Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 47

"Kind of." David nodded, followed by a sad sigh. A tightness welled up in his chest but couldn't stop the words coming out, "She didn't come the next week."

"Maybe she was back at school?" Jack offered the suggestion, hoping to pacify David.

"Possible." He moved his head, side to side, as he reviewed Jack's question. "In any case, I carried on training." David looked over at Jack and said with shake of his head as if he couldn't believe it, " Her dad stood up for me! He spoke to mum and dad. And at that tribunal he supported me. I couldn't believe it. He stood up for me."

"What?" Jack blinked in surprise. He could understand David's confusion.  

"He told mum and dad that the behaviours of various people, I guess he meant his assistant and the guys on the camp, made too much of a minor incident."

Jack thought it must be even more than an 'incident.'

David continued. "He apparently said it was a simple kiss." Which was a farce given how David felt then and now. "He said people made a mountain out of a molehill." He rubbed his face, his fingers rubbing back and forward over his cheek. "That their son had kissed his daughter, that it was consensual, and it was an off-field incident albeit at a venue for the camp!"

"Fair enough. You kissed his daughter. She apparently was ok with that kiss. You didn't kiss her when you were not on duty."

"Yeah, exactly. He went on to say that obviously they would prefer if their players could focus on rugby not their out-of-curriculum activities. But he said, they need to have a tribunal otherwise they could be accused of ignoring any harassment issues. "

"So that was it?" Jack narrowed his eyes. But David missed Jack's tone. "You and Ella had a fall-out over a kiss?"

David realised with alarm that his brooding had gone too far. "I hadn't seen her until she came to town two years ago." David closed his eyes for a second, and wondered why he had left this issue on a back-burner for over ten years. "I wasn't kicked off the team, the tribunal supported me. I guess, if she was hitting on players at the annual rugby camps, the press could make her dad look bad."

"What?" Jack tipped his head to the side and watched David's expression. Jack shook his head. He couldn't imagine Ella hitting on anyone! But rather that questioning David's ridiculous statement, Jack stated, "And you stayed for the camp."

"Yeah. There were a few leaks about my tribunal, but the reporters moved on. And I stopped reading newspapers."

"No problems?" Jack wondered if David wasn't telling him everything. He looked straight at David and noticed the vivid flush climbing David's neck. Yeah, he thought, David wasn't being upfront. But obviously, now was not the right time to challenge David.

David turned away, and continued, "She never showed up again. So I figured he'd told her to stay away."

Jack couldn't stop that question, "You think her dad believed those prats?"

"Hey! They weren't prats. They were loyal. Stood up for their mates!"

"Come on bro!" Jack grimaced, and found it difficult to understand how his brother could have made such a huge error in judgement about Ella. "We are talking about Ella here. Albeit, I only knew her for about 2 years, but," Jack got some soft drinks out of the fridge and turned around to face David, "David, for heaven's sake, she has not hit on anyone!"

"Are you sure?"

"Come on David. Perhaps she told her dad the truth, that you and David had a pash!" Jack replied as if it was perfectly obvious. "And he knew that if his daughter was kissing some rugby Neanderthal, she must really like him!" Jack said in exasperation as he pointed out the obvious. "There could be lots of reasons. And perhaps he knew those idiots lied but didn't want to add to building that mountain." Jack stopped stacking the glasses and juice bottles.

"You're now, suddenly, her champion?" David's lips barely moved and growled as Jack's words stung. It had never occurred to David that his mates would lie about that situation back then.

"I know Ella through Amelia. And from what I've seen, over the last two years, I'd say she's sincere, caring, compassionate, innocent, even."

David snorted.

Jack saw he wasn't getting anywhere, but continued, "She's kind to Amelia, Regan, Evangeline, and Mallory. Like your mates at that camp, she is protective of her friends. Really loyal, even if it cost her. She looks out for them, covers their back, like a mother hen." David looked even more upset, but that didn't stop Jack. "She wouldn't hit on some random rugby jocks, especially give her father is the manager and she was still at school."

"You don't know her!" David said, despite the fact he remembered his conversation with Seth, when Ella stood up for her friend, Evie. David snorted, "Are we talking about the same person? Remember we are talking about the icicle?

"Why are you doing that? You know that's not the real her. You've seen her with her friends. I know from experience, do you remember Davina? Davina decided to stir and it was Ella who went in to bat for Ames and me. Ella told Ames to fight for what she wanted." David nearly snapped at Jack, she was a hypocrite, she hadn't fought for me. But Jack was still talking. "Ella told Ames that she thought Davina had deliberately staged that newspaper shot. I owe her big time. I get that she's prickly and reserved, I'll give you that. But she's loyal, earnest, empathetic and kind." Jack rubbed the back of his neck, and wondered how much to tell David. And he could understand why David hasn't told him the whole truth. Just like him, only shared a bit. Time to change that so Jack said, "Davina went to see Amelia. Tried to do a number on her, wanted to smash her confidence. When that failed, she got the photographer involved. And Ella saw through it." Jack wondered why Ella saw through it before him, or his friends.

David was having similar thoughts. How had Ella seen through that picture before them? He remembered seeing that photo, and at that time, he wondered why Jack would be an idiot, posing with an ex for the newspaper, when he was starting a new relationship.

"If she was anti men," Jack sounded baffled by that he continued, "she would have told Amelia to run. Apart from your family, and Amelia, and now Ella, no-one has ever gone in to bat for me, not without them wanting something in return. Ella didn't do it with any ulterior motive. She did it for me and for Amelia."

"Maybe. But you and I have both heard her torpedo poor idiotic guys who fancy themselves in love with her."

Jack laughed, " I doubt she'd have a moment's peace if she didn't torpedo that attention pdq." Jack sighed. "And David, I think you need to rethink your relationship with Ella."

"Which relationship? She went with that guy!"