The CEO’s Unspoken Love (Eleanor and Derek) novel Chapter 150

Chapter 150

Eleanor POV

“There’s this… pull between us,” I continued, clutching my teacup so tightly I was afraid it might crack. “One look from him and my rational mind just collapses. It’s like… all the reasons I should stay away from him evaporate.”

I recalled a moment I hadn’t shared with anyone. Remember that day we all went to Blue Mountain Reserve to see the sunrise James, Thomas, you, me, Derek… at the summit, Derek pulled me behind a large rock and kissed me.”

I stared into my tea, lost in the memory. “He told me he thought he was falling in love with me… but I was too shocked to respond. I just stood there, frozen.” I shook my head slightly. “After that, he started being… everywhere. At the flower shop, outside my

house, even on my bed.

Olivia’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God! And you’re only telling me this now? How long has this been going on? Why didn’t

you say anything?”

I plucked at the corner of my duvet, avoiding her gaze. ‘I didn’t know how to process these feelings… telling you would make it all more real, more complicated.” I finally looked up at her, my eyes filling with tears. “And I know how you feel about Derek. I didn’t

want to disappoint you.”

My voice cracked as I continued. “I feel like I’m being torn in two… half of me knows I should stay away from him, that he’ll only hurt me again, and the other half gravitates toward him without my permission.”

Tears sprang to my eyes, spilling over despite my attempts to hold them back. “I don’t want to be that pathetic girl waiting for Derek Wells to come around anymore. I don’t want to be so… weak.”

Olivia moved closer, wrapping her arms around me, the scent of her familiar perfume enveloping me. “Shh… it’s okay. I’m here,” she murmured, rocking me slightly as my tears fell faster. “I’ve got you.”

She held me until my sobs subsided, then pulled back to wipe away my tears with gentle fingers. “So,” she said, her voice careful but direct, “do you still love him? Honest answer.”

I hesitated, then whispered, “Sometimes, when he looks at me a certain way… I feel like I’m eighteen again.” I swallowed hard. “When he touches me, I forget all the reasons I shouldn’t let him.”

“I’ve tried to hate him, Liv. I really have.” My voice was raw with emotion. “But when he’s near me… my heart betrays me. It’s like my body remembers his touch even when my mind is screaming to run.”

Olivia’s expression hardened, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Ellie, have you forgotten what he did to you? He left you alone in Boston without even a genuine goodbye. He went to London and didn’t call for months. He broke you.”

She shook her head, a fire lighting in her eyes. “I absolutely, one thousand percent do not approve!” she exclaimed, gripping my shoulders firmly. “Have you forgotten what you were like two years ago? You had depression because of him! You stopped eating, stopped working, stopped living!”

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Her voice trembled with emotion, eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I’ll never forget that day you called me… you almost… you almost…” She couldn’t finish the sentence, the memory too painful. “I found you in that bathtub, staring at nothing, with those

empty pill bottles next to you.”

The memory hung between us, heavy and dark. We never talked about that night, by unspoken agreement. Hearing her say it aloud

made me flinch.

“Throwing your life away for Derek Wells?” she continued, ber voice rising with emotion. “He’s not worth it, Ellie. He’s not!”

She took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm herself. “James is a good man,” she urged, her tone softening. He genuinely loves you. He calls to check on you. He remembers your birthday. He treats you like you matter. Why not give him a chance?”

I shook my head, my voice breaking. I just told you-I felt nothing when James kissed me.”

“But with Derek, everything’s different… I wiped away tears with the back of my hand. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but its how I feel. When he kisses me, it’s like the world stops spinning. When he holds me…” I trailed off, unable to put the sensation into

words.

I’m miserable right now,” I confessed, finally breaking down completely. “I don’t know what to do… I can’t seem to stay away from Derek, but I’m terrified of getting hurt again. And James deserves better than to be someone’s second choice.”

Olivia watched me cry, her expression shifting from anger to resignation. She sighed deeply, handing me another tissue from the

box on my nightstand.

“So you’ve really fallen for him again,” she said, not a question but a statement of fact.

She handed me a tissue. “Derek is like poisoned honey-looks sweet, tastes sweet, but will eventually kill you.”

Her eyes held mine, unflinching in their honesty. “He abandoned you once, and he’ll do it again. The Wells family will never put you first. You’ll always be the orphan girl they took in, not the woman they respect.

I wiped my eyes, unable to argue with her assessment. She wasn’t wrong-I’d never been fully accepted by the Wells family, despite being married to their son. I leaned back against my pillows, staring at the ceiling, where shadows from the street lights outside danced across the white paint.

I’m not trying to be the villain here,” Olivia said, taking my hand in hers. “I’m not trying to ruin your happiness. I just can’t stand to see you hurt again. You’re my best friend, Ellie. I love you too much to watch you walk back into the fire.”

Her voice softened, thumb stroking the back of my hand. “Fall in love with someone else. Anyone else… just not Derek Wells.”

I gave her a weak smile but didn’t respond, just squeezed her hand back. How could I explain that I’d tried-for years I’d tried to move on, to feel for someone else what I felt for Derek? Even James, with all his kindness and attentiveness, couldn’t spark in me what Derek ignited with a single glance.

In my heart, I wondered how I could possibly love anyone else when my heart had belonged to only one person since I was sixteen, even after he d shattered it countless times. It wasn’t a choice anymore; it was simply a fact of my existence, as unchangeable as the

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Chapter 150

color of my eyes or the scars on my heart.

“I wish I could,” I whispered, so softly I wasn’t sure she heard me. “I wish I could love anyone but him.”

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The CEO’s Unspoken Love