Nelson's POV:

I almost had a heart attack seeing Ella (almost) lifting that cloth off that painting.

The hell would have break loose if she saw those paintings.

I sighed deeply thinking about it.

Stop thinking about her.

I was at Matt's penthouse, we were having dinner together... actually he was still making the dinner while I was sitting on the dining table scrolling through Instagram.

I was quickly scrolling through all the posts that were uninteresting, wondering why do I even follow these people.

As I scrolled past one post, my curiosity made me scroll back up.

It was Ella's picture, with Asher. My jaw involuntarily clenched. She was kissing him on his cheeks with just a heart in the caption.

"Cute picture", Matt commented, peeking over my shoulder and I glared at him.

Ignoring my glare, he set the pot of lasagna on the table along with plates and cutlery.

My eyes were still fixed upon that picture, I couldn't remove my eyes from it.

"Come on, don't be that jealous", Matt's words made me tear my gaze from the picture.

"I am not jealous!", I snapped.

"Then why are you staring at it angrily?", he said taking a seat opposite me.

"I just...I am...Aargh! I am not...angry...I just...", I wasn't able to form a single sentence to defend myself.

He smirked cutting out a large piece of the lasagna.

"I know you are jealous", he said.

"I am not!"

"Why don't you just accept that you--"

"I dare you to finish that sentence", I threatened.

He made a weird face and rolled his eyes, passing the pot of lasagna to me.
I took out a generous piece of it( it's my cheat day).

"When was the last time you slept with someone?", he asked chewing on his food.

"Why?"

"Come on, tell me."

"You know the answer already", I gritted my teeth. I know what he is trying to prove.

"Hmm...eleven years back, right? And that's the only time you ever slept with anyone. I wonder how you kept yourself in so much control."

"Gentlemen don't go about having one night stands", I defended myself.

"So what happened to the gentleman when you lost your virginity?"

"Uncle taught me that lesson after that", I lied.

"Hmm...I thought you said that it was the first thing he taught you when you started practicing..."

I glared at him.

"You never slept with anyone again because you suddenly realised that you need to be a gentleman or...was it because of a certain, small, a very small incident?", He questioned.

I had enough. We had this argument before and I am not having it again.

I stood up immediately making the chair fall back on the floor and turned around saying, "Enjoy your dinner...alone."

I was walking towards the elevator when he ran after me and grabbing my shoulders turned me around.

"I was just kidding, bro...why do you have to get so serious?"

"I have warned you before even, Matthew that I don't want to talk about this topic yet you bring it up everytime."

"I was just making you realise--", he stopped mid-sentence when I gave him a deathly glare.

"Fine", he said, "I won't say anything related to it tonight. But eat your dinner atleast."

I moved past him, making sure I bumped my shoulders with him, and stroller towards the dinning table again, hearing him sigh deeply.
_________________________________________

"I wasn't serious when I said that, I just blurted it out", I explained to uncle and dad who sat infront of me on their respective chairs, in uncle's study.

"But it's a good idea", dad commented.

"Dad, I am not going with her. I asked Matt to not let Asher go and he did that, now I don't care whoever she goes with."

"Nelson", uncle said, "you both are going together."

"But uncle...I don't want to, try to understand."

"She won't eat you up", dad said.

"But the whole country will think that we both are dating."

"They won't if only you make it crystal clear that you both just accompanied each other cause your respective partners were not available", uncle said making me sigh.

I don't want to go with her. I have my own reasons for that.

"They will interview you as soon as you make it to the red carpet and their first question will be that only, just tell them clearly", dad tried convincing me.

Uncle was staring at me with hope, I sighed loudly and said, "What about her? Who will convince her?"

"You will do it", uncle said.

I groaned earning a glare from both of them.

I nodded exasperatedly, "I'll do it."
They both smiled at me making me roll my eyes mentally.
_______________________________________

As soon as I slowed down my car infront of her house, I saw her getting out, dressed in a pair of jeans and a shirt.

"Hey, Resf?", I called out to her, rolling down my car's window.

She was about to sit in her car when she looked up at me.

"What?"

"Where are you going?"

"To pick up my gown for the function."

Parking my car at the side, I got out and walked upto her.

"I just wanted to tell you that, that you are accompanying me to the red carpet."

Her eyes widened a fraction. "But, why? Why will I accompany you?! Can't you just find someone for yourself?"

"Look, I don't have any problem in finding someone but you will definitely have and believe me you won't like to experience going there all alone."

"That shouldn't concern you, idiot. It's my problem; go find someone for yourself." Saying that she made an attempt to turn around and open her car's door but I caged her between my arms.

"What are you doing?", she asked in confusion.

I leaned forward, inching towards her face.

"Come with me, Ella", I said softly, "Please."

We both kept staring at each other, not breaking the eye contact and then I did the most dangerous thing; I glanced at her lips.

They looked so tempting.

Immediately, I pulled away.

"If you won't come with me then your dad will definitely kill me."

"What does dad has to do with it?!"

"I told him that I am looking for someone to take to the red carpet and then he said that since, you(Ella) are going alone, I can accompany you."

By the end of all this, I will be expert at lying.

"Dad never told me anything", she said suspiciously.

"That's why I am here. He sent me to tell it to you. You can call and ask him."

She was silent for a minute, seemed to be in a deep thought.

I won't murder you, I wanted to say but didn't.

"I might go with you", she said folding her arms, "but at one condition; you will show me your paintings."

My jaw clenched.

Now that is something I can't agree with.

"Say something", she said.

"Let's negotiate, shall we?", I asked hopefully.

"Okay..."

"I can't show you my paintings, I have told you before."

"If you won't, then I won't go with you."

"Why are you interested in my paintings so much?"

She shrugged, "It just fascinates me."

"You have a minute to think about it", she offered.

So, I thought.

"Just one painting", I negotiated.

"But--"

"Just one painting, after we come back from the function", I cut her off.

"Why don't you show me now? Why after the function?"

"I have my reasons."

"This is not fair."

"This is negotiation; are you accepting it or not?"

She groaned in frustration. "I agree. But...you are showing me the painting the day before we leave for the function."

In Five days?

"Fine with me."

She moved forward and extended her hand. "Do we have a deal?"

I extended my hand and taking her palm in mine (completely ignoring the sparks of electricity that I felt), I shook her hand saying, "Deal."

I pulled away my hand quickly and she said, "I am leaving now by the way."

"Have you paid for your dress yet?"

"No...why?"

"Then, I am paying."

"Why the hell will you pay? It's my dress not yours."

"I always pay for my date's dress."

"Very funny, idiot. But let me tell you that I am very much capable of buying myself a dress."

"I am not underestimating your financial status, just let me buy you that dress", I requested.

"No."

I saw her small purse that was in her hand and in a swift moment, I snatched it from her and ran a few steps back and quickly took out her credit card.

I placed the card in the back pocket of my jeans.

"Give me back my card!"

"Not yet, baby."

"This is a theft."

"I'll return it after buying you that dress."

"Now come on", I said dragging her towards my car while she made an angry pout.

She looked so cute at that moment, all I wanted to do was to grab her face and kiss her.

Calm down, Nelson, calm down.

Don't give Matt another reason to tease you, he already has many.

After settling in the car, I asked her to tell me the address at which she just huffed and turned her head towards the window.

"If you don't tell me the address then I will take you to a random boutique and buy you a whole new dress...of my choice", I said, "It's up to you."

Suddenly, with her face still towards the window, she started sniffing.

"Erm...Ella?", I called softly.

"Are you crying?"

At that, she turned her head towards me, her lips were still in a pout, in a sad pout actually and her eyes looked watery.

I quickly undid my seatbelt and leaned closer to her, I grabbed her face in my palm and scrutinized it.

"Ella...I...umm...sorry...why are you crying?"

I was so lost in the moment that with my one hand grabbing her face, I lifted her palm with the other and lifting it up to my lips, kissed it lightly.

Her lips twitched up and all of a sudden, she burst laughing.

"Oh God, Nelson! You should have looked at your face", she laughed.

Pressing my lips into a thin line, I sat back straight in my seat while she continued laughing.

You just had to show your concern... idiot!

I turned my head towards the window so that she couldn't see the heat that was creeping up my neck to my ears.

When I was sure my face wasn't that red and her laughter had died, I turned towards her. "If you are done then you may tell me the address."

"What if I don't?"

"Okay, don't tell me. I guess we are buying some other dress, and that would be of completely my choice."

I started the engine, and drove away from her house, pretending as if I am driving towards some boutique.

It seemed to work as she said, "Okay...okay, I am telling you the address."

I sighed mentally and she told me the address and I drove towards it.

Taking her hand in mine, we entered the boutique.
Ella greeted the shop owner and she told us to wait while she brings the dress.
Meanwhile, I made the payment with Ella glaring me the whole time.

When that owner returned with the dress in a packet, I was about to take it from her but Ella beat me to it.

"Can I see the dress?", I asked sitting in the car.

"Not yet."

"I don't show my dress to anyone untill the day of the function", she added.

"Which color is it?"

"I won't tell you anything."

"Okay, fine."

I dropped her back at her house and before getting out of the car, she said, "Don't forget about the painting."

"I won't", I sighed as she left.

Then I quickly dialled Matt's number.

"Hey, Matt?"

"Yes, Nel?"

"I need a canvas."