Chasing Ellise

"You're back early," she said without looking up from the computer screen. It's been two days that she has been holed up in Nina's dormitory coding.

"It's me."

Ellise stiffened upon hearing the baritone voice she is so familiar with.

"Nina is still at her classes," she said, hiding the tremble of her voice. She isn't comfortable being left alone with DT.

He put a grocery bag on top of the table and took out some food, then arrange them neatly at the end of the table. Next, he picks out some microwaveable meal from another bag then he throws it in the microwave.

While waiting for the food to heat up from the microwave he stole a glance over Ellise who's face is still glued on her laptop screen and didn't even waste time looking at him.

"Would you like some coffee?" he asked, wishing that she would give him a glance.

"Why are you here?"

DT didn't respond and just proceed to make some coffee.

"Who told you to come here?"

She stood up from the table and stretched her back.

"Uncle ordered me to bring food for Nina."

He answered without looking at her. He isn't going to tell her that it was his own idea to come here and he is using Nina as his excuse because he has a feeling that Ellise won't like it and will stay away from him if he tells her the truth.

"When did you become Mr. Wan's errand boy?" she asked mockingly.

"Pft, I have been his errand boy since I can remember." he chuckled ignoring the taunting tone in her voice.

He put two cups of coffee on a tray together with a slice of chocolate cake and brought it to her.

He sat down and picked up the other cup of coffee and motion her to have her cup.

Ellise raised her eyebrow at him but she still sat down, ate the cake, and sipped the coffee.

They have coffee in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

DT remembered that Ellise used to be a chatterbox. She would tell him stories about random things. He missed those days, especially now that Ellise seems to be so distant from him.

"Are you making progress with what Nina asked you to work on?" He asked trying to start a conversation.

"Hmm."

He openly stared at her, silently urging her to talk more but she didn't say anything other than 'hmm'.

She just continues sipping her coffee in silence.

"I'm back!" Nina entered the room noisily, but she was surprised to see DT having coffee with Ellise.

"DT, fancy seeing you here. Don't you have practice?" she asked.

Ellise looks at DT raising her naturally arc eyebrow because she caught him lying. With Nina's reaction to seeing him here, she knew that she didn't ask him to come and bring her food.

He grinned sheepishly and averted his eyes while scratching his neck.

"How's your uncle DT?" Nina asked seemingly unaware of the awkwardness between DT and Ellise.

"He's grumpy as ever," DT mumbled.

"Well, grumpiness seems to run in your family blood. Good thing we are bubbly, right Ellise?" She grinned teasing Ellise. Which she just answered with a nonchalantly look.

"I'll go back to the club now." DT suddenly stood up from the plastic chair, avoiding Nina. He knows she would tease him next.

"Oh, there is no need to hurry. Did you drive Wan's jeep?

When DT nodded in response, she suggested something both DT and Ellise never expected.

"Why don't you bring Ellise home?

Ellise was about to stop Nina, but DT already answered.

"Sure," he said, dropping himself back to the chair.

Ellise furrowed her eyebrows towards Nina, but she just grins.

"You have been working continuously without proper sleep. It would be dangerous for you to drive." She lifted her eyebrow, urging her to go with DT.

Ellise sighed, and said, "Let me just pack my stuff and I will leave you with my unfinished task. But it is nothing much, you just have to finish running this string of command." she said to Nina as she stood up picking her backpack.

"No need to hurry, I could wait." He said, making himself comfortable in one of Nina's wooden chair.

"No, this one is already finished. She can just send me a message later if she has questions or encounters any problem with it."

She continued shoving her things inside her backpack, then went inside the bathroom to freshen up.

When she was inside the bathroom, Nina went to DT and slapped his shoulder. "You should have told me that you are here so I didn't hurry home."

DT blushed at what his aunt is implying. Is he that obvious, he thought.

"You don't have to drive me home," Ellise said when they reached the place where DT parked her car. "I can drive myself home," she added getting out her car keys from her backpack side pocket.

"No. I already told Nina that I will drive you home," he said in a serious tone, with his hand open in front of her, asking for the car keys.

Ellise didn't say anything but drops the car key on his opened palm and just opened the passenger seat of her car, while DT entered the driver's side. She is thinking quietly about why DT keeps on using Nina as an excuse in doing things that are related to her. Can she still assume something for the two of them? But then two years ago she assumed some feelings and ended up getting hurt. Never again, she thought.

"Where are you staying now?" he asked over his shoulder as he maneuvered her car out of the parking lot with just one hand on the steering wheel while another hand is on the headrest of Ellise's seat. He smoothly got the car out of the tight parking space.

"Tianzifang," she answered.

DT nodded and drove in silence with his eyes focused on the road, but when they encountered traffic on the main road, he looks over his shoulder to ask Ellise if she would like to play some music.

But Ellise was already deep asleep on the passenger seat. DT grins and takes his phone out and snaps a photo of her sleeping face. It's been years since the last picture he has of her on his phone.

It was the photo of them together at the after-party at the WIZ, the night he last saw her beautiful face.