"Ellen wait up,"
Ellen heard the British accent echo across the empty trailer lot as she made her way to her on set home. She paused, letting Camilla come up to her despite being angry and knowing her attitude got the better of her.
"Ells, I look we don't have to talk about...him or whatever but I care about you. Come on let's have a girls talk, right?" Camilla asked, walking past Ellen to her trailer door. She watched Ellen stand there looking helpless. It was instantaneous with Patrick's arrival, her heart was beating double time and she was head over heels all over again.
"Right. A girls talk." Ellen pushed past her to unlock her door, walking inside. "I wish I could have a drink but showing up drunk in an OR fictional or not is frowned upon." She chuckled, going to set her bag down. Ellen busied herself with grabbing cups and non alcoholic drinks for her and Camilla. If she didn't look at the tote bag she wouldn't think about Patrick holding it. Like he did years ago...
//
"Patrick let go I'm fine."
The rush of the crowded street pounded in Ellen's foggy brain as she waited outside the club for a taxi with Patrick. He had just rescued her from said club, and had his hand clutching her purse to keep her by his side.
"You are fine when you're inside a taxi. For now you are tipsy and running out on your boyfriend's night of clubbing because things got intense." He stated, loosing his grip silently, understanding that being rough with her in this moment was not the correct choice. She closed her hazy green eyes, taking in his voice. "I worry about you Ells, that's all." Patrick added, putting his arm around her shoulders as he heard cameras flashing.
"Fuck." Ellen groaned at the sound, she had just allowed Patrick to hold her as they arrived. She shook her head, everything was already cloudy and now bright flashes made it worse. She grumbled, holding her hand over her eyes to block some of it as Patrick dodged them.
"We're taking a taxi to our homes, leave us alone," He barked, pulling out his cell phone. He immediately called his publicist, "I'm trying to hail a taxi for Ellen and I, there's photos coming out, I'm trying to get them to leave us." Patrick explained calmly as a yellow taxi pulled up. Ellen made her way in, slowly sliding to the side. Once the doors were closed and Patrick fed her address to the cab driver the privacy screen went up and the pair stared at each other. This could be bad for them. On every level.
"They saw Chris come in with me. They saw you leave with me. This is bad Paddy." Ellen said quietly, her hands twisting in her lap. Patrick looked out the window, sighing.
"I would rather take a bad press day than you being stuck in a situation you couldn't handle. Especially one involving Chris. Ellen, I mean, I like him enough and all but does he get like this a lot? Like what, I just came in as he stopped," he questioned her, turning back to face her. Ellen looked away from him this time. She bit her lip.
"He just, no he doesn't get well I can handle drunk Chris but this time he was jealous...some guy tried to buy me a drink and I said no but then like he kept getting angry and you found me after he got in my face. I've never dealt with him so angry I mean he just flirted with me it was innocent enough at a club..." Ellen rambled, shifting uncomfortably. "He's not a bad person Paddy." She added. Patrick scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"A real gentleman can hold his damn liquor and treat his woman with trust and respect." He muttered lowly, annoyed. It almost seemed no matter what Chris did that he would always see Ellen run back to him. She didn't have the guts to say no. It bothered Patrick. He just feared for her was all. He didn't think Chris was a bad man but he certainly wasn't the best option Ellen had. Gently Patrick took her hand in his, holding it. He rubbed her knuckles with his thumb, taking a deep breath. "What matters now is that you're safe and with me."
Ellen looked at him, smiling weakly. She would always be safe in Patrick's hands. She knew that.
//////
"So you two...were a thing?" Camilla asked bluntly between sips of her virgin cocktail. Ellen turned pink, her eyes darting down. Was it even worth trying to hide anymore? She took a breath.
"You never realized?" Ellen questioned her, looking at her own glass. Camilla shook her head.
"Ells you and I weren't really close until he left. It was always Ellen and Patrick the dream team and you and I? You became my sister when you no longer had...your what exactly? Boyfriend? Lover? Best friend...with benefits? Help me out here." She said, watching Ellen's movements. She paused, chuckling at the names. Thing was she supposed to choose one?
"He's all of them Camilla." Ellen said sadly with a little head tilt. She laughed again, shrugging. "What can I say? I mean he was. He became my best friend and one night we crossed that line..."
Camilla's eyes sparked with interest, and she leaned over, shaking her head. "Wow. I can't believe I know a real scandal," she laughed. "Seriously though Ellen...do I even want to know more?"
"More...like how Shonda knew and never said anything because it kept us going? Or the night we first had sex it was-" Ellen stopped herself, shaking her head. She couldn't bear herself to remember it. The feeling of his hands on her waist, her dress on the floor, hot lips begging for more with every kiss...
"Oh wow you're blushing. God you were in love with him Els." Camilla shook her head in disbelief. They were right under her nose for years and she never knew. Ellen looked around at the trailer and saw her jewelry box open and the sun glinting off a small ring inside. She swallowed turning to face Camilla again.
"Maybe I was. But it didn't last forever."
