No Other Pain

Chapter 7: To Love Someone So Much

"Ellen." He followed her inside the elevator. Ellen held her breath when she felt his scent fill the small room. "Please just talk to me." He stood next to her, her eyes never left the door.

"Ell," He repeated. She ignored him. The doors opened and she ran out to the parking lot. But Patrick Dempsey, being the persistent man he is, followed her outside too. "Hey! Just look at me!" He turned her around, grabbing her wrist.  "Don't touch me!" Her skin was on fire. "I don't want to talk to you!" She felt something break inside of him when she said those words. "Well I have something to say." Ellen's breath got heavier. Part of her was in denial, or shock, and that's the only reason she hasn't jumped in his arms yet. That's why she's still calm in some way, because the other part of her wanted him dead. She wanted to kill him with her hands.

"I don't want to hear it." Her tone came out more subtle than she intended, but she went with it. "I don't want to hear it, I don't want to talk to you, I don't wanna be near you at all. Now let go of my fucking arm." She didn't wait for him to let go as she jerked away from him and into her car.

Patrick's heart shattered all over again as he watched her pull away from the parking lot.

Ellen cried all the all the way to the nearest bar. All that was on her mind was tequila. She couldn't register than she finally saw him again. She imagined a million ways how this would happen. But it never included her driving to bar.

She pictured a wedding dress, a getaway car, with their kids in the back seat, her hand holding Patrick's as they drove off to wherever he wanted and never looked back. Chris made her happy. But he was the kind of guy to settle down and relax. Ellen was naturally an adventurous person, and Patrick? Patrick fed her soul in every single way possible. This is why, for the past few years, Ellen was just living. But she didn't feel alive. The kind of alive that wanted her to jump off a cliff. Because only he could make her feel that. And he was gone.

November 10th, 2011

"Patrick?" Ellen checked her phone again to make sure she's at the right location. She was standing right outside some kind of cave. It's so typical for Patrick to bring her to a freaking cave. "Come inside." Patrick texted her. Surprised that there even was any service, she walked in.

A small square shaped table was in the middle of the space, a bottle of wine on standing on it. She couldn't help but notice the mattress in front of an opening that showed a view of the beach. What a romantic piece of-

''SURPRIIIIISE!'' Ellen's eyes widened when she saw Patrick standing in tight, red underwear. "Patrick Galen Dempsey!" Ellen shocked. A huge precious smile drew on his lips. Ellen felt like her heart was about to burst. Patrick walked up to her. Cupping her cheeks he leaned in and kissed her. Ellen wrapped her arms around his abdomen.

This kiss had no intentions, even though a mattress was on the floor, Patrick and Ellen enjoyed this pure act of love. He kissed her to tell her he appreciated her, to make her feel amazing on her birthday. He kissed her because he loved her so much he felt like he was floating. And she kissed him back, because,what he feels for her was nothing compared to what she holds inside for him. Or so she thought for many years.

Present day

Ellen had lost count of how many shots she had at about six. Everything else was a blur. She couldn't know if she could smell Patrick all over her skin because she was intoxicated by him or because he was actually somewhere close to her. She wouldn't be surprised if he followed her here. She wanted to make him as mad as she was. Turning around, she immediately spotted him, resting his head on his arms, looking straight at her.

His eyes were cold. She knew that look. She's seen it countless times. In other words, she's been drunk and in a fight with him countless times. She always ends up in a bar, trying to piss him off, and he's always sitting a few feet away making sure she doesn't go home with anyone.

Patrick watched as Ellen stood up from her stool. He knew exactly what was coming next and his blood started to boil, even though this has happened a million times before. He honestly doesn't know how he bears the fact that she comes home to Chris every night. He couldn't bear the thought of Chris touching her the way he has for years. But it was fair, since she had Jillian to worry about too.

Patrick felt the circulation to his brain stop when she grabbed some random guy's hand and walked him to the small dance floor. The very small dance floor. Too small. But Ellen was enjoying it. He watched as the guy turned her around, a huge grin plastered on his face. God, how much he wanted to knock his teeth out of his mouth. He tried to keep his cool, but Ellen really wasn't helping when she leaned down, her ass against him. Adrenaline shot up in his system, he stood up immediately but froze when he saw his hands cupping her waist.

He knew that if he walked any closer this guy would be a dead man. He pulled her up to his chest. Whispering something to her, Ellen bit her lip, nodding. He knew that look. That's the look she gives him before...The guy grabbed Ellen's hand and dragged her out of the bar. She was literally about to pass out, and he was dragging her out to sleep with her. This dude was trying to have sex with a wasted woman.

No matter how angry he was, it was his job to protect Ellen. He followed them outside, spotting them walking to his car. "Ellen!" He shouted. Ellen and the annoying guy turned around. "Stop." He screamed through the parking lot. Ellen rolled her eyes. She almost thought she got away from him. "Ignore him, let's just leave." The guy frowned. "Who's this?" He asked, clearly worried by look on Patrick's face.

"No one." Ellen said in the same time Patrick said "I'm her husband."  The guy stopped dead in his tracks. "I'm sorry dude I had no idea." Ellen tried to pull him to his car but he didn't let her. Patrick walked up to them and threw a punch at the guy's face. "Patrick!" Ellen screamed when he fell to the floor.

Patrick leaned down in front of him. "Maybe you should've thought about that before you tried to take advantage of a drunk woman."

Patrick stood up and kicked him in the stomach. He moaned in pain. "Asshole."

He grabbed Ellen's hand and without even looking back he sat her in the front seat of his car and hopped inside as well. "Don't say a word." He stopped her before she could say anything. He was raging. It's the first time he let this go this far. He never let her walk out with another man. "Patrick," Ellen whispered as he pulled out of the parking lot. "I said don't. I don't wanna fight." She gulped. "I'm gonna be sick." His eyes widened and he stopped the car.

Cars behind him honked as they passed him but he ignored them and ran after Ellen as she got out of the car.

He watched her as she kneeled down at the end of the road and threw up all the alcohol in her system. He approached her and pulled her hair out of her face. She tried to stop him. "Shh. It's okay." He rubbed her back as she continued to throw up. Sitting here, next to her, he realized he was finally feeling something again.

Yes, it was pain. But she was worth it. She was worth everything. And he knew, at this moment, that he would never let her go again.

Ellen breathed heavily. "Thank you." She looked up at him and their eyes locked again. He was in awe of the woman in front of him, and she could see it on his face. Without breaking eye contact, he pulled her hair behind her ear and caressed her cheekbone with his thumb. "Let's get out of here." He helped her to stand up and back inside his car, he drove back to his condo in LA.