Worth the wait

Chapter Twenty-seven

"Steve!" Tasha and Ellie shrieked! Adam ran around the table to go grab hold of him, William made a grab for his son but wasn't quite quick enough and Ben threw a punch with all his weight behind it and hit Steve square on his nose, blood spraying down his mouth and chin. He went to throw a second punch but felt a hand on his leg, halting him.

"Please don't." Charlotte looked up at him with tears rolling down her cheeks. He crouched down to wipe her tears and help her stand.

Security had arrived to stop things before they escalated mote than they already had and were moving Peter, Ellie and Tasha away from the commotion.

"Charlie... Charlie I'm..." Steve reached put to her but his hand was knocked away.

"Don't fucking touch her!" Ben hissed as Charlotte wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. "Let's go get you checked over yeah." He whispered against her hair as he walked her away from the scene.

"I hope you're really happy right now! You start drinking too much again and you ruin everything!" Ellie seethed as she followed them, Adam hot on her heels.

"We asked you to leave him alone Steve. Why couldn't you?" Tasha said shaking her head in disappointment.

He turned to look at his wife and frowned. "You knew? You all knew about them? And said nothing?!"

"Don't get snappy with me! We told you to leave it! You never listen!" She stormed off to find the others.

He turned to see his dad frowning at him "Dad?"

"We all had a pretty good idea Steven. He's been very good to her! To them both! We haven't seen any of the three of them as happy as they've been especially this week, not in a very long time!"

"You've got to be kidding me? You're ok with it?" He walked away not wanting to hear his dad's answer. His best friend and his baby sister, it was wrong. He couldn't be the only one to see that surely.

********

"I need to stop a minute." Charlotte whimpered, gently tugging on Ben's hand and perching on the railing. Turning around to face her, he saw that her brow was clammy and she looked pale. Crouching down in front of her, he gently took hold of her chin and moved her head to the side. Seeing a red welt now very prominent just below her temple.

"Please let me take you to get checked by first aid. It looks like it really hurts Lottie, you could have a concussion." He pleaded with her.

"I'll be fine. I've had worse. I'm just a little dizzy, I'll be ok in a minute." He let out a sigh and stood up.

"Having had worse isn't the point and you know it!" She looked up at him as he started pacing and then saw Rosie running towards them.

"Mummy!" She was crying. "Mummy! I heard Ellie shouting, telling nana that you got hit!" She wailed as she got to them and hugged her mum.

"Im ok sweetie." Hugging her back tightly.

"You're not though are you!" Ben said getting a glare from her in return. "I'm going for a walk!" He told her. "Should never have come on this holiday!" He muttered under his breath. He walked off leaving the pair behind, ignoring her when she called for him to come back.

"He didn't mean it darlin'." Will said as he walked up next to them. "I'll go talk to him. Ellie can you take your sister to get checked over, Ad you'll need to help steady her she's going to be a bit wobbly." Ellie and Adam helped her stand but she lost her balance, Adam picked her up and carried her while Ellie walked beside them stroking her sisters hair. "Tasha sweet, can you take Rosie to see Nana and Grandad. I think they want to go get ice cream." He smiled down at the little girl. Once they were on their way he headed in the direction his son went.

"Benji?" Will called out as he approached him. Sitting down next to him on the sand, he put his arm around him, feeling his shoulders shake slightly. "She'll be fine. Ellie and Adam have taken her to see the first aider."

He sniffed and took a deep breath. "I knew he'd go mad. I knew and I still let myself pursue something with her. I should have stayed away or at least had to balls to tell him. He shouldn't have had to find out like that!"

"She heard what you said you know...saying you shouldn't have come." He felt him tense and his head dropped and his chin to his chest.

"I love her, Dad." William wasnt shocked in the slightest by this information. "I love her so fucking much and I wanted him to be happy about it. Not for my benefit, for hers. I should have told him from the beginning. I never wanted this to happen! Now look! She's gotten hurt." He said as he angrily wiped a tear from his face. Will took a deep breath.

"She did, physically and emotionally. All in one day, her brother has turned the idea of you being together, completely upside down and now? Now she's alone with a stranger looking at her head,  thinking that you walked away from her because you're regretting coming, in her mind that means spending time with her and Rosie."

"That's not what I meant when I said it! I just meant, if I hadn't come then Ste wouldn't have found out like he did and she wouldn't have gotten hurt!"

"Then you need to tell her that Benjamin, tell her."

"If she'll even speak to me. I snapped at her didn't I! She'd have every right to fuck me off now!"

"Of course she'll speak to you! She loves you too remember." He smiled as Ben jumped up and ran in the direction of the resort.

He went straight to the main desk to ask if she was still in with first aid, to be told she had left a while ago after the all clear. Next stop was hers and Rosies hut but there was no answer and the door was locked. Ellie and Adams hut was next on his list, in case Ellie hadn't wanted to leave her on her own but when Ellie answered the door she said that they left her going in to her own place. Now panicking that something had happened to her, he ran back, jumped over the barrier to go around to the back via the decking. As he rounded the corner something caught his attention over on his own decking. As he got closer he realised she had curled up on the oversized ottoman and had fallen asleep. He went back and through his own hut and knelt down beside her.

Moving a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes fluttered open. "Hey." She whispered as she sat up, "I wanted to see you when you got back but I must have dozed off." She gave him a shy smile.

Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry Lottie." He whispered. Gently stroking her now bruising face, "What I said, it wasn't because of you. I just..." Silencing him with a kiss.

"Its ok. I get it. You were mad at the situation. Not me." He sighed in relief and pressed his forehead to hers. "Ive never seen Dad so angry Ben.. Almost made me feel sorry for Steve... Almost." She sniggered and Ben let out a chuckle. "I think you've broken his nose." She said looking at him with wide eyes.

"I really want to say I'm glad but I won't. I'll stick with, he'll get over it." He smirked. "Come on, lets go to bed. Its been a long fucking day and I'm knackered; I can't imagine how you're feeling." He stood, holding his hand out to her and helping her to her feet.

As they go to walk inside Charlotte stops him. "Hope you dont mind but while you were gone I packed our things and brought them round, so we can leave together." He smiled and kissed her nose. "Also, Rosie is fast asleep in your bed already." Looking at him hoping to have not over stepped with assuming it would be ok.

He pulled her in to his arms and kissed the top of her head "Its fine." He mumbled in to her hair and then walked her in, closing the door behind them.