The Mask Of The Monster - Chapter 111

(From Ella’s Perspective)

I could not wait for the time to finally meet Leandro again. It had been only a few days since we parted. But the desire to see him was too strong.

Finally, the moment arrived. I had already told Jed that if Dad contacted him, he had to inform him that I was staying at his place. Dad liked Jed and thought I would be safe with him, especially since he was gay.

That was exactly what Leandro thought as well.

Before, he did not even like hearing another man’s name from my mouth. Just because I once asked him about Valentino Trenton, he was very jealous and totally overreacted. He did not like hearing about Jed as well. But after I told him that Jed actually liked men, he did not mind him at all and even was going to tell me to stay with him for a few days.

I brought a sky blue tote bag. Surprisingly, such things existed in this world. Dad said I was being dramatic, but I honestly did not expect to find these kinds of things here. Not to mention, I saw BDSM toys at Aurora that night.

“You’re going out already? Did you take enough clothes for tonight?” Dad asked.

“Yeah…”

After what I had heard that night, I could not quite look at Dad in the eyes. I did not know why, but I just could not.

But I was glad that he felt that way. Though I felt bad for this, I could not tell him that it was alright. Because it was not.

“I will be on my way then,” I said.

“Be careful. Do I need to take you there?”

“You asked me this before too. Don’t worry, it’s fine. Jed helped me memorize the ways.”

“Alright then. Be careful.”

“Yes.”

I wore my hooded cloak again. Leandro sent me a note saying that I should wear it. He did not write much in that letter, perhaps because we were meeting.

“I took everything I needed. Ah, I feel so weird now,” I muttered to myself.

I took slow steps towards the palace. My heart was beating faster, thinking of seeing him again. Or perhaps because I was going to say it finally.

I went where he told me to go. I looked around in the hopes of catching a glimpse of him. Even if he concealed his identity, I would be able to identify him, especially given his height. He was much too tall.

I walked around the abandoned houses. He could show up in any of them. Was I a little too early? True, I arrived a little earlier, but I thought it would be easier to find him if I arrived earlier.

“Leandro…,” I whispered.

Even though he could hear far better than humans, I did not expect him to hear this small sound. What was I even saying? He was not even a human in the first place.

‘I think I have made the song ‘I’m in love with a monster’ a reality.’

But my monster was too adorable, handsome, and, of course, amazing. He cared for me so much that it got to be a little much at times. Nonetheless, I liked him a lot. And it made me feel very good to know that there was finally someone who cared about me and wanted nothing more than my love in return.

I had read about beautiful love stories before. The authors always said- ‘the painful feeling of being in love with so much can be really addictive and once tasted, it’s hard to forget its taste’. At that time, I did not understand what it meant and I thought it was only possible in literature. But now I knew how gravely mistaken I was.

When I first met him, it was as if it had already been decided that something very special would blossom between us. We could not be anything else, because there was always this strange feeling between us. We could not be friends, not family, and definitely not siblings; we were meant to be lovers. It was like an instinct that I should have believed a long ago.

I had no idea where I was going as I was lost in thought. A strong hand suddenly grabbed my arm and drew me inside a house. I did not even bother to panic. Because this touch, this scent- they were very familiar to me.

I just knew it was him.

When I finally looked up, I was met with those dark brown eyes again. They were enticing, drawing me closer to him. My back was pressed again the wall, just like the first time we met.

But the difference was that before, I was hesitant to be touched by him, but now I craved this gentle, and sometimes dangerous, touch that could set fire to my skin, slowly burning me from within and outside.

I could not help thinking about what would have happened if I was not that weirdly curious. What if I had not touched his fur that night? He would have surely killed me. And what if he had not come to save me? What if I had not run to him?

Everything could have been different just if even one of our choices were different. But it did not matter now. Because we were together now.

When did it start? When did I start to see him as not just a handsome man, rather someone I felt attached to? Was it when he first kissed me? Or after that? Or even before that? I had no idea. But I did not feel the need to know as well.

All that mattered was how I felt about him now. It did not matter when it started. The present feelings were all that I needed to know about.

“Did you even know where you were going? There was a huge rock in front of you. If I had not pulled you…”

“Shh,” I pressed my index finger over his lips. “Don’t talk. Not even a bit. Let me say it first.”

“I love you.”

[I’m in love with a monster- Fifth Harmony (from Hotel Transylvania 2)]