Together

Chapter 37

By 12 o'clock the next morning everyone was packed up in the bus waiting for Iain to hand back their room keys. "Alright lads who broke the shower in their room?" Everyone was quiet as Iain stood in the side door looking into the van. "That might have been me-" "But you were in the same room as me?" Cal shrugged as Iain rolled his eyes. "I had a good night-" "Well you owe me £30."

Iain threw his jacket at Cal before closing the door moving around to the front. They started the drive opening every window possible in the scorching heat. The weather had been nice for almost a week, and typically the hottest day yet had to be the day they were stuck in the van getting home. Most of them were resting towards the back catching the breeze from the windows towards the front.

Max and Lofty were sat talking with Dan about the wedding while everyone else slept. Fletch and Kieran had jumped into the bus with them as Brad had to rush home. "So you got a picture of this lady that seems to have stolen you from us?" Jacob looked across at Kieran as he passed him his phone. He smiled at his changing expression as he inspected the photo. "I see why you left us."

Jacob laughed taking the phone back looking down at the image of him and Connie. She really had become his world, god only knows where he'd be now if it hadn't been for her job offer. Looking up at Iain as they began to slow down he sat forwards between the front seats. "We chose a good time to come home..."

They glanced up at the rows upon rows of traffic ahead of them. Cal groaned dropping his head back while Jacob slipped through into the front sitting beside Iain. "Well, best make the most of it I guess..." Iain watched as Jacob opened the door and lay on the road in front of the minibus. "You gotta be kidding me."

Everyone looked out of the windows to see Jacob now sunbathing seeing as the traffic was at a stand still. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Kieran jumped out of the back of the minibus sitting down beside his cousin while Iain switched the engine off, keeping the music on. It was some awful 80's music which you'd expect a drunken group of women to be listening to however it provided some entertainment.

As Jacob sat on the floor with Kieran, Dan, Adam, Cal and Fletch he began to hum along to the radio. Slowly he began to get louder as a few of them joined in. Gradually people could be heard from other cars singing the same song. Iain stood up leaning from the window as the motorway erupted into song, quite awfully. He'd taken a picture of Jacob on the concrete beside the van and was proceeding to video the entire road as people hung out of windows and doors singing.

Come on, Eileen taloo-rye-aye. Come on, Eileen taloo-rye-aye. Now you have grown, now you have shown, oh, Eileen. Said come on, Eileen taloo-rye-aye, come on, Eileen taloo-rye-aye, Eileen taloo-rye-aye... Now you have grown. So grown, Now I must say more than ever. Things 'round here have changed. I said too-ra-loo-ra-too-ra-loo-rye-aye...

By the time the song came to an end everyone from the minibus, and many others from their cars were spread across the floor. "Spin the bottle?" "Why not... Got a bottle?" Lofty dropped his head looking about. "Maybe not that game then." Max rolled his eyes grabbing a bottle from the van placing it in the middle of their group.

After an hour Jacob retired from the heat sitting in the passenger seat once again. Iain joined him inside sighing as he leant back. "Not how I planned my afternoon." Jacob laughed glancing to him with a smile. "Me neither..." "I'm gonna go back towards the shop we passed, get us some cold drinks we could be here a while." Jacob nodded watching as Iain and a few others began walking back through the traffic. Sitting alone Jacob pulled his phone out not hesitating as he pulled Connie's number up.

"Muuuuum! Can I have some ice cream?" "Only if you share it with your sister." Grace smiled running to the freezer leaving Connie in the living room with Mia. She sat her in one of her chairs as Grace returned with a bowl. "Will she like it?" "If she's anything like you or her father she will!" Grace laughed as Mia sucked on the spoon that Grace rest against her lips.

Laughing Connie took a picture of Mia on the camera glancing to the kitchen side as her phone began ringing. "I'll get ready to go to the hospital." Grace spoke in defeat as Connie shook her head. "That's not work it's Jacob." She crossed the room grabbing her phone before stepping outside the patio doors. "Jacob?"

"Morning sweet cheeks-" "Hey muscles... Missing me that much?" He laughed resting back into the chair with his feet resting out of the open window. "Of course, listen I have no idea when I'll be back. The traffic is like something from one of those American films where someone's in a rush and always get stuck."

Connie smirked as she walked outside sitting on the bench in the sun. "So I have to wait even longer to have you back?" She could hear him sighing causing a smile to come to her face again. "I'm sorry-" "It's not your fault... Have you had a good weekend?" "The best, anyway I have a bone to pick with you missus... Kieran?" She laughed looking up at the sky. "Well someone had to tell him because you clearly weren't!"

Jacob couldn't argue with that really, he just seemed to forget so many people that Connie may as well have written all the invites herself. "Thank you sweet cheeks, I was so happy to see him... But not as happy as I'll be to see you again-" "It's been two nights Jacob." "You telling me you haven't missed me?" She stayed quiet considering it knowing the face he'd be pulling. "Mmm maybe..." "Hmm course."

Connie frowned as she heard music in the background. "Jacob?" "Yes sweet cheeks?" "Is there something you're not telling me?" Jacob frowned, almost an exact replica of her expression. "No, I don't think so-" "What is that music? Seriously!?" Jacob remained serious trying to wind her up. "What? Because I had the time of my life, no I never felt this way before. Yes I swear, it's the truth and I owe it all to you..."

The singing caused several of the others to sit up and look through the window to where Jacob was sat. Connie couldn't help but laugh before he stopped. "What? Not your thing baby?" "No where near muscles." She struggled to remove the smile from her lips as she sat talking to him for a while longer.

After almost three hours sitting in the traffic they began moving again. "And we have movement!" There were cheers from all around the van. The music was getting to the point of annoying as Cal turned it up singing loudly with Max and Lofty. "Working 9 til 5..." Jacob groaned dropping his head back as the van got louder with others joining in down the road.

The entire journey consisted of much the same and Jacob could not have been happier to see his road up ahead. It was already 9 o'clock in the evening as he got home. "Thanks for a good weekend, see you all in the morning-" "See ya mate." Jacob closed the door before walking up to the house pulling his keys from his pocket.

He opened the front door carefully wanting to be as quiet as he could. The only light was coming from the kitchen as he locked the door biting his lip hoping not to make any noise. He noticed Connie placing a wine glass down on the counter as he dropped his bag onto the sofa. "Jacob!?"

She spun around running across the room before wrapping her arms around his neck as his settled around her waist. Their lips collided quickly as Jacob smiled. "I missed you-" "I missed you too..." Jacob smirked kissing her again before groaning as he picked her up. Connie laughed keeping an arm wrapped around his neck as she kissed him again while he carried her through the house upstairs, switching off the lights as he went.