IDTMB — Chapter fourteen

After the night that they escape to the party, Ellie seems not in herself and she was holding her lips where Arthur kiss her. The sun had already risen in the sky, but she was still in her bed, stunned by the absence. She can't believe they kissed, and she even responded to it, which puzzled her. It's driving her insane, along with the fact that they're arguing again before she gets home alone. Everything it seems to be her fault from the start, which is why Arthur continues to pressurize her because he blames her.

Flashbacks...

"How are we going to get out of here?" Ellie asked, wondering when they intended to leave.

Arthur ignored her and went to the balcony of the guess room. He's been in this room before, when Dominick and him were in college. The balcony faced the gate, and the room was on the second floor. He returns to Ellie, who is watching what he is doing, after measuring the high of the ground from where they are.

"We'll jump," he said as they walked through the balcony together. "I'll go first, and I'll catch you—"

"Wait a second!" She cut him off and looked down at the ground where they were going to jump. "You want us to jump there? Are you that insane? Let's just get out of here and walk safely without getting hurt," she contradicted, about to leave him when he grabbed her hand again.

"There's a chance they see us, so while everyone's in the back, let's jump over here; the gate is already close, and we can get out of here without them noticing," he tried to persuade her to reconsider.

"But, it is too high."

"Don't worry, I won't leave any scars on your skin because I will catch you."

"How about your hand?" Ellie takes his hand, and the bruises are still visible. "You might get hurt again," she said quietly, looking at him with gentle eyes.

"I'm already used with so much pain, Ellie," he replied solemnly with double meaning on his words, and they exchanged stares, where Ellie averting first her gaze away.

"You better make sure that you will catch me." She changed back the subject and look down for the second time to measure the high where they will going to jump.

"You got me, okay?"

Like what they have plan, Arthur is the who take the first jump where in he almost slumped his face on the ground if he didn't control his balance. Ellie is a little bit nervous as she wear off her transparent stiletto and looked down for a second where Arthur is waiting for her to jump the balcony. She close her eyes, silently prayer in her mind before she jump off as she pull all her courage.

"You can now open your eyes," Arthur said while carrying her in a bridal style.

Ellie slowly opened her eyes and the thing that she saw was their face that is almost near to each other. She immediately get down on her arms and fix herself out her embarrassment. "You really catch me. Thank you."

"I told you, you got me; let's go now before someone else sees us here," he said, grabbing her hand as he prepared to leave.

"Wait, I'm going to put on my stiletto first," she said, immediately putting it back on.

"Why do you women like to wear such dangerous shoes like that? Are you not afraid of losing your balance and falling on the ground?" he irritably asked, looking at what she was doing.

"This is a woman thing that a man wouldn't understand, so shut up!" She stood confidently in front of him where her height increased by her four-inch stiletto.

"Tss."

The two successfully escape at Yuzon's residence without being noticed by the people they left behind. They didn't care what they left in the party as long as they got out with it somewhere they weren't both having fun. It's been almost an hour since they left, and Arthur is driving his car while Ellie sits in the passenger seat. They are both in silence, thinking about different things.

"Where do you want us to go? Do you want to go out of town or out of country? We can book a ticket right now-"

"What?" Ellie asked as he broke the silence.

"We are going to leave and never return to them, right?" He caught a glimpse of his side before returning his gaze to the road.

"Stop the car!" she yelled, realizing what was going on and do what she said.

"Why are you shouting?" he asked calmly.

"I think you misunderstood me," she said quietly, "Or did you plan this after all? I thought you were just going to get me out of the party, but it appears you are going to take me away from them!" she unbuckled her seatbelt and get out to the car.

"Ellie! Argh damn it!" Arthur shook his head and followed her outside. "Please get back in the car."

"No! I will never go with you again!" she exclaimed, her eyes filled with rage. "You just planned this all along, and I despise you!"

"What difference does it make when you want to go out in the party and never come back to them? I know you don't want to do what they're asking you to do, and I can see it in your eyes, Ellie; why are you so naive and keeping your pride out of it?"

"I don't have anything to explain to you anymore, and I'm sick of having these arguments with you! If you want to go, don't involve me and leave me alone, Arthur! It's already ten years pass after we have the same arguments but you still didn't change." She bited her lower lip as she tried to hold back her tears. "You already have Rebecca and Andy but you still keep clinging on me. Stop this nonsense because there is no way we can be together now that we are both engaged."

"It's just easy for you to say change because you're the one who changed after all..." He paused, looking at her as if this was the last time he'd see her. "I agreed on what you wanted before we entered the orphanage and you promised me. I kept the agreement and forgot my pride, but you forgot to keep your promises. I shouldn't have agreed on the first place with your ideas because it changed you!" He didn't stop raising his voice and sounded like he was regretting everything.

Ellie clenched her fist and walked towards him, enraged by what she had heard. "You're the one who doesn't want to separate from me, and I did you a favor, and now you're blaming me because it changed me!" she pushed him.

"Stop!" Arthur grabbed her arms and held them tightly, but she fought him.

"Get off me!" she yelled, about to push him again when he caught her in his arms. "Get off me," she said, tears welling up in her eyes as she felt his warm hugs.

"I never blame you, Ellie, it's just this life that prevents us from being together-"

"Enough, I don't want to hear anything from you!" She didn't wait for him to finish what he was saying before walking away from him. "Whatever you said, it was still the same; you're blaming me for putting you in this situation, so stop changing the fact!" She wiped her tears where her make-up had already been destroyed. "I'll just take a taxi home, and don't worry, I won't tell them I escaped with you at the party."

"What about the kiss? You responded to it, and I know you want me too; you're just holding it back," he said before she could turn her back.

"That kiss? You only manipulated me, and I fell into your trap."

Present...

(Knock on the door)

"Ellie?" Her adoptive mother interrupted her thoughts when she heard a knock outside her room.

"Yes, Mom?" Ellie quickly wiped her teats away, which she hadn't noticed while recalling her conversation with Arthur the night before.

"Can I come in?" Anecita asked.

"The door is unlocked, Mom, and you may enter." Her room door opened, and she smiled immediately when her adoptive mother entered so she wouldn't notice that she was upset about what happened to her with her adoptive brother. "Mom, good morning."

"Good morning," Anecita said as she sat next to her bedside. "How was your stomachache? Is it still bothering you?"

"I-it's already gone, Mom, and I feel better now. I'm sorry again if I didn't let you know everything before I left. I really can't bear my stomachache, so I went to the hospital right away," she apologized, but it was all a lie and didn't involve Arthur because they might start doubting them.

"It's okay, we understand, but you should know that we are all disappointed, especially your father, who felt embarrassed in front of the reporters who kept asking about you; we just paid them not to include your sudden absence in the party so it won't affect our family and the company," her adoptive mother explained, where her calm tone had earlier changed to strict, "And don't ever do it again, Ellie. Try to remember the good things we have done to you and your brother if you will put again us in shame. We can take the name we gave you and everything you have right now, even if you are an adult. Your future children would suffer as you did on the street."

Ellie's heart raced quickly as she heard what she said because it sounded like a threat. She was now regretting what she had done, and she had no idea how he had persuaded her to come with him. "I'm sorry, Mom, please forgive me; I promise I will never do it again." She bowed her head in shame for herself.

"It should be," Anecita says and get out of her bed. "And, before I forget, Dominick's mother asked a favor, and we already agreed on it, which means it's already settled," she added, and it seems she has no right to have a second demotion to it.

"What did you agree on?" her brow furrowed as she looked up at her. Hearing that it came from Dominick's mother gave her goosebumps because she thought of her as a witch. She can't forget the conversation she had with his mother out of her head.

Anecita gave her a hard stare before answering her question. "We agreed that you'll stay with them on weekdays so you and Dominick can get to know each other while your wedding is on its way next month before your brother's wedding, and you can only come home here on weekends and you'll be permanently staying with them after your wedding," she explained. "Dominick will going to pick you here tomorrow, so start packing your belongings now."

"O-okay, Mom," she replied in a lower voice and sighed when her adoptive mother had already left her room, "Great, Ellie. You'll have to live in a house with a maniac and a witch. Aish!