Love's Tangled Web (Alex and Ellie) novel Chapter 4

Chapter 4 She Couldn't Afford It

Alex was offering Ellie a way out. All she had to do was play nice, call him by his name, and set up a meeting with Haley. Her internship would be back in an instant.

But Ellie shook her head, her resolve firm. She could find another job, but getting involved in Alex's pursuit of her brother's girlfriend? That was a line she wouldn't cross.

As she walked away, Alex's eyes followed her, his expression hardening. He remembered the quiet girl from the poor village, always in the background, quick to help. She had grown, her once timid presence now replaced by a confidence that challenged him.

With a dismissive flick of his cigarette, Alex's voice was laced with a hint of a threat. "Ellie, we'll see how long your defiance lasts."

---

Ellie had been holed up in her tiny apartment all morning, wrestling with the urge to spill the beans about her job loss to her brother, Aaron. Finally, she decided it was time to come clean.

Over lunch, they both grabbed beef stew. Aaron, just as he settled in, threw out a question. "Hey, you weren't scared going into your first surgery, were you?"

As Ellie met her brother's gaze, the pride there choked her up, and the confession she was carrying got lodged in her throat.

"Rough day in the OR?" Aaron continued, fishing out the last few slices of beef from his bowl and plopping them into Ellie's, then playfully stealing some of her vegetables.

With her head down, Ellie watched the beef pile up in her bowl, her eyes starting to sting. "Aaron, I... I got let go from the hospital," she managed to say.

Aaron's hand froze, but he quickly recovered, offering comfort. "Just a setback, that's all. Take your time with the next gig. I got your back on the bills."

Ellie's eyes caught on the frayed edge of Aaron's shirt collar, and a silent heartache swelled inside her.

In this day and age, it was unusual to see clothes worn down to the threads. Despite Ellie and Aaron both bringing in some income, their dad's disability and constant need for meds, along with their mom's full-time care, meant they were stretched thin.

Aaron had a way of putting it: "Ellie, a little hardship? That's nothing. We just can't miss a beat on Dad's meds."