Sudden Hope (14 page)

To my darling Daughter,

If you are reading this, then the unthinkable has happened.

I want you to know I love you more than anything in this world.

Be good my girl and take care of yourself.

Everything is meant
to be for a reason.

One day you will understand that.

One day you will heal.

I can’t explain what happened because I do not know why you are reading this, but what I do know is you are not alone.

Today is the beginning of a new era for you, the beginning of a new life.

When you are ready Ms. Gina will give this to you.

Know I will be watching over you. Know that I love you.

Daddy

I never needed this more than I do right now. Somehow he is watching over me. He is still here and I feel at peace. I hold the letter to my chest as I drift off to sleep.

Chapter Sixteen

My dreams are never kind to me. The worst seem to come on nights like tonight, when it is raining and my thoughts are scattered.

I walk along the beach in nothing but a pale blue nightgown. There is a small child sitting alone playing with a small shiny item. It looks like a ring.

Her face is turned from me but I can tell she is crying from the jerking motion she is making. I keep trying to get closer to her but it seems the more steps I take towards her, the further away she gets from me.

The moon starts to disappear and the waves are crashing louder and coming closer to her. I scream for her to run but she just continues to sit there. “What is wrong with you?” I wail. She doesn’t look up until the last wave crashes and carries her away. The little girl is me.

I wake up frantic. It is pouring outside but I am hearing something other than rain hitting my window. What the hell is that noise? I am still half-asleep but can hear something there. I start to get up and there it is again. I open the window and look outside. Rubbing my eyes I make out the dark silhouette of the one person I never thought it would be. Danny!

“What are you doing?” I am so confused. “Hold on I'll be right down.” I grab my robe and fly down the stairs. When I open the door he is already halfway to the porch. I rush to him only to be stopped dead in my tracks. He is crying.

“Danny what is wrong?” I have never known Danny to cry, and now I have made him cry
more than once in just a few days. What is really happening? He barrels towards me and put his arms around me.

“Baby, I love you.”

“I love you too.” My head is buried in his chest. He is cool from the rain, but I can feel his warm breath on my head. This is where I belong.

“Celeste, this is the hardest thing I have ever had to say to you.” I pull back and look into his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” The rain is beating down on us. He is shivering and still wearing the same clothing he left the gym in. “Hold on a second.” I run inside and grabbed my dad’s leather jacket.

“Here put this on.” I hand it to him and he slides it on.

“Thank you, CC. Listen, I love you more than anyone has ever loved anyone.” He looks up towards the sky as his hands run over my arms. “But, I have to let you go.”

“What do you mean? Let me go? I don't ever want to go anywhere.”

“I won’t beg you right now, but I need to leave you and I need you to know that I love you.”

“I don't understand?” I am so confused.
He lets go of me and runs to his car. Right before he gets in, he turns to me.

“Good-bye, Celeste.” Within a moment he is gone.

“Wait,” I yell to him. “Danny, wait.” I drop to the hard driveway and let the rain pound against me. Danny just said goodbye. Goodbyes are forever!

I am having the worst night of my life. My nightmares are coming true. My dad i
s gone, my love is gone, and my life is gone. I crawl back into bed, and fight to go to sleep. I twist and turn until I can't deal with anything anymore. Sleep is not going to come. At least not tonight!

I cannot believe what just happened. How could he show up here and say goodbye like that? How could he think I would be okay with that? I am crushed, it seems like I don't know how to do anything but cry anymore. I am so lost in my own world, so much I don't notice. I am completely losing him. I am far from losing him
. I have officially lost him. He said goodbye and goodbyes are forever. We always promised each other we would never say goodbye.

I grab my phone and run as fast I can towards Jenny's house. My car is blocked and I’m not even going to try to figure out a way out of this one. I am calling and texting, praying she will just answer. God I wish she would pick up her phone.

“Yea, hello?”

“Oh, thank God
, Jenny! You have to come get me now I'm running down Renee Drive. Hurry!” I am so out of breath I can't speak anymore. I need to get to her.

“Jesus
, CC, what the hell is wrong?” I can hear the panic in her voice.

“I'll tell you when you get to me. Just hurry.”

“Okay, we’re on our way.” I can hear her rushing around. Thank God for friends. I do not even think to ask who "we" includes. I really don't care at that point. I just need her to come help me find Danny.

I can't run anymore, my hair is sticking to my face and I am soaking wet, water is dripping from every piece of my clothing. My feet are so wet it feels like I am barefoot in a lake. I feel cold and miserable. I sit down on the curb and just wait. The cold water is like ste
el nails drilling into me but I couldn't care less. I feel numb to everything. I think I see her Range Rover’s headlights, but I can't get up.

Jenny pulls up and jumps from her truck. She darts towards me but I can't move. She kneels down beside me and wraps her arms around me. “Come on
girlie, let's get you into the truck where it's warm.” She doesn't ask me what is wrong. She doesn't ask if I am okay. I know she can tell I am far from alright.

Jenny leads me around the car and the front door swings open. James gets out and helps Jenny slide me into the seat. I see Jenny look at him and shake her head. I think she is trying to tell him to not speak but he doesn't get the hint.

“What the hell happened to you? You’re a damn mess!” James isn't asking because he cares. He sounds more annoyed than anything, just what I need. I wish he would just go away. I really have an uneasy feeling when he is around.

I am so cold I am shivering and my teeth are chattering. Jenny turns the heat on full blast and faces every vent towards me. It isn’t helping I feel chilled to the bone. “Get her a blanket from the back
, James, quickly. Holy shit CC, you could have just stayed home I would have driven over to your house.”

“I know I was stupid. I just needed to get to you.” I blow into my hands and wrap the blanket tight around me.

“Well, what was so important that you had to interrupt us?” James growls. I don’t know whose head snaps back quicker, mine or Jenny’s. I hold my mouth open in shock. Just as I am about to snap back at him Jenny beats me to the punch.

“What did you just say? Don’t you speak to her like that, ever! She is my best friend and obviously she is in a great deal of trouble, so shut your damn mouth and sit there.” She is pissed. But of course like most men he doesn’t listen and comes right back yelling at her.

“Well, what the hell, Jenny, there’s always something wrong with her. Why do you always have to be the one coming to her rescue?” It is like I’m not even there.

Jenny flings the door open and yells at James to get out. I close my eyes and feel the uneasy feeling come back. Jenny is screaming at James and he starts yelling back they are now standing in the rain fighting and once again, I feel like I can't do anything right. That’s when I see Jenny slap James and he winds up and punches her in the face. I go to get out, but I freeze when I see Jenny block his next shot at her, I laugh to myself because I know what is coming next. Jenny winds up and gives him a left hook to the chin followed by a roundhouse kick to the sternum. He drops, grabbing his chest and folds over on the ground. I don’t know what he said but she kicks him in the ribs when he is already down, which means whatever it was, it wasn’t good. Jenny never kicks someone when they are down. I see her smirk as she kicks him again she jumps on top of him and continues to hit him, I know it has to have been something really bad.

I run out and grab her but she stands up and tells me to get in the truck. I know by the look in her eyes not to argue I get back in and watch as she kicks him a few more times. He lays on the ground in the fetal position. Truth, it feels good to see him like that. All of a sudden she turns and calmly gets back in the car.

“Call the police now, CC!” I’m not about to argue and she is not as calm as she looks. Actually she is scaring me. She stares out the window like she wants to run him over with her car. I think she might be debating it.

“What's going on, Jenny?” Now it is my turn to ask the questions. She continues to just stare out the window. A tear falls from her eye but she doesn't try to wipe it. I am used to crying, but I really don't know how to handle seeing my best friend cry.

The red lights from the cop cars are bright and I know Jenny sees them but she still isn't talking. Whatever he said to her had to be bad because she is in shock. I want to scream at her to tell me but I understand
that she is waiting until she is ready.

The police officer comes to the window and taps twice. Jenny finally turns and looks at me.

“I need you to stay here for a minute, okay?” At this point I will do anything she asks of me.

“Alright Jenny, I will, but are you okay
, Chickie?”

“No. But I will be.” She smiles at me but I really do not like the smile. She is really freaking me out.

I watch from the truck in confusion while Jenny throws her hands in the air and points at James. Then the officer draws his gun and points it at James. What the hell? The other officer runs to him and jumps on top of him putting his knee into his back. He pulls his arms behind his back and cuffs him. Then he lifts him up and starts walking him to the police car. I can make out the fact he is saying something to Jenny but I cannot hear what it is. It couldn't have been good because Jenny takes off after him and the officer has to hold Jenny back. That's when I cannot handle being in the truck any more.

I get out and walk up to the commotion. No one sees me standing there but I hear him yell the words I never dreamed of
, “I wish I killed the bitch and her scumbag friend.”

“What?” I yell. “What did you just say?” Everyone swings their heads towards me. I look at Jenny and the look of panic that is all over her face. Her eyes grow wide and she goes to reach for me but it is too late. “Don’t. Did he just say he should have killed me? Was it him?” I look at the officers and ask again. “Was it him?” The cop holding Jenny lets her go and walks over to me.

“Miss, we need you to calm down and come with us down to the station.” I must look like a fool because I just stand here, not knowing how to move. Jenny walks over to me and I can see through the rain that she is crying and I know this is real. How much I want this to be nothing but another nightmare. My luck will never allow that.

We arrive at the police station and Det. Abernathy comes to meet us at the door. It is getting old seeing him. I swear I s
ee him more than I see my teachers at school. “Hi Celeste,” he said like he was greeting an old friend.

“Hi, Det. Abernathy,” I smile at him as he reaches out and hugs me.

“Chris is on his way down and James is in interrogation. We just need you to fill out some paperwork and you can be on your way, Hun. Do you want some coffee or tea to warm up?” I nod. I am really cold and tired it has been such a long night. Det. Abernathy motions to another officer to take Jenny to get us our drinks and I sit down at the desk I have been at so many times that I am starting to lose count. We go through the normal routine of questions and answers. Jenny comes back with my coffee as Chris shows up.

Jenny's parents c
ome in panicked but are calmed down quickly when they see we were okay.

James tried to press charges against Jenny for assault but the detective said it was self-defense. Jenny’s cheek had markings to prove he hit her and with the assault on me and Chris, he could not deny she was defending herself. Just to know Jenny beat him up like that was amazing. I knew she was a bad ass but wow. The size of her was deceiving. She had brute strength and an incredible power. Even the cops in the station were amazed. Everyone who walked by either whispered to someone about her or patted her on her shoulder. We finished up with everything and decided to go back to Jenny's house. We were both tired and worn down. I needed a shower and something to eat. Jenny looked like she just needed sleep.

We drive away from the police station and it hits me, the reason I was even here tonight, Danny.

“Jenny oh my God, we have to go find Danny!”

“We’ll call him and let him know what happened, CC, tomorrow okay? I'm so beat.”

“No Jenny, you don’t understand.” I take a deep breath, because of everything that happened I forgot to tell her why I even called for her to get me in the first place. “Jenny he was the reason I was running to your house.”