Page 40 of Christmas off Script
‘Actually, I don’t give a rat’s arse,’ Leo interrupted ‘You’re going back in there to tell Libby you’ve changed your mind.’
Zach shook his head. ‘I’m not doing that.’
‘Oh, yes, you are.’
‘Oh, no, I’m not,’ Zach replied with a rueful smile.
Leo shoved him. ‘Is this a fucking joke to you? Get out of my family’s house and get out of Ella’s life.’
Zach held up his hands again. ‘Can we just talk?’
‘No.’
‘I want to explain.’
‘Not fucking interested. You—’ Leo broke off as the door to the ballroom opened and his mother stepped into the corridor, her anxious eyes flicking between him and Zach.
‘Darling, is everything alright?’ she said to Leo before turning to Zach and opening her arms, drawing him in for a hug. ‘It’s been far too long, young man. How’s your mammy and daddy? Kurt?’
‘Mum!’ Leo hissed as she gave one of her legendary cuddles to the least deserving man in Foxbrooke after Oliver and Ella’s dad.
‘Not too bad, Mrs F,’ Zach replied. ‘Kurt’s coming back from Australia for Christmas.’
Dervla drew back to look into Zach’s eyes, her hands squeezing his upper arms. ‘That’ll be nice. Having the whole family back together. Ah, it’s so lovely to see you again. And such a surprise having a star like you in our little panto.’
Zach’s cheeks coloured, and he glanced at Leo. ‘I’m back for a few reasons,’ he began haltingly. ‘And one of them is to apologise to Ella for what I did back when…’
Leo bristled at the look of contrition on Zach’s face. It appeared genuine, but that only went to show what a great actor he’d become.
‘You took your fucking time,’ he snapped. ‘Has it taken you this long to realise what an utter bastard you were to her?’
‘Leo!’ Dervla cried.
Zach shook his head, his expression haunted. ‘Leo’s right. I should have reached out years ago, but—’ He ran a hand through his thick black hair. ‘I don’t want to give you any excuses because they’re not good enough.’
‘So why now? And why crash our panto?’ Leo continued, his anger still raging like a wildfire.
Dervla frowned at Leo, then cupped Zach’s face as if he were another of her children. ‘Ella will understand, I’m sure.’
Zach swallowed, his gaze flicking between the two of them. ‘Ronnie Chamberlain is being released early.’
Dervla froze. ‘Oh.’
So the Price familyhadbeen contacted. Leo’s jaw clenched even tighter. It wasn’t just conjecture and hope on Michelle’s part. This news made it real.
‘He’ll be out in time for Christmas,’ Zach continued. ‘And the news has brought back everything for all of us. But we need to face it and move on rather than running away or living in anger.’
‘And Kurt?’ Dervla asked.
‘He booked his flight home from Oz before we knew about Ronnie, but he’s not going to change his plans. He doesn’t want what happened to affect his whole life.’ Zach turned to Leo. ‘Please, let me speak to Ella.’
Zach may have been genuinely sorry for what he did, but after the shock of Oliver dumping her the day before, the last thing Ella wanted was another ex-boyfriend throwing her for a loop.
Leo shook his head. ‘Not today. She’s been through enough recently.’
‘She has? What’s going on in her life? Mum said she’s got a boyfriend.’
Zach’s words were more petrol being dumped on the fire of Leo’s anger. Zach was acting like he had some kind of claim over Ella. As if he had the right to know about her life and be the one to comfort her.
