“DONOVAN, WHY WOULD YOU DO this to me? To us. Why do you need money so bad?”
“I just do. You wouldn’t understand.” There’s a sadness to his tone, but also an edge.
I look at him and don’t recognise the man before me. He’s different. His dark eyes stare straight through me, not really seeing me. He’s balancing on the edge of being angry and in pain.
“The man I know would’ve talked to me instead of being deceitful. Going behind my back and robbing from me. Everything I’ve worked so hard for over the years, you’ve taken.” I sit down, unable to look at him. “If you were in trouble, you could’ve come to me. I would’ve tried to help without you stealing from me.” He moves across the living room and stands looking out of the large bay windows. “Tell me what’s going on. I think after everything I deserve to know, don’t you?”
He coughs to clear his throat. “What’s to tell? I’ve fucked up. I got involved in something I shouldn’t have and now it’s cost me everything.”
“How has it cost you?” I ask through my tears. “What have you lost? Because you’re still out on the town every other night, splashing someone else’s cash. Let’s face it, you’ve spent all of your money and mine. Maybe I should warn whoever it is what type of person you really are; and that’s a thief.”
He still doesn’t turn around to look at me or even offer me an apology. My emotions are swinging back and forth because I want answers and he’s not giving me them. I rise to my feet and march towards him, pulling on his shoulders, roughly forcing him to turn around. “What?” he asks as though I’m the one in the wrong.
“What? You really don’t have a clue. I’ve had to sit back and watch as your car was towed away, and after that I find out you’ve re-mortgaged my house and re-financed my cars, but not only that, you’ve somehow managed to empty my bank account. Yet you still manage to stand here in my house and think you’ve not done anything wrong. You left me with nothing.”
“But Daddy will bail you out. I need the money.” I have no idea how he manages to say it with a straight face.
I laugh in his face. “You’re not getting anything from me.”
“Really? Well, two can play this game. I’ll make sure you never work in acting again.”
“Get out. Get out!” I yell at him and, this time, he laughs. “I don’t want you here.”
“That maybe so, but I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. I’m not going anywhere until I get some money. You owe me.”
These dreams—nightmares—are awful. Each night since I found everything out, they’ve been getting worse. After all this time, it should be better. I sit up in bed, tears running down my face—tears of anger. Donovan Bell might be thousands of miles away from me but he’s still managing to get into my head, even when I’m trying to sleep, haunting me. My head is throbbing and my face is wet from tears and sweat. This isn’t a good start to the day.
I grab my phone to check the time. It’s nine-thirty. I should’ve been up and ready by now but I’m not and all I want to do is go back to sleep. It was the first I’ve slept all the way through the night in weeks.
Connor.
He helped me up the stairs and covered me. I felt his arms around me as I drifted off to sleep. Oh, no. I’ve made a fool of myself. Now I really do want to slide back down the bed, pull the covers over my head and stay here for the rest of the day.
Whistling from the hallway grabs my attention; it can only be Connor. “Are you decent?” he calls through the door.
Am I decent? I lift the cover and I’m still wearing my shorts and vest. “Yes.”
He’s got a bottle of water in his hand, along with something else. “Here. Thought you might need these.” He hands me the water and some paracetamol. How thoughtful.
“Thanks.”
His eyes stop and take me in. “Ella, what’s wrong?” His voice is panicked as he sits down on the bed beside me.
“Nothing,” I lie.
“Ella McGregor, don’t lie to me. Now take a deep breath and tell me why you’ve been crying.”
This isn’t fair on him. He shouldn’t have to deal with me, but I do as he says. “It was just a dream. A vivid dream about Donovan. He was here, looking for more money. Demanding it, refusing to leave until he got what he wanted. He was unapologetic as to what I’ve been through.”
“I think you need to get out of here. Get out of the house and get some fresh air. Being cooped up here isn’t helping you. We could go for a drive after you’ve spoken to your dad. Grab some lunch somewhere no one will bother us.”
“I’m not sure.” Deep within, I know he’s right, but it’s taking these first steps. I’m afraid I’ll fail miserably. Self-doubt has lingered within me now for so long.
“You might not be but you need it. Now, go do whatever you women do and come downstairs. Your dad is already here and has lots to tell us.” He kisses me on the head before getting off the bed and leaving the room.
I suppose I should move it now as my dad is here to see me. First important step of today is to get showered and dressed.
Yes, small steps. I’m sure I’m going to keep reminding myself of these on a daily basis until I’m at a place I want to be.
“There you are,” Dad says as I enter the kitchen. He stands as I walk toward him and wraps his arms around me. “Are you okay?” he asks. I wonder if Connor has told him about my dream. I look at Connor and he shakes his head in response to my silent question. How does he do that? How does he know what’s going on in my head? Especially when I don’t. I need to pull myself together because I don’t want my dad to be worrying about me constantly.
“Yes. Still a little tired but I’m better than I have been.” My eyes dart to Connor. Is he the reason I feel a little better? I’m sure he is part of the reason.
“Well, that’s something. Now, sit down. Connor has made some tea and toast. He tells me you didn’t eat much last night.”
“Connor, you know you shouldn’t tell tales,” I scold him.
“Is that right?” he teases, handing me a cup of tea. “I did leave out the part where I had to carry you to bed because of the amount of alco . . .”
“Connor!”
“Really?” Dad asks.
“No, but it was funny seeing Ella’s reaction.” Dad laughs with him and suddenly I feel like it’s two against one.
“I don’t even think I had two glasses of wine and, yes, I felt it.”
“My gorgeous girl, I’m sure you did, what with not sleeping . . .”
“Dad, please. I’ll try and take better care of myself.”
“I know you will, sweetheart. Now, let’s get down to business,” he says seriously as Connor takes the seat opposite me. “First things first. I have a new agent for you both. In my opinion, he’s the best in the business and not even Donovan Bell comes close to him.”
I smile because I already have a feeling who it will be. Trevor Stephens, my dad’s agent and closest friend. If I remember correctly, they’ve been friends for thirty-five years and he’s my godfather.
Trevor and my dad are so alike; some people think they’re brothers. They have similar features and the same sense of humour and are both possessive of me and Callum.
“Trevor would like to meet you both either separately or together to go through a few things. Now, there may be a few issues with your contracts with Donovan. Ella, yours might be easier to get out of because of what’s going on if you decide to take this further, but we can discuss this. There is also the small matter that he hasn’t sent you some proposals and scripts for you to look over.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the soap opera isn’t the only thing he’s withheld from you. You should’ve been sent scripts for two separate movies. I’ve already got Trevor looking into this for you.”
“Oh.”
“Connor, your contract won’t be so easy to get out of because he has fulfilled his end for you.”
“If I have to buy my way out of his contract I will because I can’t and won’t work with someone I don’t trust.”
“You’re a good lad. Trevor and our lawyer will look and see if there is any way around it and get back to you. Now, the proposal for the soap opera is really interesting. I know the programme is going really well. Viewing figures are high and consistent and they are considering putting on an extra show a week. Ella, Trevor will have in his hand the full proposal for you on Monday and I really think you should give it some consideration and then negotiations will start.”
“I will.” Because one, I want to work, and two, it would mean I can start supporting myself again.
“You both should because it does come with a great deal and plenty of time off for other projects as and when they come up. I know you have lots to think about. Connor, you maybe more than Ella because it would mean you spending more time here in Scotland and I know how much you love to spread your wings.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Being here does come with its advantages. Although, if I decide to stay I should probably start looking for my own place. I can’t keep staying here with Ella and I hate hotel rooms.”
“Well, you can let Trevor know and, if you want to start looking for a house, I’m sure he’ll sort that for you. Ella, can you at least eat something?” I completely forgot that’s what I was meant to be doing with the conversation going on.
“There,” I say, biting into a piece of toast.
“Now, my other news is about Donovan.” I try not to cough and splutter. “The fact is, he’s broke.”
I laugh. “Is that all you have? Even I knew that.”
“Ella, all his accounts are in the red. He owes a lot of people money, and not the sort of people you’d want to be associated with. There is some good news for you; after running credit searches, there are no other debts in your name. I was really worried he would’ve taken out credit cards in your name but he hasn’t. So, that’s something to be thankful for. Only the cars and this house which I will clear because, well, I don’t need an excuse or a reason to keep my daughter safe and I won’t justify this to you.”
I can’t help but smile even though, if I hadn’t been so foolish, he wouldn’t be bailing me out. Connor tells Dad all about Donovan’s phone call last night. “So, that leads me to a question. Ella, are you going to attend Connor’s UK premiere?”
“I don’t know,” I say, glancing between them. “I hadn’t given it any thought.”
“Well, you should. I’m going so you wouldn’t be alone. And I think you need to be seen out and about again. Speculation is mounting because you’ve been cooped up here and he’s across the Atlantic wining and dining every available actress.”
“I don’t know. I’m not ready to be seen out and about, as you put it, with anybody.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it. But you should be going out. There’s so much happening here in Scotland, in the industry. Your last public appearance as far as everyone is concerned was for your last movie six months ago. Sweetheart, in this industry, that’s a long time.”
“I’ll think about it,” I say.
“You’ll do more than think about it. It would mean a lot to me if you came to the premiere. I want you there,” Connor says softly, looking directly into my eyes. “And anyway . . .” His tone changes to the playful tone I’m used to hearing. “You and I are going out today, even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming.” I turn to my dad for help and he’s smiling at Connor. Looks like they really are ganging up on me.
I’m not going to win.
Not with any of them.