Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 61

David blew out a breath. For someone with decent experiences with women, he was making a mess with Ella.

"David, come on!" She shook her head. "You have a job, remember!"

"I'll ask for leave." David said automatically. His world was crashing down. He was working through things. Starting with the easier aspects, like having this conversation with Evie. David knew she could provide more information about her history with Ella. Except he wasn't expecting this particular news. Leaving town scattered his plans.

"You can't vanish and leave the school in a lurch!" Evie said bluntly "That is silly!"

"No it isn't! She has vanished, what do you expect me to do? Just let her leave? I won't, I really wouldn't. Her best friend is married to my brother, she can't walk out without sorting our issues...."

"David, stop and think!" Evie interrupted him. "You can't leave for England. You know that. You don't even know where her father is, in England."

"I'll check on the web!" He barked. Evie's eyebrows quirked in surprise at his tone. Again, David rubbed the back of his neck and said more quietly, "There's bound to be information as to where her father is coaching or managing." He ran through his options. He would find her.

Evie folded her arms, her lips narrowed. "She might not have gone to England." She pointed out the obvious. "The house is locked up but she hasn't packed her stuff, her furniture, and, well all of it is still here. Her neighbour said she would come back to get it packed. Or arrange for it to be packed. But her neighbour said Ella will be back." Evie reasoned, as she thought about where Ella might be. "No point flying to England, only to find she's gone up the road." Evie smiled with empathy. "And if you wait till Amelia gets back, she might know where exactly Ella is."

"You think she told Amelia?" David narrowed his eyes. If Amelia knew, then Jack would know. He was going to have words with Jack and Amelia becuase neither of them told him about Ella's plan.

Evie nodded firmly, "Yes, I think so, kind off. Well, actually, pretty sure about that. Something Amelia said to me at the wedding, made me think she knew about this."

"Why didn't she tell me? Why didn't she tell you?"

"Probably because you think Ella is an icicle!" Evie huffed and held up a hand when David was about to speak. "I shouldn't have reminded her. I get that you have a problem with Ella, but she really isn't an icicle."

"I never said she was an icicle!" David snapped. "You made it up! And implied I called her an icicle!"

Evie accepted that charge, she knew that Ella had a reputation, and suggested that David called her an icicle. "Ok, ok, I get it, it is my fault. But you have to admit, you don't like her!"

"Of course I bloody like her!" He growled. Evie reared back. "If you don't mind, I have a few things to sort out." David said and walked away.

Evie followed him down the driveway, talking loudly, "Then why have you avoided her? You could have asked her out. For two years! You only took notices of her until your brother started to date Ames!" Evie yelled. "You definitely have lots to sort out!"

"I didn't avoid her. She did." David grumbled.

"No! You both did." Evie corrected.

"Look, if you don't have anything constructive to say, just leave me to sort out my issue with Ella. I don't need her friends to give her false information."

"Back to the icicle comment." Evie huffed.

"Yes. Exactly." He snapped.

"The icicle comment is the last thing that you have to worry about!"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, if you dig a trench between you and Ella, then don't blame anyone apart from you! Ella told Ames and me about the issue at the rugby camp when you were training with the team. That some idiot took a molehill and made it a mountain."

"If you knew that..." David folded his arms and Evie interrupt his statement.

"She only told us a few weeks ago, because you told Ames at that cycle trip about that incident, but you didn't tell Ames the whole matter and left Ella to fill in the blanks."

"So you knew about the incident!"

"Kind off." Evie nodded.

"Did she tell you I had a tribunal?"

"Yes." That deflated his irritation.

"I can understand why you have an issue about the fallout from that incident. But Ella didn't accuse you of anything! Even her father stood up for you at the tribunal, according to Ella, because she told the truth. What happened to you was not Ella's fault. From my position, I think you need to build bridges, and listen to her. Ask her what happened to her?'

"What do you mean? Has she told you..."

"No. No. She's hasn't. But she has not told us, or you, what happened to her."

Evie's words were on a loop in David's brain. What happened to Ella? He asked her what she knew about what happened to him, but he had not asked her what happened to her. That fact had his mind spinning.

"I have to go." Evie said quietly as she watched David's eyes and he looked as if he had just been told something that he had not considered. He was bamboozled, Evie thought as she continued to watch him. "If you catch up with Ella, can you ask her to call me?"

David nodded. Evie walked away. David remained on Ella's driveway. He ran his palm over his face. What happened to Ella?