Chapter 10

Grace sighed as she turned the engine on of her old car before turning into the road to do a turn. I had been silent following the incident, staring at the flowers frowning. Grace didn't overly attempt to speak to me, either, and I knew she thought it was best to give me some time to think about what had happened. Sure to her word, she left around ten minutes after the tracksuit men had left the site.

'I guess you can start over now. Everything tying you to your old past is gone. Damien and his merry Adidas man believes you are dead and have laid flowers to you and soon they'll all be in prison on remand. At work, you're under a fake name and Theo is working on adding you to the residence list for Buckingham Palace.' Grace said and I looked over at her, not knowing the latter. Grace put the car into gear and drove off slowly in the opposite direction of the flats. I turned around and looked over my shoulder to see the receding building, my home, disappear.

'You can be anyone you want to be now, Ellie.' Grace said.

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What Grace has said really did ring to mind over the next two weeks. I threw everything I had into rebuilding my life completely differently. As I got home that day, I sat down with a company-issued laptop and wrote an article about Grace heading down to a private Catholic school in Farnborough where she visited on her first official visit. Joel had sent through the link to the video, and the article was done within the hour, sent to Joel to be cleared and processed and published, even though the women who was the main focus of the article, was sitting opposite the table.

The second focus was Theo. We were practically inseparable, and the second I started putting effort into our relationship, everything flourished. We grew stronger together and whenever I needed him, he was there, and the second he needed me I stepped up to the role. We stayed in the same place within Buckingham Palace, in the same bed. Three days a week, I headed into work and stayed in the a tiny damp office and sat there, writing stories about my boyfriend, his brother, his sister-in-law to be, his niece or extended family. When I went home, I had dinner with Caroline who I had grown to see as a maternal figure.

The other two days, Grace travelled up from her home in Windsor to start training me in self-defence and the skills I would need to one day work with her if I ever wanted too. It was incredibly hard work at the beginning with Grace teaching me how to box correctly – and then we started to ballet work.

'Why are we doing ballet?' I asked her.

'You need balance and precision in order to take someone down.' Grace said and I frowned. 'Especially if they are bigger than you.' I continued to look at her like she was crazy and she sighed. 'Theo?' She called.

Theo, who was sat on the floor on the other side of the room reading a book looked up. He was in a pair of glasses – something I didn't know about him until recently, that he needed glasses to read for a prolonged period. 'Yeah?' He asked Grace hesitantly.

'Here please.' She said and he sighed dramatically.

'You're going to floor me again, aren't you?'

'Yup.' She said and I frowned. There was no way Grace, a five foot zero girl of a very slim frame girl who looked like she had only just turned sixteen, could take down Theo – a six foot two hench man who works out every other day. But Theo was very reluctant to get up, so I knew that Grace had it in her to take him to the floor and I frowned.

Theo reluctantly got up and put his book down on the floor, taking his glasses off. He kissed me on the way through, his hand gently touching my waist. 'Should you be doing this considering you're getting married in two days time?' Theo asked her.

'… yeah?' Grace replied back tentatively. It was the Wednesday before her wedding. The Friday of the wedding itself had been classed as a bank holiday, the majority of office places were closed, many shop would be closed too or had limited trading hours. It was a time for celebration - or as many used to put it at the office, it was celebrating the least likely man in Buckingham Palace to be in a long-term relationship was getting married. 'It's only your pretty face you're concerned about.' She joked.

'Ellie?' Grace then said and I looked. Theo frowned as he looked over this shoulder. Before I even knew what had happened, Grace had hit Theo in the neck, put his hand to his chest, turned him around and got him on the floor.

'God, you're quick for a mother.' Theo laughed laying on the floor with Grace's foot on his upper back.

'Did that not hurt?' I asked Theo as he laid on the floor.

'I do try not to hurt him, not very good for family relations.' Grace laughed.

'I can floor her back as well, Ellie, don't worry.' Theo joked back and Grace cackled as she got off him and gave him a hand to get up. 'I can totally flaw you.' He mocked.

'SIS hostage training, three tours in the army and a red belt in Karate and you still have nothing on me.' Grace mocked. 'Ellie, what I was trying to say before someone decided to start talking, was fighting and self-defence isn't always about who is the strongest or who has the most experienced. It's down to how you know how to position. If you act quickly and elegantly and to the advantage of your own body, strength or experience of the enemy comes down to nothing.'

Grace and I worked solidly on my ability to defend myself up until the morning of her wedding.

Theo, at one o'clock in the morning, drove through the streets of London easily. I was fully aware that Joel and I were on the lockdown shift for Grace and Luke's wedding – Drill was running a live feed following the footage for the wedding, and who better to do the live stream than Joel, the assistant director of news and the old Royal editor, albeit under a fake name.

'You sure you can't call in sick or something and come to the wedding?' Theo asked as he turned into the delivery bay. I shrugged.

'I can't, it's too late.' I whispered. Theo nodded. 'Besides, I wouldn't be with you during the wedding.' Luke chose his older brother to be best man, with his paramedic partner of three years and one of his childhood friends. Theo smiled slightly.

'True, I guess. It's a shame I didn't find you earlier, you would look beautiful in the bridesmaid dresses Grace chose out.' Theo mumbled and I frowned. 'You and Grace have become completely inseparable – if I had met you earlier, Grace would have jumped on you to be a bridesmaid for her.' He pulled to a stop by the delivery bay and I saw Joel waiting around for me by the lift.

The car was silent for a while as we sat there.

'I guess you need to go back and have some sleep before the wedding.' I whispered and Theo nodded. 'I'll see you in thirty-six hours then.' I said and turned to him.

'I don't want you to go.' Theo said and he lulled his head back at me and he frowned slightly at me. 'I really don't want you to go, Ellie.'

'I really don't have a choice.' I mumbled and he turned the car off, turning to look at me.

'Look, don't panic, but I love you Ellie.' Theo told me and my mouth dropped. 'I know it's soon, we've only been together for three weeks. I know you'll freak out and you'll go into work and you'll sit in there for thirty-six hours trying to work out what to do and panicking. Ellie, you have turned my life upside down in those three weeks. I went from being bland and boring and just being some figure head to actually being someone all because of you. It give's me so much pleasure to wake up every morning to see you there, spending all day with you. Even when you're sitting there working on your laptop the little frown on your forehead, you make me so happy just knowing that I had someone in my life that I care about so much.' He told me sweetly. 'It's like a purpose now. With you by my side I have a purpose. You have made me a better person. I can't stop thinking about you. I want you constantly by my side never to leave even though I know that isn't possible. I love you Ellie.'

I just sat there silently not too sure what to say. It had crossed my mind that I did potentially love Theo but I was too scared to even probe the thought. Any form of affection normally hurt me.

'When you're writing about the wedding, just… think about that.' Theo said before he leaned forward and kissed me. 'I better let you go, Joel looks cold.'

'Er.. yeah… um… okay.' I said and he kissed me again.

'I haven't… ruined this, have I?' Theo asked gently, his hand running down my arm. 'I just needed you to know.'

'No. I just… I… I never expected it.' I mumbled and he smiled.

'Go and be brilliant,' Theo said, kissing me again as I opened the door. 'Thirty-six hours and I'll see you again. Good luck, sweetheart.'

'You too.' I mumbled as I climbed out the car. I saw Theo watch me as I closed the door and walked over to where Joel was. The light on the floor disappeared and I could hear Theo's car driving away.

'You're looking awfully shell-shocked for one in the morning,' Joel told me as he came over and hugged me tightly, before he handed me a security card. As the office was closed we had to go through and get vetted by the security of Buckingham Palace to make sure we weren't any threat to the stories of what will be published about the wedding.

'Theo just told me he loves me.' I whispered, and Joel stared at me. 'Now you're looking shell-shocked for 1 am.'

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Joel and I were sat opposite sides of the table next to the coffee vendor that we used to go to every morning. The shutters were down on all windows and Joel was making coffee on tap for us. We had our laptops on the table split screens; one window with twitter feeds searching the trending news of the wedding and the Drills' live feed of the wedding, and the other was the feed programmer we were typing the messages on. It was about to turn eight in the morning when the feed would start; already there were over a million followers waiting for the feed; we were one of two companies allowed to do a live feed – the other being a very serious newspaper.

'So, we've been cleared to do a conversation type feed, we would talk to each other across the feed and we will report the information needed, all of it is the folders.' Joel said, passing me a coffee cup with something in it. 'Not that you need to know, you probably know the majority of the stuff anyway.' He mocked as he sat opposite me with a small grin on his face. I heard his type and the first message on the feed popped up, telling everyone the feed was opened and introduced both of us.

'I know a bit.' I told Joel honestly. I typed my first message.

'Next time we're reporting a Royal wedding, you might not be here.' Joel said and I looked up at him, cocking my eyebrow. I pressed enter on the code, watching the method pop up.

'You suggesting I'll be dead?' I joked and he laughed, shaking his head.

'No, I'm suggesting it'll be you getting married to Theo.' I met Joel's eye across the table as I took a sip of coffee. 'All I am saying is you have moved into Theo's place, become inseparable at that time and now he loves you.'

'Is this a warning message?' I asked him,

'No. No of course not. I cannot thank Theo enough for helping you. He gave you a house, a home, some people to call your family. He is helping you in ways that, perhaps, you didn't even know you needed help. I'm a bit twitchy about him still, I've convinced no one is good enough for you. But, if you two get serious and get engaged and get married, I will have to do this with Anastasia.' He joked pointing to the laptop.

'No, you'd be coming to the wedding.' I laughed and Joel smiled at me.

With the wedding due to start at twelve o'clock, we can expect movement from Buckingham Palace from his Royal Highness Prince Luke and his Royal Highness Prince Theo, who is Luke's best man, probably an hour and a bit before the wedding. Grace, who is staying at a five-star hotel around half an hour from Westminster Abbey, will be expected to move to arrive at 11:45. I pressed send.

'I would be?' Joel said, frowning. I'm not wearing those funny hats, though, the ones with the feathers.'

'Fascinator.' I corrected him. 'You only wear one of those if you're female, Joel.' I mumbled. Joel typed heavily and posted another comment and entered it.

'Have you thought about getting married ever?' He asked me and I shook my head.

'Never thought it was realistic. Never thought I'd have the opportunity to get away from my past.'

'Now you have – so would you? If Theo asked you in the middle of next year to marry him, would you agree?'

'Joel that is so circumstantial. At the moment, with Him still out running around, I can't show my face. So no.'

'And if Grace's plan works fine and he gets locked away forever?'

'Then…' I thought about it. 'I dunno.' I mumbled.

So, whilst Joel is running over the groom's side of the wedding, I will comb through the bridal party – after I get another coffee. I entered and looked up at Joel where he continued to look at me.

'Do you want to know why I married Sarah?' Joel asked me and I frowned as I sat back in the chair. 'The thought of losing her was too much to bear. I needed her to know that.'

The thought of losing Theo was too much to bear. Joel looked at me and nodded, knowing that I had thought he wanted me to think.

'I know it scares the shit out of you, any form of commitment. You can't even buy a tub of instant hot chocolate because that means you have to drink at least 20 cups of the same hot chocolate.' Joel mocked and I smiled, holding up the cup and he smiled as well. 'But yeah, if you and Theo get married, this will be you.'

'I'm totally not ready for that level of media. I'd get torn to shreds.' I laughed. My phone buzzed and I frowned, leaning forward and I saw a message from Grace. I quickly slid open the message and saw a simple message.

Can you hurry up and get another coffee? Trying to read your live feed but you're taking too long to get a coffee.

I laughed before I showed Joel the message and he also grinned.

Haven't you got a wedding to be getting ready for, Grace? I messaged back and she replied back straight away with a photo.

She was sitting on the edge of a regal-looking bed and I could see a man who looks the spitting image of Grace leaning on the sideboard where the TV is, with Lila sitting beside him in a cute white floor-length dress that had a gorgeous floral netting over the top.

I am getting ready but I'm waiting for someone to update their feed.

I started typing and Joel looked up at me. 'Guessing Grace has persuaded you to finish where you were going with that then?'

'It looks like she's not even ready yet. Lila is though.' I said passing my phone over to him. He pressed the photo and grinned. 'I always forget how much her brother looks like her.'

So, of course, you have Grace – the beautiful bride to be who has won over the entire World with her kind heart and her wonderful parenting skills when it comes to her three-year-old daughter Lila – who is constantly hyperactive.

Her Chief bridesmaid is her best friend from university – Mycelia Kundorafski. Mycelia and Grace clicked instantly in the second year of university at Cambridge when they shared all the modules they chose together. They also lived together for two years. Her other university flatmate, Sara Hudkinson is also a bridesmaid. Three of her cousins; Crystal Benedict, Phoenix Benedict and Sky Bright, are also bridesmaids, alongside three of Luke's cousins that, reportedly, Grace get's on well with; Lady Amelia, Lady Eleanor and Lady Claudine.

Of course, her daughter Lila is the flower girl and is reported to be in a stunningly adorable dress. However, it is unfortunately common knowledge that Grace's parents died five years back so her older and only brother Jack Williams will be walking her down the aisle, although she will be doing her parents incredibly proud.

I pressed send.

'Does Grace really like any of these people?' Joel asked, taking a sip of his coffee. 'I know Mycelia and Sara she's good friends with. But her cousins? And Luke's cousins?'

'She's really close with her cousins – but they're her cousin's wife's or fiancées. But I know she hates the three of Luke's cousins that are her bridesmaids, but she did it out of tradition.' I told Joel and he nodded.

'You think if you and Theo got together sooner you'd have been a bridesmaid?' Joel asked, mirroring Theo's words from earlier. 'I know you two are close, every time I came to visit you, you were hanging around with her.'

'She is actually the sweetest person you'll ever meet. I went to her room in the Palace in tears at half five in the morning and she welcomed me in without even questioning it. She brought me clothes when I had nothing days after the fire, let me cry on her shoulder. She helped me when everyone else apart from you would have pushed me out.' I told Joel.

'Even when I saw her and spoke to her on a few occasions I was at the Palace she seemed lovely and genuine. I'm happy for her – it's rare I'll say that about Royals – but I'm happy for Grace and Luke. They deserve each other.' Joel said.

The wedding was absolutely lovely. Grace looked incredible in a long ivory dress with flower embroidered overlay and a long train. Her face lit up as she saw Luke, and Luke teared up the second he saw how beautiful Grace was. Throughout the ceremony, Luke held the hand of Lila as she stood beside them as they said their vowels. I couldn't help but notice Theo who stood to one side throughout the entire ceremony looking incredibly handsome in his red service uniform and medals across his chest. And Joel's words ran through my mind; this could be me one day.

Grace, Luke and Lila all got into a car and headed to the palace after, and with Grace now officially royalty and with the title Her Royal Highness to be said before her name at all times in the media. The car went into the Palace and about half an hour later Grace and Luke appeared on the balcony of the Palace, waving to the absolute masses of people who had turned up in the street to greet them. Grace then picked up Lila and rested her on the hip and Lila also waved before they headed back in. I knew there was a reception in the Palace that was barred from the media.

We had signed off the live stream which has peaked at 12 million followers as we provided details of everything, everyone who was at the church, the designers of the dresses, everything. Theo had to text me the moment he could and was due to pick me up 4 am in the morning as we had done a hell of a lot better with statistics than thought so we could go home. I felt bad for Theo; the reception didn't finish until midnight and I was asking him to pick me up at 4 am but he refused to let me get the tube at a ridiculous time in the morning, but he had already told me that I would be shattered so we could just sleep during the day and it wouldn't be an issue.

Joel, who was always like a father figure to me from the second I started working at Drill and knowing I didn't really know how to establish my own thoughts, sat me down and spoke to me about everything. He spoke to me about what I wanted to achieve in life and whether living at Buckingham Palace meant that. I told him that as much as I loved the Palace I wouldn't want to live there forever. But I didn't want to leave Theo. I was terrified for the future but I wasn't too sure what to do about it.

4 am eventually rolled around.

'Go home, Joel.' I said. We locked the building on the way out and now we stood in the carpark. His brother, Andrew, was in the car next to us and was waiting for about fifteen minutes. Theo text me there was traffic from people partying in the street and he'll be here ASAP.

'You sure you'll be safe?'

'I'm in a carpark in a building that's closed until 9 am, I'm perfectly safe.' I laughed. 'Go home, Joel.' I said and he hugged me. 'Let me know when you get home safe, okay?' I nodded before he got in his car. Andrew waved at me as he drove off and I waved back. It was only a few more minutes until I saw Theo walk down the ramp to the carpark in a long black coat. He had taken the hood down and I could see his blonde hair with small curls in from over here. I walked towards him. I could see Theo look around the carpark before he saw me.

'Some twat parked blocking the entrance.' He shouted at me and I grinned. We were around fifteen feet away from each other as he held his arms out. I ran towards him, jumping at him as I hugged him. Sure enough, he wrapped his arms around me, one around my shoulders gently playing with my hair and the other tight around my waist as he spins me around.

'Hello, beautiful.' He whispered to me, kissing the top of my head.

'Theo, I think I love you too.' I mumbled back and he kissed me softly.

'How'd you come to that conclusion overnight? Well, overday?' He asked as he gently took my hand and went to walk me back upstairs.

'I just…' I tried to think how Joel had talked me out of my normal emotional bush, where every single emotion was hidden away and became meaningless, into realising not all emotions were negative. 'I dunno, I just do.' I said, getting embarrassed. Theo, who sensed this, leaned his head on the top of mine and nodded.

'That's a good enough reason for me.' He said and I blushed. 'I do mean it though, Ellie. I do love you – and it does scare the shit out of me too.' He said as we ducked under the car park barriers.

'And my God does it scared me too, Theo, but I love you too.'

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The next few weeks went by near enough perfectly. After the wedding, Grace and Luke went off on their honeymoon for a week with Theo and Caroline taking turns to look after Lila before they came back tanned and happy to pick up their daughter for the second part of their honeymoon – a family trip to Disneyworld in Florida. They had chosen to stay in a Disney resort with Lila, security around them at all times, and had hired out a golf buggy and paid for a trip for them to swim with dolphins.

All in England remained the same; I carried on working three days a week at Drill during the week, and the other two days and my weekends I had off and joined Theo. After Grace returned back from her honeymoon, wedding band happily on her finger, she went back to training me up to the level of standards she was at – and I got there pretty soon. I learnt how to channel other people's emotions to my benefit, and how to use the anger of others to protect myself. One day, without Grace telling me, she had got one of her cousins from America over to "ambush" me to see if I could handle myself. I did – and her cousin ended up with a broken nose.

I had to fill in hundreds of forms in order to get Damien to court for historical sex abuse scandals and, to my surprise and horror, four other girls who were at the care home (none at the same time I was) also came forward when Irish police went around to previous and current care home members secretly at asking for character reports of Damien. Grace sat me down in a small room, completely away from Theo, gave me a spiral ring bound book with a date section pre-printed in the corner and a complete calendar diary dating back until the early 2000's. She asked me to report every single case I could remember in as much detail as I could muster. It took me two weeks to fill it in dating to the fire and the notebook was full.

Damien O'Scotte was arrested for historical child sex abuse, rape, statutory rape of a minor under 16, arson and attempted murder on the 4th December. All the care home workers were also arrested for similar offences, or conspiracy to commit or perverting the course of justice. It broke headline news as well and Joel had to text me to say Drill was running the case. They didn't name any of the four "whistle-blowers" – the main one being myself, but knew we would have to appear in court. Theo that day knew what was happening, Grace had warned him and just sat beside me the entire day.

On the approach to Christmas, we swiftly realised that we had no plans. Of course, the Royal's Christmas was a few days before Christmas and everyone was expected to come – I didn't think that included me but I was swiftly proven wrong.

I held the envelope with the invitation peaking out from inside.

'You want me to come to your family dinner?' I asked Caroline as she stood in front of me. Theo was to one side of the room with a cat on his lap. The cat was a stray in London who had waltz into Buckingham Palace two months ago and made himself at home rather promptly – living predominantly in Queen Caroline's chambers but roaming the corridors during the day too. Theo had brought me over to Caroline's as he wanted to talk to his mother but I ended up getting invited to their Christmas meal.

'You're family now, Ellie.' Caroline said and I stood there shocked. 'I mean, I do wish Theodore told me about the whole Soulfinder aspect sooner,' She said, glaring over at her eldest son.

'There was a cat on my lap.' Theo said, gesturing to the furry orange fuzz of the mog that was sitting on his lap, purring away contently.

'Has there been a cat on your lap since October, Theodore?'

'On and off… and stop calling me Theodore, I haven't done anything wrong this time.' Theo mocked, stroking Tango – what we had named the cat. 'Also, I had to try and outlast Luke on this one – and I did so quite successfully.' He mocked as Caroline rolled her eyes.

'You're family now, Ellie, we're all here for you. It's nothing too major.' I raised my eyebrow and she came over and hugged me, a very maternal hug and I felt almost at home. 'You know all the close people, you know Grace, Luke and Lila. Everyone else is arseholes but I want you to come.' She said softly to me.

'Okay… what do I wear though?' I whispered, and she smiled. I looked over at Theo and have given me a small smile and a nod, reassuring me I had done the correct thing.

'We can find something for you, don't worry about that.' Caroline said and I assumed it had meant a horrific formal ballgown. I was so happy when Grace and I had been fitted for informal tea dresses. Grace's dress was black with floral embroidery on the shoulders and down one side of the dress to the hem which fell above her knee. My dress was a plain burgundy, nipping in at my waist and falling to my knee, and had a black collar on top.

The meal itself was lovely; there was no press apart from outside the Palace who snapped photos of those who were attending, including Luke, Grace and Lila as they drove in from Windsor – but it meant as Theo and I lived in the Palace that no one knew who I was. Theo's entire family was there which made me want to find a quite hole somewhere and cry, but sure enough, he introduced me to everyone and most seemed overwhelmingly pleased Theo had found someone. The meal was cooked to perfection and I left soon after with Theo and went up to the room to find the news the trial for Damien had been pushed back until the new year due to copious amounts of media interest.

Christmas this year was to be held at Luke's house in Windsor; Theo and I were invited to stay a few days in the outside house they apparently had built in recent years and Caroline was to come down after her live broadcast Christmas speech and stay the night too.

We arrived at the house around midday on Christmas Eve to be pounced on by an excited Lila. Theo had barely got out of his car when Lila jumped on him.

'Uncle Theo! Santa's in Australia at the moment!' she shouted and Theo picked her up.

'That's still really far away, Lils?' He said as I came over to him.

'I'm going to stay up and wait for Santa.' She concluded.

'But Lila – Santa doesn't come to you unless you're asleep.' I added and she frowned.

'What if I pretend to be asleep?' She asked as I stood next to Theo. He smiled at me.

'Santa will know.' Theo told her.

Turns out, Lila's vowel to stay up until midnight appeared to be true. We had settled down on the sofa's in Luke's lounge at around half five to watch films. Lila sat on Grace's lap and fell asleep halfway through. Luke took out his phone and took a photo with Grace pretending to celebrate before uploading it to his Instagram – but it was short lived. Lila woke up before the end of the film, jumped up and laughed.

'She did say she was staying up to see Santa,' Theo mocked and both Luke and Grace gave him a dirty look. He laughed, putting his arm around me as I cuddled into him.

At eight o'clock, Lila fell asleep again – this time substantially past her bedtime – and Grace gently carried her upstairs. About fifteen minutes later, Grace came downstairs and fist pumped in the air in celebration – however Lila was back awake at ten.

'Mummy! Santa is nearly here!' She shouted at a very done Grace.

'He won't be coming unless you get back into bed and fall asleep. Santa doesn't like little girls who constantly wake up.' Lila's eyes went wide.

'But… I've been a good girl. Wouldn't Santa's present already be on his sleigh for me?' Lila asked Grace and she looked at Luke.

'She's got her stubbornness from you.' Grace added. 'Yes, they would be Lila but you have to be asleep or Santa will give it to the girl next door instead.'

'Okay! I'll go back to bed!' Lila shouted before she went back to bed with Grace.

'Don't have kids you two.' Luke said.

'Yeah, you're really struggling aren't you?' Theo mocked back. 'All you've done is take photos.'

It got to half eleven and Luke and Grace realised Lila was now sound asleep and got out her presents from the office, and with some help from us, dumped them under the tree. Theo and I then retired to the "annexe" down the bottom of their garden. The "annexe" was, in fact, a massive barn conversion; a single floor small house that had a lovely amount of space without being too much; there was a sliding door which Theo unlocked, greeting the security, and as we walked in, walls had been build to the beams on the roof. There was a lounge that we walked into; a small grey sofa with a tartan throw over it, a minimalistic Christmas tree with golden baubles and fairy lights and a TV on the wall. There was already presents under the tree. There was a small kitchen to the right and a hallway leading up to the end of the barn, with one side being the bedroom and the other a bathroom. Theo closed the curtain covering the door.

'Merry Christmas.' Theo said coming over to me and looking at me deeply. He ran his hand through my hair.

'It's not Christmas… not yet?' I said shivering slightly, my breath caught in my throat.

'It's ten past midnight.' He mumbled, kissing me ever so gently, biting my lip as he pulled away. 'So, Merry Christmas beautiful.' He said as he kissed me again. I was the one who deepened the kiss. We didn't know what had come over us but Theo gently pushed me against the wall as he ran his hand up and down my front. He pulled away quickly, checking my face for any form of regret or denial, but there was none.

He picked me up quickly, my legs wrapping around his waist as he started kissing my neck, his hand in my hair as he took me into the bedroom, throwing me down on the bed before climbing on top of me. My hand ran around his jeans, unbuckling them.

'Ellie.' Theo said out of breath with a look of remorse on his face. 'Are you sure? It's okay If you're not – '

'No, Theo, I'm sure. I told him and he kissed me again, hard, as Christmas day rolled around.

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Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful day and will continue to have a good rest of the year! This chapter was getting a bit too long so I had to break it into two, and there is more drama yet to come in the next chapter so stay tuned! Also, please let me know how you think this is going!