The Wright Choice

by Kristy Gibs

  We were done, but for the life of me, I had no idea why. She hadn’t answered any of my calls or text messages I sent over the last two days. I thought about stopping by her house, but I couldn’t be that guy. If she really didn’t want to be with me, as much as I cared about her, I would accept it and move on.

  “Yeah, hopefully.”

  Jax walked out and walked over to the floor-length window and gazed down at the heavy traffic below. What now?

  21

  Ella

  I ignored every call and text message that came from him, except for the one he sent that night. I wasn’t going to respond, but Lucy said he might call Jax if I didn’t, and that would have been humiliating. If Jax found out what happened, it would ruin his friendship with Ashton. As hurt as I am, I didn’t want to be the reason. Unless Ash mentioned anything to Jax, I was going to keep the night to myself.

  I was still so confused. I played back every moment we spent together since we met the night of the engagement party. He went out of his way several times to see me, he helped me get a job at the gallery, did he do all that just to add me to his long list of women he strung along? Was I just a challenge to him? Get the nerdy girl to fall for him.

  I thought about all the e-mails from Preston warning me to stay away from him, and it bothered me to admit he was right. Maybe I should have listened to him instead of letting my issues cloud my judgment.

  Eventually, the daily messages asking me to talk stopped, and as one week turned into two, and two into three, it was almost as if what happened between us was a dream.

  Deciding to do what I set out to do when I got back from Europe, I threw myself into work. I stayed late almost every night, planning the next art show at ArtScape. After the opening night and how successful it was not only for the gallery but for the artists, Beth decided to do a showing every other month. It was a bit ambitious, but I was up for the challenge.

  When I wasn’t working, I was drawing. Nothing like a broken heart to get the ideas flowing. Everything I was drawing was dark and sad with dramatic angles and nothing to focus on. It was basically chaos on paper. It was me and how I felt. Empty. Lonely. Broken.

  Even though my anger and hurt toward Preston were gone, I was still avoiding him and Mia and all things regarding their rapidly approaching wedding. Every time I was home, someone would be there going over the details. I couldn’t escape it. The sooner I was out of my parents' house, the better. Lucy and I talked about me moving in with her after the wedding. Although a small part of me wanted to move back to Italy, I loved working at ArtScape. If in a year, I decided it wasn’t what I thought, I would work on getting my visa and going back.

  It had been exactly a month since LA and the first night I was going out. Up until this point, I didn’t feel like seeing anyone, but we were all going to Shorty’s to celebrate Jax’s birthday, and I promised him I wouldn’t miss it. Lucy was coming with me. The last few weeks she and Jax have been spending time together. As soon as Lucy said they were seeing where their attraction went, I told her I was happy for them, but I didn’t want specifics. Lucy had a history of giving me explicit details of her shenanigans, but since her current shenanigans included my brother, she would have to fill someone else in.

  Lucy and I showed up fashionably late and took an empty spot in the cabana, with a vodka tonic in hand. It was like déjà vu, except last time, I wasn’t sure what I was waiting for.

  Tonight, I was waiting on Ash.

  To confront him. I needed to know why he did the things he did to me. Jax asked Lucy a few times what was going on with us, and she promised she didn’t give any details but just said we both were busy and hadn’t gone out again.

  A few hours into the party, I spotted him. Just seeing him sent chills through my body. I missed him. The little time we got to know each other meant so much to me.

  He scanned the room, momentarily stopping on me. Our eyes locked, but just as quickly, he looked the other way. Did he simply not care about me?

  All night I debated going up to him. I wanted to, bad, but I didn’t want to make a scene in front of everyone. As the night went on, he made the choice for me when I was up at the bar getting a drink.

  “Hey there, stranger,” he said from behind me.

  I tensed, unsure if I really wanted to do this right now, but I turned anyway. “Ashton.”

  He grabbed my arm gently. “Hey, what’s going on? I tried to get in touch with you a few times. We haven’t talked since the bar...”

  I picked up my drink and took a sip, averting his gaze. “I’ve been busy.”

  “Ella, seriously, what’s going on? Did I do something?”

  I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. He had to be kidding me.

  “Um… okay?” he stepped back.

  “Are you serious?” I asked.

  “Ella, I have no idea what has you so mad at me? You’re the one who is ghosting me. One minute everything was fine, and the next, you’re gone.”

  I turned my face away from his as my eyes started to water. I wasn’t going to cry. I was so over having men lead me on only to brush me off like I meant nothing. Taking a deep breath and straightening my spin, I looked back at him.

  “Ya know, you really had me fooled, Ash.”

  “Oh, and how is that, Ella? Because from what I thought, we had something good going, but you obviously saw things way different than I did.”

  I crossed my arms, wondering what the hell he was talking about? He thought screwing around with other women while we were trying to figure out our relationship constituted as something good?

  He leaned in. “You walked out. You ended this, not me.” The malice in his voice was unnerving.

  “I am not some plaything, Ashton. I won’t be one of many.” I was even more confused than before. How could he think what he was doing was right? I couldn’t stand here and talk to him anymore.

  “What are you talking about?” He threw his hands up in the air.

  “You know what you did!” I screamed.

  “Me? This is a joke, right? I don’t even know why I’m engaging you right now. This was a mistake—you were a nice kid. But I don’t play stupid kid games. I don’t have the time for this shit.”

  "I guess being an asshole really does run in the family. Fuck you, Ash.” Turning on my heel, I marched back to the cabana to grab my stuff; I couldn’t stay here another minute.

  I could hear his laughter the entire way. How dare he? I grabbed my bag, and without a word, fled the bar. I felt bad leaving because it was Jax’s birthday, but I was done with all of this bullshit. Fuck Preston. Fuck Ash. Fuck Mia. All of them can go to hell. I did nothing to any of them, and all three of them treated me like I was nothing. I was sick and tired of being the doormat for everyone to walk all over.

  Jax called me several times, and finally after the fifth call, I sent him text that I was home safe and shut my phone. I didn’t want to talk to him. I didn’t want to talk to Lucy. I am sure they saw enough to get the gist of what happened and why I left.

  A knock on my bedroom door woke me. I looked at the clock, and it was after ten. Ever since I started at the gallery, I usually woke up early, even on the weekends, but after last night and how draining it was mentally, I needed the sleep to recover.

  “Elle-Belle, come on, let me in,” the voice on the other side said.

  Jax. Did he ever go to his own place anymore?

  “One minute...” I called out before pulling on my fluffy pink robe. Knowing he wouldn’t leave even if I told him to, I answered the door and walked back to my bed.

  “What happened last night? Why did you run off? You had Lucy and me worried.”

  Before I could even begin to make an excuse, I burst into tears.

  “Shit, Elle-Belle.” He rushed over and sat next to me, flinging an arm over my shoulder. “What is going on?”

  “Bathroom, and he slept with her...” I was hysterical, and Jax had no clue what to do.

  “Elle, slow D
own. What are you talking about?”

  “At Abyss, a few weeks ago.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Elle, what happened at Abyss...” he asked, concern stretched across his face.

  This was not how this was supposed to happen; I didn’t want him involved, but I guess I had no choice but to tell him everything. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself before I continued, “Look, I was an idiot. I should have known he wasn’t right for me.” I told him what I was told at Abyss by the bartender.

  “I just wish I knew all of this before...”

  "You fell in love with him?”

  I nod, trying to stuff the emotions back down, but it was no use.

  Saying it out loud made the tears fall all over again. I was head over heels in love with Ashton Wright, and he humiliated me.

  Jax sighed and pulled me into a hug.

  “Everything will be okay, Elle-Belle. Don’t you worry.”

  “The things that Ash said to me at Shorty’s last night. He tried to play it off like he didn’t do anything wrong.” I dropped my head.

  “I should never have allowed him to take you out. I knew something was going on, especially after you stormed out. He was being such a dick, and then he left not long after you.”

  Probably with another woman, I thought.

  “Don’t blame yourself, Jax. Until that night at Abyss, he was good to me. I really thought we had something...guess I was wrong...again.” Shrugging, I looked out the window. The fountain was on. I watched the water flowing. We sat silent; I could tell he was thinking.

  Once I stopped crying, Jax’s sympathy turned to anger.

  “Fuck him!” Jax said. “I warned him not to hurt you.”

  Jax stood up and walked in circles around my room. I had never seen my brother so mad. He was pissed at Ash for hurting me when he promised he wouldn’t. My brother was easygoing; he was the fun-loving brother— the life of the party— but after I told him what happened, he saw red.

  “I am going to take care of this, once and for all,” he said before storming out. I wasn’t sure what that meant.

  22

  Ash

  I was reeling after what happened last night at Shorty’s. How could Gabriella blame me for her taking off with some guy? She left me, and she had the nerve to tell me I did something wrong? She was lucky I even attempted to have a conversation with her last night. A conversation that got me nowhere closer to why. I sat on my balcony, wishing things had turned out different.

  My phone pinged, and as each time within the last month, I hoped it was her, but it never was.

  Jax: I’m on my way over.

  I had a very bad feeling about this drop-in. I thought about telling him I wasn’t home, but there was no point. Since the night at Abyss, he asked me a few times about what was going on with Ella and me. I always shrugged him off and kept it vague. I figured if she wanted him to know what happened, she would tell him. Maybe he knew more than I did now.

  I heard the buzzer and let him up. I stood when he walked in the door. I could see by the scowl on his face and the slam of the door he wasn’t in a very good mood. He stalked over to me and grabbed me by the shirt.

  “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t punch you in the face right now?” I didn’t say anything, and he pushed me away before he began to pace back and forth. “You fucking promised you wouldn’t hurt her, Ash.” I walked over to my liquor cabinet and poured myself two fingers of whiskey. I held up a glass for Jax, and with folded arms, he shook his head.

  “Say something.” He growled.

  “I am trying to come up with one reason she could have given you that makes you think I hurt her, and I am coming up empty. Is it because I told her I didn’t have time for her shit?”

  He lunged at me. “Her shit? You are one to talk, dickhead. I knew you were an asshole to women. I always looked the other way because I wasn’t a saint either, but what you did to her… I won’t ever forgive that.” He pushed me, and I fell back into the wall as I tried to keep the glass in my hand steady. As soon as I had my balance back, I downed the glass and placed it off to the side.

  Asshole to women? I felt like I was in the twilight zone.

  “Me? She’s the asshole.” I yelled before slumping into my chair and putting my face in my hands. “She hurt me, Jax.” My voice raw, and it was hard to see through my blurry eyes.

  “I am finding that hard to believe considering…”

  “Considering what? Just because you didn’t care Lucy left with some dude too doesn’t mean I had to be okay with it?”

  Tilting his head, Jax stared at me blankly before he caught up. “Wait, what are you talking about? Lucy did what?”

  I gestured for him to take a seat, and he did. “The night at Abyss, things couldn’t have been going better. The three of us were having a great time, or so I thought. When the band took their break, I had to go in the back and speak to them. I was gone thirty minutes, and when I got back, the girls were gone.”

  His brows furrowed.

  “I looked everywhere for them, and I called your sister, but her phone went to voice-mail. I was about to storm out of there when I decided to ask one of the bartenders if she noticed them. That was when she told me she saw her and Lucy leave with a couple of guys.” He straightened in his seat. “I didn’t believe her at first, but she said Ella by name. Apparently, she heard her in the bathroom.” I finished the remaining whiskey in my glass and went for a refill.

  “Funny. Your story and what Ella told me is completely different.” He didn’t believe me.

  “Why would I lie, Jax? I have nothing else to lose.” I lost Gabriella, and it was becoming clear I was losing Jax too. Standing at the mahogany cabinet, I was beginning to think whiskey wasn’t strong enough for this conversation. I was grateful he seemed to calm down and didn’t appear to want to kick my ass, but it was still draining.

  “Tell me about this bartender?” he asked.

  Who gives a shit about the bartender? What did she have to do with any of this?

  “I don’t know; she had blonde hair? Honestly, I wasn’t really paying much attention to her; I was trying to find your sister.”

  He studied me. “So, you didn’t fuck her?”

  What? “No! Jesus, Jax. I don’t even know her.”

  “You may want to take a seat.”

  A feeling of dread overcame me. I numbly walked over to the loveseat and sat down before putting my glass on the coffee table. “Seems this bartender is quite the storyteller...” He spent the next few minutes telling me what Ella told him happened that night. When he finished, I was enraged. Who the hell was this woman, and why the fuck would she screw with us?

  “Not that I don’t believe you...” he added, “but are you sure you have no idea who she is? A jaded ex?”

  “Jax, before last night, I had never spoken to that woman in my life.” I tried hard to think of a reason she would play us both against each other.

  “Well, I think we need to take a trip to Abyss?” I was going there with or without him. I needed to know what was going on.

  “I have to call Ella.” I went to grab my phone, but Jax snatched it before I could.

  “Look, you and her definitely need to have a conversation, but I think we need to know why this woman did what she did first. Ella is hurt right now, and although I believe you…” He stopped.

  “She might not.”

  “I’m sorry, dude.”

  “How did my life get so complicated?” I wasn’t joking, but Jax burst out laughing, which caused me to laugh as well.

  As much as what he told me made me angry. I was glad to finally know what happened. I spent the last month torturing myself, and now I could do whatever it took to win her back and prove to her she was it for me. That I loved her.

  I love her. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I was in love with Ella.

  23

  Ella

  After spending the day in bed, I decided to get up and take a sh
ower. Tonight was the last ‘family meeting’ before we left for Italy later in the week. I would have rather been anywhere but here, but I couldn’t come up with a good enough excuse as to why I couldn’t make dinner tonight. So, promptly at six, squaring my shoulders and faking a smile, I made my way down to where Preston and his family were sitting on the porch. I walked in and greeted everyone before grabbing a drink and moving to the farthest seat without it being obvious. I was only here out of obligation to my mother and Connor, to keep peace in the family. Once this wedding was over, I would move in with Lucy and make every excuse in the book to avoid having to see Preston and Mia.

  I was barely paying attention, but Mia was going on and on about the vineyard Connor had rented out for the occasion. I was dreading the entire trip.

  Just as I was debating on taking a walk to the fountain, my mother called the group in for dinner. Avoiding everyone, I walked into the house and sat down next to Jax. I was lost in my thoughts when the doorbell rang. Jax jumped up to answer it, and I thought maybe it was Lucy.

  “Oh, Ash, you made it after all!” my mother said, and it had me snapping my head up. I came eye to eye with Ashton, who stood on the other side of the table from me. I looked the other way, blinking away the tears that were in my eyes.

  Could this get any worse? I thought.

  I had no idea why he was here; he and I were no longer a thing. He and Preston, as far as I knew, still had their issues; there was no one reason for him to come and endure this.

  “Sit please, you are just in time,” my mother encouraged, and he took the seat opposite me. I had the urge to get up and storm out, but that would draw attention.

  The last time he was here for dinner, he sat beside me. I was glad the seat was taken because I wasn’t sure I would be able to be close to him. Being across from me wasn’t much easier, but the table was fairly large, and it was easier to keep my head down without having to feel him next to me.