Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 77

Ella mouthing when she heard the knock on the door, a more insisted knock, "I'll get the door." She stepped around David and she was worried about his expression.

"What?" David all but squawked and Ella's head snapped in misunderstanding. Her mind was baffled. What just happened? She couldn't remember David shouting, at any time. It can't be the kiss. She licked her lips, bit her lips: please, David, do not regret our kiss.

She frowned at him, but she caught a glimmer of alarm in his eyes so she said quietly, "I said, I'll get the door." She watched his eyes, and wondered what was going on.

David held the phone away from him and said as he looked over to her, "Sorry, Gabriella. I was talking to Jack."

"Problems?" Ella asked. But there was another loud knock on the door. "Hang on a sec. I'll get it." She turned around and kept moving towards the door. Ella opened the door and found the hovering waiter, delivering their food, with a fixed smile on his lips. "Sorry," Ella smiled and said lightly, "sorry about that. We, er, were." She stopped before she could ramble. "Sorry, come in." She stood aside and waited for the young waiter.

He nodded. "Thank you. Ok if I place it on the table?" He said, looked over at her, when he saw the man in the room had turned around and moved to the balcony. Ella followed the waiter's gaze.

"That is fine. Thanks." Ella smiled but her eyes were on David who was now rude and turned around leaving her and the server facing his back. "He isn't really this rude!" She said with a shrug! "I have not seen him so grouchy!" Ella told the server, which was a lie. The waiter smiled and placed the tray on the table.

Ella watched David's shoulders. Tense. Now what, she wondered. Ella had been startled by the extent of her love for him, but this quick change in his disposition was really odd. And he sounded distracted, actually disturbed, on the phone, Ella thought. Was he telling someone about the kiss? No, no, he wouldn't, she shook her head.

The young man moved towards the door.

Ella followed the waiter while her mind remained on David. "Sorry we missed your first tap, we didn't hear it. We were on the balcony." She attempted to explain, with partial truth. "Sorry about that." Ella repeated as she stood by the door.

"No problem. Enjoy." The young man said and Ella closed the door.

Ella took a breath and then strode forward. "What is this all about, David?" A sense of unease descended. "Are you regretting our kiss?" She raised a questioning brow. Maybe that kiss wasn't such a good idea. But she remembered what he said, that next time, we would finish what we started. "Because if you are..."

He was thinking of hedging, not wanting to lie and not sure whether to tell her right now, or wait until Amelia and Jack came back. But he interrupted Ella's assertion, "The police are with Jack and Amelia." His eyes showed his shock.

That was a bolt from the blue and it threw her. Ella came to a sudden stop. "What?" Ella saw, trouble and apprehensive in his eyes. She queried as she kept her eyes pinned on David, "Why?" Ella strode forward.

"That was Jack on the phone. He phoned to tell us that they were with the police. Might be a bit late."

Ella reared in disbelief and shock, "They are really with the police? Why?"

David shook his head as if he couldn't believe it. "That guy," David ran his fingers through his hair, "you know, the one stalking Nic," automatically Ella nodded, David continued, "that guy was in a car accident."

"There was an car accident?" She was frightened. "That guy had a car accident with Jack and Amelia? Are they ok?" Her tone revealed her alarm.

"Yes, they are fine." He kept his voice calm as he could see that his original reaction had worried Ella. He looked into Ella's troubled eyes, "Sorry Ella. I know my reaction on the phone, probably worried you." His voice reflected the concern she saw in his eyes, "I was a bit shocked when Jack told me." David came closer and gave Ella a hug. "But they are fine." He tipped his head back to look at Ella, "Ella, they are ok. Amelia is fine. Jack is fine. Ok." He waited for Ella to see if she accepted that. He took her chin and tipped her face up, "They weren't involved it the car accident. Ok?" She nodded but her panic was still there. He ran his hands lightly across her back. "Their taxi driver stopped when he saw the accident in his rear-mirror view. Their taxi turned around, to see if they could help."

"How did they know it was Nic's stalker?" She asked without any preamble, looking straight into his eyes.

David read every distressed moment in her eloquent eyes. "Nic's security was there." He kept his voice calm.

"Oh." Ella mumbled. Ella tried to tug her chin free of his grasp. He wouldn't let her go.

"They are ok, Gabriella." He looked directly into her eyes. "Jack said the stalker pulled out in front of a lorry, probably he was not used to driving on this side. He didn't give the lorry driver a chance to avoid him. He just pulled out in front of the lorry."

He pulled her to him and held her tight. "Are you ok?"

For a second she said nothing but then she murmured into his chest. "Yes. Amelia will be upset."

"I know." Wrapped his arms around her, pressing her to him, he said, "Jack said they were just giving their statements, and as soon as they finished that, they will come back straightaway." He reared back to look in her eyes, "You ok?"

"Yes." She nodded. But she looked over at their food. "I have lost my appetite." She rubbed her arms. " I need some air." She mumbled.

"Me too." David said quietly. He kept his voice calm. But inside, he was still worried about Jack and Amelia.

Ella tipped her head to look at him, "You don't have to come..."

"Yeah, I do." He linked their fingers.

"Ok. Did Jack tell you anything else?" She asked as David retrieved the card from the slot and closed the door.

David dropped a kiss on the top of her head, "Yes, he did actually."

"Is he ok?"

David nodded. "Yeah, but you could heard it in his voice" He placed another kiss on the top of her head. "Anyway, I will tell you on our walk." In his head he reviewed his list before he said, "Jack said he has tried Ben, but hasn't got him. He suggested that we phone Nic and he will keep trying Ben.

"Of course, Ben and Nic." Ella nodded.

David's mind was sifting through their plans. "Jack suggested that we rearrange our return flights once the police and Nic's security detail finish with us." David knew that Jack and Amelia had a lot on their plate, because Jack and Amelia still had to deal with Nic's security's detail. "Or we could just book new flights." David took a breath.

"Ok. We could try Greg, before we go out for a walk, he could pass on the message to Ben and Nic, in case they have switched off their phone."

"Ok. Good idea." David smiled at Ella. "Come on, let's go." He could see in her eyes, and just like him, that she was still worried.