The End

Chapter 5: Unexpected Waves

Ellen's eyes stared at the black screen of her phone like some sort of love drunk teenager. An uneasiness blossoming inside of her as she prayed he would respond.  The night wouldn't bring much rest if he didn't. Her heart raced with an old familiar rush. After all these years the desire to be with him, hear his voice, touch his skin was one she still couldn't fight. It came in unexpected waves. The room felt unsteady as she paced the floor, cursing herself for giving into it.

She contemplated turning off her phone.  There was a simple fix. She could turn off her phone and simply slip into a cloud of drunken denial.  Then, she would never know if he answered the door she had knocked on. 

He probably didn't even think about her anymore.  She had been harder on him than she admitted to herself. Ellen still wasn't sure how she let him take the blame for a mistake she had willingly been a part of. And more than that, what man in his right mind would take back a woman that had turned him down. Was she asking him to take her back? The question heavy in her chest. 

He had uprooted his whole life for her and she had walked away from him. That truth left a sour feeling in her stomach only complicating her heaviness. Ellen had a million excuses. Most of which boiled down to the fact that she was scared. Being with someone who loved her enough to sacrifice everything was completely terrifying. How would she be enough to live up to that?

She was confident enough to despise the need to beg.  A woman should never have to beg. It was why Pick Me... Choose Me... Love Me... made her want to puke. To have to convince a man to leave his wife. It was all something Ellen would never stand for. She would never beg a man for anything. But the opposite of that. The man who gave up his career, ended his marriage the second he knew they had a real chance...  That was something she didn't know what to do with. That kind of devotion felt uncomfortable.

Ellen couldn't help but wish for that discomfort back. She longed for affection like that. He was right to give up everything for what they had. It was what she should have done. Instead she found herself drunk, lonely, semi unemployed and pining for him.

In Ellen's experience they never shot in order but for some reason they had chosen to do show with the first few scenes of the pilot. Which made her first scene with Patrick awkward. Especially considering they were nearly naked. She wrapped herself in a blanket and sat in a chair just out of frame.  Her heart raced a little and her stomach tingled.

Patrick entered the room like some sort of politician. His presence charming and commanding. Ellen didn't even have to turn around to know it was him. He made his rounds and then quickly fled to her side. He popped down in the chair next to her casually. "Hi," he spoke softly and casually took a seat next to her in only his boxers.

She smirked at him, "Hi..." Their eyes glittering with chemistry, "Feeling cold?"

He laughed, "Funny," Patrick paused, "but yes actually freezing. You want to share your blanket?"

It was Ellen's turn to giggle, "No."

"Shame," his tone made his joke hit a little differently. She tilted her head slightly as if to question if he was already flirting with her.

Ellen turned to a close production assistant, "Could you get him a robe, he's cold." The PA nodded and returned after a moment, "Thank you." Ellen took it from her and tossed it to Patrick.

"Thank you," he wrapped himself up in it. Patrick looked around the set and then down at his cell phone. He sighed and then, "How's your husband with this?"