He Tripped Me at the Wedding So She Could Catch the Bouquet Chapter 01

He Tripped Me at the Wedding So She Could Catch the Bouquet Chapter 01

Ethan Hale stuck his leg out and tripped me. I lost the baby.

The brass candle stand I knocked over landed right on my stomach.

I was shaking so hard I could barely stand, and Ethan was laughing.

“Get up. You’re making a scene at someone else’s wedding.”

“I was just trying to slow you down. No need to fight Zoe for the bouquet.”

While I was still on the ground, Zoe Fischer had already caught the bridal bouquet, smiling. Ethan was watching her, but his hand was wrapped around my arm, yanking me up like I was a piece of luggage.

“Come on. Get up.”

“Don’t embarrass yourself here.”

I didn’t say a word.

Until people started looking at me.

Blood was pooling on the floor, soaking into the hem of Ethan’s pants before he even noticed.

He finally caught the metallic smell, thick and heavy, and blinked at me, confused.

“Ellie, where’s all this blood coming from…?”

My plan was to catch the bouquet, then tell Ethan the secret I’d been keeping for three months.

To ask him when we were getting married.

But I didn’t need to catch anything anymore.

And I didn’t need to ask.

…

Ethan sat by the hospital bed, finishing a text to Zoe, before he finally looked at me with something close to annoyance.

“You didn’t know you were pregnant?”

“You’re a grown woman. How do you not take care of yourself?”

While I was in surgery, he’d gone home and changed. There was no blood on him anymore.

He told me the reception had been awkward after I left. Because of what happened.

“When you’re out, I’ll take everyone to dinner. You can apologize to Yara and her husband.”

I stared at the ceiling, my voice flat.

“Ethan, is this my fault? Did I fall on purpose?”

“Did I want to miscarry?”

He paused, taking in my pale face.

“You shouldn’t have run so fast.”

“I was just trying to hold you back. Let Zoe have the bouquet.”

“You know she’s been through a divorce, she’s still struggling.”

“She just wanted a little bit of good luck. Why did you have to compete with her?”

Our mutual friends were getting married. The couple had been together for years. Solid.

Yara was tossing the bouquet and she was playful about it.

“Get ready, everyone! Whoever catches it is getting married next!”

Before the ceremony, she’d pulled me and Ethan aside.

“When I toss the bouquet, I’m aiming it right at you two.”

“Ethan, I wouldn’t mind if you proposed at my wedding. Double the happiness.”

She winked at both of us.

Everyone wanted that kind of blessing from a happy couple.

I did too.

I thought Ethan understood the hint, just like I did.

So I ran to the front, reaching for the bouquet that meant marriage.

Zoe and I both had our hands on it.

Then Ethan stuck his leg out.

I tripped. The bouquet bounced off my fingers and landed in Zoe’s arms.

When I went quiet, Ethan leaned in and patted my hand, brushing it off like it was nothing.

“Okay. Let’s not talk about this anymore.”

Like he was being magnanimous. “You don’t want to apologize? Then don’t.”

“The baby was just an embryo anyway. These things happen. It’s gone.”

“Don’t be too upset.”

“Rest up. We can always have another one.”

I pulled my hand back and closed my eyes.

I remembered it so clearly—just a few days ago, at my check-up, the doctor smiled and said:

“In a few more weeks, you’ll start feeling movement.”

I rested my hand on my stomach.

But now there was nothing there.

Empty.

The hospital room was filled with hollow breathing.

Probably thinking I was asleep, Ethan lowered his voice and called Yara.

“I hired someone to look after her.”

“If you guys have time, come keep her company. Cheer her up.”

“Me?”

“I’ve got work at the firm. I can’t be here all day.”

“Besides, seeing her like this… it’s a lot of pressure.”

“She doesn’t want to talk. Sitting here, it just makes me restless.”

The door opened. And closed.

Ethan’s voice faded, until I couldn’t hear him anymore.