ELLA

Movie Room

The guy I met a few hours ago at that party is not who I thought he was. Jax is a total freak.
I kiss him once and he's already clingy, protective and rude.

I turn over in bed to check the clock, 4 am.
I've been lying here for 3 hours with my eyes wide open. My stomach churns at the thought that Jax is sleeping in the movie room, MY favorite room that I can no longer enjoy on this trip. I didn't even acknowledge him on the ride here or when we got home. I washed my face and went to bed before he could make it down the stairs.
I told Pepper everything when she got in the room and she was pretty shocked. Saying how sweet he was to her on the way to California, he wouldn't let her pay for anything , and that he was so excited to meet me and start on the company.

 Now, Pepper is on an air mattress on the floor, snoring her life away. She's a pretty girl but God that snoring is a felony.

My phone dings on the nightstand, startling and blinding me temporarily in the dark.
I've never seen this number before but the text reads...
{Ella?}
I sit up and check my call history for the number. Nothing, huh.
{Who is this?}
I wait a few seconds before it dings again.
{I didn't think you'd actually be awake.} what?

{That didn't answer my question.}
I reply.
More than 5 minutes pass until it dings again and the phone illuminates with the name I least wanted on my screen.

{Jax.}

I grind my teeth and prop over to wake up Pepper.
She chokes back a snore and flys up "What's happening?! " She yells.
"Shhh!!" I cover her mouth.
"What's going on?" She whispers, even her whispers are loud.
I hold up the phone to her squinting eyes as she adjusts to the light.
She snatches the phone from me, "Oh shit."
"I didn't give him your number I swear." She hands the phone back.
"Pepper we just met, you don't even have my number." I remind her.
"Oh yeah huh." She giggles.
"Well what does he want?"
"Good question." I look at the screen a little longer before I begin to type.
{How did you get my number?}
We wait in silence with the phone between us on the bed.
I can tell he's been waiting because he answers right back.
{I asked your dad for it, in case of an emergency.}
I read it back to Pepper and her face shows that she isn't convinced.
{Well are you dying?} I reply.
{No?}
{Then it's not an emergency.} I smile as I type the last message and shut off my phone.
"Don't you think you're being a little too harsh on him?" Pepper asks.
Maybe I am being a little harsh.
"He acted like I was his property. And he was rude when Andrew came out to his mom." I remind her of the earlier events.
She shrugs her shoulders and goes back to sleep. I finally settle into bed, my thoughts eating me little by little. I feel myself falling into a deep sleep until there's a light knock on the door.
"You've got to be kidding me." Pepper growls under her breath, reading my thoughts.
I pull my covers off and slightly crack open the door.
Of course it's him.
"What's wrong?" I say dryly.
His face is blocked from all emotion, I can't read him at all.
"Will you come out for a second please ? "
I raise a brow, "For?"
I hear Pepper shuffling behind me and crouching down next to me with her ear to the door.
"I'd like to talk to you." His voice is more stern.
"About?" I can tell he's getting angry now.
"Will you just stop being an ass and talk to me?" He raises his voice and my mouth drops. I feel like all the air has been knocked out of me.
"Jeez, okay." I huff and follow him obediently.
"Ella?" Pepper questions behind me.
Who the hell does he think he is?

He opens the door to the movie room for me and closes it quietly behind him.
The lights are off but I can see his perfect face outlined with the moons beam shining through the window.
"I'm sorry." He leans to hug me.
I step back before he can get to me.
"What did you want to talk about?"
I climb up and sit back on the top bunk/stair of the theater.
His hands clench and he stands firmly where I rejected him.
"Ella you-" he hesitates "you did something to me." his accent seems thicker than usual.
"What?" I cross my arms.
He doesn't say anything for a minute, like he's trying to put the words together.
"I know I acted definitive tonight." He leans on the wall now, piercing my eyes through the dark.
"Yeah no shi-" I start but he cuts me off, "I wasn't finished." He snaps.
"Sorry." I hug my legs to my chest.
"I don't like to let myself be infatuated by anyone." He runs his hand through his hair.
He looks so stressed and uncomfortable.
"You're infatuated with me?" I smile.
"Still not finished." He glares.
I raise my hands in apology.
He holds back, shrugging his shoulders and pacing back and forth.
"I don't talk about my feelings."
"Well you just said you were infatuated with me. I think that's talking about your feelings." I sass.
He groans and I know it's because I spoke before he was finished again.
"Look, there's an issue." He makes his way up to me and sits next to me.