Trapped In Her Heart

Dragging his board piece back to its original place, Ellie puffed her cheeks. 

"Hey, that is cheating." Sebastian snapped before trying to snatch his board piece from her hand.

Slapping his hand away, she frowned, "You are cheating."

Crossing his hands on his c.h.e.s.t, he raised his eyebrows at her. "How so?"

"What do you mean by how so? You can't make your own rules and assume things? And what bottom, head, brain? Are you kidding me?" 

"What? Didn't you understand what I am trying to say? Okay let me explain it in a very simple way. So that—"

Cutting him off, she snapped, "No no no, that is wrong. You can't climb up using the snake's tail."

"Why not?" 

"Because it's not how you are supposed to play snake and ladders." Pointing towards the ladder, she added, "If you could climb up using snake tails why would they add these ladders?" 

"You can climb up using the ladder too." When she did not say anything, he added, "So you climb using the ladder and the snake."

"Uh huh, people surely play your kind of snake and ladders in the parallel world of Sebastian's." Taking a deep breath to calm herself down and resisting the strong urge to knock his forehead, she continued, "You climb up using the ladders, only the ladders."

"So what do the snakes do?" 

"They do what they are best at, bite your a.s.s and drag you down. You see boss, if the ladders help you ascend and so do the snakes, how will this game make any sense?" 

Looking at the board, Sebastian frowned. The game made more sense to him now.

Bringing both the pieces back to the start point, Ellie muttered, "I cannot believe that I am teaching a grown-up man how to play snake and ladders."

"Did you say something Ms Miller?"

"Uh huh, nothing. We are starting again and this time please dont start the head, bottom, brain again." 

…..

"Wuhhu, I won." Ellie squealed in excitement before grinning from ear to ear. 

Sebastian frowned and gritted his teeth. "That is cheating, I was supposed to win." He was leading the game and was a few steps away from his victory when the biggest and longest snake bit his a.s.s and dragged him down to the number 7 box.

"Oh you should scold the snake and not me." When he started sulking, she added, "Aww there there it's alright, you don't have to sulk like that. It's just a game and I won." 

"Let's play again."

"Umm, I don't want to. We still have to watch the movie, remember?" 

When Sebastian nodded his head, she got up and rushed inside her room.

After some time, she came out with two thin blankets and a big packet of potato ch.i.p.s.

When Sebastian frowned, Ellie quickly explained, "This is my favourite ch.i.p.s and it's very tasty." 

Waving the two blankets, she asked, "Which one?" 

Taking the black blanket, he asked, "What about the boxes?"

"Ah are you still not over them yet? Just let it be boss, I'll do it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

Settling on the couch when she nodded her head, he added, "So you won't be coming to the office tomorrow?" 

"Hmm I am on leave, remember?" 

Awkwardly clearing his throat, he nodded his head, "Yeah right, you should enjoy your leave. There is a lot of pending work in the office but it's alright, I'll handle them alone."

Sitting down beside her, he added, "It would've been nice if you would come but I understand." 

Pursing his lips, he frowned. What was he saying? And why? Did he want her to be there so bad? Did he sound very desperate?

"Hmm but I need to clean all of this too."

"Why don't we do this over the weekend?" Without waiting for her response, he continued, "How about this Sunday? I'll come over and help you out." 

"But I thought you worked on Sundays too." 

"It's alright, Sundays are quite free and light."

"Really boss? You'll help me out?" Ellie asked.

"Yes I will." 

"Thank you so much, you are the best boss ever." 

Sebastian smiled and asked, "So you are coming tomorrow?"

"Of course I will, how can I let you handle the workload all by yourself?" 

"Great, let's watch the movie now." Turning the laptop on, he resumed the movie.

…..

Next morning.

Rubbing her face on the pillow, Elllie frowned, wondering why it was so hard. With her eyes still closed, she got up and scratched her hair and yawned a couple of times.

"Good morning Ms Miller."

She gasped in horror before placing her hand on her c.h.e.s.t. Turning towards her boss who was scrolling down his phone, she sighed, "You scared me again."

Keeping his phone on the table, Sebastian got up and picked up his blazer from the other couch.

Glancing at the watch, Elliet g.r.o.a.n.e.d, "It's just 5 am, why am I awake? And how are you so energetic? We were awake till 4 am. Wait, did you not sleep at all?" 

After watching the last part of the Kung Fu Panda movie series, Ellie urged him to watch a Disney based movie to which Sebastian happily agreed and then one movie led to another, keeping both of them wide awake till dawn. 

When she dozed off with her head on his shoulder, he decided not to disturb her sleep. After completing the movie, he turned off the laptop and started checking his emails.

"I wake up early." 

"Why? Why would you wake up so fast? Are you a human or a rooster? And we barely slept last night." 

"Habit Ms Miller, I am used to waking up fast." 

"You have no idea how pleasurable it is to sleep until your alarm starts screaming at you. You are missing out a lot of pleasurable and beautiful things in life, boss." 

Sebastian couldn't suppress his smile when he saw half-awake Ellie mumbling wise words for him.

Staring at her for quite some time, he squatted down and covered her with the blanket.

"See you soon Ellie," He muttered before leaving the apartment.

….