“Do you want to leave?” my dad asks and I finally look at him.
“No, it’s fine. I’m sure it’s just my overactive imagination playing tricks on me. So, how are things at the house?” I ask. I try not to look at Connor because I know he’s going to be concerned by what I’ve said, but I can’t help it.
His jaw is clenched tight. Lines of concentration deepen along his brows and under his eyes. His whole expression is tight with the strain. This isn’t just affecting me; it’s having an effect on everyone close to me. I turn back to my dad.
“Well, security is now fixed. Broken windows have been repaired, and Mary is in cleaning at the moment.” Mary is Dad’s cleaning lady; he’d be lost without her, and so would I at times. Today, I’m grateful it’s a job I don’t have to do myself.
“So, I can go back then?”
“Yes, but I’d like to talk to you about extra security.”
I look at Connor, and he’s nodding in agreement.
“Look, I don’t want someone shadowing my every movement. I know what you’re going to say, but this is something I don’t want. Having said that, I’m prepared to let Alex have someone look into this mess for me. It’s not something I want to do, but I’m being left with little choice.”
“I’ll call Alex,” Connor says, standing and already dialling his number on the phone. He walks away from our table.
“Ella, I’m not sure about this,” Dad says quietly.
“Neither am I, but really, what else can I do? I don’t want to live in fear of anyone. And I think you and I both know the King brothers will find out who Donovan owes money to.”
“But, sweetheart . . .”
“Dad, don’t. I don’t want to think about the details. I just want to be safe.”
“Okay.” He sighs in defeat.
“Done,” Connor says, sitting back down and taking my hand. I nod.
Lunch is quiet. My dad really isn’t happy with what I’ve decided. But it wasn’t his decision to make, and it’s not one I’ve made lightly. The King brothers have, over the years, been linked with various . . . shall we say . . . incidents, but neither of the brothers has been arrested.
I remember a few years back, there was a story about Libby’s friend being kidnapped, and it was the King brothers who found her and supposedly killed the man and his associates who took her. I’m not sure how much of that story is true, but I’m not sure I want to know either. I just know that I don’t want to be linked to Donovan forever.
“So, do you want to check out and go home?” Connor asks as we all finish eating.
“Yes. May as well get it over with.”
“You know I’m going to worry about you,” Dad says.
“Yes, because that’s what parents do. But, please, try not to.” I reach across the table and take his hand. He’s hurt and concerned; it shows in his expression. “Dad, I’ll be okay.”
“Your words aren’t comforting me.”
“Well, then, maybe my words will. I promise I’ll take care of her,” Connor says.
“I don’t doubt that, son, but you have to understand, she means to world to me.”
“And to me. Always has and always will.”
“Okay. I expect at least one of you to check in with me later.”
Dad gives Connor all the new codes for the security while I look around, still feeling as though someone is watching me, but I don’t see anyone who looks even remotely suspicious.
“Are you ready?” Connor asks as we sit parked outside my house. I stare ahead, my mind racing, searching for answers to all the questions swimming around in my head. “Ella!”
I turn to him. “Sorry, I was a million miles away.”
“What are you thinking about?”
“I’m not sure, to be honest. Come on. Let’s get inside.”
“And settled before the police come over to see you.”
I’d forgotten about that. They want me to have a thorough look around the house to see if there’s anything missing. We get out of the car and I pause for a moment, glancing around.
“I hope they get here before Julie.”
“So, she’s still coming over?”
“Yes,” I reply as he opens the front door. Julie insisted on us having a quiet night in, with some food and wine. She also asked if Connor and Callum would be joining us, but they have plans for tonight.
We had a slight disagreement in the car on our way back here after my brother called him to find out what he wanted to do about tonight. They’re going to some football event they’ve been invited to with Fletcher. Connor is worried about leaving me alone and I know my brother isn’t too happy with the idea of me being in the house unprotected. I tried explaining that I won’t be on my own since Julie will be here.
Stepping inside, a fresh smell hits me straight away. Mary and her cleaning products. There’s a new vase filled with fresh flowers on the sideboard. As I walk along the hallway, I see all but one of my pictures are back on the wall where they belong, the one of my mum is missing.
Connor is talking but I’m not listening as I enter the living room. Everything looks to be back where it belongs.
But I don’t feel at home.
It all feels odd.
There’s nothing comforting me as I stop in the middle of the room. Yes, everything here belongs to me and I should be happy, but for some reason, I’m not.
“Ella!” Connor’s arms snake around my waist and he rests his chin on my shoulder. Having him with me is what I need, but I already feel as though I’m becoming reliant on him. “Talk to me.”
“It feels wrong being here. It’s not my home. The incident with Donovan, last night . . . I don’t know what else to say.”
“I’m not going out tonight. I’ll call Callum.”
“No, you won’t. Julie will be here and I’m looking forward to a girlie night, just the two of us.”
“Okay. But I’m going to worry and miss you until I’m back here with you.”
“You won’t be gone long enough to miss me. I could put money on you being home before I go to bed. And if you’re not . . .” I turn in his arms to face him. “I’ll be in bed waiting for you.”
“Now I have a vision in my head of you lying in bed, naked, waiting for me,” he whispers.
“Well, you’ll have something to look forward to then.” I press my lips to his slowly and thoughtfully. He moves his mouth to cover mine, devouring the soft kiss I started. His lips are warm and sweet. There’s a dreamy intimacy to our kiss. A kiss that has me feeling weak at the knees.
“Now I really don’t want to go out with your brother,” he says, his lips leaving mine and leaving me wanting more.
“As I said, you have something to look forward to at the end of the night. Now, I should see if anything has been taken before the police get here.”
“Yes.” He presses a kiss on the bridge of my nose. “Let me help you.”
We go from room to room downstairs and there doesn’t seem to be anything missing. In the office, I start pulling open the drawers in the desk, while Connor looks through the bookshelves. He’s been in here as often as me in recent weeks. I’m sure he’ll notice if something is missing.
Everything is where it should be.
None of this makes any sense.
I sit in the chair and stare at the computer, wondering what whoever was in the house was looking for. I don’t think, I lean forward and power on the computer. I sit impatiently and wait for it to start. Glancing over my shoulder, I notice Connor is still looking through paperwork. When the screen opens, I type in the password and go straight to Donovan’s files, but they are all password protected. I wait before typing in my own name and chuckle when his files open before my eyes. The first thing I check is when it was last opened on this computer.
The last time was the day before Donovan left me.
I click on the files to find bank account details for me. Lawyers agreements that have what looks like my signature, all relat
ing to my house. So, this is what he used when he was re-mortgaging my house. There is also a file but it’s encrypted so I have no idea what it contains.
“Have you found anything?” Connor asks, leaning on the back of the chair.
“I’m not sure, but I know a man who might,” I say, saving the file and sending it in an email to Jonathon. I close the computer down and stand. “There’s nothing I can do now, and from what I can see, nothing has been taken. Now, I know it doesn’t take you long to get ready for a night out, but you, my sexy man, are going to an event filled with some of the hottest footballers in our country.”
“You think footballers are hot?” He takes my face in his hands and tries to hide his amusement.
“Not as hot as my man, but I know some women find them sexy.”
“Some women’s opinions don’t concern me.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, but it’s nice hearing that you find me hot.”
“Always and forever.”
“CHINESE TAKEAWAY AND WINE. WHAT more could you possibly want?” Julie asks as we sit in front of the TV, tucking into our food, which is absolutely delicious. Chicken chow mein and Peking duck with rice, and prawn crackers. Just what I’ve thought about all day.
“A new house,” I say, without thinking. The jaw-dropping look on Julie’s face has me instantly regretting my words.
“Hold on a minute. What the hell am I missing? There’s no way you want a new house. You love it here. You love the privacy and the views. What’s going on?”
Yes, I fell in love with this house the very first time I walked through the front door, and up until recently, I’ve always felt the same, but not now. “I did love it. Look, forget I said anything.”
“I can’t. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Donovan, the letters, the fact that someone has been in here looking through all my belongings. When we arrived here today . . . I don’t know. I can’t explain it. It doesn’t feel like home anymore. I think it’s time for a change.”
“I get it. So, what are you going to do?”
“Go house hunting.”
“Connor’s already looking for somewhere. Why don’t the two of you just look for somewhere together, and you know, make it official between you? A family home, because I can already picture you together with kids.”
Kids. Yes, I want kids, but at the moment, all I want is to be happy. “I don’t know. He might not want that.”
“Please! The man who has been waiting five years for you is going to want you living together. Connor wants the full package. You, kids, a nice house. He loves you. If he could whisk you away to a remote island tomorrow, I know when you come home you’d be Mrs Ella Andrews. He’d marry you in an instant.”
I nod, trying to ignore her statement about marriage. I love him too, but I’m not sure I’m ready to discuss our future. What if I do and it scares him off?
“Do you know what we need?”
“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”
“A girlie weekend away to a nice hotel. Somewhere we can both relax, enjoy the scenery, and do nothing. Maybe get a few treatments. What do you say?” Julie asks, already sounding excited about the possibility.
“Yeah. Why not?
“Perfect. After we’ve finished dinner, we’ll have a look online and see if we get anywhere.”
Julie sticks to her word. No sooner have we finished eating, she has my laptop open and is searching for a relaxing break. It would be nice to get away for a bit just the two of us, have something to look forward to instead of feeling anxious and dreading each day. Because, at the moment, that’s how I feel in the morning when I wake up.
A few hotels grab my attention, but they all lack something. My thoughts drift to Stewart House and, for me, that ticks all the right boxes. The hotel, the grounds, and the scenery. “What about Stewart House?” I ask, hoping Julie agrees.
“Oh, I love it there. Why not? And seeing as you are on friendly terms with the owner, we might get it at a reasonable rate.”
“That’s not why I suggested it.”
“I know. Do you want to sort that tomorrow, and hopefully we can get a few days before you start filming?” I nod. “What about the charity work you plan on doing? When does that start?”
“I can start anytime I want.”
“How many nights will you be out helping?”
“Only one night at the moment. I’d love to do more, but I’ll wait and see how my schedule is.”
“You do know I’m proud of you for wanting to make a difference?”
“Yes, I do, and although I’m a bit nervous about it, I’m really keen to help out and see if the work the charity is doing will make a difference.”
“I’m certain it will, and with you fronting their campaign, how could it not?”
Since we’ve decided on me phoning Stewart House tomorrow, Julie opens another bottle of wine and we sit back to watch a movie. Sometimes it’s strange watching people I know in a film. It never felt strange before I got into acting. The movie is just at a really good bit when my phone starts ringing.
“Ignore it.”
I glance at the screen and see my brother’s name. “Hey, Callum. What’s wrong?” I can hear sirens in the background. Wherever he is, it’s noisy.
“I’m in the back of an ambulance with Connor.” Time stops with his words and my heart stops beating. Dark images flash through my head. I’m imagining all sorts of possibilities, but that’s not going to tell me what’s happened. Only my brother can do that. “Ella, I need you to listen to me.”
“Okay,” I say softly, looking at Julie, and I’m sure the concern I see in her eyes mirrors my own. “I’m listening. Julie will call a taxi.” She nods her head, picks up her phone, and walks toward the window.
“I’m not sure what’s happened, but Connor has been beaten up, and badly.”
“But, how? You were meant to be with him. How could this happen?”
“Ella, I don’t know. He went to the bathroom and when he didn’t come back, I went looking for him. Fletcher and I found him unconscious.”
I stare ahead, seeing Julie before me, but not really seeing her. Tears fill my eyes. My body shakes uncontrollably.
“Ella. Ella! Please. Are you okay?” I hear his voice and open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out.
Julie is right beside me, taking the phone from my hand. “Callum, our taxi is on the way. What hospital are we going to? . . . Okay. Yes, she’ll be okay . . . We’ll see you soon.”
She takes my hand. “Ella, come on. We don’t know how he is. He’ll need you to be strong.” I nod silently, trying to understand.
Everything is done on auto-pilot; from getting dressed and putting on shoes, to locking up the house and setting the alarm. Julie let the taxi into the grounds when the driver buzzed to let us know he was here.
Why Connor? Why him? Julie tells the driver our destination before taking my hand in hers.
I close my eyes and my tears fall. I don’t believe this has been some random attack. Not with everything else going on. No, this has been planned and calculated to hurt me. Or to scare me into paying off Donovan’s debts, and right now, that doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.
I believe Connor has been hurt because of me.
This is all my fault.
I’m to blame for bringing Connor into my life.
Opening my eyes, I don’t turn to Julie. I stare out of the window, watching the darkness outside. Right now, I hate the fact that I live so far out of the town. It’s taking so long to get to the hospital.
Julie’s talking to me. “Everything will be okay. Connor will be fine,” she says, her voice hushed. I nod weakly, unconvinced by her words.
I know she’s trying to reassure me, help me stay positive, but it’s not helping. I need to see Connor. I need to know what’s happened to him, but most importantly, I need him to be okay. Not knowing anything about his injuries, other than he’s unconscious, has
me imagining the worst possible situation.
“I should call my dad.”
“I’m sure Callum has already done that.”
“Well, I should call Connor’s parents.”
“No. Let’s wait until we know how he is before you go worrying them.”
Maybe she’s right. As soon as I know how he is, I’ll have to call his mum. She’s going to be so upset, and she’ll have every right to be.
I should send Alex a text, especially if he has the King brothers looking into who Donovan owes money to. I’m praying this has nothing to do with that, but deep down, I’m certain it does.
I’m on my way to hospital. Connor has been beaten up.
Alex: I’ve just been told. Cole is already looking into it. He has a few leads on Donovan
How the fuck does he already know this?
Me: This is my fault.
Alex: No it’s not. Do you want me to come to the hospital?
Me: No. I’ll send you a message as soon as I know how he is, but thanks for the offer.
I’m not sure if I should be concerned or happy that Cole already has leads on Donovan. For now, though, I’m going to put it to the back of my mind and focus all my attention on Connor. He’s going to need my support and love.
SICKNESS REARS ITS UGLY HEAD as Julie and I follow a nurse who is taking us to a private waiting room, where we’ve been told Callum is waiting for news on Connor. The nurse won’t tell me anything. I have to be able to tell his parents something positive when I make the call and tell them he’s in hospital.
When we arrived, Julie went straight to the reception desk and gave them Connor’s name. I looked around at the waiting room feeling completely numb. Lots of staff rushing about trying to go on with jobs. Some patients sat quietly waiting to be seen, while others were noisy and aggressive toward the staff.
I hate hospitals. I don’t think anyone likes hospitals very much. Why would anyone like them? They’re full of sick or injured people, but the staff seem lovely here.
The corridor is long and quiet compared to the waiting area of the A&E department. The nurse stops in front of a door. She opens it slowly, and inside the small room, is Callum. He sits leaning forward with his head in his hands. I shiver seeing my brother look so deflated and concerned. He turns his head slowly to the side. He’s as white as a ghost, and offers me a small smile as I enter the room.
Scripted Love (The Scripted Series Book 2) Page 6
