Despite Gabriel’s being so dismissive of Ellie, Nate had spent most of the last week thinking about her. He had lain awake every night going over their kiss in his mind.
He had gone further with other girls, but somehow, just kissing Ellie had felt like more. He would be satisfied if that was all he got. Strangely, he didn’t even want more, he just wanted to be with her. It would be enough.
The time had come to stop messing around; he would try being a real boyfriend. He would ask out Eleanor Parkhurst, and to hell with what his friends thought.
With that decision made, Nate became restless for her to arrive so he could tell her.
She was nearly fifteen minutes late. Nate began to tap his feet. Maybe she wasn’t coming? Where was she?
Ellie finally put in an appearance for their one-to-one tutoring session at twenty minutes past nine. She looked almost annoyed to find him waiting for her.
Nate gave her a big smile anyway. She looked adorable. No make-up on at all as far as he could tell, just simply beautiful exactly as she was.
“Ready to cover the Second World War?” He gestured to the books he had laid out. “It will come up in your exams, so I thought we could spend the next two sessions doing it pretty thoroughly.”
Ellie shrugged. “Sure, whatever.”
Nate frowned; was she still upset over last week? He thought they had smoothed that over with their texting on Saturday.
“What’s wrong, love?” He put his hand on her arm, but she shook him off.
“There’s nothing wrong with me.” Ellie began to unpack her notepad and pens, not making eye contact.
“Ellie,” Nate said pointedly, so that she looked at him. “Are you upset about us kissing last week? Because I’m not. In fact, it’s something I would kind of like to repeat on a regular basis.”
Ellie gave a disbelieving laugh. “Oh, that is priceless, you think I’m just going to fall into your arms and be grateful for the attention? Your head is the size of a watermelon. I don’t like you. I don’t like the way you treat girls. I had to listen to yet another one crying over you this week, and I wouldn’t kiss you again if you were the last man on the planet!”
Nate reeled slightly. He hadn’t been expecting this. He had to think who on earth would have been crying over him, and then he groaned; Melissa. Why, oh, why had he chatted up Melissa?
“You do know that nothing happened with me and Melissa?” He felt the need to clarify. “We just talked, I didn’t mean her to get the wrong impression, and then she texted me about going for a walk and I blew her off. It was right after I texted with you and she just wasn’t you, she didn’t get a Star Wars reference at all!”
He could tell by the look on Ellie’s face that he had somehow made things worse.
Ellie snapped her notebook shut. “Firstly, why would I care what happened between the two of you? Secondly, I don’t believe you anyway that nothing did. And thirdly, you were texting her and me with the same stupid Star Wars stuff? You really are a player and a half! I think I’ll find someone else to tutor me – you make me sick.”
With that Ellie shoved her book back in her bag and flounced out of the room.
Nate stared at the door. That did not go as expected, he thought, anger rising inside him.
***
Ellie felt utterly miserable as she went back to West Tower. In the common room everyone was chatting and laughing; it was someone’s birthday and there was a big cake on one of the tables. She put a false smile in place, chatted briefly with Alex and Rose and then slipped past the crowd up to her room.
She sat on her bed with her knees hugged to her chest. Had she been too harsh? There was no way he would speak to her again now. She was just so hurt by his behaviour.
Was it true that nothing had happened with Melissa? She tried to replay in her head the conversation she had overheard. Had Melissa actually said they had kissed or anything like that? Maybe she hadn’t, maybe Ellie had jumped to that conclusion.
If a girl threw herself at Nate and he turned her down, did that make Nate the bad guy?
He said he wanted to kiss Ellie on a regular basis, but did he mean as a boyfriend or just on the quiet? Why hadn’t she clarified that? Why hadn’t he been clearer? She could only assume he wasn’t committing himself.
She accepted she had feelings for him. She had thought it was a game, but now she really liked him, yet at the same time she didn’t like him at all! Why couldn’t she have fallen for someone else? She didn’t want to like Nate.
Liam was a genuine good guy, why couldn’t she fall for him? It wouldn’t be that hard, surely?
And that comment Nate had made about texting Melissa about Star Wars? That had really got her goat. She had actually felt like their texts were somehow special and intimate. She was such an idiot to think he would be different with her. He was just being his usual self and she had fallen for it, just like every other girl did.
Ellie got her phone out and sent a text to Liam.
She sat for a few minutes more pulling herself together. Then she went down to the common room to get some cake.
***
Nate had been in a foul mood for two days. Ever since Ellie had walked out of the history room, he had been fuming mad and snapping at everyone.
His thoughts went back and forth between being outraged that she had not listened to him and depressed that he had messed it all up.
Now his anger was finally leaving him and the depression was taking over.
This was his comeuppance. All those times he had treated a girl badly, and now he was the one who felt like his heart was breaking.
She hated him.
There was nothing he could really say to change her mind either, because even though she had got it wrong about Melissa, there were plenty of other girls whom he had led on and then dumped. He didn’t deserve Ellie. He had finally found the perfect girl, a girl who could quote Star Wars, and she hated him. That was what he deserved.
He didn’t feel like doing anything social, but it was Saturday evening, and his friends would all be back from their day out with visiting relatives. He might as well go and see if anyone had snuck any alcohol back in with them; he could do with a drink and a laugh.
A short while later, Nate followed Jerry and Owen into the Games Room, then stopped dead. Ellie was sitting on a sofa with Liam Anderson. Actually she was sitting on Liam’s knee, on the sofa.
He couldn’t leave again now – she had obviously seen him, but she looked away as though she hadn’t.
His gut twisted. Being ignored was worse than being hated. She might have been upset before, but at least it felt like she’d cared.
He gave Liam a bad-tempered look. Liam was in his own year, and he clearly wasn’t bothered that Ellie was younger than he was. Nate wondered why it had ever been an issue for himself.
He’d lost her.
That night he lay in bed looking at the photo of her on his phone for what seemed like hours. He wrote her text after text then deleted them. When he went to sleep, she haunted his dreams.
***
Ellie went to bed feeling confused. She had tried to like Liam instead, she really had. But she only wanted Nate. Kissing Liam had been a mistake. It only made her realise that kissing Nate was a million times more exciting.
In the end she had told Liam everything. It had turned out to be a good move. Liam hadn’t been upset; he’d been so nice. He had laughed and told her she was an idiot.
“Give Nate another chance.” Liam had said. “Seriously, Ellie, the way he was looking at me all evening, he’s completely head over heels about you.”
Ellie wasn’t at all sure that was true. But she had to find out. She decided to sleep on it.
The only thing she was sure of was that she didn’t want to date anyone else. It was Nate or no one. She was nuts about him and if he didn’t feel the same way then she was swearing off boys completely.
By Sunday morning she had made her mind up. Nothing ventured,
nothing gained. She got her phone out determinedly. She wasn’t the type to mope about, she told herself firmly, she was the type to seek out adventure, to boldly go!
He might be a total slimeball but she was pretty sure she had fallen in love with him. She had to find out how he felt about her, no matter what the cost to her heart.
She texted Nate:
Are you still up for teaching me about WW2 on Thursday?
He replied straightaway:
How about now?
Ellie had a momentary freak-out, she was still in her pyjamas. She took a deep calming breath; she didn’t have to hop to it just because he suggested it.
How about this evening? she finally put down.
I’ll check with Mrs M, but if you don’t hear back from me then History Room at eight? he answered.
Ellie felt a bundle of nerves at the thought of it being just the two of them again. But she sent back an affirmative and then climbed back into bed. She needed lots of time to think about how to act, and what to wear…
Chapter Fourteen
Nate was tense and nervous as he waited for Ellie. It was just like three days earlier, except that last Thursday he had been full of confidence that she would go out with him, and tonight he had no such illusions.
He had no idea what had altered her feelings about meeting him for some tutoring, but he would respect her reasons whatever they were. If she were just worried about her history grade, then he would help her get a better one. If she wanted to shout at him some more, then he would take it. If she wanted to torture him by talking about Liam, then fair enough. He just wanted her to be happy.
But if there were any opening to change her mind about him, then he would take it.
When Ellie came into the room, the first thing he noticed was that she didn’t look angry any more. Which was a good sign. Her smile was a little distant but not cold.
Nate attempted to keep it businesslike. He put some books down on the desk they had sat at before and she gingerly took the chair next to him again.
He began a brief recap of World War One, outlining how it led into World War Two. The problem was that he was having trouble focusing.
He could smell Lily of the Valley. It was intoxicating. She must have just washed her hair. Her hair was such a rich deep chestnut and her eyes… he actually wanted to write poetry about them. When had he become Shakespeare’s fool?
And her lips, his gaze dropped to her kissable full lips. She licked them as if giving him an invitation and he couldn’t resist any longer.
He moved too quickly for her to dodge him, and kissed her full on the mouth. His hands clamped her shoulders to stop her moving away as he searched for a response.
She resisted for an awful second, then he felt a rush of relief as she softened and kissed him back.
He couldn’t seem to get enough; without taking his mouth off hers he pulled her into standing position and backed her up to the wall where he could deepen the kiss.
She let him.
He could feel the flames burning between them once again, it didn’t matter that she hated him; at least she definitely felt the pull between them as much as he did.
After a several minutes he reluctantly removed his tongue from her mouth. He ran his hands through his hair and took in her flushed face.
“Ellie… I wanted to say…”
“Oh, shut up.” She cut him off with a grin, then grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back for another kiss.
He could certainly spend the next several hours kissing her if that was what she wanted, but he felt things should be cleared up between them first.
“You forgive me then?” he murmured when she let him up for air.
“Not really, but you can keep making it up to me like this, and I can think of lots of other ways you still have yet to impress me.” Laughter twinkled in her eyes as she shifted her body against his.
“You wretch.” Nate shook his head happily. “You’ve been leading me a merry dance for weeks. You are the most annoying, disrespectful, irritating little minx, but lord help me I adore every maddening inch of you!”
“You adore me?”
“Yes, I do. And I’ll pummel to bits any other man you touch. Is that clear, Miss Parkhurst?” Then he put one finger under her chin, tilting her head up to look him in the eye. “You and me, we’re going to take it slow, okay?” he said firmly.
She nodded.
“But you’re my girl from now on. No dating other boys, got it?”
He did adore her! Ellie felt giddy with relief and confidence.
“I’ll think about it,” she said cheekily.
He growled from deep in his chest as he pinned her back against the wall.
Her eyes shone with happiness. She would have plenty of time later to enjoy testing his patience levels, but first she had to kiss him a whole lot more.
Telling him she was crazy about him too could wait a little while as well, she giggled to herself; he deserved to suffer a little bit for being such a player.
“Checkmate,” she whispered.
And, as her arms snaked around his neck, Ellie and Nate locked together in a kiss that said more than any words.
Chapter Fifteen
It was the first day of the Christmas Holidays and the front drive was full of cars as parents arrived to pick up their children.
Flora stepped out of the front door and then quickly darted behind a pillar as she noticed Gabriel standing over to her left talking on his phone. She crept round the pillar to get a bit closer and overhear what he was saying.
“But Vanessa, we only had three days together as it was.” He spoke crossly. “I’m flying out to you in Paris and then it was supposed to be just the two of us for New Year’s Eve. We’ll be in the most romantic city in the world and now you want us to go to a party with your friends?” He paused for a few moments, listening. “Yes, actually, I do mind. So in fact I’ll be coming all the way there for just one proper night together?” He paused again. “No, I do not want you to pay for my flights!” He sounded outraged.
He started to pace away from the door and, though Flora longed to hear more, she knew he would see her if she tried to follow. Instead she hugged herself with the thought that it sounded as though Gabriel and Vanessa were having problems. She hoped it didn’t make her a bad person, but how was she ever going to get Gabriel for herself unless he broke up with his girlfriend?
Flora looked around for Ellie. She would love to get her feedback on what she had just heard. Ellie had been trying to help her get noticed by Gabriel, but so far there hadn’t been much opportunity.
She finally spotted Ellie in the courtyard and rolled her eyes. Nate Naverly was wrapped around her friend as usual and they were totally oblivious to the rest of the world. It seemed to Flora as if Ellie and Nate had spent most of the last month kissing non-stop. She decided to leave them to set the world on fire by themselves. After all, Nate was supposed to be leaving at three and her own mother wasn’t due to collect her until five.
Her mom and Travis were catching a taxi from the airport to get her and then they were going straight back there and getting a plane to Bordeaux, where they were all going to stay in a massive chateau with some friends of Travis’s for Christmas. She couldn’t wait to see her mom again and tell her all about Compass Court.
At the same time, though, she was already looking forward to coming back after the Christmas break and starting her campaign to become the next girlfriend of the hottest guy in the whole school.
***
Jack Parkhurst parked his car at the front of the school and pulled his suitcase off the back seat. It felt weird to be coming back to Compass Court to stay for two weeks over the Christmas holidays.
Rose and Toby’s parents were working undercover somewhere in Brazil and so his cousins had been going to come to the Parkhurst house over the holidays, but now his own dad was also apparently unable to leave work except on Christmas Day. He was preparing some soldiers f
or a duty tour in the Middle East just after New Year, and now it seemed he was to accompany them for their first month.
Jack’s mother had of course said she didn’t mind having all five children to stay over the holidays on her own and that she would lay on Christmas, but it was Jack who put his foot down. He knew that she wouldn’t want to be apart from his dad for his last two weeks in this country for some time.
Compass Court allowed pupils to stay over the holidays. It was generally for the pupils who had come to the school from other countries and couldn’t always go back and forth, but people stayed for a variety of reasons. Usually other family members had to put up in the large hotel in Oakworth Village down the road, but the school had made an exception for Jack as an ex-pupil.
Though his mother had never said anything, Jack knew she was scared and worried about his father going back to a combat zone. To help out, he had personally liaised with the school and then informed her that all the kids would stay at Compass Court and that she and his father would come there for Christmas dinner.
His mother was such a gentle person that she had been quite overwhelmed by Jack’s taking charge and had given in after only a small fight. Jack knew that he and Alex, Ellie, Rose and Toby would have a great time wherever they were.
Jack watched the ebb and flow of parents, a scene that never really changed. Young Jasper Clements looked embarrassed as his mother openly cried and hugged him. Just behind him, he saw Gabriel Brenner climbing into a mud-spattered, ancient Vauxhall Corsa, looking moody and embarrassed for a different reason. His father was chatting up some of the mothers and wearing a dirty, torn Barber held together with black masking tape. You would never guess to look at him that he was actually Lord Wentworth and owned half of Gloucestershire.
Then Jack spotted the shiny blonde hair of Sophie Jones. She seemed lit up by the sunshine, wearing a short dress that showed far too much leg as usual, and her large blue eyes were looking straight at him. Without a thought his feet started taking him in her direction.
Sophie looked around, as if assessing possible escape routes, which made Jack’s pace slow, giving her the chance to leave and relieve him of this sudden burden. He felt awkward. It wasn’t a feeling he was used to. He told himself that he needed to apologise again and that he needed to get back on friendly terms with her because she was a close friend of Rose. The guilt of not calling her was painfully acute, seeing her face-to-face. He wasn’t the type to shy away from something that needed doing, but in truth he had no idea how to handle Sophie. He never had.