NO!She couldn’t deal with this right now! She forced herself to smile, but it felt more like a grimace. ‘Oh, man, you were amazing. Thank you.’ Bloody hell, did she really just thank him? ‘Erm, so great night had by all.’Stop, Ellie, please.‘Let’s not ruin it by talking about it, yeah? I’m going for a swim now. See you at breakfast?’
He nodded slowly, his brow creased with concern. ‘Okay, if you’re sure…’
‘Great!’ She grabbed her beach bag from the lounge area as she made a hasty exit, and got all the way to the empty loungers before she realised she’d forgotten her sunglasses, which wasn’t a big deal, but she liked to read her Kindle after a swim and the glare from the sun could be annoying. Maybe Alex would be in the shower by now?
With a resigned huff, she trudged back to their room. As she quietly entered their suite, she could hear Alex talking on the phone. He was stood by the window, his back towards her and his laptop open on the coffee table. He’d thrown on his linen trousers from last night, but was otherwise bare. He had a lovely back, she thought wistfully. Wide at the top and then tapering down to narrow hips in a dramatic V-shape. She had to shake her head to focus on the task at hand, her sunglasses, which she quickly spotted beside his laptop.
Not wanting to disturb him on a call – an obviously important work call, going by the serious and professional tone of his voice – she tiptoed towards the coffee table.
‘Yes. I’d be delighted.’ He laughed, and her ears pricked. ‘Thank you, I was worried you were never going to ask…’ She grinned, hoping it was the theatre asking him to do another production.
She was ready to give Alex a thumbs-up if he happened to turn around. But his next words caused the delight to curdle in her stomach. ‘I’ll book a flight to LA immediately. Oh, that. Yes, I saw the photos… it’s all nonsense, a distraction… Likewise, can’t wait to meet her – yes, Francesca would be a perfect match… I agree… it’s for the best. I’ve really figured out my priorities.’
He’s going back to LA?She remembered the film script that Richie had been pushing at him the other day. Had he accepted it? Bile rose in her throat.
Of course he’d accepted. Why on earth would he stay in London? Why on earth would he stay with her?
She snatched up her sunglasses and silently slunk away. She wasn’t ready to face him yet. She needed time alone before she faced this latest humiliation.
Was she the distraction he’d mentioned? Was she the… nonsense?
Their relationshipwasbased on a lie. He’d picked up a nobody in a bar and passed her off to the world as his girlfriend, all so that he wouldn’t look a loser in front of his family.
Well, who was the loser now?
What a joke.
A distraction, one which had allowed him to get his fucking priorities straight.
Good-time, funny, curvy Ellie. Always the girl you went on a few dates with, but was never good enough to keep for ever.
Memories flashed through her mind. The sniggers of the gym bros, the disgust on David’s fiancée’s face, Holly’s hate-filled eyes. She couldn’t go through another public humiliation. Not again. Alex had said they would have a mutual, friendly split. But wouldn’t it be better to just fade away, without any drama and without the shame?
She needed to plan her escape with as much dignity as possible. She barely even noticed Richie as she passed him in the corridor, her eyes too blinded by tears. No doubt he was on his way to finalise the details of Alex’s return to the States.
She walked along the beach until she was certain enough time had passed for Alex to have left their room. Then she headed back, going through the kitchen to avoid as many people as possible.
It was only a couple of days until their scheduled return flight. That was enough time for her to mentally prepare herself for being dumped by Alex.
How would he do it? She tortured herself with all the possible scenarios. He wouldn’t want to make a scene in front of his family or on the flight home. So, in the cab on the way to herhouse? ‘I’ve had such a great time, but I think we want different things in life.’
Or maybe a text? ‘Let’s remain friends.’
Or maybe… Nothing.
She’d had that before.
Ghosted. Which sounded like an action-movie stunt, as if the person put on a jumpsuit, fired-up their proton pack and blasted the bad relationship back to hell, rather than the act of cowardice it truly was.
She couldn’t go through this again. She dug out her phone; there were several texts as well as a few missed calls. She’d look at those later, but first she needed to protect her future self – she found Alex’s number and deleted it, then blocked it for good measure. No way would she embarrass herself further by sending him 2 a.m. texts asking why he’d stopped caring, what she’d done wrong.
Even the flat he promised her… she didn’t want it, although she now suspected that had been her hush money all along. Perhaps the keys would come with an NDA? He would walk away without a single stain on his character, while Ellie would always be the reject, the joke.
A wave of nausea washed over her, and she leaned against the closed door of their bedroom, glad that Alex had indeed gone down to breakfast already.
No, she couldn’t stomach his excuses, the awkwardchat. A wave goodbye at the airport and then to never see him again – that would be the kindest goodbye. Maybe she could even pretend she was asleep the entire journey back.
How the hell was she going to get through the next couple of days?
