She was still freaking out when Jordan came in. There were cameras everywhere. How could she talk to Jordan without them listening? She went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. The water streamed down. Ellie playfully flirted with Jordan. Maybe it was out of character for her All-American image but she was desperate. She needed to tell somebody and this was the only way.
Jordan wasn't getting the hints that Ellie wanted to talk about something important though, and tried to resist. Ellie had to practically yank Jordan into the shower with her.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Jordan said, her glasses steaming up.
“I need to tell you something that nobody else can hear,” Ellie said desperately. Jordan looked stunned.
“What's going on?”
“Please don't overreact to this because I don't want anyone to find out. It could ruin everything. As far as they're concerned, we're just two free-spirited girls looking to help the world by conserving water.”
“Uh, yeah, sure, Ellie, what is this about?”
“Okay, so something happened between me and Adrian the other night.”
“What? I noticed he's been acting strangely. What happened?”
“We kinda hooked up.”
“What?”
“We had a bit too much to drink and we went swimming in the water and it just happened.”
“Wow...” Jordan said. Ellie was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to see the betrayal on Jordan's face. Much of it was cloaked by the steam rising from the hot water that was pounding down upon them.
“Yeah, but that's not the worst of it. I've worked out that I'm pregnant and I just don't know what I'm going to do. I think I've been okay so far and I've managed to pass it off as a stomach bug but I can't do that forever! I don't know how I can keep it a secret for the rest of the show. Someone is bound to find out. They'll realize that I'm not drinking anymore, or they'll see something. If they do, then I'm finished. They'll kick me off and Adrian will think I'm a fraud. This isn't what he wants. He doesn't want some floozy, he wants a sweet girl, someone he can build a life with. He doesn't want everything right now.”
“I see,” Jordan said.
“So what do I do?!” Ellie cried out, panic etched upon her face. Jordan pressed her lips together for an instant and then held Ellie tightly.
“You're going to calm down. Freaking out isn't going to help you or anyone. There's not much of the show left. You can keep this quiet until then and tell Adrian after you've won. You know that he loves you and he's going to pick you. All you have to do is keep quiet about it and you'll be all set. I'm sure you can be sneaky enough to work around everything, and I'll help you.”
“You will?”
“Of course Ellie, you've helped me enough, and I appreciate that you trusted me with this.”
“You're a true friend Jordan,” Ellie said, and hugged the shy girl. They turned off the shower and Ellie felt relieved. It was good to know that in this cutthroat competitive atmosphere, she had a friend on whom she could rely. She couldn't imagine anything scarier than having to go through it alone. It would all be okay. All she had to do was hold on for a little while longer and then she could tell Adrian the truth, when they were alone. She never usually liked secrets but this was definitely something that needed to be withheld until she could speak to Adrian alone. It would be a hell of a conversation and she hoped he wouldn't think she was being manipulative about it. Sadly, she had to face the prospect that after all this she might not get her dream after all. Adrian may not be ready for this, but she had to start thinking about more than just herself. She had another life growing inside of her now. Perhaps her dreams would have to change.
Ellie kept to herself until the next voting stage. Charlotte tried to taunt her but she responded diplomatically. She saw that Jordan was a little more active than usual and was talking to Debbie, but that wasn't unusual as Debbie was Jordan's handler as well. Jordan was good at helping Ellie stay one step ahead of everyone else and Ellie hoped that Tanya would be the next to go so that Jordan could stay around to help her a little longer. Ellie felt that she could make it through the last little bit with Charlotte, but she was still reeling from the discovery.
The time for the vote had come. It was strange to see Adrian now, for he was the father of her child. She wondered if the baby would take after him or her more. He'd make a good father, and she felt so ashamed that she had to keep this wonderful secret from him. Because her hormones were all over the place and playing havoc with her feelings she wasn't sure, but this time Adrian seemed a little different, a little colder towards her. When he kissed her on the cheek to greet her his lips barely brushed hers, and there was no lingering whisper to make her heart leap. She was probably just paranoid though and it was all in her mind.
Ellie was thinking about other things when the voting was made. It didn't really affect her as she knew she was going to win the entire thing. She was more thinking about the future and what her life would be like if Adrian did indeed accept her.
“Ellie, I'm sorry, but our magical time together has ended.” It took Ellie a few moments to process the fact that her name had been read out. There had to be some mistake. She looked confused. Adrian's powder-blue eyes held no trace of sympathy for her. She was escorted to him. Tears welled in her eyes. She didn't even have a chance to receive an explanation. How could he do this after everything he had told her? Her eyes were locked on Adrian, imploring him to give her an explanation but he was cold to her. It was as though all his feelings to her had been erased and she was nothing to him. Charlotte looked smug. She was a shoe in now for the victory and Ellie couldn't believe that she was going to win. Tanya looked unconcerned. Nothing ever affected her. She was unflappable. Ellie almost blurted out that she was pregnant to try and change things but then she saw Jordan casting her eyes away, purposefully not looking at her.
Everything was clear. The conversations with Debbie. Jordan had sold her out completely. The one person she thought she could trust on that island had betrayed her. Ellie wanted to scream and shout and tear Jordan's hair out. They had been friends. Ellie had turned to her in desperation and at the first opportunity Jordan had stabbed her in the back. Ellie shot daggers at her but Jordan couldn't look her in the face.
The experience was over as quickly as it had begun. Ellie tried telling the producers what had happened but they said that if she wanted a legal battle she had no chance against Adrian's army of lawyers. They didn't seem to understand that all she wanted was a chance to explain. Before she could do anything else, she was packed and escorted off the island, then placed on a flight back home. The dream was over as quickly as it had begun and Ellie was now all alone with the child of a billionaire dream lover inside her, and a knife in her back.
6
Ellie tried not to think about the show or the promises that Adrian had made. It was difficult though. So many people she knew had watched the show and wanted the inside scoop. Her removal from the show had been edited to look as though she had tempted Jordan in the shower, and then other footage had been shown out of context to portray Ellie as a liar and a sex-crazed maniac who had manipulated Adrian into thinking she was a sweetheart. All of this, she heard from other people. She didn't dare watch the show herself. In fact, she exiled herself from all kinds of social media to avoid any attention, and she rarely left her house. She had more things to take care of now anyway. Her baby was growing bigger. Occasionally she thought about trying to write to Adrian and explain to him everything that happened in a letter, but then she decided against it. She had already started devising a story to tell her child because the truth just seemed too unbelievable.
Although it was difficult, there were many sleepless nights, and many tears shed, Ellie managed to move on from her past and focused on the future. Her ambitions for romance were put on hold as she devoted herself to her child. Besides, it wasn't as though anyone could compare with Adrian, so there seemed little point in trying.
However, on one bleak winter morning, she heard a frantic knocking at her door. Ellie was in the full bloom of pregnancy so she waddled to the door. Her time on the tropical island paradise seemed a long time ago now, almost a dream. The stark reality came back to her though, for Jordan was standing there. Ellie had thought that she was over it all but as soon as she saw Jordan standing in the doorway, she was filled with anger and all she wanted to do was slap Jordan in the face for her betrayal.
“Ellie I...I...Can I come in?” she said. Jordan looked even more skittish than usual. She was gaunt and there were sunken hollows under her eyes. She looked deathly pale and her hair was thin and dry. She looked, quite frankly, pathetic. Ellie didn't have it in her heart to make this woman suffer any more than she had though, so she did invite Jordan in as she was curious about why she had come to visit. It wasn't as though they could ever be friends again. Jordan had cost Ellie her dream and that wasn't something easily forgiven.
“What do you want?” Ellie asked when they were sitting down.
“You look good,” Jordan said, her eyes bulging when she looked at Ellie's swollen body. Ellie smiled thinly.
“Thank you, but what do you want Jordan? I don't have much time, and you can understand if I'm not exactly excited to see you.”
“I know I...I wanted to come and apologize, to explain, I...”
“Explain? You don't have to explain anything. You were my friend and you stabbed me in the back. I trusted you and you took that trust and just tossed it away like trash. I know you wanted to win the show but I didn't think you'd be the one to stoop so low to do it. It's not like we're just talking about me either. Because of you this child isn't going to have the chance to know their father.”
Jordan shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She could not hold her emotions in any longer. The tears flowed and her body shuddered as she wept. “I'm so sorry. I knew it was wrong at the time but they kept telling me I could do it.”
“Who did? What happened Jordan?”
Jordan took a few deep breaths to compose herself and then told Ellie the entire story. “Debbie noticed you'd been acting strangely and she didn't buy that whole shower thing. She asked me if anything was wrong and you know me, I can't lie to save my life. I tried to cover for you but Debbie kept telling me that there was a chance I could still win, that Adrian had been speaking positively about me and the only reason why he had been so aloof was because he was just playing it cool and hadn't made his mind up yet. She told me that he wanted a woman who would do whatever it takes to win and if I knew anything that I should say...then she said she'd work on Adrian and put me in a position where I could take advantage of it, and all I had to do was say what was going on with you. I didn't think it would matter that much. I didn't know they'd kick you off the show and I just...I was so jealous. You had it so easy. You and Adrian just clicked and it didn't seem fair. I wanted a chance, just a chance for him to see me. By the time we'd had our first date he'd already met you and all I wanted was a chance. You told me you two had slept together and something just changed inside me. I don't know what it was. I knew it was wrong but that place, it played with my mind and all I wanted to do was win.”
“And did you?” Ellie asked dryly.
“No,” Jordan sobbed. “It got down to me and Charlotte. Debbie told me I was in with a good chance but it was always going to be her. He chose her and I was just left with nothing. I've been tearing myself up over this ever since. I didn't know whether to come and see you or not but I just had to tell you what happened. I know it's not going to make up for anything I've done but I needed to see you and say that you were sorry.”
Ellie pressed her lips together. Despite everything she still had some affection for Jordan.
“I thought he'd choose no-one rather than her.”
“It wasn't his choice. After what happened with you he wanted the show done. He was arguing with the producers all the time. He was just going through the motions. As soon as the show was over he went back home and so did Charlotte. I think she got a deal for her own show. I tried to talk with him...tried to explain but I didn't get a chance.”
“What did they actually tell him?”
“They said that you arranged for the wine to be spiked so it was easier to get him into bed, and that your plan the entire time was to entrap him with a child. They showed him lots of footage...”
“Must have been the same that was in my final episode, the stuff they used to change my image completely. I can't imagine how he must have felt...”
“His heart was broken. I thought I could mend it but he just wasn't interested in anyone else. He shut down completely but he still loved you Ellie. I'm sure he does wherever he is now. That's what I wanted to tell you. Maybe now that we're away from that show you can fix this. I found this out and I thought you should have it..” She dug a piece of paper out of her bag and stuffed it in Ellie's hand. Ellie unfolded it. It was an address. Her heart filled with hope.
Maybe there was one last chance.
7
Ellie stepped out of the cab in front of the huge mansion. She was in awe by the size of it. Nerves swam in her stomach for she wouldn't have been surprised had Adrian just turned her away but he deserved to know the truth and she wasn't about to let that show ruin her dreams. She walked up the long driveway and hammered on the door. She expected a butler to answer but it was Adrian, wearing a robe. He was unshaven, his hair unkempt and he looked as though he hadn't slept for days but he was still gorgeous. Upon seeing him Ellie realized that the love that had burned inside her since she had first laid eyes on him was still there, as fierce as ever. He seemed utterly surprised to see her. His eyes twinkled with delight, but that quickly faded.
“You look well,” he said, with no hint of emotion.
“Adrian, I know you don't want to see me but please, I have to talk to you.”
“I think you should have spoken to me a long time ago.”
“I know, but they never gave me a chance. Adrian, it was all lies! Everything they said was a lie. Please, don't let those people ruin our chance for happiness. All they wanted was a good show but we had more than that. You know I'm not like the way they showed me. All that footage, it was all edited and taken out of context. I was real with you. Everything about that show was false except for the time we spent together and you know it too.”
He seemed to consider things for a moment and then he welcomed her in. Her eyes widened as she saw the huge halls of the mansion. It gleamed with gold. They sat in a lounge, in plush chairs. Ellie explained to Adrian everything. “I was so scared that you'd turn me away because you told me you didn't want to rush into anything. I knew we had something special and I didn't want anything to risk the chance of us being together. I thought I could keep it quiet until the end of the show and then I'd tell you, when we had a chance to talk, when the cameras weren't on us. I had Jordan's help but then she stabbed me in the back. I wish there had been another way but they got rid of me so quickly I didn't even have a chance to write a note. These past months I've hated what happened and I've wished so many times to be able to speak to you but I thought it was just over. I didn't even know if it was something you wanted and I-”
“It was everything I wanted,” Adrian said in a hollow voice. “When I heard that you were pregnant I was elated but then they told me everything else and showed me the footage and I just...maybe I was a fool to believe it but I was scared. Everything about that show was manipulative except for you but I thought maybe it was too good to be true. I wanted to try and talk to you but they wouldn't let me. I've missed you so much Ellie. That night on the beach was the best night of my life. The time I've spent with you are the only times I've felt alive. I wanted to find you but I was so afraid that what they said would be true.”
“Don't be afraid anymore Adrian,” Ellie said, reaching out her hand to touch his. As soon as their flesh met everything sparked between them. The onrush of passion was impossible to ignore and before
she knew it they were locked in an embrace. “We've got the rest of our lives to make up for our lost time,” she said. Adrian had tears in his eyes, especially when he reached down to run his hand over her pregnant belly.
“I can't believe I'm going to be a father,” he said. “Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?”
“Not yet. Maybe we can find out together?”
“Yes we can, but first there's something else we need to do,” And with that he dragged her upstairs and they made passionate love. Afterwards they lay in each other’s arms and Ellie knew that her dream had finally come true. It hadn't been as smooth a journey as she would have liked but she was with the man of her dreams, and soon enough she would have the family of her dreams.
THE END
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The Billionaire Bachelor Page 3