Chapter 9 Inside Reid's Modest House

• “I live quite far away. Perhaps you’re worn out. I can...” Reid said, staring at her.
• Reid couldn’t help but look at her as they walked along the path. He stole glances at her whenever he could. Ella didn’t ask any more questions because she was paying attention to the small details. She looked around and seemed to be remembering everything we just passed by. Reid smiled as she felt that the woman had no trust in him. Just a few steps ahead, Enzo is with them, leading the way.
• “I won’t make you carry me,” Ella said immediately. The man looked at her like he was thinking about something.
• Reid gave himself a sneaky grin. “I wish I could carry you, but I can’t. My arms are still tired after cutting meat for three hours straight.”
• Ella’s face turned red with shame, and she turned her eyes away from the guy before her to avoid making eye contact. She carefully fixed her messy hair in a way that would hide the faint blush that had appeared on her ears.
• “I was going to say that we should rest first.” Reid smirk. “But it seems you have something more exciting in mind.”
• “If your house is far away, I wish we could just take a tricycle,” Ella complained. She wanted to change their topic.
• “Miss, walking is a great kind of exercise. This can help you stay strong in different positions, especially the standing one where women’s knees usually give in first.” Reid said with a sneering curl of his lip.
• “The barangay captain said you brought my car to your house. How did you do that when it was far from the parking lot?“Ella said, “Maybe it wasn’t just a flat tire.”
• “My friends, help me pull your car off the parking lot. Plus, your car isn’t safe there; the kids could go back and badly damage it.” Reid said. “And I took care of your car, but...”
• In an instant, Ella felt a rush of jitters that made her heart race and her hands feel cold. On her eighteenth birthday, Ella received a thoughtful gift from her parents: a beautiful car. It had signs of being owned before, but she was cautious about taking care of it.
• “What else happened to my car?”
• Reid didn’t reply. He stopped going forward. He unlocked the house’s cast iron gate methodically. Ella was eager to go on the gravel path. The side-mounted garage lured her closer. It was her most precious possession, shimmering in the gentle outside light. She immediately went to her favorite automobile and stroked the smooth hood. Ella saw a new side-view mirror while gazing at her car.
• “I miss you, baby!” Ella said as she ran her fingers along the smooth exterior of the car.
• She opened the door with a light turn of the knob, showing the inside. Full of wonder and excitement, her eyes looked deep into the interiors. Shortly after looking over her things, it looked like there were no flaws to be found.
• “There is not a single spare tire in your compartment. You shouldn’t drive without a spare tire.” As Reid walked towards the car, he approached her with ease and purpose, his steps measured and planned. With a smooth move, he opened the compartment, showing what was inside. “Your car can only fit one of my tires. The last two...”
• “So you haven’t finished doing this yet?” Ella asked, showing worry by the furrows in her brows.
• “Uh-huh, yeah. What do you want me to do if you don’t have extra tires?”
• Ella inhaled deeply and held it. That moment changed her, making her feel like the world had lifted off her heavy shoulders. Her thoughts, formerly occupied with mundane events, were about going to his small house in her beloved car.
• “Recap: What is the cost of a recap tire?”
• “Recap tire? Were you aware that was risky? You won’t have an extra tire. Just get a new one. It’s not expensive.”
• “Buying new tires is not in my budget yet.”
• “In that case, baby will sleep here instead,” Reid said, and his face lit up with a sly grin. “I will take care of our baby. I promise.”
• “Baby, my foot!” With a snort and a flare of her dainty nostrils, Ella showed her disdain. “You managed to bring it home to your house. Maybe you can find a way for my car to stay at my home.”
• “Let’s just buy new tires.”
• “I don’t even have a budget yet.”
• “I’ll lend you money to buy a new tire.”
• “I will not allow myself to be indebted to you.”
• “By all means, let the baby be with his daddy. If you want to see our baby, you can come to my stall anytime.” Reid smiled with slyness.
• Ella frowned and made a terrible face with her fists. He had to buy new tires, making the issues worse. However, she has enough money for water and electrical bills. Ella had purchased meals with her extra money. Reid was staring at her with a grin. Reid’s expectant body language indicated he eagerly awaited the announcement.
• “You owe me an apology, remember?” Reid asked with his hands, stroking both of his arms gently. “There is still a bean mark on my skin because it reddened yesterday.”
• Ella briefly glanced at the man’s arm, feeling compelled to act. Interest and resolve drove her to approach him rapidly. When she came, she gripped his arm tightly. She scanned his skin for signs of the brutal mark on his arms the day before.
• “There is no trace, you dishonest scoundrel!” Ella replied with a snort of derision. Then her eyes moved to the Reid in front of her. “Are you planning to scam me?”
• “I am not going to do that. By touching it, you got rid of the red mark. There might be magic in your hand somehow.” Reid said, and his face lit up with a sly grin.
• With a quick, firm move, Ella took her tiny hand off the man’s arm. “You’re obnoxious. You’re a real pervert!”
• A soft laugh came out of Reid’s mouth, and he danced through the air like a naughty fairy. “Which part of what I said was rude? I merely make your touch seem good.”
• Ella rolled her eyes at Reid. Her steps approaching the automobile were deliberate again. Reflecting on her future efforts, she pondered. Although she knew better, she blamed the mischievous youngsters for puncturing her tire. Her condition wouldn’t exist without their actions.
• “Come, have breakfast with me. I haven’t even eaten yet. I’m hungry.” Reid said.
• Ella glanced at Reid as he pulled her farther into his house with his hard grasp on her weak wrist. Fighting the man’s grasp, her body pulled hard. She wants to escape.
• “What on earth are you going to do? Let go of me,” she snarled. “I will scream rape.”
• Reid chuckled. “I’m hungry because I haven’t had breakfast yet. You will become my meal, not just breakfast if I consume you; your groans and cries of my name will become our theme song. What do you think? Oooh, Reid! Aa....Ouch!” Reid stroked his arms right away. She hit him in the arms, which was a surprise. “You have a heavy hand.”
• “Pervert!” Ella growled.
• Reid chuckled and let go of her at the house’s front door. His modest house’s worn top revealed the bare wood underneath. It seemed straightforward, without a ceiling. You will see a primary yet lovely sitting area through the door. Due to its proximity, the kitchen is immediately noticeable. The left door resembles a restroom. Its look indicates utility. Right, another door may lead to a room.
• “Make yourself comfortable,” Reid said. “Do you drink coffee?”
• “I’m fine,” Ella said. “I don’t trust any man inside his house.”
• Reid smirked. “Do you honestly believe I would ever consider tampering with your drink by adding drugs?” Reid was asked. He declared it firmly, his voice tinged with a hint of defiance. “I’m not desperate.” He confidently said, “I can win over the girl, even without that.” Reid uttered the words with a mischievous glint in his eye, a playful wink accompanying his remark.
• With an arrogant wave of her hand, she said, “Whatever. I will persistently refuse to drink any drink that you offer me.”
• “Anything else besides coffee? Soda? Do you want juice?” Reid asked.
• “I told you I’m fine,” Ella said in annoyance. She sat down in the empty chair at the table.
• She examined the whole home at once. The man’s diminutive stature looked out against the clean house, reminding her of the industrious housewife. Ella didn’t see any pictures or decorations on the wall. She read a stack of magazines on the sofa without a TV—a male magazine. Seeing those men’s publications no longer surprised her.
• Ella suddenly focused on Reid at the opposite end of the table. He put a rice dish on the table. Some dry fish remained amid the fragmented pieces. Ella witnessed a guy eat without tools. His primary act was eating with his hands. Many cautious, deliberate bites followed each other with a steady rhythm to complete the task.
• After carefully selecting and manufacturing, the dried fish was soaked in sour vinegar with chile oil. Ella couldn’t look away from Reid. He savored every meal like he had been fasting but was starving. Amazingly, Ella liked him more because of his tremendous hunger. His ruggedness and manliness are apparent. A gorgeous guy eating dried fish with his bare hands is a fantasy.
• “Will you be satisfied just looking at my handsome face?”
• Ella woke up from a light sleep, feeling alert. Her alert consciousness slowly returned. She listened instantly when she heard a man’s lovely voice.
• “You are so in love with yourself.”
• “Why? Do you not find me attractive?” Reid’s lips were curved in a sly grin. “You might fall in love with me while you’re staring.”
• “Don’t compare me to another woman who drools over you,” Ella said. “I will never like you.”
• “Why not? Because I don’t have money, and you do?” Reid said.
• “Not at all, of course. I’m never going to look at a man’s status. Please excuse my rudeness, but you’re not my type of man.”
• Red smiled. “For now.”
• “Avoid being too optimistic. I’m here for my car, not for you.”
• “Whoa! Not right. Your car is at my house, so you’re here for me and your car.” Reid said it with a grin.
• “I’m going home. My car will stay here for now.” She said, “Take care of my car.”
• Reid gave himself a sneaky grin. “Okay, love. I’ll look after our baby. I promise that nothing bad will happen to our baby. I will take good care of our baby.”
• Ella frowned, indicating how she was feeling. She stood up with determination, giving her actions meaning. She started strolling, showing her will to get there.
• “There’s a tricycle passing by at the corner. Just get on there.”
• It was clear that Ella was annoyed as she muttered, “Fine,” and quickly pushed her out of the house.