Dear Intruder | (Completed)

CHAPTER 12: Privileged Information

"We all have our demons." he replied, "Also known as best friends who would drag you to social events you want nothing to do with."

Ella laughed, as she could relate, "Struggle of an introvert."

"It's never-ending," he mumbled. "And what about you, running away from something?" he asked, after a beat of silence.

"Myself maybe." Ella shrugged.

"Aren't we all." he said nonchalantly, "but you can only get so far before everything catches up with you."

"Speaking from experience?" she asked with an eyebrow raised in humour.

"Could be..... or probably it's a song lyric I heard somewhere." he joked, and Ella smiled.

"One can never be too sure," she mumbled.

Another moment passed in silence as his eyes lingered on her anxious face, "You know, they say secrets shared under the willow tree should never be repeated, they bring bad luck to the one who does."

Ella rolled her eyes, "any other rules or urban legends I should be aware of?"

He pretended to think over it, "Well, there is actually, willow trees are associated with sadness and death and they attract old spirits."

"Are you trying to scare me away from ever encroaching on 'your' hideout?" Ella asked flatly.

"I doubt you'd be scared of old spirits you might feel right at home with them," as she began to glare, he smirked & deflected, "but you look like you have quite a lot going on, you can tell me.. I've been told I'm a good listener," he stopped beating around the bush.

She looked up at him in surprise at being called out so directly, but decided to brush him off politely, "It's actually privileged information and you aren't privileged enough."

"What? But I should have special rights, I helped you last time." he pointed out.

"And I'm thankful for that but I don't even know you," Ella told him.

He suddenly stuck his hand out for a handshake, "Hey, I'm Andrew Lewis, nice to meet you."

Ella suddenly broke into a smile, "Ella Carter" she said, taking his warm hand. "Don't know how I feel about meeting you yet, do you usually corner strangers into spilling their guts?"

"Can't say that I don't, but only the quiet ones..." He shrugged, as they dropped their hands.

"And did anyone tell you that you're also quite nosy?" She asked.

His perfectly shaped lips tugged up in a small smile, "A few times, yeah.... but I've decided not to dwell on negatives."

"That's... rather sound advice for oneself." Ella pretended to ponder on the thought as if it had complex ramifications.

"Alright, you don't have to mock me." He rolled his eyes and looked away, into the distance. The sunlight filtering in through the canopy of the willow made his handsome face look unrealistically beautiful.

"I was just trying to help, if not me you should talk to someone you trust, distraught is not a nice look on you," he said seriously and then picked up his book and returned to the world between the pages leaving Ella to the universe she was grappling with, in her mind.

Slowly but surely, the familiar silence returned which was filled with a few birds chirping in the distance and the sloshing of water in the nearby stream.

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It was late in the evening and Ella found herself standing in front of a familiar door with a clear motive, as she rang the doorbell. She had to ease her curiosity and this seemed like the only way.