Page 54 of Christmas off Script
‘I know.’
‘But of course she wouldn’t listen. I remember how dark and wet it was. The water smeared by the greasy wiper blades and catching the light from the street lamps. It made it really difficult to see the road, but the speedometer kept creeping up. I knew she was going too fast.’
Hugging Ella a little tighter, Leo dropped another kiss on the top of her head.
‘In my dream, I’m yelling at Michelle to slow down. To stop. Not to take this risk. But she’s furious with me. She turns to yell at me over her shoulder. But then Dad’s car hits ours from the right-hand side. Everything is always in slow motion from that point. The two cars travelling sideways. The girls screaming. Michelle’s body being thrown about like a rag doll. Then the ear-splitting thud as we crash into a tree on the left. Michelle’s not moving, and there’s broken glass and blood everywhere. Then Dad’s there, but he can’t get to us because the tree has staved in the doors on my side, and his car has crushed the ones on the driver’s side.’
The fire crew had taken nearly an hour to cut Michelle out of the car and free her daughters, who, miraculously, were relatively unharmed. Ronnie had then grabbed the two younger girls and got a friend to drive them to the hospital to see Michelle, leaving Ella still stuck in the back of the car.
‘If I’d been sitting in the front passenger seat, I would have died.’
Leo nodded. ‘Thank god you weren’t.’
‘They’re never going to stop blaming me for what happened.’
‘You know it’s not your fault. None of it is.’
She sighed. ‘But Dad being put awayismy fault.’
‘Bullshit. We just sped up the inevitable. Who knows how many more people might have died if we hadn’t told the police where his lock-up was? Come on, love. You know I’m right.’
Another sigh. ‘Dad coming out early is bringing everything back from that time.’
And Zach returning. ‘What can I do to help?’
She gave him a squeeze. ‘Just keep being the best friend a girl could ever have.’
The corners of Leo’s eyes unexpectedly pricked with tears. He loved Ella so much and wanted to protect her from anything bad in the world, starting with her family.
‘Maybe tell me a happy story?’ she asked.
Leo smiled. ‘’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…’
‘Perfect.’
‘The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there…’
Leo continued the story that both he and Ella knew by heart, speaking softly in the hope it might lull her to sleep.
‘Again,’ she murmured when he got to the end.
Halfway through the second rendition, Ella’s breathing changed and her body became heavy in his arms. Leo kept talking, making sure she was truly asleep.
‘But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”,’ Leo finished, not wanting to move and wake Ella up.
Holding her in his arms, he listened to the deep, rhythmic sound of her breathing. How lucky he was to have her in his life.
‘Love you, Ella,’ he whispered, before carefully resting his head back and closing his eyes.
10
Ella awoke slowly the next morning from the deepest sleep, as if floating down to earth from the fluffiest cloud in heaven. At the edge of her awareness was a niggling sensation. Some unpleasant memory she couldn’t quite reach.
The bed smelled different, too. A spicy and comforting scent she knew was good, but had never been in bed with her before. Something heavy was draped over her side and she was holding something warm.
Opening her eyes, she saw a hand nestled between hers. The brief flare of panic in her chest extinguished the moment she remembered who was with her.Leo. He’d stolen her nightmares and guarded her sleep.
Carefully turning to her other side, Ella gazed at him. Had she ever seen him asleep before? Still dressed in his smart clothes from the previous night, he looked like a fallen angel with his messy blond hair and tawny stubble. Leo was beautiful in a wholly masculine way.
