Page 47 of Hearts Colliding
“Oooh, no, Doreen. His name was Kenneth, and he was from Liverpool. And it was 1981, or was it—”
“I’ll not minute that we have loonies in the village, if that’s agreed?” Joss stopped typing and looked around the table.
“What happens once all the objections are in?” Declan leaned forward, resting his arms on the tabletop. “Do we just wait for the outcome? That seems a bit passive, somehow.”
“The cut off date for submitting objections is five o’clock next Friday,” Charles said. “From then, we have to await the outcome which won’t be for a few weeks, as it’ll go before one of the scheduled planning committee meetings for consideration. But that doesn’t mean we should just sit around.
“Right up until the meeting, we should keep the pressure on and make a noise to impress upon the council that the majority of villagers are against the proposal. Along with the objections, it might make them think. We need to do this as a community, because nobody else is going to do it for us. Especially not our Member of Parliament, nor the Secretary of State. Nor, it has to be said, our parish councillors, most of whom are in favour of the plans because they’re those same people who’ve seen their businesses thrive, and are eager for an even bigger slice of the cake.”
Discontent broke out around the table. Letters had been written, and phone calls made, but they’d been met with the bland response that the development was for the local authority to approve, or not.
“We have to bring wider attention to it, go beyond the confines of the village and the immediate area. Something that will get public opinion firmly on our side. Anybody got any ideas? Ryan, what do you think?”
Ryan fought to stop himself from cringing away from the spotlight.
Everybody around the table was family or friend, people he loved and respected. What would they say if stood up and told them about him and Alex? He ached to tell them the truth as much as he knew he had to hide what was happening, what was growing stronger with every single day… Would they understand? No, because how could they?
His gaze flickered over to Joss. His friend had called Alex public enemy number one, and to everybody sitting around the table that was exactly who Alex was, and that was who he’d become, too. All eyes were on him. A bead of sweat made its smooth glide down the valley of his spine.
“Perhaps we should talk to him again? He might be more willing to compromise. Now he’s been around for a while,” he added quickly.
“Not quite what we had in mind about making a noise. It was you who said he’s got no intention of backing down. You should know, because you’re the one who’s had the most to do with him.” Eva turned her steady gaze to him. Ryan tried not to squirm, but wasn’t sure he succeeded.
“Yeah, why should he even consider it? Especially as he’s got some support. How’d you suggest we go about getting him to think again, Ry?” Declan leaned back in his chair, and quirked his head to the side.
Ryan’s heart rate picked up the pace. The spotlight had been turned up, it was bright and burning and he needed to deflect its glare.
“It was your idea, Nan. Don’t you remember? A meeting just with us, not the rest of the village. To try and get him to rethink? It’s worth trying, isn’t it?”
“I know it was, but like you said to me then, he won’t back down. The time for talking’s over. Charles is right. We need to make more noise, and the council needs to take notice, because the decision whether or not to agree this monstrosity sits with them. We’ve got nothing to lose at throwing everything we have at it.”
Alarm pulsed in Ryan’s stomach. “I still reckon—”
“A demonstration,” Doreen burst out. “At the council offices. We could stage a sit-in, or chain ourselves to the railings. Or lie on the ground like those climate protesters up in London do.Thatwould get us the publicity we need.” Doreen’s eyes lit up with enthusiastic glee. “We could get all the girls to come along, all in their FREE LOVE! T-shirts, and form a human chain. We’d cause a riot!”
Ryan stared at Doreen, the mounting horror at her suggestion at odds with the rising hysteria burning in his chest. Fucking hell… An army of mature ladies storming the council? He doubted many of them could even lower themselves onto the ground without assistance.
“You’d end up getting arrested…” His words were lost amidst the upswell of excitement. Oh, Christ. They were serious. They were bloodyseriousabout this.
“Ryan, what do you think about the idea? In principal at least?” Charles asked with a twitch of a smile. “We can, perhaps, rework the details.”
Good luck with that… If Charles thought he or anybody could rein in his nan and Doreen, and the rest of the Grannies’ Grapevine now they had the bit between their teeth, Charles didn’t know the Harbour as well as he thought. He’d have a private word with his nan, but as she and Doreen, egged on by a grinning Declan and Joss, talked tactics, anything he had to say would be like blowing in the wind.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
“Where were you rushing off to the other night?”
“What?” Ryan jumped and looked over at Joss, who was packing up his laptop. “What do you mean?” Jesus, could he sound any more guilty…
“I saw you coming out of Luigi’s with a couple of take away pizzas. I called, but you didn’t hear me.”
“What’s this?” Declan appeared, gathering up mugs and plates from the meeting, his eyes sparkling with interest.
Ryan’s stomach tightened as panic boiled up inside him. If either of his friends got wind he had something to hide, they’d go straight for the jugular. He shrugged, attempting to claim a calm nonchalance he was nowhere near feeling.
“It was my night off, and I was spending it with a friend.”Fuck. Too late, he realised his mistake.
“Friend? What friend’s this?” Joss’ eyes opened wide. “Are you seeing somebody? Who is it? Somebody from the village?”
