Chapter 56
The weekend passed in a blur of kids and chaos. The girls celebrated Nic getting the job in the boutique with a sleepover where she gave them both facials and fittings of their dresses. Ollie and Mike stayed in the tent and played soldiers and Ella gave Roman the silent treatment. It also meant that there was now only 2 weeks until the wedding. He'd dropped Mike off back at School and the boy had looked around checking none of his mates could see before giving Roman a hug.
Roman walked into the bedroom and looked at Ella fast asleep in the bed. Or at least pretending to be so she didn't have to glare at him so much. The slamming of the door was an accident, he kept saying, mainly to himself.
"Ella." He called softly.
She stirred in the bed and opened her eyes sleepily.
"What?" she asked.
"We need to go to the bank and sign the papers for the house." He told her sitting on the bed beside her.
"Can't you do it?" she asked. "It's your money."
He shook his head.
"No it's from both of us remember, and anyway the money transfer is from our joint account so we both have to be there."
She groaned.
"How about tomorrow?" she asked.
"Well we could do it tomorrow but the builder might be annoyed at me rushing him to do the job and then telling him he can't start." He said softly.
She eased up in the bed.
"I hate you." She told him and grumpily climbed out from underneath the covers and walking into the bathroom.
He heard further muttering from the bathroom and waited until she came out.
"Out." She ordered, "I want to get dressed in peace."
"How can you still be mad at me?" he asked folding his arms across his chest.
"I'm not. This morning I'm grumpy because you woke me up." She told him.
"And what will be this afternoon's excuse."
"I don't know yet, I'm still working on being grumpy."
"Uh huh. " he said and stood up moving quickly towards her.
She backed up and came up against the wardrobe.
He pinned her against the cool wood and pulled off the towel. He caressed her slowly before lifting her chin up and pressed his lips to hers. He moaned when he felt her hands on his waist pulling at his shirt to slide underneath to caress him.
"Do you like that?" she asked him softly.
He nodded.
"Well if you want me to do it ever again leave me to get dressed in peace." She muttered and pushed him away.
"Ella." He protested.
"That bank remember." She told him.
He grinned and walked out.
"You have ten minutes." He told her, now feeling grumpy himself.
She came down exactly 12 minutes later and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before walking out of the house and to the car. He followed and drove them to their bank. They signed the papers and had the deeds drawn up in Nic's name, but they were told it would just be a simple matter to add or amend the title deeds.
They collected the keys and had a couple of extras cut before going and letting the builder in. They had already provisionally discussed what they wanted but went over the plans with him before leaving him to work and heading to the diner.
"Hello Darls" Irene called when she saw them.
"Hey Irene." Ella called to her.
She moved over to a table and Irene came over.
"We signed for the house today its all gone through." Ella told her.
"They'll be chuffed to flaming bits." Irene said.
Roman looked at Ella and smiled at her.
"We have spare key if you want to go over and take another look at it." she said to the other woman.
"The builders are in at the moment. They are working on the kitchen first and then refitting the bathroom." Roman said.
"I've been thinking and I can't quite afford the same as you but I did think that I could buy them a double bed and wardrobes." Irene said.
"Sounds great. " Ella said. "I'm sure they will love it."
Roman chuckled.
"You are aware of course Irene just how many clothes Nic has aren't you?" he asked her.
"I've a fair idea Darl, a few have them have been seen at mine recently." She grinned. "She's given them to Annie."
Ella chuckled.
"It'll get worse now she has that job they have a huge staff discount." She said to them.
"Has someone warned Geoff?" Roman asked semi-seriously.
Ella looked over at him with a 'don't be silly dear' expression on her face.
He grinned at her and then frowned as she looked away from him.
"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" Irene asked them.
"I need a coffee. What about you Ella?" he asked.
"Nothing for me. If you are going to have a coffee I'll take walk outside." She told him.
He caught hold of her hand.
"I can get a coffee at home." He suggested instead.
She tugged on her hand.
"Its fine, have a coffee here I just want some fresh air and to stretch my legs." She half smiled at him before standing up and going outside.
"I don't know what you did Darl but can I suggest flowers." Irene told him.
"I don't know what I did either." He admitted with a shrug.
"Do you want that coffee to go?" she asked.
He shook his head.
"I will follow my orders and drink it here." He smiled at Irene.
She chuckled and brought his coffee over moments later. He drank it slowly and then stood clearing the table of his cup on the way out.
"See you Irene." He called out.
"Bye Darl." She replied.
He saw Ella sitting on the beach and went over to her.
"Hey." He said softly.
"Hey yourself." She replied.
"Ella can you please tell me what's going on?" he asked finally.
"I shared something with you and you dismissed it like it was nothing. I was nearly married Roman. That was a deep commitment I made."
"I'm sorry." He said. "I had no idea that hurt you."
She looked over at him, scooping sand into her hand and letting it trail through her fingers.
"So I'm upset and you ignore that. You expect me to carry on and that makes it seem worse."
She added.
"Ella, I've said I'm sorry. I really didn't mean you to think that I was insensitive to your feelings. Obviously I know you wouldn't have made a decision like that lightly." Roman told her.
He looked out to sea.
"And Mike was right. I have become this other person. I take pictures of Nic and everybody but I should be out doing my real photography." She groaned.
"So are you saying that you are unhappy with me?" he forced himself to ask.
She looked down.
"Right now I am." She said finally.
He stood and walked a little way off looking out at the crashing waves for a long time before turning and walking back to her.
"So where do we go from here?" he asked.
"Literally or figuratively?" she asked back.
He tried to grin but it didn't quite work. His facial muscles didn't want to obey the command.
"Is there a difference?" he said.
She nodded.
"I need to go home to bed I'm really tired. And as for where we go well we can't upset Nic before her wedding so we have no where to go for two weeks at least."
He groaned at the time limit she had just put on their marriage.
She stood up and began walking back to the car. He waited a moment before following. He climbed behind the wheel and drove them home.
Once inside she went up to bed. He waited for a long moment before deciding that he needed to go for a run. He went and got changed seeing that she had fallen asleep almost immediately. He pulled a cover over her before walking out and setting off for a long run.
Nic and Geoff sat together going through the RSVP list and seeing who had responded. They had a list of forty names already.
"Better add Darren Hughes to the list." he said. "He sent me a text message saying he could come after all."
She flinched.
He caught the movement out of the corner of his eye.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Nothing. I need to go I just remembered I have to do something for Ella." She invented.
"Nic?" he asked.
She dropped the planner to the table and raced out of the door. She ran all the way home panting with effort by the time she went in through the door. She ran upstairs and straight into their bedroom.
"Ella." She said waking her up.
"Nic?" Ella said softly. "What is it?" she sat up and held out her arms to her.
Nic rushed over to the bed and held her as she began crying.
"Come on honey it's not that bad." She said to her stroking her hair.
Nic looked at her, tears falling unchecked down her face.
"It is that bad. It's horrible and I can't tell him." she sobbed.
Ella pushed aside the cover and drew Nic into the bed with her pulling the cover back over them. She held the other girl until she stopped crying.
"Suppose you tell me now." Ella suggested.
"It was late and I'd had a few glasses of wine. He thought." She stopped and moaned. "That I would be willing. But I'd changed. I only wanted Geoff. He pushed me down. I couldn't fight him." she gasped and started crying again.
"Ok sweetheart. It's all going to be ok." Ella said to her.
She stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head before putting her arms tight around her.
"Did he.." Ella began the question.
She felt a powerful sob tear through Nic.
"No." she said finally. "I pushed him away and then I hit him. I got to my feet and ran away."
"It is ok Nic." Ella told her again, feeling her tremble.
"No because he's coming to the wedding." Nic admitted finally. "And anyway who is going to believe me? I was the town tramp." She muttered.
"Nicole. I couldn't care less if you were lap dancing in the surf club it no one deserves that." Ella told her. "And anyway so what if you have a few notches on your bedpost. You are not your past young lady you are a wonderful beautiful woman about to marry the man of your dreams and I dare anyone to say anything different."
Nic started crying even harder and Ella held her, feeling that she needed to get this out of her system.
After she had quieted down again.
"You need to tell him. He has the right to know. He needs to know Nic." She told her. "I'll come with you and tell him if you like." Ella offered.
Nic sniffed.
"Will you?" she asked.
"Of course I will." Ella said to her.
Nic stood up slowly and went into the bathroom to wash her face with Ella waiting outside the bathroom for her. They drove over tot he beach house and went inside.
"Nic?" Geoff asked. "Are you ok?"
She nodded.
"I'm sorry Geoff." She said. "I'm so sorry." She said again.
"Nic, its ok." he said but inside he was thinking and praying that she hadn't changed her mind about marrying him.
She sank onto the sofa and he sat on the table. He held out his hand but she looked over at Ella.
Ella came and sat next to her putting her arm around her feeling her shoulders shake with renewed sobs.
"Please don't tell me you've changed your mind Nic." He said to her finally. "I love you." He added, unaware of how desperate that sounded.
"I'm sorry. I haven't changed my mind but you might." She said in a horse whisper.
"Nic please." He begged, "Please just tell me."
"He attacked me." She said and burst into tears.
Geoff felt an unfamiliar rage curl up in his stomach.
"Who?" he asked her.
"Darren Hughes." She whispered. "He said no one would believe me I was the town whore."
Geoff reached out and took hold of Nic hands. He waited until he finally looked at him.
"Nic I love you. I believe you." He said.
She gasped and started crying again.
"Did you hear me Nic, I believe you and it's not your fault. You don't deserve to feel like this." Geoff said emotionally.
She looked at him again.
Ella stood and kissed Nic.
"I'll leave you two to talk. You know where I am if you need anything daughter." She told her.
Nic looked up. She was still too emotional to express her thanks but she nodded. Geoff moved over to the sofa and put his arms around her.
"Did he hurt you?" Geoff asked.
She shook her head.
"Not in that way. But .." she trailed off. "He didn't .." she tried to explain.
"It ok, Nic, you've told me. I understand. When you are ready if you need to tell me more I'll be here to listen." He whispered. "But it won't change how much I love you." He said. "I want to say nothing will ever change that but I suspect that I will love you more the longer we are together."
She gasped and snuggled close to him needing his strength and warmth right then.
"Hey." Ella said.
"Hey." Roman replied. "I wasn't sure where you'd gone." He added, not mentioning that he'd checked the wardrobe to make sure her clothes were still there.
She smiled.
"Nic had a thing and needed me." She explained.
He nodded, wondering if he told her that he needed her what would she do or say.
She walked up the stairs and lay back on the bed. He waited a heartbeat before following her.
"Ella. I can't wait two weeks in limbo. So if you are going to leave me then you need to do it now." He said to her, not meeting her gaze.
"Fine I'll get packed. " she said softly.
He nodded and walked back down the stairs. He paused on the bottom step wondering what he was going to do without her. He waited there a long time before walking out the front door and into his car. He drove around for an hour hoping she would be gone by the time he got back and then hoping that she would still be there. Finally he went home and in through the door.
He saw that candles had been lit, placed on the stairs and he walked up the steps slowly and followed the candles, going into their bedroom.
She was in bed reading a book waiting for him.
"I'm not happy doesn't mean I'm giving up on us you idiot." She said to him.
He grinned and ran over to the bed drawing her into his arms.
"I was so scared you would be gone." He muttered.
She thumped him on the arm.
"You idiot." She said again. "What about fighting for us? Or you know telling me it will work out."
"You are mad at me." He said grinning.
"Mad? No, I'm not mad, I'm bloody furious."
"Even better." His grin got wider. "Ella you scared me so much today, I thought I'd lost you."
"Oh yeah, why the heck would I still call this home if I were even thinking about leaving you? And how could I walk away carrying our baby?" she asked him.
"I don't know. I just heard that you were unhappy and I thought that leaving me would be the way to make you happy. It seemed to make sense." He shrugged.
"To you maybe but I didn't even think that." She said her tone still angry with him.
"So if you weren't planning on leaving why did you say you would get packed?" he asked.
"To take that very big knife you had just poked in me and stick it back in you." She muttered. "Somehow I expected you to rip the suitcase out of my hand if I even thought about reaching for it."
He grinned.
"I needed this Ella." He said. "I needed you to thump me and get mad at me. It tells me you still care."
"I do I'm just not in a place where I can say those words to you. I'm upset that I'm not doing more of my stuff and I didn't even miss it until this weekend. I'm fed up with feeling unwell because of the baby. And I'm scared that ... well I'm scared. And you really hurt me this weekend." She said.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean too." He said softly.
"I'm sure you didn't but it doesn't help me much right now." She put the book to one side and stood up. She blew out the candles and went down the stairs doing likewise with those on the stairs, before making her way to the kitchen.
He followed and stood in the doorway.
"I could cook us a meal." He suggested.
She looked at him.
"Except I'm not hungry enough. I just want some cheese on toast." She said.
"I'm very good with toast." he said.
She turned and put her hands on her hips.
"I don't want your toast. I don't want you to even talk to me right now." She told him.
He nodded understanding and walked over to her. He pulled her into his arms feeling her try to pull away. He bent his head and kissed her.
"I know." He said finally. "You don't want my kisses."
She looked at him through her lashes.
"Oh I wouldn't go that far." She said.
He grinned and kissed her again feeling her arms wrap around his neck.