Black Rainbow (26 page)

She shook her head as she wiped her tears away—.“This was done. It was over. Why did you have to bring it—”

“Because this isn’t right. You know that. This is blackening you soul. Your smile used to light up rooms, and now you're a walking pit. The brother you think you are protecting is slowly killing you, and you won’t be the only one to suffer. That child in your arms, he will suffer worse than anyone, because he will never understand why you are the way you are. Why you will hurt him because you are hurting yourself. So please Odile, tell me, what happened.”

She swallowed, still trying to wipe away her tears and with a choked sob, she began.

“She took me to that stupid fair. She said it was just going to be us that weekend, just the girls. But then
he
came, and she thought that I was stupid, that she could just force me to be friends with his daughter, and I wouldn’t notice what was going on.

“I was mad at her, and when I saw the pregnancy test in the bathroom that night, I just couldn’t take it anymore so I called Cole. I told him everything and he told me not to move, that he would be there soon. I stared at her and I realized that I hated her; I couldn’t stand the sight of her, so I went to sit outside. It was cold and she kept telling me to come in, but I told her to leave me alone. Finally Cole arrived, and he told me to stay in the car… I…”

She covered her mouth and finally looked to me. “She screamed once. That was all I heard, but it took Cole so long to come out again, and when he did, he had changed. He threw away the trash, and got into the car with me.

“The whole way home he said how we were a family—we were the Van Allens. He called her a disgrace, and told me what to say. But I didn’t realize he had killed her until she was on the news. Everything happened so fast and he said no one was going to talk to me. He told me to stay away, so I did. No one came—”

“You have to testify to this Odile.”

She shook her head. “I can’t. I just can’t. They will crucify me. Everything will fall apart. I can’t.”

“I’ll help you. I will do everything in my power to protect you. But you need to testify because hearing it from you is much better than hearing it from a tape.”

I reached into my front pocket and pulled out my phone.

Just like that, she broke down, and I pulled both her, and her crying son, into my arms.

“Levi!” Selene yelled as she ran towards me.

I had just called her, didn’t I? How did she get here so fast?

Looking up at the clock, I realized that four hours had somehow slipped by. It had taken me some time after… after it had happened to call her. But she was the only person who I knew Thea needed most.

“Have they said anything? Do we know anything? We couldn’t get an immediate flight out and they kept saying that she was in critical condition. And—”

“Breathe,” a teenage boy, about seventeen or eighteen, said. He had dark brown skin and black eyes. He placed his hand on her back and rubbed it soothingly. I hadn’t noticed him until now.

“I’m sure she’s fine—”

“She was shot! She is not fine! I don’t understand!” I cried.

Never in my whole life had I felt as useless as I did today. I was failing everyone and everything.

“I haven’t heard anything yet,” I said to her, which only made her cry more.

In the four hours that had passed, I had heard nothing.

“Selene?”

She broke away, wiping her eyes and turned to face a worried, older woman who was making her way towards us with the aid of a cane. She was short, with white hair and dark wrinkled skin. Though she was two generations above, there was no mistaking the resemblance. This was Grandma Cunning.

“No word yet,” Selene said and the woman looked to me. “Grams this is Levi Black. He’s not just dad’s lawyer—”

“Selene, it’s fine. It’s nice to finally meet you, ma’am.”

I extended my hand towards her but she just stared at it and then back to me.

“So you’re the one who’s dating my granddaughter?”

“N—” I began, but Selene elbowed me.

“Yes. Yes I am.”

I couldn’t deny how good it sounded to say it out loud.

She nodded, finally shaking my hand and taking a seat.

“Can I get you anything?”

“Don’t go outta your way for me son, just sit,” she said as she took a deep breath. “You saw it didn’t you? You were there.”

I didn’t want to talk about it. I was trying to block it out. I made no reply.

“You took this case for her?”

“Yes,” I told her. There was no point in lying now. “But she made me believe.”

She smiled, “Yes. She’s a passionate one.”

“I know.”

“You take a case on for her? So she takes a bullet for you?”

I sat up, blinking as I thought about it. Her on the ground, staring up at me, trying to speak, but before she could her eyes had slipped shut. I thought she had died. Right in front of me, with my hand on her stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. I thought she had died, and I wanted to die alongside of her.

No.

Sniffling, I wiped the corner of my eye and sat back in my chair.

“I don’t mean to chastise you, Thea does what she wants. It wasn’t your fault. But when she wakes up, you’d better knock some sense into her.” She paused and placed her hand over her mouth, and I took her other hand into my own. “You better tell her she can’t be jumpin’ in front of no bullets just because she’s in love with someone. I would yell at her myself, but I know I will end up crying right in the middle of it.”

“That would make her feel worse. You should do it.” I forced a laugh. “She’s going to be fine.”

Why didn’t I believe myself?

“You better not pull any stunt like this, either of you. You’re always following her lead,” she pointed to the couple in front of us.

Selene nodded, as she lay her head against her boyfriend’s chest.

“I won’t let her,” he said to their grandmother, and she nodded.

When the doctor came out, none other than Dr. Sharpay London, she looked over us all. Her eyes fell on me in shock, before she smiled knowingly. “Are you all Thea Cunning’s family?”

“Yes,” her grandmother answered as I helped her up.

“The bullet struck her liver, causing her to go into hypovolemic shock due to the loss of blood, which in turn caused her heart to give out. But she’s in a stable condition now and is currently asleep. She will make it.” She smiled. “A nurse will take you in to see her soon.”

“Thank god,” Her grandmother said and I looked towards Sharpay. She smiled and nodded before she turned and walked back down the hall.

Taking a deep breath, I fell back onto the chair.

She was going to be fine.

“Urgh,” I groaned as I tried to force my eyes open. It was a lot harder than normal, and when I did, all I felt was pain.

What the hell had happened to me?

My eyes adjusted, and as I looked around, I noticed the IV drip in my arm and the heart rate monitor that stood beeping next to my bed.

“What?”

I tried to move my hands, but looking down, I saw that Levi was there holding it. He was asleep, and dressed in a pair of scrubs. His hair was messy, and he had a thick layer of stubble under his chin. He looked beat down.

“You’re awake,” Selene smiled, as she came in with a pot of flowers.

She was wearing color! Not a single black item on her…

“What happened?”

“You thought you were superman, and threw yourself in front of a bullet,” she snapped at me, as she put the flowers down to give me a hug. “Don’t scare me like that. Grams is so angry with you.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, as my memories began flooding back to me.

She let go, and when she moved I noticed that Levi was now awake and sitting upright. He had a smile on his face with his arms crossed, half of his face was slightly red from sleeping on it, but I couldn’t care less. He just kept smiling at me and as he stood up, I took his hand and squeezed it tightly.

“I’ll give you guys a moment before I call Grams,” Selene said, as she kissed my cheek and left.

She looked so different now, like she had grown up overnight.

“Are you alright? The pain, I mean?” He sat beside me.

His caressed my cheek with the back of his hand and I found myself so overwhelmed with emotion that I couldn't speak, I just nodded.

“Good, because I’m livid with you Thea Cunning. How could you be so stupid? How could you do that?”

He kissed my forehead before cupping my cheek. I was trapped in his green eyes, unable to move.

“I thought you were dead,” he whispered, as a tear dropped from his face onto mine.

Reaching up, I wiped them away. “I’m sorry—no, that’s a lie. I wasn’t really thinking. I saw him moving towards you, I saw his intent and I just… But I’m glad I did. I’m glad I ran forward. You’re always saving—”

“That is never the way I want you to save me, especially because you feel indebted to me.”

“I don’t,” I said. Looking into his eyes I don’t know why I didn’t say it before. “I did it because I loved you… because I love you. I’d rather die than lose anyone I love.”

The corners of his lips twitched and turned upwards, but he fought it. “You can’t say that now. I still have a whole speech—”

“Later, Professor.” I kissed him.

He kissed me softly… softer than any kiss we’d ever had before. It was as delicate as a first kiss, and all too soon he broke away.

“If you think you’re running away from me now, then we should get your head checked too,” he whispered, brushing back my hair.

I grinned. “Oh you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into. I now have the
I-literally-took-a-bullet-for-you
card.”

“Well I have the
I-helped-your-dad-get-out-of-prison
card,” he said as he got up, and for a moment my heart rated quickened as I stared at the door.

Instead of my father, it was Selene, my Grams and another boy that I had never met before, who was holding on to Selene’s hand.

“I don’t understand,” I told them as my Grandmother walked over to me and took my hand. She kissed it with a large smile on her old face.

“Just watch,” she replied as Levi turned on the television.

The screen flickered once before turning on. Levi flipped through the channels and finally, there stood Tristan, making his way on to the screen and standing before a podium. The ticker underneath him read:
Odile Van Allen’s SHOCKING confession
.

She sat behind the microphone, as beautiful and as regal as ever, with her head held high as she addressed the audience before her—
“My name is Odile Van Allen, when I was twelve, my mother was murdered in a motel room in Woodstock, Connecticut. Her case made national headlines and our family was given an overwhelming amount of support from all of you… support that we didn’t deserve.

“I was there when she went to go see her lover Ben Walton. She wasn’t kidnapped, we drove there. And she wasn’t raped, she loved him openly. The truth of the matter is that she was not murdered by Ben Walton.

“Her killer was my brother, Cole Van Allen, who I had called to come get me that night. For seventeen years, I’ve held my tongue and allowed an innocent man to pay the price for my brother’s sins. And after seeing Cole’s actions once again today in the attempted murder of Levi Black,
I realized how far this has gone, and I feel that I can no longer lie for him.

“To Ben Walton’s family, I’m so sorry for all the pain we have caused you and the rift we have left in your homes. Though my words mean nothing at this point, I will say it again for all of you to hear; Ben Walton is an innocent man and I urge the six court of Connecticut to free him.”

“What?” I cried wiping my face, “I… why? How did you—?”

“Breathe,” Levi whispered taking my hand, “it’s over.”

It’s over.

“Oh my god!” I shrieked, as I latched on to him and cried.

It was finally over.

“We’re late,” I looked at my watch as Levi helped me into the wheelchair. It was the only way my doctor was willing to let me out for the day.

“Stupid press, now everyone wants to get a bloody picture,” Selene mumbled, but I was more shocked at the bright yellow dress she wore, and how styled her hair was. At least one of us didn’t look like a total mess.

Reaching up, I took her hand. “You look pretty. I’m sure he will think so too.”

“I know I do,” her boyfriend said.

Laughing, she smacked his arm and he wrapped himself around her waist. I couldn’t help but stare at them being all lovey dovey while we stood outside a prison. They were in their own little blissful world.

“You’re glaring,” Levi said as he knelt down beside me, making me feel like he was talking to a child or something. “It’s hard watching little sisters rely on other people.”

“I know, and what’s worse is that I like him,” I pouted.

He snickered as he wheeled me to the front of the building.

DeShawn White was about the same height as Levi. He was on both the basketball team, as well as the football team. In the spring, he played baseball simply because he enjoyed being active and he wanted to stay in shape year round. On the top of that, he was an honor roll student, whose top choice was Georgetown.

He treated Selene… well he treated Selene like Levi treated me, like all people should treat the ones they’re with; like they were the most important person in the world.

“I’ll be back,” Levi said, and he softly squeezed my hand before he walked over to the press.

“Ladies and gentlemen, today is a profound day, because not only does a man get his life back, but he gets his family back as well. There are a lot of legal aspects to this case that need to be examined, but now is not the time nor the place for such a discussion. All your questions will be answered at a later date because all that matters right now is Ben Walton and his family. Thank you.”

He backed away from them, and the police that were there kept them at bay. However it didn’t stop them from hurling their questions my way.

“Ms. Cunning, how are you feeling?”

“Do you have any words for Odile Van Allen?”

“Will you be suing the state?”

“I just want to see my father,” I replied to them, and Levi turned me towards the exit.

I sat up when the doors opened. I wanted to clap and cheer, but all I could do was watch as he got closer and closer to us. Until, there he was, chain free, in jeans and basic grey shirt. Even his hair was cut.

“Hi,” he said to us, and Selene ran up to him, pulling him into a big hug.

He shook Levi’s hand, and accepted all the cheers until his eyes fell on me.

“Hey Daddy,” I managed to mumble.

He dropped his things, came over to me and hugged me tightly. “Thank you so much Thea Bear. Thank you for not giving up on me.”

I looked up to the sky trying to keep my tears from overflowing, but I laughed at what I saw.

“Look up Daddy. Look at the rainbow.”