A Time to Love

Chapter 3

Zander Riley was sitting alone at his kitchen table, a pizza box that had once contained twelve slices now housed just six was at one side of him and a can of lager on the other, his head was bowed in concentration as he read through his latest script

It had been a hectic day at the studio, where he'd been since seven that morning and now, Donna Roberts, his agent had asked him to go back to his alma mater and help out with some play.

He was twenty years old, he should've been out screwing every girl that walked past him and not giving a damn about the consequences but instead, here he was and not even with an experienced woman to share his body with

It wasn't that he hated his job because he didn't, there was something erotic about being a popular young actor with the world at his feet but all this 'look but don't touch' was too painful for him and that's why he jumped at the opportunity to return to 'St John's College of Further Education' when it was presented to him. It had always been a hot bed for gorgeous, single women and he wondered if Daisy James was still there.

Sweet innocent Daisy, at least that's what she made people believe.

That certainly wasn't what Zander saw the night she took him back to her flat when her parents were on holiday. He was eighteen and she just shy of twenty but had clearly had her fair share of sexual partners, he could even feel himself harden and his pulse raced as he reminisced about it. That was his first time.

Finishing off his last slice of pizza and wiping his hands on his trouser legs, he lifted the box and placed it the microwave. He sighed passionately as he lifted his can from the table and carried it to the living room, the place was an absolute mess and he knew that if there was a woman in his life, it most certainly wouldn't look like this. If there was a woman in his life it would stop his mother and three over protective older sisters from asking questions like

"When are you going to find yourself a nice girl?"

He placed the can on the floor and threw himself sideways onto the couch, tracing his hand along the bottom of the sofa until he found the TV remote

'Two people are in hospital tonight, one of them critical after a car crash in Greenwich, South East London'

The news reporter was saying and then she showed aerial images of the scene but never revealed any names, after that, there was a weather report and then an ad break before the movie would come on Silence of the Lambs, his all-time favourite of all the horror movies he'd seen.

Settling himself further into the comfort of the sofa, he folded his arms across his chest and waited for it to start. It was such a shame his eyes were beginning to get heavy

***

Things weren't so easy for one family on the other side of town, their husband and lay seriously ill in a hospital bed and his eldest daughter had her arm in plaster and would be out of action for the foreseeable future

To top everything off, some insensitive seven year old had told the twins that, not only was their father going to die, he was going to go to hell and as a result, they had spent the entire morning at school in tears and had to be sent home

'It's that boy Craig Colton, he's always upsetting the other kids. One time he told one of the girls that her mother was getting her leg amputated when all she'd done was broken her ankle' mum explained as she stirred a mug of coffee for herself

Sarah shook her head disgustedly and wondered why a boy like that was able to get away with some deeply hurtful comments but she stopped wondering when she heard a sob coming from the corner of the room

'Come on Brad, don't listen to what anyone else says. Daddy's going to be completely fine, trust me, I know these things' and she rubbed his back comfortingly

But her words had no effect on him or his twin as they both turned their heads away from her so she crawled on her hands and knees to the front of the sofa and forced them to look at her

'Okay, why don't you see for yourselves? You can come to the hospital with mummy and me to see him'

'Today?' Bailey squealed excitedly and Sarah turned to her mother who has shaking her head defiantly

'Well...no...not today but once he starts to feel better'

It hadn't cheered them up as well as she thought it would, they threw themselves backwards against the sofa and folded their arms across their chests. They both done it at exactly the same time and in the same way that it was rather creepy to witness

Sarah sighed heavily before getting to her feet again and entering the adjacent kitchen, she opened the cupboard and searched, scanning every corner of it but still nothing. Eventually giving up, she said

'We're out of bread. Do you want me to go to the shops and get some?'

Mum sipped her coffee and then placed the mug back on the table

'That would be helpful' and she stood up to go out to the hall, signalling quietly for her daughter to follow her

Sarah did so but not before she glanced over towards the twins and then closed the door behind her when they stayed in the position she'd left them in

'Take them with you' Debbie declared as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her debit card, she handed it to Sarah

'Get yourself some sweets or whatever for later.'

Sarah nodded but as she turned to lift her and the twins' jackets from behind the door, mum grabbed her wrist

'I know you're only trying to help but please don't tell them that they can come to the hospital, I don't want them seeing your father like that...' she stopped mid-sentence and pressed her lips together to stop her voice from breaking

Sarah patted her mother's arm comfortingly 'Okay, I promise I won't mention it again' and she walked around her mother to the living room door

'Who wants sweets?' she said cheerily as she burst through the door and kneeled down in front of the twins, who remained silent

'Aww come one, you love sweets. You can buy as many as you want and I promise I won't go on about how bad they are for your teeth' she said as she waved their jackets in front of their eyes

The promise of being allowed as much as they desired and not being lectured on oral health seemed enough to win them round and they stood up from the sofa as Sarah helped them in to their jackets

'Wrap up warm' she said 'It's freezing out there' and she pulled each zip up to their necks

She took each boy by the hand and led them towards the door, promising her mother that they'd be back soon but as she turned to close the door, Bailey broke free and ran straight out towards the road and the next thing Sarah heard was a car sounding its horn aggressively