Chapter 10 : Stay the night

"What are you doing ?", Nate said and blushed a little because Ellie was so close to him that only one inch separated them.

"I don't know what I'm doing right now Nate",she replied to him with a soft voice.

"We shouldn't...", Nate said but Ellie interrupted him and said "Hush ! Don't say anything" while putting her hand on Nate's chest. One more time Nate's heart was pounding so fast and he was totally lost into Ellie's beautiful hazel eyes. They stayed like that a few minutes before some noise interrupted them.

"Oh ! Ellie finally you're here", Larry said relieved while getting out of Ellie's house "you really scared me you know, you didn't pick up your phone and you disappeared for more than 8 hours and I was about to call the police you know and..." but Larry stopped speaking when he noticed the position Ellie and Nate were in.

"Uh... Mr. Carter ?!", he said shocked "sorry I didn't mean to interrupt what you were doing. And By the way what were you doing ?"

Ellie moved away quickly from Nate and said "Nothing. We were doing nothing"

"Really ?!", Larry said skeptical

"Yeah ! And sorry but my battery is dead", Ellie said.

"I've been worried about you all day", Larry said while hugging Ellie before adding "Helene called me literally one hundred times today when she heard what happened at your office. Oh ! And by the way how are you feeling ?"

"Oh, yeah, I was a little bit... busy. I needed some moments just for me", Ellie said before adding :

"And I'm good Larry, thanks for asking", Ellie replied.

"Uhmm... Ellie ? I think I'll go back home now. So...good night and... have a nice dream !", Nate said.

"Don't you want to stay the night ?", Ellie asked confidently.

Nate was surprised by her question and then blushed a little and didn't know what to answer at this moment.

"Larry, can you please leave us alone for a moment ?", Ellie said.

"Uhm... Yeah...Sure !", Larry stuttered and then went back to the house. But Larry was even more surprised. It's been about three years now that he knows Ellie and they are friends and during these three years he has never seen Ellie inviting a man to stay the night at her house ,except him because she trusts him, even not Joshua, her ex-boyfriend with whom she dated for more than one year. So he asked himself why she would invite a guy that she barely knew to stay the night at her house and what really happened between them that she wanted him to stay the night.

"Uh...Uh...I don't think it's a good idea and I don't want to impose myself", Nate said while looking down.

"No ! No ! I insist. This is the least I can do after I almost crushed you and forced you on board with me on my "road trip"", Ellie said while using her hands to gesture.

"Thank you for the invitation but no thank you Ellie. I find it a little inappropriate for me to stay the night at your home", Nate replied.

"Ok ! Fine ! But let me at least pay you a cab or a dinner ?", Ellie replied.

"Thanks Ellie but I think for the dinner I'll pass. ", Nate replied.

"See you then and good night !", Ellie said.

"See you and good night", Nate finally replied and then left.

Ellie then entered the house, Larry looked at her strangely and was shocked by what just happened.

"What ??", Ellie said to him, annoyed.

"What what ?", Larry replied.

"If you have something to tell me just tell it now or shut up forever Larry", Ellie replied, rolling her eyes.

"Seriously ?! You just invited a guy that you know since... today to stay the night at your place and you never invite a guy to stay the night at your house so, excuse me if I'm a bit shocked", Larry replied.

"Ah! He helped me with this report and I just wanted to thank him for that. And this conversation ends here and now", Ellie said while leading towards her bedroom.

In reality, even Ellie doesn't know why she invited Nate to stay the night at her place. Ellie doesn't trust people so easily to invite them to stay at her place except her very close friends and family. For the first time, she feels something that she never feels before "the feeling of BEING LISTENED". I

Arriving at his place and going up the stairs, Nate thinks back to all that happened today especially with Ellie, he can't explain what happens to him when he is close to her. But when he arrived at the door of his place all his stuff was out , he tried to open the door but it seems that the lock has already been changed. He doesn't know what is happening right now, this morning when he left his place, all his stuff was still in the house and now it's out and moreover according to what Bill, his Landlord's, said to him he has still one day to move out. He knocked at Bill's door but nobody's answering, he waited a few minutes there and then decided to take his stuff and then quickly a cab.

Arriving at Ellie's door, he hesitated a little to knock at the door even if his hand was already up and ready to knock. But suddenly the door opened itself, actually Larry opened it because he was about to leave.

"Humm... Ellie ?!", Larry said with a big smile on his face.

"What ? You haven't left yet ?",Ellie replied a little annoyed.

"Someone is here for you", he said and laughed.

"Is he the pizza delivery guy ?", Ellie asked.

"Come and see for yourself ", Larry replied and laughed because he was very amused by this situation. But earlier, Ellie denied that there is anything between them so what is Nathaniel Carter doing here at this hour, he asked to himself.

"Larry !! I'm not in the mood for your bad jokes right now", Ellie replied leading towards the door. Nate meanwhile froze with his arm up ready to knock at the door.

"Ohh!", Ellie exclaimed.

"Okay, I'll see you guys tomorrow. So good night !", Larry replied with a big smile on his face and then he approached Ellie and whispered "you better tell me everything tomorrow ?" and finally left.

"So, what are you doing here Nate ?", Ellie replied with a serious tone.

"Hummm... I'm here....to ask you if ...your offer is... still available", Nate said stuttering and looking down.

"Oh! But what offer ?", Ellie replied with a surprise look.

"The one you proposed to me earlier", Nate replied, always looking down.

"Humm... Let me think. Nope, I don't see at all what you're talking to me about there. Maybe if you repeat what I said word for word maybe it would come back to me", Ellie said with a devilish smile on her face.

"Okay, you asked me earlier if I want to stay the night, and earlier this morning if I want to be your gardener and to live with you", Nate said blushing.

"Oh! That offer." Ellie said with a smirk on her face. "Sorry, this offer is not anymore available", Ellie said and then slammed the door.