Scripted Love

by Karen Frances

  “You’re right about the hospital, but he wouldn’t go. And if he did, there’s every chance he would run away. I’m not prepared to take that chance, so if me being here with him all night means he gets the right medicine and is looked after, then I’m prepared to do that.” Tom smiles but then I see his worry. He doesn’t have to stay.

  “Ella, fucking hell. I’m not letting you stay there on your own.”

  “I’m not on my own. Tom is here at the moment and Michelle is away getting medicine and blankets. And when or if they leave, I have Mack for company.”

  “Do you realise this is dangerous?” Connor shouts.

  “Yes, but it’s my choice to make.”

  There’s a long silence. “Tell me where you are. I’m coming to you.”

  I look at Tom and Mack. Mack nods his head and tells me it’s okay.

  “Fine,” I say with a sigh and tell Connor where I am.

  “He sounds like a good man. He’s only worried about his woman,” Mack says.

  I feel bad because I’ve added to his worries. He has enough going on in his own life without me causing more problems. “He is. He wanted to come with me tonight but I didn’t think you’d appreciate a new face.”

  “As long as he’s not a social worker, he’ll be okay. And anyway, he can’t be that bad if he’s a friend of yours.”

  “He’s a good soul. An actor as well.”

  “We’ll end up needing security for you two,” Tom says, and I can’t make up my mind if he’s joking or not.

  “No one will even know we’re here except Mack and Jack. Mack, do you know anything about Jack’s background?”

  “He doesn’t talk much about family, except his mum, but she died a few months back. From what he says, they were really close. It was always just the two of them. From what I read between the lines there were no aunts, uncles, or grandparents.”

  “What about his dad?”

  “I think that’s why he’s here, because of him. I didn’t want to push him on this. I want him to tell me when he’s comfortable and when I’ve gained his trust.”

  And there’s that word again.

  The three of us sit talking. I turn off from the conversation when it switches to football. Although, I do hear Mack say he’s a huge fan of one half of the old firm. The team Fletcher plays for.

  “Sorry it took so long,” Michelle says, re-joining us. “I have some paracetamol and I got a prescription for an antibiotic. You should have seen me trying to lie to the doctor. Not something I want to do again.”

  “Thank you,” Mack says, and I know it’s because she hasn’t returned with the doctor or a member of social services.

  “Don’t thank me yet. If this doesn’t help him, I’ll be left with no choice,” she says softly.

  “I understand.”

  “Okay, Tom, which of us is going to stay with the boy all night?” she asks.

  I hope she’s not offended that I’m staying. “I’ve already said I’m staying.”

  “Ella!”

  “Don’t say a word. I couldn’t go home knowing Jack is sick. Connor is coming here.” She frowns. “Don’t ask.”

  “I won’t. I’m not sure about leaving you, but I do have others Tom and I should go and check on.”

  “I know that. Go. I’ll be fine.”

  Connor arrives, and if he’s shocked, he hides it well. Michelle agrees to leave reluctantly with Tom after telling me about the medication for Jack. She also informs me that she’ll check back on us in a few hours.

  I’m introducing Connor to Mack when Jack stirs in my arms, waking up. Perfect, it means he can take the medication now. “Hey, I know you,” Jack says, rubbing his tired eyes.

  “Jack, this is Connor,” I tell him.

  “I know that. I’m not stupid. Why is he here?”

  “Because with you sick, I wouldn’t go home, so he’s come here to keep an eye on me. Make sure I don’t get into any trouble. Now, I have some medicine for you to take.” I give him the correct dosage of medicine and he laughs at me. “What’s so funny?”

  “I bet you get into loads of trouble, Ella,” he says.

  “She does,” Connor says.

  The night goes quickly. Jack drifts in and out of sleep for most of it and Mack does too. I get the feeling he wanted to make sure Jack was okay, but he was exhausted. Michelle and Tom come back a few times to check on us. Connor and I talk most of the night because there isn’t much else to do. It’s funny; I’m still not tired.

  We talked about the lunch we went to with his parents. It had been good to see them yesterday afternoon looking so much better than the day before. His mum looked as though a huge burden had been lifted.

  Connor has also decided to go public and tell his story. I know he’ll find it tough because he’s dredging up the past. A past he doesn’t want to think about. I’ve told him he’s not alone when he does this. I’ll be right by his side.

  It’s five forty-five a.m. and the sun is rising. “This is very different to how we spent this time yesterday morning,” Connor says, bringing a smile to my face.

  “It is. I’m sorry.”

  “What are you sorry for?”

  “For refusing to come home last night.”

  “Don’t. I understand completely, especially after seeing how Jack has been through the night. He needed you. And your caring quality is one of the reasons I love you.” He leans over and kisses me.

  “Oh, no. I can’t be doing with mushy stuff first thing in the morning,” Mack says, stretching. “How has he been?”

  “Restless,” I say. “But his temperature is coming down.”

  “Thank God for that. I was worried about him.”

  “He’ll be fine. Hopefully when he wakes up, he’ll feel hungry. We can get you both some breakfast.”

  “Miss Ella, you should think about going home. Get some sleep yourself.”

  “Mack has a point, Ella.”

  I know he does, but I want to make sure Jack is okay before I leave them. Jack stirs in my arms, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

  “I wasn’t dreaming then,” he says, looking straight at Connor. “You’re really here. I can’t believe I’ve spent the night with not one, but two celebs.”

  “You look and sound better,” Connor says, and I have to agree. I watch as Connor opens his mouth as though he’s going to speak, but he stops himself.

  “I feel better thanks to Ella.”

  “You have nothing to thank me for. Anyone would’ve done the same.”

  “No, they wouldn’t. My own dad and his girlfriend wouldn’t and couldn’t.” I look at Mack and his eyes fill with unshed tears at this small piece of information.

  “I’m sure that’s not true,” I say, trying to sound hopeful, even though I want to keep my arms around him and never let him go. I hear the hurt in his voice.

  “It is, but don’t worry about me. I’m better off without those drug addicts in my life, even on the streets.”

  Now I think I get it. Why this boy has fallen through the system; it’s because no one has bothered to report him as a missing child. I can’t imagine a father not caring enough about his own child. How could he not even notice his son was missing?

  “Miss Ella,” Mack draws my attention to him. “I don’t want to be rude, but you really should get going because if you’re still here when the city gets busy with people, someone is bound to recognise you and that will bring attention to us.”

  “I understand.” I tell Mack about the medication that Jack should continue to take today and I tell them I will see them both tonight.

  Connor hands Mack money and tells him to make sure they both eat well today. Mack isn’t happy with the amount Connor has given him and argues with him that it’s too much. Connor then takes my hand as we walk away, leaving two people who have found a way into my heart in a very short period of time.

  “YOU’RE AWFULLY QUIET,” MY DAD says as we sit in my front room. He’s right, I am. There’s so many
things going through my head, it’s hard to keep up; Connor, Mack and Jack, but also Donovan. It’s been a bit too quiet lately from him. I’m not sure if I should be worried or not. Dad and Trevor came over an hour ago to talk through the fact that Connor is joining me on the set this week. I’m excited about that; we both are. Trevor has also talked to Connor in great length about the interview he’ll be giving this week too. He’s really nervous about putting his story out there, but as was pointed out to him, it is out there, he just needs to give the facts.

  “Sorry. I have a few things on my mind.”

  “Care to tell us?” Dad asks.

  I look at Connor and he nods, already knowing part of what’s on my mind. “I can’t stop thinking about a young lad who is living on the streets.”

  My dad gasps and his eyes dart between me and Connor.

  I start at the beginning and tell my dad and Trevor everything about my nights on the street helping the charity, including staying there the whole night to make sure Jack was okay. I give them every last detail because I need them to understand. That our society is fucked up. That this happens. It shouldn’t be going on in this day and age. We’re not living in the dark ages, but to see the problems on our streets, you’d think we were.

  “Sweetheart, you get more like your dear mother with each passing day. But do you know how dangerous that was?”

  “Yes, but Connor was there with me. He said the same as you when I told him I wouldn’t be home, but then he came and stayed with me, Jack, and Mack.”

  “Okay, so what do you plan to do? I know you and you’ll want to do more than you’re already doing, so tell me.”

  “I don’t know. That’s why I’m feeling so troubled.”

  “What does your heart say?”

  My eyes drift around the room. I’m deep in thought. There’s so much I want to do. The voluntary work with the charity is just a starting point for me. “My heart wants to protect him, to help him. Not just Jack, but also Mack. Jack deserves a home, a family, someone to love him. He can’t spend his life on the streets. His mum loved him, but she’s gone, and from what he said, his dad isn’t interested in him.”

  “You really do sound like your mother when you’re passionate about something, and you might not know it, but I think your mind is already made up on what you want to do.”

  “I want to help.”

  Connor squeezes my hand.

  “When are you going back out with the charity?” Dad asks.

  “Tonight.” I can see the raised eyebrows of both my dad and Trevor, but neither of them says anything, even though I sense my dad is itching to speak.

  We don’t talk any further about my volunteer work, although we do talk about what Libby wants to do for the charities. I tell them I’ll be seeing Jess and Libby this week to discuss this. Everyone seems genuinely interested in the event.

  Things have changed for me. I said at the beginning I would only volunteer two nights a week, but with the way I’m feeling about it, I’ll need to look at my schedule. I won’t be out on Wednesday night because that’s when Libby and Jess will be here. But I do intend helping out on as many nights as I can.

  “Are you okay?” Connor asks as we sit outside in the garden, having some lunch. “You’re deep in thought again.”

  “Sorry. Yes, I’m okay, I suppose. There is just so much going on in my mind. I should be concentrating on you, but I just can’t get Jack out of my head. And I know Jack isn’t the only kid on the streets, but it’s breaking my heart knowing he and others are out there alone with no one caring for them.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I already feel as though a huge burden has been lifted from my shoulders. Just being able to be open and honest with you and my parents has helped me in more ways than you could realise. And as for Jack, you care and I’m sure you will make a difference to the lives of many homeless people up and down the country when the campaign launches.”

  “I don’t know if that’s going to be enough for me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We all know that my main reason for going into this was because of what Donovan did, but now that I’ve seen the problems for myself, a lot more is needed than just an ad campaign and some volunteer work.”

  “Such as?”

  “I don’t know. I’m no politician. But I think the government and local authorities need to be doing more. Money has to be made available to help. The conditions Stacey is staying in with two little girls is not acceptable. Local authority housing and private lets should be an acceptable standard. And don’t get me started on how it’s been possible for Jack to fall through the system. If his dad is a drug addict, shouldn’t they all be on the radar for social services?”

  “You sound as though you should be an MP,” he says with a smirk.

  I laugh. “I’ve no time for that at the moment, but you never know what the future might hold.”

  “I can tell you our future holds great things. That I’m certain of.”

  I enter the sitting room and look around. Everything is as it should be, but again, there’s an odd feeling running through my body. This really isn’t home anymore. Maybe I should do what Julie suggested and bring up the idea of Connor and me looking for a home together to him.

  He’s sitting on the sofa, newspaper in his hand, studying the front page. I happen to know that story is about him, although it’s not too bad, it just isn’t factual.

  I walk across the room and lift the newspaper from his hands before putting myself in his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. His dark eyes are shining, full of contentment. He pushes his forehead to mine, sighs, and wraps his arms around my waist. “This is nice,” he breathes softly against me.

  “It is.”

  “Ella, you have something on your mind. Tell me what it is.”

  “Okay. I know you’re still considering looking for a flat.”

  “Yes, but so much has happened lately.”

  “Ssh!” I press a light kiss to his lips. “Let me finish. Instead of looking for a flat, how would you feel about looking for a home? For both of us.”

  His face lights up. “What about here?”

  “This isn’t home, and if I’m honest, it hasn’t been for a long time. I don’t want to be here any longer. I’m not sure what I’ll do with it yet. Sell it, keep it. We’ll see.”

  “I’d love nothing more than for us to be living together in our own home. So, it’ll be a yes from me. I think we should start looking online now.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. I’m not giving you a chance to change your mind. You go and grab the laptop and I’m going to call the estate agent and tell them there is a change to my plans and see if they have any family homes suitable.”

  He kisses me quickly before I jump from his lap. Excitement fills me. We’re going to do this. I pause in the doorway and turn back to him. He said family home. Not a home for the two of us, but family.

  I watch him for a moment as he talks to the estate agent on the phone. He’s clear about what he’s looking for. I smile, listening to his end of the conversation. “Five bedrooms at least, good sized family room on top of living room and, most importantly, a large garden.”

  He looks at me and all I can do is smile. Everything is clear to me.

  Our future.

  Our life.

  Together.

  Forever.

  “YOU HAVE BEEN ONE HARD lady to get a hold of the past few days,” Libby says as I greet her at the front door. She hugs me tightly before casting her eyes over me.

  “Sorry. It’s been a busy few days. Who am I kidding? The past week has been non-stop. Come on through. Jess is already here, and my friend Julie.”

  “I hope you have lots of great things to tell us,” she says. “I’ve been worried about you.”

  “You don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine.” She walks beside me and greets the others when we enter my sitting room.

  Julie has already opened a bottle o
f wine, and four glasses stand tall on my coffee table. Libby takes a seat and opens the briefcase she’s brought with her, taking out piles of paperwork. “This is my kind of business meeting,” she says as Julie hands her a glass of wine.

  “Cheers. To friendship.”

  “To friendship.”

  “Now, Ella. Please tell me . . . you and Connor, you’re okay?” asks Libby.

  “Yes, we’re fine. Hoping to get our lives back on track and forget about all the other stuff we’ve had to deal with. We’re going to look for a house together, somewhere that feels like a family home.”

  Julie lets out a squeal. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I’m telling you now.”

  “Oh, I know the perfect place. Only seven houses. Nice neighbours and one house happens to be going on the market this weekend,” Jess tells us.

  “Where?”

  “In the estate we stay. It’s gated and very private.” Sounds like somewhere we’d both consider. I’ll mention it to Connor later. I think I’d like to be around people. Have nice neighbours.

  “Ladies, before we get down to the important work, can we just take a few minutes so my so-called best friend can fill us in on what the hell is going on?” Julie sits back in the chair, folding her arms across her body. She stares, waiting for me to start talking.

  Libby and Jess both agree and they all grab their wine glasses, sit back, and wait for me to tell them a story. I tell them everything from Connor leaving because he thought it was the best, to him opening up and telling me what happened. Connor won’t mind me telling them now because he is doing an interview. I tell them that this house isn’t home. Julie already knows this.

  And then I tell them about Stacey and her two gorgeous girls, and also about Mack and Jack, before I sit back and take a much needed gulp from my own glass of wine.

  Libby and Julie both seem stunned. I’ve not had a lot of time, and when Julie and I have spoken, I’ve only given her brief details. I’m the one who’s stunned when I turn to Jess; tears are rolling down her face. I put my glass down and move to her. “Hey, it’s okay.”