Chapter 17
Nelly
Ethan doesn’t come home that night, and he’s still not in the house when I fix my morning coffee and settle down in the living room with my iPad to check my social media feeds and emails.
The first Instagram post pops up on my screen, and Ethan’s last name catches my attention.
Everhart together with his ex? The headline reads when I click the post. My heart instantly sinks as I stare at the picture of him and Julia Brene snuggling close to each other while walking.
Ethan’s wearing the same suit from dinner last night, and he’s staring at Julia intently, his entire attention focused on her. Shuddering inside, I try to shake off the thudding ache that sears through me.
Did he leave me last night to go to her? The weight of my disappointment sinks heavily against my heart, and tears prick the back of my eyes almost immediately.
I wipe away the single tear that slides down my cheek before sniffing loudly. Why should I care what Ethan spent his night doing? Or who he chose to hang out with?
I flip through more pictures of Ethan and Julia, realizing that almost every Instagram page carries news of their reunion.
Things look promising for the former couple as they were spotted exiting L.A.’s most exclusive five-star restaurant last night.
Another blog post reads: What trouble does this spell for the billionaire’s new wife? There are talks about a divorce brewing with this reunion.
The first tug of anger slices through my core, and I lower my iPad to the table in front of me, staring hard at it for some time, and finally close my eyes.
What did you expect, Nelly? Did you think he would fall for you? Over a few kisses and one date?
“I’m so stupid,” I mutter before covering my face with both hands. What part of me thought things would be different with Ethan this time? That he would admit to having feelings for me and stay true to them?
Years ago, Ethan chose some blonde over me. We flirted for a while, and he probably knew I liked him. He’s experienced, and I’m sure he could tell, but it didn’t matter.
My temples pound while my mind races. My coffee doesn’t help me stay focused, so I head to the kitchen to make breakfast.
I’m enjoying my omelet and trying not to think of Ethan when he finally returns. He walks into the kitchen and stops by the entrance.
“Nelly,” he whispers, his solemn eyes on me as he enters the kitchen.
My first impulse is to ignore him and focus on my meal, but he walks over to me, pulls out a chair, and lowers himself into it.
“You’ve seen the blog posts,” he whispers. “About me and Julia? You can’t believe any of it, Nelly. Julia’s not the—”
“What do I believe, Ethan?” I interrupt, my voice a hoarse whisper that doesn’t surprise me.
“That you ditched me for Julia? Because that’s what you did. You’ve done it before, haven’t you? You chose some woman over me five years ago."
“Isn’t that your MO? Dating women as you please, stringing them along and ditching them when it suits you?”
“That’s not what I’m doing here, Nelly. We’re married …"
“Fake married,” I remind him and he pales a little, takes a deep breath, then jumps out of his chair.
“I had to do this for Julia because I owed her,” he explains while pacing around the kitchen. He mutters words I don’t hear, rakes his fingers through his hair, then turns to stare me deep in the eyes again.
“She helped convince George to back me for the CEO and merger vote. It’s how I won against Joe.”
“In exchange, she needed me to help fuel rumors about her so she can gain more popularity. It’ll help with her gallery opening and draw more media attention. What better way for a celebrity to stay relevant than to spark rumors? Especially about their love life with an old flame?”
His words sink in and leave a sour taste in my mouth.
“And you agreed to this?” I ask faintly. “Even though it affects our fake marriage?”
“I didn’t have a choice,” he replies before striding to me quickly. “Trust me, I hated spending time with Julia, even though we didn’t speak to each other most of the time. I didn’t spend the night with her. I made a deal with her, and I always keep my word.”
His plan doesn’t sit right with me, and the sinking feeling in my stomach only worsens. I understand Ethan’s obligation to play along with Julia’s demands.
But rumors are a dangerous thing.
“Julia got what she wanted … An edge to trend on social media, and gain a rise in popularity before her studio is open. I, on the other end, will quench every questioning fan who wonders if I’ll be leaving my wife for her because the answer is no. I know what I’m doing, Nelly.”
I sigh and close my eyes for a bit. A part of me had hoped he would confess his feelings last night.
The way he looks at me, how he touches me … All of that suggests that maybe Ethan feels the same way I do.
He plants his hands on my shoulders and peers deep into my eyes. “I’m really sorry about last night, Nelly. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
My neck still feels stiff, and jealousy bites through me. “And Julia? What will your grandfather think if he hears the rumors? We’re pretending to be married, Ethan. Last time I checked, this was what you wanted. Are you going to play fake boyfriend to her and husband to me?”
“No. All I had to do for her was spark some rumors. It’s over now. Finished. She got what she wanted from our deal. I don’t owe her anything.”
“Right,” I murmur dryly.
Ethan shocks me when he frames my cheeks with both hands. “Julia’s my past, Nelly. You’ve got to believe that.”
My lips feel dry, and I lick them quickly.
I want to believe you, Ethan.
But I can’t fight off the knots squeezing tightly in the pit of my stomach. Or the voice in my head constantly warning me to not fall for him all over again.
I wish he would say more as he looks at me, lost in the moment, just as I am. His gaze drifts to my lips before he looks me in the eye again. My heart thuds in anticipation when his lips part, but he only lets out a sigh, then pulls away from me.
“You should rest today. We have a meeting with some potential investors tomorrow. If this plays out well, we might be able to secure a large grant from the government to help push our plans forward. My grandfather can help with that. I talked to him about it, and he’s on board.”
I only nod as he pulls away from me, and I press my lips into a thin line. His shoulders are stiff as he walks away from me, and I let out a big sigh once I am alone.
Ethan is either oblivious to my feelings for him or not interested. One thing is certain—I’m not going to fall for a man who might hurt me again.
***
“Five years ago, he should have known, right?” I lament to Josie when we meet up for lunch that afternoon at Bill's Place, a trendy Asian restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard.
Josie takes off her sunglasses as she settles down in her seat facing mine. “Are we talking about your husband?” she asks with a smirk. “The hot billionaire? You’ve been into him for five years?”
I nod, then lean back a bit to take in Josie’s amused look. “What? You think this is silly, don’t you?”
“Just …” She shrugs before laughing. “He’s insane not to notice you. I mean … You’re hot, Nelly. You’re like drop-dead gorgeous. What guy wouldn’t want you?”
She makes another hand gesture, then snickers with a short laugh. “Such a guy would either be blind or stupid.”
I smile. “He’s definitely not blind, trust me,” I reveal, as memories of our kiss and every near kiss experience we’ve shared since he returned to L.A. flood my mind.
Heat burns my cheeks. How could he not feel this too?
“You should tell him,” Josie advises as our Korean barbecue wings arrive.
“That’s not gonna work,” I reply before having a taste of the soulfully spiced chicken.
“Why not?”
“Because he’s Ethan and I’m Nelly. You know I came close to telling him back then because he wouldn’t make a move on me, but I found him kissing some other blonde before I got my chance. It just proved that he’s a jerk and a flirt.”
“And yet you still pine for him,” Josie said the words teasingly, and the smile on her face made me shoot a playful glare at her before we both break into laughter.
We go back and forth teasing each other about our love lives until my lunch time is finally up, but I know I’m definitely not confessing to Ethan first this time.
I can’t risk feeling humiliated and foolish like that night.
“Love you.” I kiss both her cheeks before we part ways.
My meeting with Ethan and the investors is in an hour, and I want to speak to my brother before that.
I’m approaching the double sliding entrance doors when a familiar voice calls my name. I freeze before turning around.
“Joe Storms,” I answer through gritted teeth, a muscle in my jaw ticking from how hard I clench.
“It’s a pleasant afternoon, Nelly. Just the kind I need to have this conversation with you,” he says with a smile as he comes to a halt in front of me.
“What do you want?” I wouldn’t have considered myself friends or partners with Storms before, but I also didn’t think he was a terrible person until his stunt with the hostile takeover recently.
Why does he dislike Ethan so much?
Yes, they had history, and Joe did a shameful thing, but it was in the past, and Ethan seems like he’s moved on from it.
“You!” Joe’s answer leaves a chill running up my spine and the glimmer of mischief in his eyes deepens before he adds, “I want you to bring your fabulous and amazing ideas over to my company. Sunny Aerospace suffered a disaster, Nelly, but with my help, we can rebuild your image and expand.”
I tilt my head to one side and assess him closely while he speaks. His blue eyes rage like a sea storm as he speaks. I don’t miss his passion and eagerness to destroy all Ethan has worked for.
“You don’t offer me anything Ethan isn’t already offering,” I say to him before pursing my lips a little.
“You can at least tell me why you’re doing this. Why is it so important for you to ruin his company? Besides, Hart Holdings has already approved of the merger. Why should I back out of the deal now?”
“This isn’t about his company,” Joe snaps. “This is about mine! This is about proving to Ethan that I’m just as good as he is.” A second ticks away before a sly smile crosses his features. “Maybe even better.”
An unsettling feeling erupts inside me, fueling my discomfort when he takes another step towards me. Joe reaches out and grabs my wrist. I yelp, but he tightens his hold before I can move and presses a flash drive into my hand.
“This contains the details of my contract with the Department of Transportation. They awarded me the contract to develop highly efficient electrical engines for the trains and buses. We both know it’s the same contract Ethan’s been trying to secure.”
“What have you done?”
“Nothing a smart businessman wouldn’t do,” he replies with a shrug before releasing my hand. Joe loosens the single button on his suit, then smirks at me once more.
“It’s your last chance to join me, Nelly, and save your company. Ethan can’t offer you what you want. I can.”
“This is a game to you, isn’t it? You believe you can take one more thing away from Ethan, right? Just like you took Julia all those years ago.”
His jaw slackens, and it’s my turn to smirk. “That’s right. I know all about how you had an affair with your friend’s fiancée, even though you knew he loved her.”
“It wasn’t an affair—she loved me!” he yells. The calm fa?ade he wore while talking about his plans fades to give rise to the flushed contours of a furious face.
“You tell yourself that, Joe. Does it make you feel better about betraying a friend?” I hand the flash drive back to him. “I’m not like you. I’ll never betray a friend just to get what I want.”
He scoffs. “He’s not your friend. He thinks he’s better than everyone, and he pays little attention to their feelings or needs. When it suits him, he’ll dump you and cut all ties with you simply because you made a mistake.”
“You think this is all because I slept with his fiancée? Ethan Everhart doesn’t deserve you. He doesn’t deserve anyone, and when you finally see him for who he really is, you’ll come running to me to save you.”
He gives me one last stony look, presses the flash drive back into my hands, and storms away. I stare at the flash drive for a moment and decide to keep it.
Who knows, there might be something worth knowing in here.