Chapter 31
Alex had come in angry, only to find out that Haley had returned the necklace to him.
“She gave it back to you. Why don’t you ask her? Why are you asking me?” Ellie said, her voice shaky but defiant as she looked up at him.
Alex’s grip on Ellie’s chin tightened, his fingers digging in. “You were crying about how the bracelet I gave you was just a freebie, right? You’re just trying to get this necklace. If you wanted it, just tell me instead of complaining to Haley!”
Suddenly, Alex let go of Ellie. Losing her balance, Ellie stumbled backward, slamming into the counter. Her eyes reddened, but she fought hard to hold back her tears. She couldn’t let him see how deeply his words had cut. She couldn’t retaliate—not when she was so powerless, not when all she had to offer was her broken self.
“Whether it’s a freebie or not, I don’t want it. I didn’t say anything to Haley—you can believe it or not, it’s up to you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she struggled to meet his gaze.
Alex walked over to the soggy bowl of noodles on the counter, picking it up with casual disdain. “So you don’t want the ring? Are you upset about how I treated Aaron last night?”
Ellie’s heart twisted in her chest. Last night had been a nightmare. Of course, she was upset. But to Alex, her feelings didn’t matter. To him, they were just part of some bigger game, one where she was the pawn.
“Don’t think that just because you and your brother went to school and met a few rich people, you can change your social status,” Alex sneered.
“Even if you work your whole lives, you’re only fit to eat junk like this and buy the cheapest trinket rings. Don’t ever dream of things that are out of your reach,” he continued, his words laced with mockery as he dropped the bowl into the trash with a clatter.
His eyes bore into hers. “You’ve got one last chance. Are you going to come home with me, or do you want to live in poverty with Aaron?”
Without hesitation, Ellie stood tall and replied, “No matter how poor he is, he’s still my brother.”
“Fine,” Alex spat, his voice thick with anger. “If you want to mess up your life, go ahead! But stay where you belong and don’t come around to gross me out.”
With that, Alex slammed the door behind him, the sound reverberating in the quiet apartment. Ellie stood there for a long moment, feeling as if all the energy had been drained from her body. She slowly slid down the counter, her body giving way to the weight of everything she had been holding in.
Tears poured from her eyes, and her sobs filled the air, raw and uncontrollable. She wanted to hate Alex, wanted to scream at him, but all she could do was cry. The door was closed, and Alex was gone, but his words still echoed in her mind. She had never felt so alone.
And yet, in that moment, as her heart broke into pieces, Ellie felt a strange sense of gratitude for Alex’s harshness. It had pushed her heart even further away from him, making it clearer than ever that she didn’t belong in his world.
Standing by the door, Alex paused, his ear pressed against the wood as he listened to Ellie’s sobs. His eyes reddened, and he clenched his teeth, frustration bubbling inside him. “Ellie, if you just come after me… I’ll forgive you,” he muttered under his breath, the words barely audible.
He stood there for a long time, waiting, hoping she would come to him. But Ellie never came out to apologize. After what felt like an eternity, Alex turned on his heel and left without looking back.
As dusk settled, Ellie pushed herself to get to work. The bar was waiting, and she couldn’t afford to be weak. She couldn’t let herself fall apart, not when there were bills to pay and a future to scrape together.
When she arrived, Whitney immediately noticed that Ellie seemed off. “Hey, if you’re feeling under the weather, you can take the night off,” she said, her concern evident.
Ellie quickly shook her head. “I’m good, Whitney. I can handle it,” she assured, not wanting to miss the night’s earnings. Whitney didn’t press it, but her eyes lingered on Ellie for a moment longer before she nodded.
“Alright, the makeup artist is here. Get yourself ready in the back,” she said, already turning away.
Ellie nodded absently, heading to the back to change. She wasn’t sure how long she could keep pretending that everything was fine, but tonight wasn’t the night to fall apart. She couldn’t let Alex or anyone else see her weakness.
Meanwhile, at the Earl Hotel, Layton was trying to convince Alex to get out of his funk. “There’s a new singer at the Encounter Bar in Old Alley. She’s supposed to be really hot. Let’s check it out,” Layton suggested, trying to lighten the mood.
Alex, still brooding over everything with Ellie, didn’t respond immediately. His thoughts were far away, focused on the mess he had just created. But Layton wasn’t about to give up.
“Come on, man,” Layton said, nudging him lightly. “It’ll be good for you. You need to get your mind off things.”
Alex hesitated for a moment, then sighed. “Fine. Let’s go.” But even as they left for the bar, Alex’s mind was still on Ellie—the girl who had been his childhood companion, now slipping further and further away with every harsh word.
