I have to wake up from this ridiculous fantasy. I’m trying with Tamera, and things are going great- but I don’t think I can fully relax until I know I have just even an ounce of your forgiveness.” His eyes are watering and his head now bows as he places it in his hands.
Ella sighs again, closing her eyes and trying to decide if you she could simply forgive and forget the incident with Oscar. Deep down she knows that he wouldn’t have carried on, he would have stopped. Oscar is a good guy and Ella really isn’t someone who does grudges.
“I can forgive you, but if you carry on with this declaration of love you have going on, then that’s it. Give Tamera the chance she deserves- you’ll realise soon enough that your love for me comes from familiarity. We were good together, but somehow that’s what was wrong, we were too good. The thrill and excitement had been replaced with routine.” Oscar nods like he understands.
“Can we at least hug it out?” He smirks, that charming smile and attitude creeping back onto his handsome face. Ella laughs and opens her arms, watching as a relieved Oscar shuffles into them. She welcomes his familiar warmth and is thankful to have him as a friend again. She hated holding grudges- it just wasn’t her style.
He finally pulls back and places a gentle kiss to her forehead, though Ella can feel that this isn’t one of his desperate attempts at affection with her; it is a truce that finally this endless circle of chasing her is over.
Ella can only hope as she looks up and watches Harry’s bedroom light flicker off.