The Billion Dollar Girl

(Chapter 36)

Ͼ Ella Castillo Ͽ

This silence was a lot worse now, a lot more poisonous. This was mainly because now, I wasn’t able to say anything, when before I’d chosen not to speak. But no matter what happened, I couldn’t open my mouth to break the suffocating silence.

The cab finally stopped, the gentle humming of the car engine cutting off jolting me out of my reverie. Ash paid the guy in silence. My fingers fumbled in the dark for the handle. When I found it, I pulled it open and fell out into the dark street, breathing in the cold night air. It was liberating, finally being out of that car. As the cars rushed by, I felt the wind whip against my face, my tear tracks extra cold on my skin.

I shivered.

At once, Ash pulled off his coat and draped it around my shoulders. I was forcibly reminded of yesterday, on that bridge when he’d tried to give me his coat while I’d refused stubbornly. I’d even shaken it off my shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.

Now, I held the coat to myself, breathing in the smell of Ash’s cologne.

Don’t get me wrong, I knew I was still meant to be mad at him. But it was hard to remember why when I was in this foreign country, in these softly lit Parisian streets. It seemed so long ago, it was hard to believe it was only the day before.

The Eiffel was so beautifully lit it took my breath away. Of course, I’d seen pictures of it. I’d even studied its history in French. But everything it was nothing like being there, in front of it, seeing it. I stared, gaping, everything forgotten for a moment.

“Do you want to go up?” Ash asked.

I didn’t say anything, just nodded. Ash took my hand. Though I knew that I could push his hand again, it felt warm and comforting. Will’s hand had been cold.

Was I really going to give up this warm hand for a cold one?

No, I thought, shaking my head. You faxed Will the contract. It was too late to turn back now. Even if though Ash was finally opening up and your heart hurt so much for him, and you knew that by marrying Will, it would hurt him more than words could say…it was too late.

Yet…

I looked at Ash, at his straight nose, his long lashes, his curved lips. The story he had told me was already carved into my still bleeding heart.

And I knew, deep down, that I could never let him go.

***

ῼ Ash Castillo ῼ

“Do you want me to carry you?” I said sympathetically as I watched Ella huff as she climbed the stairs.

“I can walk by myself,” she snapped, clutching my coat around her, the breath around her lips forming wispy clouds of condensation. “But I don’t understand why we didn’t just take the elevator.”

“Now, where’s the fun in that?” I chastised, offering her my hand again. She took it and dragged herself up. I winced. My arm felt like it was being wrenched out of the socket.

But, at least she wasn’t ignoring me anymore.

“Jesus, Ella,” I said, my eyes watering. “How much do you weigh?”

She suddenly froze. I froze as well, sensing I’d said something wrong. Was it because I mentioned her weight? No, that couldn’t be it. Ella wasn’t that kind of girl. She didn’t care about things like weight.

But then why was she looking so panicked right now?

“Ella?” I asked tentatively. “Are you –?”