Unspoken: Shadow Falls: After Dark (44 page)

“It’s late,” Chase said.

Kirk held out his hand. “Can I say that knowing you work with the FRU, I’m hopeful that there might be some changes for the good?”

Chase recalled the times Kirk had been there for him and Eddie, and he couldn’t help but shake the man’s hand.

“Thank you.”

Once outside, Eddie met him. “You okay?” his surrogate father asked.

Chase nodded. “You?”

“Yeah.” Eddie put his hand on Chase’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you, son.”

“Even if I work for the FRU?” Chase asked.

“Even if,” he said. “How’s Della’s sister?”

“Burnett texted me that she’s going to make it.”

“Good.”

“Thank you for calling Burnett,” Chase said.

Eddie nodded. “If he wasn’t an FRU agent, I might even like him.”

“I told you. He’s a good guy.”

Eddie smiled. “He reminds me of your father.”

“Which one?” Chase asked. “I have two.” He met Eddie’s eyes, letting him know what he meant.

“I love you, son!” Eddie said and the two of them embraced.

*   *   *

Della walked into the chapel. Her father sat in the first row. The lights were out, except for some flickering candles. She wiped the tears from her eyes.

She saw him look over his shoulder. Her chest swelled with emotion, but she forced herself to go and sit down beside him.

He had his head down, his hands folded. “I am a terrible person,” he said.

More tears came. “No, you’re not. You saw some terrible things a long time ago and I reminded you of it all over again.”

He still didn’t look at her. “I’m the one who told the police that you might have killed Mr. and Mrs. Chi.”

“I know,” she said.

He looked at her. “You knew?”

“Yeah,” she said. “And it’s because of me that you were arrested for murder. I’m the one who had the file pulled so I could find out … about Feng and Bao Yu.”

“Yes, but Mr. James tells me you never thought I did it. Even when he got the file with my confession. You believed in me, and I turned you in.”

She felt another wave of emotion fill her. “It’s different,” she said. “I didn’t witness something terrible that gave me doubt.”

“Yes, you did.” Tears filled his eyes. “You witnessed me these last nine months. I treated you so badly. How can you forgive me?”

She reached over and took his hand in hers. “Because that was nine months, and you treated me so wonderfully for over seventeen years.”

He wrapped his arms around her and there, in the small hospital chapel, she got her daddy back.

After a few minutes, Della felt the temperature go down in the dark room. She looked around, almost afraid of what her aunt might do if she still didn’t believe.

“You didn’t kill your sister,” she told him and hoped Bao Yu would hear as well.

“I pulled the knife out,” he said, and his voice shook a little. “I might have killed her. She was trying to do it and I just … It looked like it was hurting her.” He cupped his hand over his eyes and the sad sound of her father’s cries filled the small dark room.

I was already dying,
Bao Yu said.
I’d seen the light already. He was trying to help me. I wanted it out. It’s not his fault.
Her gaze met Della’s.
I finally remembered. Thanks to you.

Della stared at the altar and the cross and where her aunt stood. She smiled at Della. She had tears in her eyes and mouthed the words,
Thank you
.

“She was already dying,” Della said. “I’m sure you did that because she … because you thought it would help.” She squeezed his hand. “The man who came into your house, the really mean one, he was the one who killed her.”

Her father shook his head. “Mr. James told me that too.”

Della looked back at her aunt.

Bao Yu turned and looked over her shoulder, and Della almost gasped when the wall behind her aunt seemed to open up. Where the Sheetrock had been was now what looked like the most beautiful sunset she’d ever seen. Colors so brilliant, so … unlike any she’d ever seen. Bao Yu turned, and suddenly Mrs. Chi showed up. They both waved at Della, then walked away, and the colors slowly faded.

But the warm, soft feeling swelling in Della’s chest didn’t fade.

“Did you see that?” her father asked.

“See what?” Della asked, shocked.

“Those colors, like a rainbow flashed on the wall.”

“Yeah,” Della said. “I saw that.”

“Maybe it is a sign that good things will happen from now on.”

“Yeah,” Della smiled. “I think it was a sign.”

They sat in the peaceful silence. Both looking at the wall, as if waiting for more colors to appear.

Her father spoke again. “Mr. James also told me that you saw Feng.”

“I did,” she said. “He’s a very nice man. A lot like someone else I know,” she said and smiled.

“I would like to see him,” he said.

“I’ll bet he would like to see you, too.”

*   *   *

Four days later, Chase poured Eddie a glass of blood and they sat down at his French farm table. Baxter rested at his guest’s feet. The dog loved Eddie almost as much as he loved Chase.

“Della called me today,” Eddie said.

Well, that hurt. She hadn’t found the time to call him. Chase picked up his glass and took a slow sip to hide his emotions.

“The courts have dropped the case against Chao. His lawyer requested a new DNA test to be done on Bao Yu’s gown, and when they went to do it, it was missing. Fearing he would look bad, the DA decided to drop the case.”

“Really,” Chase said, and took another long sip. “Funny how things like that happen.”

Eddie looked at him. “I see you used your fireplace recently.”

“It got cold.”

“Right,” Eddie said. “You could have gotten your ass in a lot of trouble.”

“Yeah,” Chase said. “But I asked myself, if I got caught would it be worth it? It would have been. Besides, I didn’t do it alone.”

“Who?”

“Della has a lot of friends at Shadow Falls.”

Eddie nodded. “Della says that my brother wants to meet with me.”

“That’s good,” Chase said. He’d heard through the years how Eddie missed his twin.

He’d also heard from Burnett how Della’s father had admitted he’d been a total ass and was seriously trying to make amends with his daughter. So maybe the man wasn’t such an ass after all.

“Have you called or texted her?” Eddie asked.

Chase took another slow sip. “She told me not to.”

“And since when do you do what people tell you? You sure as hell didn’t listen to me.”

“She knows where I am. I’ve told her how I feel many times.”
And she never told me she felt the same. That hurt.

Eddie leaned down to pet Baxter. When he sat back up, he dropped Baxter’s dog collar on the table. “Never turn your back on a challenge,” he said. “Isn’t that what the collar says? There was a day when you said you lived by that. Don’t stop doing that now, son.”

*   *   *

“Checkmate,” Della said, and smiled at her dad.

“Okay, I clearly need to brush up on the game,” her father said.

Della just grinned. She knew he’d purposely let her win, and she loved him for it. God, she loved him. Loved her whole family.

“One more game?” he asked.

“I should go.” Della frowned. “I promised Mom I would help her cook chicken fingers for dinner and I promised Marla I would watch the
Twilight
movie with her.” Della made a face.

Marla had gotten to come home yesterday. The doctors were still stunned at her recovery.

Her father grinned. “Your sister is trying to show that she accepts you.”

“Yeah, well, she could just say that. We watched those movies years ago. Whoever heard of a vampire sparkling?”

He leaned in. “Marla’s like your mom. She has a hard time saying things sometimes. Not like you and me.”

It was true, Della realized. She and her dad didn’t sugarcoat things like her mom and sister did.

Her father leaned back in his chair. “Are you sure I can’t talk you into staying home and finishing out the year at your old school?”

Della made a face. “I kind of like it at Shadow Falls. I have my best friends.”
Chase lives close.
Though why that mattered she didn’t know. At least a hundred times, she’d written him a text, only to delete it.

He’d kept stuff from her. Wasn’t that the same as lying?

“Okay, I’m not going to try to talk you out of it. But I’d buy you a new car if you reconsidered.”

“That’s bribery,” Della said. “And it’s a low blow.”

He sighed. “Okay, I just can’t stand the thought of you leaving.”

“I’m almost eighteen.”

He sighed and held up his hands. “You know I’ll still buy you a car. I was going to when you graduated high school.”

She stood up and hugged him. “Can I have stick shift?”

“You don’t drive a stick shift,” he said.

“I learned.” She remembered her driving lessons with Chase. Her heart did another tumble. Would she ever stop missing him?

“I’ll let you help pick it out.”

“Thank you.” She hugged him again.

Funny how lately she’d become almost as much of a serial hugger as Miranda.

*   *   *

Sunday, at almost eight that night, her whole family drove to drop her off at Shadow Falls. They hugged, kissed, and Marla even cried.

“I’ll be back in two weeks.” Della stayed at the gate and watched them leave. Then she cried. For the first time, she actually knew they were going to miss her. She knew she still had a place at home. Would always have that place.

She turned around and stared at the Shadow Falls Academy sign. This was home too.

Oddly, she was surprised when Kylie and Miranda weren’t at the gate waiting for her. They had called five times today, asking when she’d get there.

She walked through the gate.

“Hey,” Miranda called from the dining hall. “I was just grabbing us some Cokes, can you help?”

“Sure.” Before she walked through the door, their scents hit. Vampires, shape-shifters, faes, witches, werewolves, shape-shifters. The whole bunch of them. She was still surprised when they all yelled, “Welcome home!”

She almost got a little teary eyed. Everyone was so nice. Over the next hour she spent time laughing with all of her Shadow Falls family, Holiday and Burnett, and little Hannah, Jenny and Derek, Perry and Miranda. Lucas and Kylie. Jonathon and Helen. Even Fredericka and Chris came over and welcomed her back.

When Della was ready to head back to her cabin, Burnett asked if he could see her in the office.

“Is there a problem?” She walked into Holiday’s office.

“No,” Burnett said. “Well, a little one.”

“What?” Right then something rubbed against her leg.

She looked down. “Chester? What?”

“Remember you asked me to find out what vet the Chis’ cat was at?”

“Yes,” Della said.

“Well, I don’t know how I got to be the person responsible. But the Chis’ daughter called the vet and said they couldn’t have a cat at their apartment. So I got stuck with Chester. Holiday doesn’t trust Hannah with a pet yet. Do you think Chester could hang out with you?”

“That’s a great idea!” Della picked up the cat.

“There’s a carrier.”

She started out, cat in tow. “Della?” Burnett said.

“Yeah,” she said.

“Have you spoken with Chase?”

A lump filled her chest. “No.”

“Oh,” he said.

She started out again and stopped when he spoke up.

“It just seems odd.”

“Why?” she asked.

“He worked so hard on your dad’s case.”

“And he kept things from me. Eddie had told him that he was going to come forward and confess. He didn’t tell me that.”

“Yeah, but do you know something else that’s odd?”

“What?”

“You both were doing the same thing. Trying to save your fathers. But only one of you seemed to support the other one.”

She stood there, feeling her emotions well up. When it was put like that, she really came off as a bitch.

“Stone was blackmailing the council. He had files that put them all at risk, even your uncle. The council promised Chase that they’d protect Eddie if he’d kill Stone. He didn’t do it, because he knew that if Stone died, your father might still get convicted. He risked Eddie going to jail to save your father from the same thing.”

“He did?” she asked and realized she didn’t just come off as a bitch, she was one. A full-fledged bitch.

“Yup.”

She looked down at Holiday’s desk. A plan started to form.

“Do you think I could borrow the car later? I might … run out and get some food and stuff for Chester.”

He grinned. “You’re going to ask? I thought you just took the keys and ran.” He picked up the keys and tossed them to her.

Smiling, she started out, then turned. “Burnett?”

“Yeah.”

She searched for the right words. “During some of this time, I felt like I lost my father. But you were sort of a backup. And still are. Thank you.”

He smiled. “I feel the same way.”

Chapter Fifty-one

Della went to her cabin and had a round-table Diet Coke session with Kylie and Miranda.

They laughed, listening to Miranda whine about her love life. She’d been spending time with Shawn since he’d been hurt. As friends. Just friends. But now Perry announced he was going to be gone for another month to try and find his parents.

“He said you’re the one who told him he should do it.” Miranda frowned at Della. “Not that I think it’s wrong, I just … I’m confused.”

They talked for a few more minutes. Della put her soda can down. “I’m confused too. I’m about to do something and it might be stupid.”

“What?” Kylie asked.

“I’m going to go see Chase.”

“That’s not stupid,” Kylie said.

“I don’t think so,” Miranda said.

They agreed to watch Chester, and Della went back to her room.

“I thought you were going to see Chase.”

“I am, but I’m going to shower first.”

Miranda’s mouth fell open. “You aren’t just going to talk, are you?”

“Shut up,” Della said.

“What kind of underwear are you going to put on?” Miranda teased. “Just in case you don’t know, it’s Sunday.”