Ellen sat across from Edrick in the spacious living room. She watched Edrick as he lifted the delicate porcelain cup to his lips, taking a careful sip of the tea she had prepared. She couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of detachment as she looked at him, her mind drifting to their past conversation at Gerald’s parents’ anniversary party. The memory was still vivid—Edrick’s sincere expression as he proposed to rescue her from the marriage. God, she had been caught off guard back then, and even now.
Edrick cleared his throat, his eyes meeting hers over the rim of the cup. "This tastes different from what you usually make."
She gave a small smile that didn’t really reach her eyes.
"Does it?" she replied softly. Of course, it tasted different. The tea he was drinking now wasn’t made by Ellen Winters but her.
She watched as Edrick put the cup back on the table. She then straightened in her seat, her gaze hardening slightly as she met his eyes. "Let’s just cut to the chase, Edrick," she said. "What do you want from me? I know you didn’t come here just to chat like old times."
Edrick blinked, the smile fading from his lips. He studied her for a moment, his eyes searching her face as though trying to read her thoughts. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his expression growing serious.
"What if I was?" he asked. "Would that be a problem?"
Ellen let out a soft sigh, her gaze flicking away from him. "What do you think, Edrick?" she asked. She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his, and there was a hint of something—pain, frustration—in her gaze. "We’re exes. And my husband isn’t even here. What do you think people would say if they knew you were here?"
Edrick’s expression softened, and he leaned back, his eyes still fixed on her. He let out a small sigh, shaking his head slightly. "Then why did you let me in?"
"Did you want me to chase you away?"
Edrick was silent for a moment, his gaze softening as he looked at her. He reached out, his hand resting on the table between them, his fingers just inches from hers. "No," he replied. "I didn’t want that."
"Then why are you here, Edrick?" she asked. "What do you want from me?"
Edrick let out a long breath, his gaze steady as he looked at Ellen. He could see the exhaustion in her eyes. She looked so small and fragile sitting across from him, her hands clenched in her lap.
"Ellen," he began. "I care about you. I always have." He leaned forward slightly, his eyes searching her face. "And that offer I made before... it still stands."
Ellen looked up at him, her eyes widening slightly, the tiredness in her expression now mixed with disbelief. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but then closed it again, her lips pressing together into a thin line. She shook her head slightly, her eyes narrowing as she tried to understand him.
"Leave Mason," he continued, there was an urgency in his tone, a plea that he couldn’t quite hide. "Leave with me, Ellen. I know it’s not easy, but I promise you, you will be so much happier."
Ellen raised her hand, her fingers trembling slightly as she signaled for Edrick to stop. Her eyes, filled with exhaustion, met his, and for a moment, the room seemed to hold its breath. "Please, Edrick," she pleaded. "Stop. Just... stop with all the nonsense."
She had to make it clear, once and for all.
"I don’t want to run from this marriage," she continued. "I want this." She emphasized each word, hoping he could understand. She wasn’t running. She wasn’t going to escape with him.
Edrick’s expression shifted, the hope in his eyes dimming, replaced by confusion and disbelief. His brows knitted together, his lips parting as if he wanted to argue, but no words came. He simply stared at her, his gaze searching her face as if trying to find some sign that she didn’t mean what she was saying.
"I need to make this clear, Edrick. I need you to understand. There’s nothing between us anymore. There’s nothing that will happen between us. And that offer of yours?" She shook her head. "You can throw it away. Bury it deep down, and burn it if you have to. Because it’s never going to happen."
Her words made him flinch, and Edrick’s eyes widened. His gaze dropping to the floor as he struggled to process what she had said.
"Yes, Ellen Winters loved you," she said. She looked at him, her eyes filled with a deep, profound regret. "She loved you so much. More than you could ever know." Her gaze flickered away from his, her eyes focusing on a spot on the floor as she spoke. "But I’m not her. I’m not Ellen Winters."
Edrick’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "What... what do you mean?" he asked.
Ellen let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head slightly. Of course, he wouldn’t understand. He didn’t know. He could never know. She looked back at him, his eyes filled with a sadness that made her feel bad for him too. "It doesn’t matter," she replied, brushing off his question. "What matters is that... I love Mason. I, Ellen Coldwell, love Mason Coldwell."
The words came out before she had time to really think about them, and she felt her heart skip a beat. She hadn’t planned on saying it—not like this, not to Edrick, of all people. But there it was, out in the open, and she couldn’t take it back.
Edrick’s face twisted in pain, his eyes closing briefly as if he were trying to block out her words. "You... you love him?"
Ellen nodded, her heart heavy, her fingers curling into fists in her lap. "Yes, I love Mason. I love my husband."