About an hour Beth later pulled up at a gas station to fuel up and get some candy. Kelly phoned her when she sat back in her car.
KELLY: Where are you?
BETH: At a gas station filling up
Beth was busy opening a Mars Bar wrapper
KELLY: And buying candy!
BETH: No (Smiling)
KELLY: Are you coming home tonight? Rosie was waiting for you to read her a bedtime story but she fell asleep already
BETH: Oh, I'm sorry. I wont be long. I promise
KELLY: Okay. I love you
There was a silence for a few seconds
BETH: I love you too
KELLY: You had me worried there
BETH: See you soon
Beth hung up then began to eat her Mars Bar. As she started up the car a phone call came through from Mark.
MARK: Hey beautiful!
BETH: I don't feel very beautiful
MARK: Well you are. Are you still out and about?
BETH: Yeah, I've just filled up at a gas station
MARK: That car must eat up gas!
BETH: It does! But i'd never be without it! It was the first car i bought after winning the lottery!
MARK: My first car was a Rolce Royce! (laughing)
BETH: Yuk! That's an old mans car! (laughing)
Mark laughed with her
MARK: It was chauffeur driven!
BETH: You're so posh!
Mark laughed again
BETH: Thank you for talking to me like normal
MARK: Like normal ?
BETH: Without mentioning anything
MARK: Sure. Are you and Kelly alright?
BETH: I hope so.......I love talking to you ......
MARK: I love talking to you too. You want to meet up for a coffee?
BETH: What? Tonight?
MARK: Yeah
BETH: I can't , I need to get back home. I already missed Rosie's bedtime story and I feel bad
MARK: Another time then?
BETH: Yeah, that would be good. I need to go, night
MARK: Night Beth
Beth hung up and sighed
BETH: Fuck! (quietly) what am i doing?
When Beth got home Kelly was lying on the couch on his phone. He sat up when he saw her.
BETH: I'm gonna go up and give Rosie a kiss
KELLY: You want anything to eat?
BETH: No, i had a Mars Bar
Kelly smiled to himself.
Beth stopped outside Ellie'e bedroom door and nearly broke down. She slumped onto the floor and leaned on the wall. She must've been there for a good ten minutes until Kelly found her. He sat on the floor next to her.
KELLY: I don't know how to cope with this Beth
BETH: It's hurt so bad! (crying)
KELLY: I know (crying)
Kelly put his arm around her. His heartbeat settled her.
BETH: I don't think i'll ever be able to go into their bedrooms
ROSIE: Mooommmmmy!
KELLY: She must've heard us
Kelly stood up then pulled up Beth. He kissed her.
KELLY: Babe?
BETH: Let's go and see her
KELLY: You go in, it's you she want's to see. I'll fix you something to eat
BETH: When will we tell her?
There were tears in Kelly's eyes
KELLY: We'll sit down and try to tell her tomorrow
BETH: Okay
He kissed her again
Rosie smiled when she saw Beth walk into the room
BETH: Hey, you should be sleeping
ROSIE: Me miss you!
BETH: Aww, I missed you too baby!
Beth lay on the bed next to her
BETH: My big fat butt will break your bed!
Rosie laughed
ROSIE: Fat butt
BETH: Rosie!
ROSIE: Ellie ? Jaden?
BETH: They've gone away (quietly)
ROSIE: Where gone away?
Beth pointed up
ROSIE: Roooooof!
BETH: Shhhhh
Beth kissed her then Rosie began to fall asleep. She lay there for a few minutes just to make sure then joined Kelly in the kitchen.
BETH: What are you making?
KELLY: I'm just heating up some of the soup that Anton made yesterday.
BETH: It smells good
She walked right up next to him
KELLY: Is Rosie okay?
BETH: She asked about Ellie and Jaden again
KELLY: Poor baby
Just then Beth received a message. Slowly looking at her phone thinking it was Mark she took a look. It was from Shaylynn
BETH: It's Shaylynn asking about us, i'll phone her later on
KELLY: You want some bread?
BETH: Just a slice please
Beth ended up eating her soup along with four slices of heavily buttered bread.
KELLY: I like to see you eat
BETH: You like to see me do a lot of things!
He half laughed
KELLY: Fuck, i feel bad for laughing
He reached over the table and took Beth's hand in his.
KELLY: Beth i have this bad feeling about us!
BETH: Don't be stupid
KELLY: We need to sit down and have a good talk
BETH: No we don't, please Kelly. I need to cry, look at photos and drink wine! a lot of wine!
KELLY: I don't want you depending on alcohol
BETH: I'll be fine
KELLY: Would you like a glass of wine?
Beth gave him a funny look
BETH: Is this reverse psychology ? No thank you. I'm too full from dinner
Three months later.......
It had been a hard three months. Beth threw herself into work buying up more properties and Kelly returned to work at the firehouse.
Kelly was on shift. Beth was in the office working through some emails passing the time while she waited to pick up Rosie from kindergarten. Her phone rang, it was Mark.
BETH: What do you want ? (laughing)
MARK: Nice way to answer your cell!
BETH: You shouldn't be phoning me
MARK: Then why did you answer?
BETH: Shut up (laughing)
MARK: What are you doing?
BETH: Some work in my office
MARK: Is he on shift? Wanna meet up?
BETH: You know he's on shift, I told you last night! and no i'm picking Rosie up shortly
She heard him sigh
MARK: Stop playing hard to get
Beth smiled to herself
BETH: I'm not. I can't help it if you find me irresistible!
She hung up on him and laughed. Looking at the time on her cell she finished what she was doing then stood up. Slipping on her Nike trainers she had under the table she made her way to the garage and got into her Bugatti. Her phone rang again, it was Kelly this time.
BETH: Hey Kelly!
KELLY: Hey, you going to pick up Rosie?
BETH: I've just sat in the car! Do you want me to come over with her after our hair appointment?
KELLY: I would love that, thank you. I love you
BETH: I love you too
Rosie ran through the corridor to an open armed Beth at the kindergarten.
BETH: Hey!! I missed you!
Beth gave her a hug
ROSIE: Me want mick deeee's
BETH: A micky d's ? (smiling) We need to go to the hairdressers first!
ROSIE: Yay!
BETH: Yay? Normally it's noooooo!
Rosie laughed
BETH: Come on, lets go!
After they got a trim at the hairdressers Beth phoned the Firehouse and took large order for Macdonald's. Hermann and Kelly met her as she drove up to help her in with it all. They walked into the common room.
BETH: I bet you get a call as soon as you sit down!
KELLY: Beth!
BETH: What? (smiling)
HERMANN: Don't jinx us, I haven't had a Macdonald's in months!
Gabby walked over to Beth and gave her a hug.
GABBY: You good?
BETH: The same as yesterday and probably the same as tomorrow
Gabby smiled at her
ROSIE: Me nuggets!
KELLY: Hold your horses!
Kelly handed Rosie her Happy Meal box. She ran up to Mouch and climbed up onto the couch next to him.
MOUCH: Well hello there little lady!
Rosie ignored him and opened up her Happy Meal Box, she began stuffing the fries into her mouth
MOUCH: Does your mommy not feed you?
Rosie smiled at him with fries hanging out of her mouth, Mouch chuckled to himself
KELLY: What did you get ?
BETH: I'm not that hungry
GABBY: You need to eat Beth
KELLY: Here, open your mouth
Kelly walked up to her with his Big Mac. She opened her mouth and took a bite
BETH: Urghhhh yuk! I got a gherkin!
Otis laughed
OTIS: Too funny! Dead flies!
KELLY: And you have a little ..... (smiling)
He wiped the tomato sauce from Beth's chin the laughed a little.
Beth went to the kitchen and spat it out in the bin
KELLY: Sorry (laughing)
BETH: I'm gonna make a coffee
While Beth began to make coffee she felt her phone vibrate so she took a look. It was a photo and a message from Mark.
"Meet me at our cafe for coffee, i'll be there all afternoon from two"
He was wearing the beanie she bought him. Beth smiled and texted him back. She put her phone back in her back pocket as Kelly walked over to her.
KELLY: Everything alright?
BETH: Fine. You want a coffee?
KELLY: I still have one somewhere.
He leaned over and kissed her cheek
BETH: What was that for ?
KELLY: Do I need a reason to kiss you?
BETH: No (smiling) I'm looking at some properties with Stuart this afternoon, just if you're trying to contact me
Kelly nodded
KELLY: Where about's?
BETH: All over, were starting in Wicker Park
Rachel was looking after Rosie while Beth headed to the cafe in a cab to meet Mark. She arrived before him so she ordered a coffee and sat down to wait for him. Finding herself looking at photos and videos on her phone she began to get upset. There was a photo of Ellie that Beth took on the day of the accident.
Mark walked over to her as she was wiping her eyes with a napkin.
MARK: Beth?
Beth looked up at him and cried even more.
BETH: Mark? What am I gonna do? (crying)
He held out his hand to her
MARK: Come on, we'll go to my place
BETH: I don't want to go there
MARK: Lily's away
BETH: Away where?
MARK: Back to Melbourne, she took Emily with her
BETH: Oh, why didn't you say ?
MARK: She left last night
BETH: Aren't you bothered?
MARK: I'm bothered she took my daughter
BETH: Why did she leave? Did you two have a fight?
MARK: She knows i love you! She said she felt like she was trying to compete with you
BETH: Mark!
MARK: I told her she never stood a chance against you ...... Come on
He pulled her up. Their faces were inches apart. He looked at her lips.
BETH: Don't even think about it
MARK: Don't flatter yourself!
The drive to Mark's house was a quiet one. He opened the large front door and walked into the hallway. The house was tastefully decorated in creams and whites.
BETH: It's beautiful but it needs a colour injection!
MARK: Feel free to decorate!
BETH: I have enough to deal with at my place
MARK: Go sit in the living room, i'll make us some coffee.
Five or so minutes later after making a pot of coffee, Mark walked into the living room to find Beth nearly asleep on the couch. He put the tray on the coffee table and lifted her legs up on to the couch to make her more comfortable.
BETH: I'm so tired
He sat on the floor next to her and stroked her face
MARK: Go for a sleep for half hour. I'll sit here and watch you
Beth half smiled
BETH: No funny business
MARK: I'll try my best
Beth's cell lit up with a notification. Mark took a look at it.
MARK: Your kid's are beautiful
Beth picked it up and looked at he photo of Ellie, Rosie and Jaden
BETH: I miss Ellie and Jaden so much!
MARK: Let me lie behind you, i'll give you a hug
Beth sat up letting Mark lie behind her. He wrapped his arms around her.
MARK: Sleep
Beth was already asleep
MARK: I love you ......
Shayynn turned up at Beth's house after getting no answer from Beth's cell.
RACHEL: She's not in
SHAYLYNN: Do you know where she is?
RACHEL: She said something about looking at properties
SHAYLYNN: With Stuart?
RACHEL: She never mentioned Stuart
SHAYLYNN: What car did she take?
RACHEL: Fuck Shaylynn it sounds like i'm being interrogated!
When Beth woke up an hour later she was facing Mark. She couldn't remember turning around. Mark was still asleep so she gazed at his perfectly chiseled face.
BETH: So hot (quietly)
She saw Mark smile then went red.
BETH: You asshole
Mark shook his head.
MARK: You've just ruined a beautiful moment
He kissed her forehead
MARK: You'd better check your cell, it's been going crazy
BETH: What?
Beth found her phone on the floor then looked at it
BETH: Six missed calls from Shaylynn!
MARK: Her spidey sense will be on overtime!
BETH: You'd better believe it!
She read a text message out loud
BETH: Where the fuck are you because you're not with Stuart?
MARK: Shit, sounds like you're in trouble
BETH: I need to get home Mark
MARK: I'll drop you off
BETH: No, i'll get a cab. I'll tell her i went to Macy's
MARK: And go home with no shopping bags?
BETH: Drop me at Macy's and i'll grab some stuff, please?
MARK: Come on then!
Shaylynn was sitting in Beth's kitchen when she got home. She dumped the shopping bags on the kitchen floor.
SHAYLYNN: You told Kelly you were with Stuart
BETH: I needed some retail therapy!
Shaylynn looked at Beth
SHAYLYNN: Where were you? Really?
BETH: Read the bags!
SHAYLYNN: You were supposed to be going to Jacquelyn's ballet class with me! She was upset!
BETH: Oh shit! I thought that was tomorrow?
SHAYLYNN: It was today! I texted you last night! Why didn't you take one of your many cars?
BETH: I couldn't be bothered driving
SHAYLYNN: Stop lying to me Beth
BETH: I'm not lying to you! I haven't done anything wrong, i'm trying to get through this the best way i can!
SHAYLYNN: By hurting Kelly in the process?
BETH: I'm not hurting Kelly, why, what's he been saying to you ?
SHAYLYNN: That you two are
drifting apart! That man is hurting real bad and he doesn't know what to do! You need to be there for one another
BETH: He's suffocating me with kindness! (Crying)
SHAYLYNN: Oh my god, he's you're husband! He worships the ground you walk on! Talk to him Beth! Before you lose him
Beth wiped her eyes on her sleeve
SHAYLYNN: Or is that what you want?
Beth never spoke
SHAYLYNN: Mark Hunter?
Beth looked at Shaylynn
BETH: What about Mark?
SHAYLYNN: Oh my god, your whole face just lit up there!
BETH: No it hasn't!
SHAYLYNN: You've been with him, haven't you?
BETH: He's been helping me
SHAYLYNN: I bet he has! (shouting)
BETH: Not like that!
SHAYLYNN: Is that where you were? With him?
BETH: Yeah, i went over to his and slept on the couch
SHAYLYNN: You're a heartless bitch! You tell Kelly before i do! I'm so disappointed in you Beth, I don't know who you've become!
Beth burst into tears
BETH: Well i'm so fucking sorry two of my kids died! How am I supposed to act?
SHAYLYNN: I'm going, tell Kelly when he get's home from shift before I do
BETH: You'll break his heart
SHAYLYNN: Beth, you've already broken his heart!
Shaylynn belongs to RonnaSweeney51317