Chapter 94
She was awoken by Nic's voice and she looked up groggily.
"Step-mama, my dad is having a breakdown. I nearly blurted out your news and you've been sleeping like a baby." She told her.
Ella looked up and blinked.
"Your dad can go and…" Ella told her in response.
"Hey, is this a no caffeine response or are you seriously mad at him?" Ruby asked.
Ella stood up from the sofa and went into the bathroom and came out a moment later.
"Is he really panicking?" she said concerned.
Nic grinned.
"A little." She said. "But hey, it serves him right. How did you get on today?"
"Specialist seems to think that things will go ok. Need to watch my blood pressure and follow a diet. There might also be bed rest during the last term."
Nic came over and hugged her.
"Now are you going to tell him?"
Ella nodded.
"Of course I am. After I stop being mad at him."
"So he'll find out at the birth then." Ruby grinned.
"Maybe a little while after that." Ella said softly.
She looked at her phone and surprisingly there were no more messages. It was then she caught sight of the table and more flowers.
Ruby chuckled.
"There is also a large teddy bear, chocolates and a selection of bath stuff."
Nic smiled at her.
"Very expensive bath stuff too. Apparently your favourite."
Ella shook her head.
She walked over to the table and looked at the cards.
"This one is because I didn't apologise." She read aloud then picked up the next card. "I am sorry and I will make it up to you."
She turned to Nic.
"How exactly does he know I am here?" she asked her.
Nic shook her head.
"I never told him." she said quickly.
Ella looked at Ruby.
"Nor me." She said quickly.
She walked over to the bear and picked up the tag.
"How can I say sorry except with a hug. " she murmured.
Ruby handed her the chocolates, which Ella opened and ate one before reading the attached card.
"I kiss your lips with each taste and hope that you'll forgive me."
"Hey for my Dad that is romantic." Nic said.
Ella nodded.
"Still not forgiving him?" Ruby grinned.
She shook her head.
"Would you? I cooked a romantic meal, I asked him to be home at a certain time and he said yes. I wore stockings for pete's sake." She sniffed suspiciously. "And I was going to tell him about the baby."
Nic pulled her to the sofa and sat her down.
"El, if you are going to cry I will cry." Nic said.
Ella shook her head.
"What is the last one?" she asked Ruby.
Ruby handed over the large basket of bath stuff.
"Oh wow." She said.
"Step-mama." Nic warned.
Ella wiped the tears from her face and lifted up the card.
"This is not part of my apology. It's just because…. PS if you need your back washing call me."
"So that is your favourite stuff." Ruby said softly.
Ella tried to stop crying but the tears flowed down her face.
"I told him this was my favourite." She said quickly.
"Ok." Nic said.
Ella shook her head.
"I told him this was my favourite when we were in Afghanistan." She explained.
Nic put her arm round her shoulders.
"So are you going home tonight?" she asked her.
Ella shook her head.
"I need him to know that I'm upset." She muttered.
"Are you sure about that?" Ruby asked her.
Ella nodded.
Then she shook her head.
Ruby fetched a bottle of water from the fridge and brought it over to her and Ella took a long drink.
She looked at her phone as it rang.
"It's dad." Nic told her.
She nodded.
"Answer it." Ruby told her.
"Hello." She said into the phone.
She stood up and moved away from them.
"Hey." He said. "Are you ok?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Yes I'm fine."
"Good. What are you up to?" he murmured.
"Why are you making small talk?" she asked him.
He sighed.
"Because I don't want to get into a fight with you over the phone and I just really needed to hear your voice." He confessed.
She sighed.
"I'm mad at you."
"I know and I deserve it." he said softly. "I saw all the trouble you went too and I'm sorry that I missed it but I'm really sorry I upset you."
"Are you?" she muttered.
"Of course I am. Not sorry enough to wear the dress though but I do have the stockings on underneath my trousers."
Ella had to cover her mouth to stop herself laughing.
"Uh huh." She said, grinning.
"When will you be home El I need to hold you."
She sighed.
"Stop it. " she muttered. "I'm mad at you and I don't want to be joked out of it and I don't want you to …."
"I won't do anything then." He interrupted. "I won't send you chocolates or flowers and you better not answer the door in about ten minutes because I haven't ordered your favourite pizza to be delivered either."
"I'm hanging up on you." She told him grouchily.
"You just don't want me to hear the door buzzer go so it confirms you are at the studio." He said.
She sighed and walked into her bedroom away from Ruby and Nic who she knew were listening in. She closed the door behind her and heard Nic groan behind her.
"Where I am is none of your business." She told him. "And forget me coming home anytime soon."
"Ella." he said softly.
"No. Stop it. You ruined the best night, I was planning to tell you something too. And I needed you today." She started crying again and dashed the tears away from her face.
"Ella I am sorry." He told her.
"I know but I'm still upset and I need time."
"I love you." He told her.
She sighed.
"I love you too."
"You better go your pizza will be getting cold." He said.
She hung up the phone on his laughing and opened the door.
Ruby looked at her.
"We just got a pizza delivery. And I think this one is yours."
She walked over to the kitchen counter and looked at it.
"Extra cheese and olives." She muttered. "I hate him." she grouched.
Nic chuckled.
Ella picked up a slice and bit into it.
"Are you going home tonight?"
Ella shook her head.
"I'm too tired and too upset." She said. "I don't want to risk driving in this state."
"You could come back with me?" She suggested.
"Or you could both stay and we can watch a movie and eat this pizza." Ruby chipped in with her own suggestion.
Nic grinned.
"I was hoping you would say that I already texted Geoff and told him."
Ella looked at Nic.
"Does he know I'm here?" she asked.
Nic shook her head.
"So why is your Dad so certain that I'm here." She muttered.
Ruby shrugged.
"Is it worth worrying about?" she asked.
Ella looked up and picked up the second slice.
"Well I don't want to be predictable."
She felt her phone buzz in her pocket and clicked it open.
"Tell Ruby to answer the door." Ella read out.
Ruby looked at her.
"He's…" she stopped trying to think of something to describe him.
The door buzzer went.
"Answer the door." Nic said grinning.
Ruby chuckled and went down the stairs to the outer door. She grinned and accepted the package from the deliveryman before she walked back up the stairs.
Ella looked at her as she handed over the box.
"Something to keep you sweet." She read and opened the box.
Nic gasped as saw the toffee cheesecake.
"Are you sure you don't want to go home tonight?" Nic asked her.
"You just want me to go so you can eat my food." Ella said.
She picked up her pizza box and went over to the sofa. Nic and Ruby joined her.
"So toffee cheesecake?" Nic asked.
Ella shook her head.
"Sorry but that story I refuse to tell." She said and bit into her pizza.