The Music of the Night

Chapter 18

At exactly 8 P.M., Gerard met Ellie outside her work station, and she called Kurt to let him know he was going to pick up two people that time around. 

She could practically see the mischievous glint in his eyes as he said knowingly, "You got it, Ms. Parker."

While they waited for him to arrive, Gerard slipped an arm around Ellie's waist and pulled her into his side, kissing the tip of her nose. 

"Hello," he said with a smile.

Ellie was still getting used to the fact that she was Gerard Butler's girlfriend, so she couldn't help but turn red at his adorable manner. 

"You like making me blush, don't you?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

He shrugged innocently. 

"Possibly."

She rolled her eyes playfully and leaned back into him. 

But then, Ellie heard footsteps in the distance behind them, and she instinctively turned to see who it was. 

She regretted the decision immediately.

Charlotte had stopped and was looking at them with her "Wicked Witch of the West" green eyes, a jealous expression contorting her beautiful features.

Gerard noticed Ellie glancing over her shoulder and asked, "What's wrong?" 

He followed her gaze to Charlotte, and his arm got a little tighter around her waist. 

"Just ignore her," he mumbled, kissing the side of her head. 

It was hard, but Ellie managed to tear her eyes away from Charlotte, and she snuggled up a bit closer to Gerard. 

"Hey, I've got you," he said comfortingly, rubbing her ribs with his thumb. "You're okay."

When the urge came to glance back again, she buried her face into his strong chest and shuddered the slightest bit. 

His arms protectively encircled Ellie while he kissed her head and whispered reassurances to her. 

There was something about Charlotte that was scaring Ellie, and she hated the feeling of being so powerless against her. 

But Gerard made her stronger, so she boldly faced her when she came up beside them and asked tauntingly, "How're you two lovebirds doing?"

"Leave her alone, Banks," he warned, holding Ellie close. "You better get out of here before I report you to Joel."

Charlotte snickered. 

"Like that would do anything," she said with arrogance. "I'm part of the crew. I can't be fired. They need me here, not this little creep."

Ellie's anxiety was starting to swell up, and she was scared of another outburst happening when she and Gerard had just patched things up, so she gripped his shirt tighter in order to fight it.

He noticed her reaction, and he gave Charlotte the scariest glare she had ever seen from him. 

"Get away from us," Gerard said in a low voice, his tone dangerous. "I don't care what you think about me, but leave Ellie out of this."

They challenged each other with their gazes, and Ellie was getting worked up to the point that she was vibrating in Gerard's arms. 

"P-please leave," she stammered, losing control. 

Charlotte didn't budge.

"Go away!" he yelled, putting her behind him protectively. "You're hurting her!"

But by the grace of God, Kurt's limo pulled up, and Ellie ran to the car door, pulling it open so hard that she thought it would break off its hinges. 

Gerard came in behind her and slammed the door shut. 

"Get us out of here, Mr. Kurt," he demanded, looking out the window.

Charlotte was slowly inching closer, and Ellie almost fainted when she saw the scary, vengeful look on her face. 

Kurt spotted her as well, and he stepped on the gas pedal obligingly, pushing the both of them back in their seats. 

They drove away with a cloud of dust behind them, leaving Charlotte in the dark.

Ellie's entire body was sweating profusely, making her shirt stick to her torso, and she was sure that she was going to pass out, but Gerard quickly came to her aid. 

He didn't bother putting on a seatbelt as he pulled her shaking body into him, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"Shhh," he cooed, resting her cheek on his chest. "Breathe, darling. You've got to breathe."

Ellie tried to focus on his words, but her brain was in a chaotic whirlwind of emotions that she could not break out of. 

Her hands were white-knuckling his shirt, and he was stroking her back in a comforting manner. 

"Come on, Ellie," Gerard said encouragingly. "I need you to breathe for me."

"I c-can't," she choked, shaking her head. 

"Yes, you can," he stated firmly. "You're so much stronger than you think, love. Just focus on your breathing, and match it to mine."

Ellie nodded, resting her hand flat on his chest so that she could feel his steady rhythm. 

He emphasized his breathing, making it deep and slow, while she tried to follow. 

It took almost the entire ride, but eventually, she calmed down and fell tiredly on Gerard. 

"We're almost there," he said, kissing her head. "I'm proud of you, Ellie."

She cracked a tiny smile and stroked his chest. 

"It's only because you were here."

"No," he shook his head. "All I did was encourage you. The fight, however, was done by you and you alone."

Ellie sighed, not knowing how else to respond.

When Kurt let them know they had arrived, Gerard thanked him and generously gave a few hundred dollars, but he waved him off and stated, "You don't need to pay me. I would do anything for Ms. Parker."

Gerard glanced down at Ellie and said, "So would I."

He carefully got her out of the car and helped her to her hotel room, where their first night alone together awaited.