Perfect Bastard (by Mary D. Sant) novel Chapter 97

Chapter 97: Falling into the Trap

ELLIE

In the end, Anna managed to corner me and even got me to help with

the preparations throughout the week.

She actually decided to throw a small gathering to celebrate her

pregnancy, and not only did she invite Jorrick, but also Will’s parents

and a few other members of their family.

Even Jason and Neil came down from London, accompanied by Rosie

and Phillipa.

But what really left me in shock on Saturday night was the sight of a

completely unexpected guest walking through the door.

From a distance, I saw Anthony step into the room right behind Jack

and Zara. My stomach churned a little. Damn it. Inviting Jorrick

wasn’t enough?

Who else should I be expecting to run into tonight? Maybe she

invited Todd too. Anna was clearly hitting her mark, driving me

insane.

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Chapter 97: Falling into the Trap

I wanted to disappear. So, I decided that escaping to one of the

bedrooms seemed like a solid plan. Ethan hadn’t arrived yet, and I

secretly hoped he wouldn’t come. Even though, deep down, I missed

him.

No matter how hard I tried to hide the pain, I couldn’t help it. And as

the days passed, it wasn’t getting any better.

On the contrary, the feeling was almost suffocating, especially at

night. My chest ached so much, it felt like I couldn’t breathe. Every

day, it became harder to keep the promise I’d made to myself not to

cry over him.

“Ellie?” Neil’s voice stopped me as I made my way toward the hallway

leading to the bedrooms.

I turned to face him. I’d already greeted him when he arrived.

“Yes?”

“Can I talk to you?” he asked, catching me off guard and piquing my

curiosity.

“Sure.”

He seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking.

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“I heard about what happened in London when you went there.”

When I realized what it was about, I immediately felt uncomfortable.

I didn’t want to be rude, but I wanted to tell him to stop.

“I want you to know that it was me who suggested he listen to her.

And now I see it wasn’t one of my best ideas. I’m sorry, I just thought

it might help him.”

“Did he ask you to talk to me?”

“No. I just thought you should know. I’m worried about him. We all

know there’s still so much he hasn’t come to terms with.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s anything else I can do for him.

Believe me, I followed your advice as far as I could, but…” I felt the

tears welling up in my eyes and cleared my throat. “He’s the one who

gave up. Anyway, thanks for telling me. Excuse me,” I said before

turning away and heading down the hall.

So what if it had been Neil’s suggestion? That didn’t make what he

did any less painful. He betrayed me.

Not because he had something with her, but because he abandoned

me without a word and thought that listening to her could somehow

help him–the woman who ruined him.

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It hurt so much. He should have come to me. He should have sought

help from me. But he made his choice. It didn’t matter anymore. I

didn’t want to think about it.

But it seemed like everyone and everything around me was conspiring

to make me remember.

***

ETHAN

Will and Anna came to greet us when we arrived at their apartment. I

was right behind my brother and Zoe.

As I waited for them to exchange brief pleasantries and for Zoe to

hand over the gifts, my eyes scanned the room. There were more

people than I’d expected.

Eventually, my eyes landed on Neil, and he nodded at me, making me

feel a little relieved.

I nodded back. But when my eyes found her, that relief was replaced

by a knot in my stomach.

She was talking to a guy in a corner of the room. I guessed it was the lab guy since I didn’t recognize him.

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I felt a mix of anger and jealousy growing inside me. I took a deep

breath, clenching my fists in an attempt to keep myself in check. I

wanted to turn around and leave.

“Ethan!” Anna’s voice drew my attention. “How are you?” she said

with a smile.

I blinked, swallowing the lump in my throat as I stepped forward to

hug her.

“Once again, congratulations. This baby is lucky to have you two as

parents,” I said.

“Thank you. I know you’ll be a great father someday, too,” she said as

I pulled back.

That probably would never happen. Unintentionally, my eyes sought

out Ellie again. She didn’t look entirely comfortable, but she was

listening to the guy attentively.

As I continued glancing around, my eyes stopped on yet another unexpected guest.

Hell. This had to be a joke. Anthony. He was chatting with Jack and Jason.

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“Are you okay?” Anna asked, pulling my attention back to her.

I looked at her, noticing her scrutinizing expression.

“You have a lot of guests. So I guess you wouldn’t mind if I left.”

“No. You’re staying.”

“Anna…”

“At least for a little while, okay?” She glanced around before

whispering, “Don’t make it so obvious.”

I could bet she was involved in this. It was clear she was pleased to

see me suffering.

Neil approached, stopping beside me.

“Well, I’ll go put these gifts away. Make yourselves comfortable,” she

said, leaving us alone.

“How are you?” Neil asked, squeezing my shoulder.

“It amazes me that you’re not already aware of what’s happening

here,” I said with a faint smile.

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“Let me guess? You’re talking about the guy chatting with Ellie.”

“Let’s just say that’s one of tonight’s problems.”

“You’ll survive. You just need some alcohol.”

“You’re right, but first, I think I need to follow social etiquette,” I

said, brushing past him toward the nearest group of guests.

In the end, the only one I didn’t greet was the jerk hovering around

Ellie. They were still isolated in a corner, appearing deeply engaged in

conversation.

I joined Neil and Bennett, who were drinking on a sofa. Jack, Jason,

and Anthony soon joined us, starting a new topic of discussion. But

my attention always drifted back to the same corner of the room.

Jorrick seemed to be making an effort to keep up appearances. His

physique suggested he was in good shape, but he was shorter than

1. me.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to watch, especially when he

tried to make her smile. I tried to focus on my drink.

After a while, Anthony suddenly got up, surprising me by heading

toward the two of them. A new wave of anger hit me.

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My brother cleared his throat loudly beside me, pulling my gaze in his

direction.

“Relax,” he said quietly.

I took a deep breath, trying to follow his advice. Damn. How long had

it been since I got here? I just wanted to leave before I did something

I’d regret. I was about to explode.

“I need some air,” I said, standing up and heading for the balcony

with my glass of whiskey.

Outside, the night breeze hit my face, calming me slightly. Leaning

against the railing, I rested my arms on it.

Damn it.

How had we ended up here?

I should just pull her out of there. That’s exactly what the irrational

part of me wanted to do. But I couldn’t, and it was driving me insane.

Maybe I should have stayed in London. She didn’t need me around.