Ella's POV:

A week and a few more dates later...

I was contemplating whether to ask him or not as we walked through the woods hand in hand.

We have been to a few more dates, we have spent a lot of time together, we have spent a lot of time kissing, hugging, talking but never once did we talk about the nature of relationship between us.

We are dating but I am clearly not his girlfriend, he never addressed me in that way.

I wanted to ask myself to be his girlfriend but then that would be weird.

I even want to confess my feelings for him, to tell him that I am in love with him.

But...

I want to know his feelings first. He better love me or I'll kill him.

I know I am being stubborn but...

I sometimes feel like laughing looking back at how our relationship changed. At one point we couldn't stand being with each other and now, we can't live without each other.

I love him so much. He is so sweet, cute, caring, funny...and not to mention he is hot too.

He did say that I am his but that doesn't mean that in future he will marry me. Who knows he will get tired of me? Or...he never had any feelings for me, just attraction.

I want to marry him, I want to spend each day with him, I want to accompany him to his every tour.

Today, I am gonna make everything crystal clear between us. It's a do or die situation because it is actually killing me everyday thinking about how he feels towards me.

Okay, that's it.

"Nelson", I said making him stop walking.

I faced him. "What are we?"

His brows furrowed. "Sorry?"

"What are we, Nelson? What kind of a relation we have?"

He definitely looked uncomfortable with my question. "Umm...Ella...I told you that you are--"

I placed my finger on his lips silencing him. "No. That's not a relationship, Nelson. I am serious."

When I removed my finger he said, "We are dating, right?"

"We are but..."

"But what, Ella?"

"This is weird, Nelson."

"I don't think there is anything weird in dating each other."

I shook my head. "No. Not the dating part but...we...we kiss, Nelson, we hug, we talk, we spend time together. We even... slept with each other. But...I have no freaking idea about what are we actually!"

"Ella, what's wrong with you?", he asked softly but his body was becoming tense.

"What's wrong with you, Nelson?"

He extended his hand to touch my cheek but I slapped it away.

"Did I do something wrong, baby?", he asked in a low voice.

"No, Nelson. You didn't do anything wrong but...this is confusing."

"Why can't I be your girlfriend?", I finally asked in a broken voice.

He was caught off guard by my question; he gulped audibly and then opened his mouth to say something but closed it again.

"You don't have feelings for me, Nelson", I said.

"Ella...no...I..."

"What? What will you say, huh?"

He stepped closer. "Ella, try to understand."

"Understand what, Nelson?!", I said in an annoyed tone.

Anger was building up in his eyes, you could tell. "Ella, please..."

"You are just going to break my heart", I said angrily.

"I won't!"

"Give me a reason, Nelson as to why will you stay in my life forever?!"

"Cause I fucking love you!", he blurted out.

Wait a minute...he said what?!

He loves me?!

He confessed!

My eyes seemed to pop out any moment considering how wide they were and so was Nelson's because by his reaction, he didn't plan to confess like this.

He turned around and walked a few steps away from me and I heard him curse underneath his breath, "Idiot! You weren't supposed to say that!"

And then he stopped walking and turned around and came back to me.

He grabbed my face in his hands.

His eyes were searching mine. "Ella...say something."

I love you too.

I couldn't say anything, it was as if my tongue was tied. I couldn't form any words.

"Please", he whispered desperately.

When for the next ten seconds I still didn't speak, his hand dropped from my face and a storm of emotions swirled inside his eyes.

He slowly took a step back and then another and finally turned around and walked away from me.

His back was towards me, his head was hung down, I saw him walking deeper into the woods.

Then all of a sudden, I seemed to recover from the shock and found my voice again.

"Hey Idiot!", I called out to him loudly.

He stopped on his tracks and then turned around. "What?"

I bit my lip. "I love you!"

For a few seconds he seemed to process my words and then a huge, breathtaking smile formed on his face.

His head dropped down again and I saw his body slightly shaking.

I started going closer when he lifted his head and I saw the tears running down his face.

I quickened my speed and reached him.

"Why are you crying?"

He smiled through his tears. "I am just happy. Very happy."

I sighed knowing he was just crying cause he was happy.

He is very emotional. But I love him.

He then opened his arms widely gesturing me for a hug and I immediately wrapped my arms around his neck burying my face in his neck as his arms wrapped around my waist.

Oh, I love this feeling.

Then all of a sudden, he lifted me off my feet and twirled me around in the air making me laugh.
As he brought me down, I wiped away his tears and his lips descended upon mine.

The kiss was different from our previous kisses. You could feel the love in this, you could taste the love as our lips moved in sync.

He angled my head and deepened the kiss as our tongues danced together.

Removing his lips from mine, he kissed my jaw and then my cheeks and my nose and my eyes and my forehead.

Resting his forehead against mine, he stared deeply into my eyes.

"You have no idea how much I love you, Resf", he whispered breathlessly.

"I love you too, idiot."

He grinned and then gently lowered me down on the ground and then laying down beside me, propped himself with the support of his elbow, watching me carefully.

He took my hand in his and kissed my palm and my knuckles.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes!"

He kissed me again briefly and pulled back.

I slapped his shoulder playfully. "You are asking me this now! Couldn't you ask that before?"

He gently stroked my cheek. "I always wanted to confess my feelings first and then ask you that. Sorry to keep you waiting."

I rolled my eyes. "You are lucky that I love you."

"Yes. I am very lucky that you love me."

I blushed at his words and then said, "You just simply confessed your feelings. Won't you say something cheesy?"

"Hmm...how about an overloaded cheese pizza?", he teased.

"Idiot", I muttered slapping his shoulder again.

"Okay, okay", he said, "let me try."

Then he leaned closer and stared into my eyes. He was staring so intensely that I melted under his gaze.

He gently brushed the tip of his thumb under my eyes.

"I love your eyes, Ella", he whispered softly.

"I have always been in love with you, especially your eyes. They have a special place in my heart."

"What do you mean by you have always been in love with me?"

He smiled softly. "This may sound creepy but...since eleven years, Ella, I was in love with you. I just didn't accept it."

"This is very weird. Eleven years? You mean since you were sixteen? Seriously?"

He nodded. "Yes. Remember when you treated my wound?"

"But..."

"I fell in love with you at that moment. It was always you. You have been on my mind ever since. No matter how much I tried I couldn't get you out of my mind."

"But, Nelson...I used to wear braces and spectacles back then I wasn't that--"

He silenced me by placing his lips on me.

And then he said, "Dare you say that. You think that I fell in love with you just because of your looks? No. It was your heart that captured mine. You cared for me that day, you were crying for me that day and it was enough to make me fall for you."

"And you were beautiful back then too. Stupid are those who didn't find you beautiful", he added.

I had tears in my eyes.

"So that means that if I get wrinkles on my face, you will still love me?", I tried lighting the mood.

He chuckled. "I will forever and ever love you no matter how many wrinkles you get."

I closed my eyes savouring that moment.

He was always in love with me. Wow.

I felt like crying from happiness.

With my eyes still closed, I felt him nuzzle his nose in my neck and I sighed in satisfaction.

Love makes you feel so good.

"Wait till I tell mom and dad that we are dating", I said.

"They know already", he mumbled against my neck.

"What?!"

He lifted his head. "The day I accepted my feelings, I told uncle about it and asked for his permission to woo you."

"And what did he say?"

"Go and woo her or else I will kick your ass", he quoted dad's words.

"Seriously?"

He laughed. "Yes. Even warned me about breaking your heart."

I laughed along with him too; dad can be really cute as well scary at times.

"Umm...can I see your paintings?", I asked hopefully.

He shook his head. "No."

I whined, "Come on! I am your girlfriend now, you can show me, please."

"Not yet, baby. I will show you but at the correct time."

I pouted my lips sadly and he pecked it.

"Now, come on", he said getting up.

"Where?"

He pulled me up and said, "Let's play a game."

"What game?"

"You will see."

Taking my hand in his we walked towards the pond and when we reached there, he said, "It's bit weird but...let's try this."

He pulled out a small jewelery box from his pocket and said, "I'll throw this box into this pond and then we are going to dive into it and try to get this box. Whoever retrieves it first, has to make a promise to the other person."

"That's...very weird."

He smiled sheepishly. "I know...but I want to do this."

"Okay. But what is in that box?"

"A ring."

"Can I see it?"

"Not yet."

I was staring at the pond when he wrapped his hand around my waist from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder and closed his eyes.
I closed my eyes too and enjoyed that feeling.

After a few seconds he said, "Now...remove your shirt."

I raised a brow at his words and he immediately defended himself, "I mean...you won't go inside it with your clothes on and...there is no one here plus...I have already seen you without it."

"You idiot! There better be no one here."

"I swear, baby, there is no one."

"Fine", I huffed and removed my shirt and jeans leaving myself in just my undergarments.
I saw him staring at my body but then I glared at him and he looked away.

He then proceeded to remove his t shirt and jean leaving him in his boxers.

"Ready?", He asked lifting the box.

I nodded. "Ready."

(A/N: I realised that previously by mistake I wrote that the pond was 7-8 meters instead of feet. So just to remind you, it's 7-8 feet not meter.)

He threw the box in the air and it fell into the pond and when he counted till three, we both dived in too.

The box travelled down faster than I thought, it was almost at the bottom.
I looked at Nelson and he winked at me and increased his speed.

God, he swims fast.

While I was engrossed in looking at him, my oxygen started to ran out.

There is no way I am going to get that box, so, I gave up.

I quickly swam up to the surface and breathed in heavily trying to get all the oxygen.

Just a few seconds later, Nelson resurfaced at the edge of the pond.

"How could you hold your breath for so long?", I asked still panting.

"Since Matt is an excellent swimmer, I wanted to be like him too so I practiced how to hold my breath a little longer."

I guess he knew since the beginning that he will only win.

"I got the box though." He grinned.

"Now, what are you going to promise to me?"

He smiled at me and then said, "I, Nelson Hanzall Andrews, the captain of the Australian Cricket Team and the son of Drake Andrews, the former vice captain of Australia; promise to Ella Ehmaan Resf, the daughter of Xanir Resf, the former captain of Australia with this ring that in future, I am going to marry her and love and care for her always and spend the rest of my life with her."

He then opened that box and pulled out an extremely beautiful ring.

He swam closer to me and taking my right hand, slid that ring down my ring finger and then kissed my knuckles.

With tears in my eyes, I said, "I might just marry you right now."

"Well...I am glad to know that." He gave me his famous toothy grin.

Mirroring his grin, I captured his lips for a long kiss.