Set in 2016. Ste and JP are set to get married and are blissfully in love. No seriously, blissfully in love.
10AM - Ste and JP's flat -Ste's POV
You pinch yourself the moment you wake up. The smile on your face starts to widen as you turn and realise that it wasn't a dream. John Paul reaches out and pulls you close. You nuzzle his neck as he strokes down your back. You have never felt like this before in your life. So content. So in love. So complete. You can't believe that you have lived your life without this. This is the first time you have ever been in love. You are sure of it. The past relationships don't compare.
"Morning babe" John Paul plants a kiss on your forehead. "Sleep ok?"
You sigh and kiss him back. "Yeah, had a lovely dream me". It's a shame you can't remember the exact details of it. You just know that it involved your upcoming wedding in a week.
As John Paul stirs and his hand starts to slowly crawl down to your half hard dick, Leah bounds into the room. She leaps onto the bed, accidently kneeing John Paul in the groin.
"Fuck sake" John Paul turns white and curls up into a ball. This gives Leah a fit of giggles. It makes you feel warm inside that your daughter laughs like you.
You have to force yourself not to laugh. It's like this every morning. Strange that Leah has really good aim.
"Sorry Uncle John Paul" Leah giggles and drags you out of bed to make her and Lucas breakfast.
It's a blur of activity in the flat every morning. You quickly get Leah and Lucas fed, ready for Amy to collect them to take them to school today. Things have been great with Amy. She's been back in Hollyoaks now for over a year and you take turns in having the kids. It feels great that she trusts you again after... Well, you don't let yourself dwell. Life is actually pretty perfect. Amy was right. You and JP are a match made in heaven. The phone rings and you pick it up while trying to get Leah to stop flicking the remains of her cereal at John Paul over the breakfast table.
"Hi Ste, it's Amy!" She sounds as if she's driving.
"Hi Ames, running late again?" You can't help but burst out laughing as Leah tips the cereal over John Paul's head.
"Umm, no. Look, something has come up. I can't make it this morning for the kids".
"Everything ok Ames?" You can hear a tremble in her voice and it makes your heart kick up a notch.
"Yeah, um, me and Dodger have got to get away for a couple of days. Two at the max. Is that ok?" Amy sounds in a fluster.
"Yeah, of course". " Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"
"Promise. Gotta go. See you in a few days. Love you".
With that the phone goes dead.
"Everything ok babe?" John Paul comes out of the bathroom with a towel on his head after washing away the milk and Cheerios that were dumped on him by Leah.
"Yeah, just Amy going out of town with Dodger for a few days". You realise that maybe they need time to themselves. They haven't exactly been seeing eye to eye lately.
You start on the washing up. John Paul comes up behind you and tells you that he'll take Leah and Lucas to school.
Leah seems overjoyed, already conjuring up ways in her mind to torture JP on the way.
Lucas, who's been awful quiet watching the tv, gets up to join JP and Leah.
With a quick kiss and a "see you later", JP is off with the kids.
After a 'normal' morning, you find yourself on your way to work with a spring in your step. A shiver creeps up your back and you spin around swiftly expecting to see JP behind you. There's nothing. Must be the cold morning, you tell yourself and continue to walk to work.
You fail to notice the tall, dark stranger in the highest stiletto heals watching you intently from across the road.
11AM - Amy and Dodger - Some random hotel - Amy's POV
Everything about this is wrong. Ste will probably think you have lost your mind. You step out of the car and Dodger goes in to the reception area to check in. Your hands are shaking as you lock the car and make your way to Dodger.
"It's gonna be fine babe, trust me". Dodger pulls you in for a kiss and a hug.
"What if it goes wrong though?"
"What did she say to you on the phone?" Dodger tilts your chin up so he can meet your eyes.
"Just to meet him here tonight".
"Then that is what's gonna happen".
He leads you to your room and you close the door to the outside world and the inevitable.
7.30pm - The Hotel
This is so wrong. Leave it the fuck alone. Just walk away. All these thoughts are going through your mind right now as you turn the car into the hotel car park. She hates you. Why did you choose her to deal with this? She's just going to set you up for a fall.
You blame your sister mostly and that big gob of hers. You were getting on with things fine. Steven didn't know anything that had gone on these last two months. Tony had been good enough to hide any newspapers that were hanging around and you knew Steven didn't make a big thing of buying them himself or watching the news. That prick he was shacked up knew but obviously he wasn't going to say anything. JP just wanted to get Steven to marry him. Well, fuck it if you were going to let that happen now.
As soon as your sister had spoken Steven's name on a drunken night out to celebrate your freedom, all the emotions you had bottled up just bubbled to the surface and exploded.
You had cried for what seemed like days. It was during those dark nights that you craved his touch. You must admit you did ring him a few times, only to hang up the moment he said hello. It's like you were punishing yourself for all the hurt that you had caused him.
Then, out of the blue, your sister decides to tilt the world upside down by dropping a bombshell over breakfast.
"I've contacted Amy. Asked her to meet with you". The way she said those words was as if she had done nothing wrong.
"What the fuck, sis?" You notice your hands are shaking and you start to sweat.
"Oh, for fuck sake, it's going to happen anyway. All of this. Just get on with it, and stop with the moping".
That is why you are here. Knocking on Room 12 of some shitty, rundown hotel.
The door opens and Amy glances out at you with frightened eyes.
You raise your hands over your head and say the first thing that comes to mind "I come in peace Amy".
That earns you a smile. Christ, you feel as if your heart is about to burst out of your chest.
"Hello Brendan".