Uglier

Chapter 22 Rain

Chapter 22 Rain

Chaz's Estate

Chaz and Ella sat on his velvet couch again with thick blankets.

"We need to carry umbrellas," he said.

She glanced at her phone and glanced at an odd poem.

"What is that gibberish?"

"It's a message from Cavalier to me and Alana-Hope. We'll trick Yolanda into thinking Quincy might take a bribe. Can we use your mirrored room for the sting? The one next to the top-secret office that you use for focus groups for your branded products would be great. We'll stage it. Don't inform him because they could think he is wired with a listening device. He isn't an actor."

"Quincy is the best actor I know. What is the real reason you don't want him to know?"

Ella scrunched up her face and smirked. "It's a surprise..." she paused. "I need to talk to Cavalier Low and the Prime Minister. We need to use former police and guards for the raid."

"Is this to prove he won't take a bribe?" Chaz asked.

Ella reached out and pulled away. "Only to you and Zeda. Zeda needs to know that he is authentic. She can lie to herself, but her heart was destroyed when her ex schemed against her."

"Ella, you know you are breaking my heart."

She touched Chaz's face. "You tossed mine first."

"I didn't mean to. You never told me."

"Chaz, you were always in love with our bestie. What was the point?" Ella fled out the door. Rain poured from the sky onto the private road.

He followed her and slammed the door behind him. "Please, I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me." Ella shivered, but she turned back towards him.

He brushed the hair from her face. "Ella, I have messed up romantic feelings that I don't understand."

"I'll be your wingman, or rather your wing-girl. I'm fantastic at matchmaking," Ella said.

"Ella, you're an awesome friend." Chaz pulled her towards him, and their mouths met. "I didn't."

"But you did." She placed her fingers on her mouth.

"I mean, I didn't want that to end." Chaz kissed her again. "Ella, I have dealt with mixed feelings for you since Zeda rejected me. Please, don't reject me too. I'm surrounded by women who love my title and my wealth, but not me."

Ella kissed him back. They ran into the house and wrapped the blankets around their shoulders and prepared cinnamon tea.