Emmerdale : Bleeding Love (Ross Barton/OFC fanfic)

That Time When... Return Of The Ex

Ollie hadn't stopped smiling the entire way back to Home Farm. The sole intention of the walk was to be alone with her thoughts; clear the cobwebs, so to speak. Until Ross had put in an appearance. It seemed he had an uncanny knack of showing up when she least expected. Or at the right moment. If you believed in that sort of thing. She wasn't sure what was going on between them - but there was definitely some 'thing' going on. In spite of their very different lifestyles and the discovery of 'who' had been responsible for the raid on Home Farm, Ross Barton was fast becoming one of her favourite people. Of course, she wasn't going to tell him that. He'd only make a big song and dance about it and his ego was already big enough. But with his constant innuendos and dry sense of humour he had this way of making her forget all the bad stuff going on in her life and for someone like Ollie, that was a very good thing. She found in the past the only way she could forget was by staring into the bottom of a bottle. She was looking forward to meeting him later at The Woolpack and she wouldn't be telling him that, either.

She had just set foot inside the vestibule at Home Farm when Chrissie was on her. "Finally," her sister said as Ollie closed the door on the cold outside. "Don't you check your phone?"

"Dead battery. Forgot to charge it before I left. What's wrong?" asked Ollie as Chrissie ushered her inside.

"Where were you?"

"I needed a walk. Today's been, well, you know, it hasn't been easy."

Chrissie sighed. "I know. Are you okay?" she asked rubbing a comforting hand up and down her sister's arm.

"The walk helped. Why were you calling me?"

"I know today's difficult, which is why I really don't want to make it any more so or have to tell you this," Chrissie began somewhat seriously, "but you have a visitor."

Ollie looked at her sister, surprised. "I do? Who?"

"Hello, Olivia."

Other than Lawrence the only other person who insisted on calling her by her 'proper' name was Mark. Ollie steeled herself and turned to face her ex boyfriend. Mark stood there, all tall and dashing, startling blue eyes and chiselled jaw and when he gave her that romance novel smile she had to remind herself why they'd split in the first place.

Because he couldn't keep it in his Savile Row pants.

"Mark." She didn't bother to hide her surprise. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I had to see you," he replied, still smiling as he stepped towards her. If he noticed her taking a small step back he didn't acknowledge it. "I needed to make sure you were okay. Especially today."

"How thoughtful. But you could have just called."

"I could, but it's been a few weeks since you left and frankly, Olivia, I was beginning to worry about you," he said with a small frown.

Chrissie slid her sister's ex a disapproving look. She knew exactly what that meant. "I'll give you some alone time. I'll be in the kitchen should you need me," she said and left them, but not before piercing Mark with another death stare.

"I don't think I'm your sister's favourite person," he said with a faint smile.

"She's just very protective of me," Ollie said gesturing for her to follow him into the living room. "I can't believe you came all the way up here."

"The drive was rather pleasant actually. I've taken a few days holiday from work."

"Oh." Ollie looked at him as she tugged off her jacket. "So you're staying?"