He Tripped Me at the Wedding So She Could Catch the Bouquet Chapter 08

He Tripped Me at the Wedding So She Could Catch the Bouquet Chapter 08

Some of Ethan’s friends called me. Said he wasn’t doing well. That he was completely alone.

I’d deleted him everywhere.

The last thing I ever said to him was: “We’re done.”

On the other end of the line, Ethan was drunk.

Kept calling my name. By the end, his voice was thick with tears.

“Ellie… please don’t leave me… okay?”

“Ellie… I miss you.”

He was completely out of it. Just crying.

His friend took the phone back. Let out a long sigh.

“Ellie, look. As his friend, seeing him like this… it’s rough.”

“Maybe he made some mistakes.”

“But you’ve been together for years. You know he really did love you.”

“We used to joke about how whipped he was. He’d always leave early, said nothing was more important than going home to you.”

“Life’s short. It’s not easy to find someone you love.”

“And Ethan knows he screwed up. I’ve never seen him this broken.”

“All this over one person? Isn’t that a bit much, Ellie? It’s not worth it.”

“It is worth it,” I said. My voice didn’t waver.

“And honestly, saying that makes it sound like this was about a few little things. Was it?”

The air went heavy.

All I could hear was Ethan mumbling in the background.

“Ellie… come pick me up…”

“My head hurts… why aren’t you here yet?”

“Don’t you want me anymore?”

“No.”

“I’m not coming.”

I hung up. Didn’t matter if he heard me or not.

The night deepened. Then lightened. Then deepened again.

My mom stared out the window. Her hands moved slower.

“Ellie… Ethan’s here again.”

He came every day now. Just wanted to see me.

When I refused, he’d wait. Until he couldn’t anymore. Then he’d come back the next day.

My mom lowered her eyes and shook her head. Sadness in her voice. And frustration.

“Where was this energy before?”

Then came a storm. He still waited outside.

He had an umbrella. Still got soaked through.

My mom couldn’t take it anymore. She let him in and gave him some ginger-lemon tea with honey.

“Say what you need to say. Then leave.”

Rain dripped down his sharp brow. Down his lashes. Like it was raining on his face too.

He thought for a long time. When he finally spoke, it was this:

“I’m sorry, Ellie.”

And from there, it always came back to him and Zoe.

“When she first joined the firm, she was slow to pick things up. But she worked hard. Wanted to learn.”

“She’d stay late with me. Ask if she could come to meetings. Said she wanted the experience.”

“Eventually, she could handle things on her own. She stuck with me through all the ups and downs.”

“I did trust her. Completely.”

“I did think of her as a friend.”

“The divorce wrecked her. Her work slipped. She was a mess.”

“I called her out on it at work.”

“I didn’t think she’d actually swallow a bunch of sleeping pills. Ended up having her stomach pumped.”

“The doctor said if she’d gotten there any later, she wouldn’t have made it.”

“I went to see her at the hospital. That was the first time I saw her cry. And I mean really cry.”

Like her whole world had fallen apart.

When she saw Ethan, she couldn’t stop. She just sobbed.

Like she’d finally found someone who would listen.

She told him everything. How hard she’d fought. How unfair it all was.

“I tried so hard. Why does this keep happening to me?”

She laughed—bitter. Said the things he said to her at work were the breaking point.

Ethan looked at her. Felt sorry for her. Guilty too.