"I don't want to go out." Ivy winched and reminded Linden of a child—a spoiled, pampered little girl.

Linden had blinked his eyes once or twice at her in disbelief, and then rolled his eyes. He drove there in less than thirty minutes, to take her back to her home and she was not even ready to move.

"Ivy," Linden warned sternly,

"I will freeze," She pouted and folded her arms across her chest. He looked up to the sectioned ceiling just above his head and shook his head; Ivy was having fun, staring him cheerfully with smiles and giggles.

Linden started crawled toward her, his hand reaching out as if to grab her. Ivy gulped and tried to step back, but she was already against the wall. The smiley giggles were gone. He leaned closer, so close that his face was less than two inches away from hers. Linden hand lingered on her waist for a moment and Ivy was unusually okay with that, even something like moans escaped her lips. Then, he ruined it as he started tickling her. Screaming, Ivy jerked her body forward, while lightly elbowing him in the stomach and then she just started laughing like she would never able to stop.

"Cheater! You can't tickle," Ivy cried. Linden was powerful against her even if she tried she wouldn't be able to push him, so Ivy began to tickle him too; his body jump and his muscle began to spasm. Linden started laughing and finally pulled himself up of the ground taking Ivy along,

Linden held tightly to her hand, almost painfully, as though he feared losing her in the crowd of people and started dragging her on out of the. She stumbled once, twice, her stiletto heels clearly not the best footwear while drunk

"You're so drunk." Linden chuckled; Ivy only pouted but didn't say a word she just let him drag her rest of the way without much objection.

As they were passing through dance floor, floor was so very crowded that their movements got restricted. Linden felt her hand was slipping out of his hold. He held her hand tighter and pulled her closer to him but soon Ivy tried to snatch her hand out of his grasp. He turned his head and looked at Ivy; she was already twirling "I love this song,"

Linden huffed, "can we dance, Dannie?" Ivy asked giggling. She looked at him from under her long eye-lashes with her big puppy eyes. And it took a lot of courage for him to refuse.

"May be next time?" Linden suggest like it was good idea. She began to make a peculiar little whining noise down in her throat, like a forlorn puppy. He pushed their way out of the crowd and made their way down the stairs, toward the exit of the night club.

They were almost to the exit door when, when Ivy stopped walking and turned around but her arms still holding Linden's hand, so even Linden turned around. Then he saw a friendly-looking young girl with curly blonde hair peeked out from Ivy's side. The blonde girl wrapped her arms around Ivy and hugged her.

"Hey Vie, Where were you all this time?" She asked curiously then she gave Linden a hard little glare as she questioned, "who are you, and where are you taking her?"

"Rossi, this is Dannie," Ivy giggled and buried her face in his neck. Linden understood that this was the friend, who Ivy was looking for. Damn! Linden thought, Ivy was so drunk the she couldn't search for her being in same night club at same time.

"He is the best because he bought me ham burger," Linden's heart raced and his breath caught as Ivy whispered, dipping more into the crook of his neck. But soon a spasm churned through his stomach and swirled up into the back of his throat. His shoulders heaved and his cheeks swelled at thought of Rosalie would take Ivy away from him.

"I am Rosalie, Ivy's friend." Rosalie said then she forwarded her hands towards him for a shake.

"Ivy do you know this guy?" Rosalie then looked at Ivy and asked bluntly, not caring if that offends Linden. Ivy nodded grinning like a fool.

"By that you mean you know him before today?" The blonde girl asked, sarcasm dripping from her words. Ivy shook her head, pouting with sadness and looked away with guilt.

Rosalie huffed out a bored breath, and looked at Ivy with what Linden thought was concern. "I know you believe in people way to easily and so I am not letting you go with this stranger," she said with a mixture of worry and rudeness, pointing a finger at Linden.

"Linden is not a stranger," Ivy scowled because she was suddenly annoyed with her best friend. She then looked at Linden and gave him a shy smile. "He let me call him by his nickname," A joy of light that rushed into his heart when he heard the last words, "He is my Linden," Ivy was barely audible at the last but he heard every word of it anyway and he love it.

Rosalie looked more than a little worried, when she looked at Linden, "I am sure you are good guy but I cannot let you drive her home," she pause and then mouthed a sorry to him.

He raised his brows, wrinkling his forehead. It was okay she was worried about her friend but there was no reason for her to doubt him. He wasn't going harm her or let her get hurt. "She drunk dialed me because she couldn't find you, you know right?" Linden asked, struggling not to let his annoyance show.

At that he could see the nervousness was written all over Rosalie as she bites her bottom lip and crosses her arms. "And I know I will not hurt her," As Rosalie studied his eyes, she saw that he was telling the truth, and that Linden was a good man to trust.

Rosalie took a deep breath before asking him "Do you know her father?" He was surprised by her question, but managed to shake his head.

"What about him?" Linden questioned

"He's very a powerful man. If you anything less than a perfect gentle man with his daughter, I can guarantee he'll go out of his way to ruin you." She flashed him a threatening look. He laughed a little then his expression became serious.

"I assure you, he won't need to," Rosalie could hear the sincerity in Linden's voice. Rosalie nodded and said nothing further.

When they left the pub, it wasn't snowing at that time, but it was extremely cold and windy. The chill night air hit their faces. Soon Ivy buried her face into his chest and the silkiness of her hair brushed against Linden's chin.

"Take me home, tired!" Ivy winced, which sounded like that of a whimpering child. Linden smile fondly as he held the passenger car door open for her and she got in. Her head rested on his shoulder as he climbed into the driver's side and he could feel her even breath against his cheek, she stirred slightly, mumbling something how warm it is inside the car.

"Where you stay Ivy?" he asked at that very moment he actually didn't where she live.

"Home," she spoke in a sotto voce.

"Where is your home?" He asked, praying that she could answer him. Ivy rattled off her address hoping that Linden would know exactly where it is located. She grinned to him like an idiot because of course Linden had to know where she lives. For Ivy at that moment he knows everything, he was like a superman. That is why Ivy got very confused when he heard gurgling like sound from Linden instead of the sound of the car starting up.

Biting his lips between his teeth, Linden struggled to suppress the laugh as he asked, "Are you speaking in Japanese?"

"Why,"

"I asked where you live and you replied with something that sounded like Japanese."Linden banged his hand on the steering wheel and laughed out loud.

"Did I?" Ivy asked proudly, like she actually said something in Japanese. She never knew of her hidden talent to speak that language.

"Yes but the bad news is I don't speak Japanese," She pouted at him. He laughed. She was like a small child.

"How about this time you try English?"

"Mima," Ivy wet her lips and spoke as clearly as she could. Linden froze and stared at her in bewilderment, not sure he heard her correctly because it is one the costliest apartment in NYC. Linden knew she was rich, but it was something unexpected.

"I need a favor now," Ivy nodded like the most obedient child.

"Don't throw up in my car," he joked, in an attempt to lighten the moment as He started the engine, punched her address into the GPS unit.

Hey Darlings,

how are you all, hope you are doing well. This story got a demotion and it is in 326 position in teen fiction, why? Even no new people is reading it. it is not interesting or I am doing some mistake? Please give me true feedbacks.

should I stop writing it? :'(  I was hoping  for 300 reads by the end of March tbut hank you much again anyway, I will stop here unit the next chapters 

Take care

Eloise