The Honeytrap Heartbreaker

18.

She looked up to see Jake standing at the side of her bed. He had a few scratches on his chin and a small cut above his left eye that he had to have stitches on as there was a plaster covering it. It made him look very rugged, Ella wanted to laugh at herself for thinking that but she put it down to the drugs.

"Hey." She replied.

"Can we talk?" He gestured towards the wheelchair he was leaning against at the end of her bed.

She wriggled about trying to pull herself up but the pain killers hadn't quite set in and she was causing herself more pain. Jake noticed her discomfort and picked her up out of the bed, the same way a fireman carries a woman he has just saved from a burning building.

"Thanks,"

He pushed her out of the room and into the empty coffee shop on the ground floor. He put her at the side of the table in the corner and went to fetch them two hot chocolates. She noticed there was no one but the odd nurse walking by which meant it was definitely post-10pm as they didn't like patients leaving there rooms after then.

"Ella I'm sorry." Jake said as he sat and placed the hot chocolate in front of her.

"Sorry for following me or for kissing me or for letting me trust you or for almost killing me?" She reeled off sarcastically.

"Ella please doesn't be like that! You would have killed someone if I hadn't have stopped you."

"So you try to kill me, in a car crash, after everything I told you?"

"I never wanted it to be like that. I had already called for backup, I'm trained in pursuits, I know how to stop vehicles without killing people. If I would have let you carry on you could have took out anyone." Jake tried to plea.

"Oh that makes me feel so much better; my dad blames me for killing my family and now you." Ella replied.

"Ella you're not a murderer, you're just sleeping with one."

"So who were you following him or me?"

"Tom. I went there when I left yours but then when I saw you leave, you looked like you were going to drive off a bridge. I had to make sure you're okay, I have a duty of care."

"A duty of care. So nothing to do with the fact you want me to testify against him and saw me upset and tried to take advantage. No you wouldn't do that, you care." She said without dropping the sarcastic tone.

"Fucking behave Ella. Yes I want you to testify against him but I know I have no hope. It may come as a shock to you but I do care about you, if I can't get you away from him, I at least want to know you're safe."

"Stop with the bullshit Jake, you want him put away that's it."

"Ella who did this to you? Who screwed you up so badly that you push anyone away who tries to help you? You let these soul-sucking people into your life but refuse to let anyone in who genuinely loves or cares about you. Who fucking did that?"

"Are you kidding me? How many fucking times do I have to tell you Jake? I'm fucked up I'm daddy's little murderer."

"Fucking hell. There's no getting through to you sometimes!"

"I don't need help; I need to not be treated like a fucking toy. You can't just pick and choose what character you want me to play – I'm not willing to be your star witness one day, your bit on the side the next, a criminal the next and your fucking princess that needs rescuing the day after. I am a grown women, I can make my own decisions. I split up with Tom, that's why I was leaving that's what you wanted isn't it? But you still had to interfere."