Chapter 16
His grip on my wrist didn’t loosen as h
she dragged me down the hall, away from the main ballroom, away from everyone.
doors. He pulled me inside before I could
“Let go of me!” I snapped, trying to yank free, but Darren was already shoving open one of the side mom blink, slamming the door shut behind us. The click of the lock made my stomach twist.
“Open the door!” I turned, pounding my hand against it. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
He didn’t answer at first. Just stood there, breathing hard, his back against the door like he had to block me from running. His jaw was tight, his hair slightly out of place, like he’d been thinking about this for too long.
“How did you end up with him?” he finally asked, voice low and bitter. “How the hell did you get someone like Karl Lever?”
I froze.
“That’s what you have to say to me?” I stared at him, incredulous. “After everything, that’s what you’re mad about?”
mur face
His eyes darkened, stepping closer. “You were living with me two months ago. You were mine and now you’re everywhere with him. I see your on headlines. I see him touching you like he…”
You don’t get to act jealous.” I cut in, voice shaking, “you don’t get to be mad after what you did.”
He blinked, confused.
“You got my best friend pregnant. Darren.” I folded my arms, grounding myself, “you lied to me for years, took my savings, cheated on me in the house I paid for, and now you’re standing here asking how I ended up with someone else?”
He ran his hands through his hair, pacing, “you don’t understand, it wasn’t supposed to happen that way.”
“Then how was it supposed to happen?” I snapped, “because from where I’m standing, you played me and expected me to stay quiet about it.”
He looked at me then, really looked at me, “I still love you.”
The words hit me like a slap-
He stepped forward again. “You just need to be patient with me, I messed up, but I can fix it.”
“You’re insane: I backed away. “You seriously think I’d ever come back to you?”
“Ellen,” he pleaded, “I know I hurt you, but we can make this right, we always said we wanted more. I have something now, connections. If you help nie, we could build something real.”
My chest tightened, “help you?”
“With Karl,” he said, “you’re close to him now, you can get in the room with people never could. We could work together, you and me, just like before.”
I stared at him, stunned.
“Is that what this is?” I asked quietly, “you locked me in here because you think I’m some business shortcut for you?”
My back hit the wall again as I steadied myself, swallowing the burn in my throat. He was still standing there like he couldn’t see the damage he’d done. Like he thought this conversation made sense
I looked him dead in the
“What about Layla?” I said, my voice sharper than I expected, “What about your baby?”
He blinked
“You’re standing here, asking me to help you get close to Karl. You’re talking about building something with me again like nothing happened. Are your planning to just abandon her now, the same way you abandoned me?”
didn’t abandon you,” he muttered, jaw clenched.
“oh shut the fuck up. I rolled my eyes.
He exhaled harshly, but I didn’t stop.
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Chapter 16
“I hate her now, sure,” I went on, “but even I wouldn’t wish this on her. She’s carrying your child, and you’re standing here asking me to help you while pretending none of that matters. That’s not love, Darren. That’s not even regret, that’s just selfish.
He looked away, jaw tightening, hands curled into fists at his side.
“You say you miss me, that you’ve been thinking about me every day but all I hear is you trying to fix your life by dragging mine down with it He hesitated. “It’s not just that, I miss you, I’ve been thinking about you every day.”
“How did 1 not see you were a fucking bastard”
I turned and yanked the door handle. Still locked. I pounded on
it a
again, harder this time.
“Open it!”
“Ellen, listen to me.
“No!” I spun back to him, anger rising like fire. “You don’t get to trap me in a room and then ask me for favors, you lost me, that’s on you.”
He stepped forward again. I moved to the side, putting space between us.
I’m not s
scared of you,” I said through gritted teeth.
“I never wanted to hurt you,” he said, his voice suddenly soft,
I tried the handle again, harder this time, twisting it until the metal dug into my palm.
“Open it!” I snapped, my voice rising.
Darren stayed by t
the door, blocking it like his body was the final lock. His eyes were still on me, intense, almost desperate.
“You need to listen to me,” he said, stepping closer.
“I don’t need anything from you” I spat “You lost me. That’s on you.”
I turned again, jiggling the lock one more time but something was wrong. My hand slipped a little, and my fingers felt heavy, like they didn’t belong
to me
My vision blurred for a second, just a flicker, I blinked hard, then again, trying to steady myself, my knees wobbled, the floor didn’t feel steady beneath my feet anymore.
My head it felt light, too light.
I pressed my hand to the wall, trying to find balance, trying to breathe.
“Darren.” My voice came out quieter than I meant.
“What is it?” he asked quickly, moving toward me.
1 backed away from him instinctively, but my legs didn’t move the way they y were supposed to.
“I feel weird,” I mumbled, blinking again, the room spinning just a little more now.
My stomach turned. The walls looked softer, like they were falling away. My hands reached out to grab something, anything, but everything felt far. I could hear Darren’s voice. I think he called my name, I tried to speak, but my lips didn’t work, the last thing I felt was the floor rising to meet Ther
to meet me
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