14. Unwanted Disclosure

Brice's POV

We were having our intimate dessert when two well-built men came straight to our table.

"I don't understand, I already told the manager that I don't want us to be disturbed. I'm so sorry about this, Ella."

"Oh, no..." she said looking at the men while shaking her head at them.

I was pretty impressed by them, I was wearing my darker-shade glasses and wear casual clothes, I surely didn't expect to be noticed.

"I don't usually get spotted like this, I'll just give them my signature and sends them away."

Ella gave me her nervous laugh and was telling me to be quiet which then made me tilt my head in her direction thinking there was something more that I didn't know.

I was still thinking about the possibilities when one of the men kissed her on the cheek, and the other men greeted her by kissing her other side, and both rubbed her back clearly marking their territory towards me. I was boiling, ready to punch them when she greeted them warmly.

"Grady, Percy what are you guys doing here?"

"Too cute sis, we live in the same city seriously, it is you that never goes out and made us difficult to track you down,"

"Yeah, Grady's right, and who is this? are you seriously not going to introduce us?"

"Yeah, eh...right, this is..."

"Bri..."

"Glenn, one of my colleagues from the art gallery," Ella cuts my words and I looked at her as she introduced me by my fake name, the one I used when we first met from the dating app.

"Glenn, this is my twin brothers, Grady and Percy."

She gave me the look making me smiled at them, and shook their hands. Their very firm hands, clearly stating that they are her big brothers.

"You look familiar,"

"Nah, he's your regular Joe. Eh, you know what Joe, I think it's time for us to go, I have a thing at the gallery that needs..."

I don't know what her issues are with her brother but I was not going to get involved, not in public. I don't want a spectacle, not nearing my book tour date. Clara will have my ass if any scandal surfaces just before the tour, that woman is one scary agent. 

"Joe? I thought you said his name was Glenn?"

I smiled at them and decided to excused myself to pay for the bill, hoping whatever their discussion will be finished after I get back from the men's room. Yep, I decided to take a leak, just to prolonged the time, hoping that her brothers would be gone by the time I came back.

And I was right, they were gone, but Ella looked a shade paler as if she just dodge a deadly shot.

"Glenn! come on, let's get back." She tried to mask it with her bubbly attitude and I was not buying it. But since I have a secret of my own and was not ready to share more with her, I decided that she can do whatever she likes. If she didn't want to introduce me to her brothers it's fine by me.

But is it Brice? really?
It has been too long since you feel like you can talk to someone, right?

"Brice?" she whispered and tugged my arm, taking me back to the present.

"Right, we should go. You want to say goodbye to your brothers first?"

"Nah, I already did, just a simple wave will do. There you go," she wrapped her arms to mine and give her brothers a playful wave, while I give a formal nod and they reciprocate casually.

"Thank you...for what you did, back there."

"You've gotta be kidding me, I was mocking myself thinking that those two guys were my fans. I don't think they even read my kind of books."

She laughed telling me that they don't read any fiction.

"My brothers never read anything unless it numbers in it, they're all about work."

She buckled up when my car was driving out of the restaurant parking lot.

"Yeah? so, are you hiding our relationship from your family?"

Somehow I feel like she didn't think I was good enough for her. Maybe a man writing romance novels is not an ideal man for their rich family. Because looking at her brothers, I can recognize thirty grand watch when I see them and they both have the gold cufflinks to match their expensive Armani suits.

Maybe she's embarrassed?
Dude, you need to calm down...
She's not supposed to be a thing.
Not after last time.

"Relationship?"

"Nothing, sorry, we're just getting to know each other."

"No, Brice, I'm sorry, I didn't mean...my brothers can be very nosy, I just don't want them knowing about the real you?"

See, dude...

"The real me?"

"Yeah, the famous author?"

"Oh..."

"They mean well, extra protective, hard on the outside but can be really annoying once you get to know them." She smiled and explained more, describing her twin brothers with love in her words.

"You're close with them?"

"I'm close with my family, I've just been off since...since I lost my best friend Gwen."

I didn't say anything, I just put my hand and caresses her knuckles knowing that there are no words to comfort the pain of losing someone you truly cared about.

There was only silence throughout the rest of the ride to my place. I helped her with her overnight bag once we arrived at the basement parking lot of my apartment, then she took my hand and walked with me to my place.

"You're not going to ask more about my family? my life?" she started the conversation again once we're in the privacy of my apartment.

Ella looked as if she wanted me to ask more like she still have more to tell but was not sure of herself.

I'm usually a good judge of character, but I know I've been wrong before, and that's a major understatement if anyone would ask my agent who has been hiding all my dark past behind me.

"Ella, I like you, I know you will share willingly if you have anything important for me to know."

She looked taken back and I couldn't tell why, so I tried to calm her down by kissing her.

"Brice, there's something you should know..." she started again in between our kisses.

"What is it, Ella?" I kissed her one more time and caresses her arm softly.

I didn't want to know, I actually like where we are at that moment. I didn't want any complications with what we have. I know I like her to the point that I was willing to see past her issues, thinking as long as she's not a stalker then I'm good.

Lighting never strikes twice in one place.
I'm a famous author, but I never think of myself as too famous that I'd have another stalker lover in my life.

One was enough, one was a big mistake.
The biggest mistake of my life.

But surely not Ella, she's too sweet to be a mistake, too precious, too beautiful and lovely to be a stalker.