The Last Thing She Wants (Chestnut Hills #1)

35

ellie

The empty hallway beckoned me, urging me to make my move while the coast was clear. I’d been peering out my peephole for the last six, now seven, minutes, waiting for the perfect moment to make a break for the stairwell.

Ignoring the fact that I was now seven, no, eight minutes late for work, I continued waiting. The need to make sure there was absolutely no possibility of bumping into Theo far outweighed the need to be on time to work today.

Despite my sugar rush fueled realization that I had made a colossal mistake ending things with Theo, I wasn’t ready to face him. I hadn’t yet decided what to do, or figured out how I was going to get him back.

Unlocking the door, I took a few quick breaths and prepared for my mad dash. Wincing, I quietly tiptoed to the stairwell door and closed it gingerly behind me. Turning around, I met the crown of a white curly haired woman and screamed in surprise.

“Ellie, dear, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Do you wish an untimely death upon me? ”

“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Hudson,” I said in a hushed tone, trying to remain covert.

“Speak up sweetheart, these ears don’t hear like they used to.”

“Sorry Mrs. Hudson, I didn’t mean to startle you. I was caught by surprise.”

The old woman giggled as if in on a secret. “Darling, no need to sneak around. We’re all aware of you and Theo.”

“Me and Theo?” I asked, seeking clarification.

“Oh, no need to be coy, dear. The gang has been pulling for you two for weeks,” Mrs. Hudson referenced her speedwalking friends. “I tell you what though, that Lucy girl…tsk tsk…we are not fans of her. No sense of decency, flirting with a taken man and all.”

“You saw that?” I winced at the thought.

“We sure did. We were right in the lobby. Saw the whole thing. Watched you run out, and the poor man chase after you. I don’t blame you for not remembering. You were quite upset.”

A click interrupted our conversation, and the stairwell door swung open behind me.

“Good morning, Mrs. Hudson.”

I didn’t need to look up to see the man the voice floated from. It was the same voice that I heard calling my name in my sleep. And that voice belonged to the same man that my fingers reflexively reached to touch until I remembered that I’d severed that right.

“Theo, darling, I was just talking with your lovely girlfriend,” Mrs. Hudson crooned, unaware of the situation.

“Sorry to disappoint, but Ellie and I are no longer together.”

Our silent cheerleader of a neighbor looked surprisingly between me and my new ex, taking in the new information. Her mouth formed an “O. ”

“What happened? Oh. Oh, please tell me this has nothing to do with that Lucy nonsense,” she waved her weathered, but perfectly manicured, hand around. Our silence confirmed the conclusion she’d drawn.

Theo cleared his throat as he stepped around Mrs. Hudson, attempting to keep a distance from me. “Apologies, Mrs. Hudson, but I need to get to work. Have a good day.”

In a blink, he was descending the stairs, his firm ass stealing my attention for a fraction too long.

“It’s none of my business, I know this,” Mrs. Hudson pulled my attention back, “but, for what it’s worth, that man loves you. Clear as day.”

“Love?” I asked, checking I’d heard her correctly.

She just nodded in confirmation before making her leave. “Anyhow dear, have a wonderful day.”

With another click, Mrs. Hudson left. The silence was deafening as I stood on the landing, acutely aware of my loneliness.

Pearl, the photographer who joined me the day of the potato sac race, had understood her assignment.

Flipping through the final edits before my first meeting of the day, I noted the undertone of playfulness that shined through each scene. Even in a photo she took of a pair of students silently studying in the library, she got the perfect angle to capture a small smile on their faces and light in their eyes.

Along with the file of over two hundred photos, the photographer singled out her favorite twenty-five. As I took the time to appreciate the intricate details of each picture, I was taken aback by the sight of Lucy gracefully catching a frisbee. It stung like a slap in the face. I’d already been thinking of her non-stop for the last twenty-four hours, so seeing her face was not on the top of my list for this morning.

Jealousy and anger filled my senses. Recognizing the importance of this project, I steadied myself with a big breath. Objectively, Lucy looked beautiful. She was front and center, catching a red frisbee. The corners of her mouth lifted in a large smile, giving her a presence that pulled you in. Three of her peers stood in the background, looking at her in amusement. It painted a perfect picture of friendship and fun.

I hated it. But it was good.

Slamming my laptop shut with a groan, I stood to join my boss in his office for our weekly meeting.

“Ellie, have a seat,” Charles motioned to the empty chair in front of his broad glass desk. Silently, I obeyed with a smile. “How’s the community college project? I saw the final photos come through. They look great.”

“They do. Pearl did fantastic,” I continued, ignoring the pang in my chest that grew at the mention of the project that brought me close to Theo. “It’s going well. I have the final presentation to the Dean on Friday, and I’m feeling confident going in. We perfectly captured their key values of learning and community.”

Charles nodded silently, but his face showed signs of concern. He furrowed his brow and pursed his lips, adorning his face with creases. My stomach dropped and my mind replayed every mistake I’ve made over the last three years. What was he getting ready to tell me?

He cleared his throat before starting.

“Ellie, I received somewhat of a concerning email.” My brows shot to my hairline in shock and dread made my chest heavy as I waited for him to continue. “One student who filled out a release form is revoking their consent. ”

“Okay…” I trailed. Quickly, I tried to find a solution to a seemingly minor problem. Charles seemed more upset with the dilemma than I would expect. Needing to endorse my senior level chops, I wanted to appease him. “No problem, I can choose photos without them in it or ask Pearl to edit them out.”

He grunted in agreement, a displeased look still on his face. “All is fine. That’s not the real issue here. The student is making claims regarding your behavior.”

“My behavior?” my head swam with every possible situation from the last few weeks, like I’d just been called Ellie Charlene Branson by my mother.

I watched, hearing myself gulp, as Charles moved his mouse, clicking on the computer screen.

“Yes, I quote ‘Ellie has been rude and inconsiderate during our partnership. She has been dismissive of my feedback and even went as far as to tell me to step out of the room during conversation. Also, while the photographer was present, she told me to step out of frame because I was too frumpy and ugly to be on camera, and that no one would enroll at a school with such a foul demographic.’

“Needless to say, Ellie, this is concerning. I have a hard time believing these claims, but they must be taken seriously. As you know, if this project goes well, I have several more projects lined up for you. But, if these are true in the slightest, I cannot allow you to continue in this senior role. Before taking any action, I wanted to give you the chance to address these claims.”

Stammering, I struggled to catch my breath. For the life of me, I could not figure out who this could be. At no point had I pushed anyone out of photos.

If anything, I tried encouraging more students to get in front of the camera. The liveliness of the students and faculty was energizing and inspiring. Hell, I was even contemplating taking a class for the fun of it.

Replaying the message in my head, a word jammed my gears, putting my thoughts to a halt. Partnership. Partnership. Implying that we worked together. That could only mean Harold, Peral, or—shit—Theo. Was it Theo?

Wait.

Wait, a goddamn rootin’ tootin’ second.

“Charles,” I cleared my throat, forcing my wavering voice to still. “Was the sender of this message by chance Lucy Evans?”

“So, you recognize these allegations,” he said, dropping his head, sounding defeated.

“No, none of it is true. But I do have an idea why this person is trying to ruin my career.”

We spent the next hour rehashing the details of my project, including my painfully brief relationship with Theo and the conflicts with Lucy. I saved my job, for now. Luckily, Charles believed me, but told me he’d have to confirm with Harold and Theo that my behavior had been acceptable.

I realized I’d been living in anger quite a bit lately as rage simmered beneath the surface. Although, these circumstances clearly warranted it. Who did Lucy think she was? That email could have had me demoted. Or worse, fired.

And yet, most of all, this only made the Theo shaped hole in my heart grow.

The regret had slowly been mounting from the moment I closed my bedroom door on him. In a moment like this, all I wanted wasto call him and hear his comforting voice.

Picking up where I left off before my meeting, I continued clicking through the final edit photos .

A handsome face filled the frame. His wide smile and cute as shit dimples shined against his tanned skin. His emerald eyes sparkled, framed by his black-rimmed glasses, and his ash brown hair hung messily on top of his head. My face softened before I hastily clicked the arrow, bringing up the next picture.

Oh man, the next photo was even worse.

Pearl must’ve caught us chatting without me noticing. We sat at a picnic table, heads turned towards each other, our foreheads almost touching. We wore nearly identical coy smiles, which made it look like we shared a secret. Our eyes were locked on each other, and I could feel it now—the way it felt to have his attention solely on me.

Wow.

Despite having already come to the conclusion, this only reaffirmed it. I was dumb as shit.