Persona (The 'Professional' series) (16 page)

He continued
talking to her lifeless body.  “Look, I even told Scarlett there was no
chance of me and her hooking up.  I told her I love you.  She wasn’t
happy at first, but she is a good woman, she understood in the end.  Eric
said…”

He stopped
suddenly, he was sure she fluttered her eyes and slightly squeezed his
hand.  Christ, he got a reaction mentioning Scarlett - he wished he had
mentioned her hours before!   “Nurse, Nurse.  She’s awake! 
She’s awake!”

A Nurse came
rushing in, “Quieten down now, Mr Spittle.  You will be waking everyone
with that hollering,” she reprimanded with a smile on her lips.

After tests
and rest, Daniel sat back on the uncomfortable chair, but he didn’t care. 
Ella was alive, weak, but alive. 

He held her
hand, kissing the palm.  He used his other to tenderly brush her hair off
her face.  It didn’t matter that she couldn’t talk back to him yet. 
The Nurse said that she was to keep quiet for her throat to heal after the
tubes.  He didn’t think he had ever rambled as much.

“I’m so glad
you are back with me, my Darling.  No one is going to hurt you ever
again.  Actually, I don’t think I am going to let you out of my sight ever
again.”  He kissed her hand which was still squeezed between his
fingers.  “Of course, that is if you want to be with me.”  He was
joking, trying to keep it light.  He hoped with all his heart that she
wanted the same as him. 

He watched
her give him a shaky smile while she looked at him, her eyes misting with
tears.  He hoped they were tears because she was happy and wanted the same
as him, not tears of regret. 

On noticing
a shadow, Daniel saw her look towards the door.  A tear released and slid
down her cheek. 

Daniel
swivelled in his chair towards the noise.  Jeff was standing there…

Months
later…

Ella
squeezed her eyes tight, she didn’t want to see. She twisted her head away so
she wouldn’t be tempted to peek and witness what was happening.  

Would it
hurt too much to see Daniel with another woman?  It was bad enough seeing
him gaze at another woman with so much longing in his eyes.  When he
bended his head towards a kiss, passionate, no doubt, Ella knew she couldn’t
look any longer.  The stress was too much.

A hand covered
her tightly screwed-up hand, the same time as she felt a kick.  She jumped
and heard Daniels throaty laugh next to her.  She peeked sideward towards
him.

Daniel bent
his head down toward her and whispered.  “Remember Mrs Spittle, it is on
the screen, not real life.” 

She wiggled
down further into her cinema seat.  She whispered back, not to disturb
anyone watching the film. “I know!  It’s just so weird watching my husband
kissing another woman, beautiful Scarlett at that!”  She looked back
towards the screen, a pout forming on her lips.

“Her name is
Ava in the film, remember.”  Daniel leaned across and gave her a kiss on
her pouting lips.  He then bent and gave her large stomach a kiss too.

“Remember,
my love.  The only ones I will be kissing for
real
is
you
…” 
He leaned in, and as much as the cinema seats would allow, gave her a toe
curling kiss, “…and in one month, those two babies you are carrying in
there.”  He ran a soothing hand over her protruding stomach.

 Ella
grabbed his hand and kissed the palm, a feeling of contentment waved through
her. 

How much had
her life had changed in the last few months?  She had met Daniel, now her
wonderful husband, along with Eric, an amazing, wonderful friend.  She
smiled at Eric, who was sitting the other side of her.  

She had been
shot by Daniel’s stalker, but apart from the scars that went along with it,
Ella tried not to think about that incident too much.  They had seen
Lindsey, at court, get the mental medical care that she needed.

She had given
her blessing to Jeff, who was marrying Claire, the one he had been seeing
behind her back.  She was genuinely pleased for him.    

She had seen
her article,
The Life of Daniel Spittle,
skyrocket in sales, mainly due
to the fact that the article contained first-hand experience of a stalker and a
shooting! 

And the
icing on the cake was she had become pregnant with twins, something her mother
now told her, ran in the family! 

The cherry
was that she was now sitting with various stars in the first screening, the
Premiere, of Daniel and Scarlett’s film. 
Could I have packed anymore
in?
 She laughed to herself. 

She looked
back towards the screen and suddenly gasped.  “Daniel?”

“Yes,
love?”  He replied, his eyes averted towards the screen.

“Do you
think we can go home?”  She asked quietly.

This time he
turned towards her.  He bent to keep his voice down.  “It is only
half way through.”  He noticed tears in her eyes.  “But if you are
finding it too difficult to watch me with Scarlett, even though you
know
I
am acting, we will go.”

Ella turned
towards him, which wasn’t too easy with her large stomach, she gave him a
nervous smile.  “It isn’t that darling.  I think we have two babies
that have decided they would like to see the film too!”  Ella laughed as,
even in the cinema’s darkness, she could see the colour drain out of his face.

 A huge
grin split his handsome face.  “Hey, everyone!”  He shouted, while he
stood up. 

Ella tried
to quieten him with a
Ssshhh! 

“I’m about
to become a Dad!”

A cheer went
around the cinema.

Did you enjoy reading about Daniel
Spittle and Ella Hender?

Find out what happens to their good
friend, Eric Spalding, in Personae.  Available in 2013.

Eric watched
her make her way across the room, talking to each and every person.  The
anticipation that she was making her way over to him, made him forget why he
was there in the first place.

He was able
to study her, while she was unaware of his gaze.  Her hair was cropped
short and dyed red, bright red, which suited her little pixie shaped
face.  Little delicate star earrings adorned her lobes.

Eric, being
an author, loved ‘people watching’ and found her fascinating to observe. 
To the outside world, she had a quick smile for everyone, but it was her eyes
that gave something away.  They were bright and alert, but something was
hidden behind them. 

Was it
fear?  What was she hiding?  Or was she hiding from something? 

Eric
realised he craved to find out…