How Many Chances (17 page)

“Oh God, Cole,” she cried as a
sob shook through her body. “I think my grandparents knew too. They all knew and no one ever told me. All these years I thought my father didn’t care about me but really, my father worked next to me every day and didn’t care enough to even admit he was my dad,”

She could feel the bile rise in her throat and she knew she was going to be sick again. She jumped to her feet and ran to th
e bathroom in Cole’s bedroom, sinking to her knees in front of the toilet and began to throw up.

“It’s Okay,” Ally h
eard Cole say softly from behind her as he sat on the floor behind Ally, holding her hair back and softly rubbing her back. Then he pulled her to him once she had stopped throwing up. She turned her face into his chest and let go of her grief. Of every ounce of pain she had ever felt because of Sean Fitzmaurice and now this new unbearable ache she had in the pit of her stomach as she realised everyday of her life had been a lie poured out as her heart broke.

Ally’s phone rang again and again. It changed between her grandmother, Caitlin and Hannah’s phone number. But she refused to take any of their calls. Cole had told her, once she had calmed down after Fitzmaurice’s visit that one of the tabloids had run a story about their engagement and he was pretty sure it was Steph or her sister who had leaked the story.

It had been Steph she had overheard him arguing with on the phone earlier
that morning just before Fitzmaurice had arrived. Which also explained how he had known they were planning to marry.

Ally knew everyone from home was calling to see if the story was true but she couldn’t face talking to them. Least of all her grand
parents.

She was mad as hell. Her grandparents were the two people in this world that had always been there for her. She trusted them, and if she was honest
, she trusted Gus too. And they had all lied to her. She had wished all her life he had been her dad. And now it turns out he was, but he just never wanted her.

Cole tried and tried to get her to talk to her grandparents but she would
n’t budge. She made him promise he wouldn’t tell anyone else what Fitzmaurice had told them. Cole wasn’t happy but he promised Ally.

Ally spent the rest of the day lost in her own thoughts laying in
Cole’s bed looking out over London. She couldn’t talk or cry anymore. She just lay there on the bed and stared out into the city and let her mind race feeling numb.

Cole was worried sick about her. She refused to eat. She refused to talk. She just shut herself away inside her own head.
He wanted to call a doctor but she refused that too.

As darkness fell across the city and Ally had still not moved from her space on the bed
Cole decided he was gonna take action.

“Okay, that’s it,” he exclaimed as he walked into the room and switched on the main light to a cry of
protest from Ally. “I want you to get up.” He said as he walked around the bed and stood directly in her line of vision.

“
Go away,” she replied without making eye contact with him.

“Sorry, wrong answer,” he said as he reached out and scooped her off the bed.

“COLE, PUT ME DOWN!” She cried out, wriggling in his arms but he just held her tighter. He walked to the bathroom door and kicked it open. “Cole you wouldn’t dare.”

“
Won’t I?” he laughed as he opened the shower door and stepped inside with Ally still in his arms.

“Cole I mean it
,” Ally protested angrily but her words fell on deaf ears. Cole reached for the taps and the blast of cold water hit them both.

“ARE YOU INSANE?” Ally screamed as her breath caught in her throat from the cold water. She fought harder to get out of his embrace but he just held her tighter.

“Stop fighting me, Ally,” he said. “Stop pushing me away. I love you and I am not going to let you do this.”

“Cole please,” Ally begged as she tried to push her grief back inside her. She refused to give in to her tears.

“Talk to me,” he pleaded.

“Cole, please.” Sh
e couldn’t hold back the sob that came from deep inside her. She turned and buried her face into his neck and began to sob.

“That’s it, gorgeous girl,” he whispered soothingly against her forehead. Suddenly she could hold back no longer and she sobbed harder. Cole let her slip down to the floor of the shower and wrapped her tightly in his arms.

“I have you,” he breathed into her ear and he held her so tight to him that their bodies had almost become one.

“He has been part of my life
for as long as I remember,” Ally began suddenly gasping for breath between sobs. “I used to dream that he was my Dad. I used to watch him with his three girls and I longed to have a father that could love me as much as he loved them. And the whole time he was my Dad. And he didn’t care enough to want me. Just felt guilty enough to pretend to care.”

“Ally, you need to talk to him,” Cole said in a cautious voice.

“Why?” she asked and another sob shook her entire body. “Fitzmaurice maybe a bastard, but at least he was an honest bastard. He walked away. He didn’t pretend that he cared.”

Suddenly she began to sob harder.

“Oh God,” she said struggling hard to breath. “My whole life is just one big lie. And everyone I trusted knew. How can I ever face them again?”

“You have me,” Cole replied. “And what we have isn’t a lie. It was never a lie. I love you. It doesn’t matter who you think you are because I know who you a
re. You are the girl I wake up with every morning and thank the gods for leading me to you. You are the girl I want to spend every single day for the rest of my life loving. You are my world, my heart. You are my reason to smile and my reason to cry. Ally you are everything to me. No one else matters.”

Ally looked up at Cole and
smiled. She knew he was right. Who she was or wasn’t no longer mattered. Who she is now, who he had helped her become is all that mattered.

“Thank you,” she smiled through her tears.

He brought his lips to hers and kissed her tenderly.

“Never doubt how m
uch I love you,” Cole said as he barely pulled his lips from hers. “And never doubt what you mean to me.”

Ally kissed him
softly and hugged him tightly. She thought about how she had started the day thinking she would lose him because of what she had to tell him about Ben. But she knew now, nothing she could say to him would make him love her any less. But she didn’t want to be the one to break his heart. She wanted to be the one who put it back together.

Ally decided
there and then it was time she and the lovely Steph had a little chat. She was going to put that bitch back in her place.

“Can we get out of this shower now?” Ally said looking up at Cole and smiling.

“If you promise you will talk to me properly,” Cole said with a cheeky grin.

They climb
ed out of the shower, both cold and dripping wet. They both stripped from their wet clothes and Cole grabbed a towel and wrapped it around Ally before grabbing one for himself.

“This is becoming
a habit.” Ally laughed as she wrapped a towel around her wet hair. “Taking me to the shower to sort my sorry ass out.”

“I
am very fond of your sorry ass,” Cole laughed. “This time I decided the shock and awe tactic was for the best.” Then without any warning he flicked the towel he was drying his hair with, at Ally’s backside and connected perfectly.

“Ouch!”
she exclaimed and laughed then screamed when he flicked her again.

She reached for the towel and grabbed it, trying to stop him flicking her again. Cole grabbed her two wrists and pulled her to him wrapping his arms around her.

“You need to talk to your grandparents.” Cole said and surprised Ally. “I know you are hurt Ally and I understand why. But they love you and not talking to them is hurting you. Please ring home.”

“I don’t know what
to say to them,” she admitted honestly.

“Start with hello.” Cole said and kissed her softly.

When they finished dressing, Cole handed Ally her mobile phone and smiled at Ally.

“
I will give you some privacy,” he said as he kissed her forehead and walked towards the bedroom door. He stopped at the door and looked back and gave Ally a huge smile. Then left her alone.

Ally picked up the phone and called up her contact list. She scrolled down till she found her grandmothers number. She took a deep breath a pressed call.

“Ally, oh thank God,” Nan’s worried voice came down the phone. “I have been calling you all day, so has Caitlin and Hannah. I thought that something had happened to you. Are you alright, pet?”

“I’m okay,”
Ally replied trying but failing miserable to keep the sadness out of her voice.

“Ally, sweet heart,” Nan said and Ally could hear the level of concern shoot up in her grandmothers voice
immediately. “What’s happened?”

“We can talk when I get home,” Ally simply replied.
She thought it was for the best to wait and do this face to face.

“It’s your father,
isn’t it,” Nan said instantly knowing something was not right. “What has happened? What has he done?”

“Nan, I would really rather not talk about it,” Ally said trying to fight back the tears. She
really didn’t want to have this conversation over the phone.

“Have you seen him again?” Nan pushed.

“Nan, please, we can talk when I get home,” Ally repeated once again struggling to keep herself together.

“If he has hurt you,” Nan said and sudden rage in her voice very obvious. “He maybe be your father, but he has no right…”

“No he has no right, do he,” Ally snapped, unable to listen to anymore. “But you would know that better than me.”

“Ally, pet, what has happened?” Nan said and her voice was now filled with panic. “What has your father said?”

“That he is not my Dad!” Ally snapped as she could fight the tears no longer. “But then that isn’t exactly news to you, is it?”

“Ally, I have no idea what you are talking about,” Nan replied sounding genuinely shocked.

“Nan, please, “Ally said pinching her eyes shut and squeezing the bridge of her nose, trying to easy the sudden head ache she had. “Just stop lying to me. I know everything. I know about Gus. I know Fitzmaurice isn’t my dad. That’s why he walked away. Because he didn’t want someone else brat.”

“Ally, pet.” Nan struggled for words. “I don’t know what that
lying waste of space said. But…”

“Nan please, stop lying,” Ally sobbed. Cole suddenly appeared at the door. He had heard her crying and he could stay away no longer. He rushed to the bed and sat next to Ally and wrapped her in his arms. She handed h
im the phone and shock her head. She couldn’t talk anymore.

“Hello,” Cole said nervously putting the phone to his ear.

“Cole, where is Ally?” Nan asked and Cole could hear the panic in her voice. “Is she okay?”

“She is a little upset,” Cole replied
not really sure what else to say. He held Ally closer.

“What did that man say to her?” Nan demanded.

“He told her he wasn’t her father,” Cole began nervously. “He told her he needed to talk to Gus Parsons. That he would be able to answer her questions.”

“Why would Gus know anything?” Nan asked and Cole realised this was news to Ally’s grandmother too. Then suddenly Pops spoke in the back ground.

“That lousy bastard,” Pop exclaimed. “He actually told her.”

“
You knew,” Nan said to Pop and Cole could hear the hurt in her voice. “All this time you knew, you both knew and neither of you thought to tell me. To tell that poor girl! Her heart has been broken. She is over there and her world is falling apart.”

Then she turned her attention back to Cole.

“Cole please let me talk to Ally,” Nan begged and Cole felt pity for this old, loving woman.

“Ally, sweetheart.” Cole said. “Nan wants to talk to you.” Ally shook her head.

“I am sorry Mrs Brody,” Cole sighed. “She won’t come to the phone.”

“Well you tell her from me,” Nan said. “Tell her, her Nan will sort this. That I will get all the answers she needs. Tell her I love her. And I am here for her when she needs me.”

“I will,” Cole replied.

“Cole,” Nan said quietly. “Take care of my girl for me.”

“That I will do happily,” he replied with a smile as he pressed his lips against Ally’s head. Cole said his goodbyes and hung up the phone and threw it down on to the bed.

“Ally,” Cole began
cautiously. “Your Nan didn’t know. I think Pops did. But Nan had no idea.”

“Why would Pop hide
this?” Ally said sitting up and looking at Cole. Her eyes were puffy and red. So was her nose. But she was still breathtaking. Cole wished he could make all her hurt go away.

“I have no idea.” Cole shrugged. “But Nan isn’t happy and
I think he has a lot of question to answer.”

Cole pulled Ally back to him and kissed her on the head once again.

“Thank you Cole,” Ally sighed as she rested her head against his chest.

“Thank you for what?” Cole asked not sure why she was thanking him,

“For being you.” she replied. And tomorrow, it was her turn to step up for Cole. She was going to face Steph and tell her she need to come clean or she will tell Cole everything. She needed to do this for him. Steph was about to have her world, crash around her ears. And Ally was going to make sure Cole wasn’t caught up in the fall out.