Valerie dressed while David looked at her sitting on the bed.
"Are you going to talk to me?" He asked.
"I don't really know what to tell you David" Valerie snorted as she straighten her hair "I think we should postpone any conversation until after this."
"Let's talk about this thing.. what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to help a friend, Dylan, who is also your friend, suddenly it seems like everything is unbearable to you"
"It's not for Dylan, I don't just want you to get in trouble"
Valerie turned around and looked at him intently.
"I'm not going to get in trouble"
"Then tell me you won't do anything wrong"
"... said the man who kissed his ex-wife"
"Val..." David got up and hugged her from behind "it was just a mistake, a stupid mistake I don't even know why I did it"
Valerie wanted to let herself go to David's embrace, make love to him at that moment, but her anger, the terror of being alone, forced her to reject everything, including him. Valerie wriggled out of her grip.
"I have to go. Matt rented an apartment for me, so as not to arouse suspicion, so I don't think I'll be back. Maybe it will do us good to be apart for a while. It will give us a way to think."
"I don't have to think about anything"
"I think so," she replied.
David was hurt but had no intention of giving up.
"I love you"
"I don't want to listen to you"
"I love you"
'Stop it'
David stopped Valerie's hands and looked her straight in the eye.
"I love you and that has never changed"
Valerie mixed her eyes with his.
"I have to go," she said and slipped away.
XX
Brandon climbed the two steps of the Walsh house supported by Kelly. She was looking at him while he wasn't looking at her.
She couldn't believe that everything could go back to normal when it seemed like she had lost everything so she held him tight as she holds on to a newly realized dream.
As soon as Brandon came in everyone shouted
"Welcome home!"
Grace and Samuel were in the front row, along with Brenda, Nate, Blanca, Lee Ann, Luke, Jim and Cindy, Andrea, Donna and Joe, Steve, Clare, Matt and even her secretary Betty who was evidently moved.
Brandon was surprised and gave everyone hugs and thanks.
"I'm glad to see you Mr. Walsh," Betty said with tears in her eyes "welcome back"
"Thank you Betty" he replied sincerely impressed by how much this woman known by chance ten years earlier at the Chronical had remained faithful to her over time, hardworking, tireless and loyal.
Steve also barely held back his tears. It was a commotion that spread, it may be because they had seriously feared that Brandon might not come back from that black hole he had slipped into.
Kelly let him sit on the couch. She looked at him in sight looking for any signal he transmitted to her, discomfort or pain.
Kelly had never really faced what had happened to her and Brandon was aware of it, it was as if she had to control everything out of the terror of losing everything in a moment. He looked at her and smiled at her trying to calm her down. She stood next to him and held his hand. A kind of lifeline for her.
When the guests left, only she, Samuel and Grace remained.
Little Grace immediately worked to try to be useful to her father, she too had turned into a worried guardian angel.
"Do you want to go to bed? Can I bring you dinner in your room?" Kelly asked him.
Brandon shook his head "I ate in bed more than enough, I want to be with my family tonight"
This made Kelly smile and Grace and Samuel looked at each other.
"As you want," she replied and then headed to the kitchen.
"I'm coming to help you mom," Grace followed.
Brandon was left alone with Samuel.
"How are things going?" He asked him calmly "how's your leg going?"
"Much better, I think I can resume training for September"
'Seriously?'
"What about the final exams?"
"Overtaken with the highest marks" he smiled "you didn't expect it huh?"
"I did, I knew you would be back to shine soon," Brandon told him, "I believe in you, I can see you."
Brandon's words were a pang in Samuel's heart.
"Dinner is ready!" Grace ran into the living room to announce it.
"Samuel helps your father," Kelly said incredibly happy to have his family back home.
Brandon looked at Samuel who had darked his face.
"Are you all right Sam?" Brandon asked.
"Dad.." Samuel tried to mention a word but his eyes fell on Brandon's. His father was happy to be alive, he was happy to have returned home.
Samuel turned his face into the same happiness.
"Nothing... yes everything is fine.. come I'll help you"
Samuel let his father lean on him.
His secret had turned upside down in his soul but it hadn't come out. Brandon was quite autonomous, the pains faded day after day. He hoped to return to work in September. He looked at his family. She asked about Emma, Grace chuckled, she liked Emma to be his brother's girlfriend, Brandon felt Kelly's gaze on him and took her hand. I am here. He thought looking at her.
XX
After the murder of the Bull, Philip was transferred to another maximum security prison, Dylan did not have a new cellmate, he had been left alone.
He had promised himself that as soon as this whole story was over he would go to visit the Indian, he would take care of him.
Matt had told him that Brandon had come home, that it was finally over and he was catching up day after day.
"Does it hurt to see Kelly with her husband?" Dylan had asked him.
"A little bit," Matt said, "but I'm happier that she's with Brandon than with you"
Dylan laughed 'it would never work'
"And then maybe you had to let her go," Matt said seriously, "you had to leave her to me"
"It wouldn't have worked with you either. She was looking for Brandon. I know and you know. She always wanted him. The bottom was always Brandon" Dylan was honest and Matt hinted.
"I know." Matt Sighed.
Dylan took a more serious look.
"Who sent you here Matt?"
"I told you:Steve"
Dylan shook his head "no I don't think so"
Matt realized that Dylan knew him very well "Gina..." sighed.
Dylan nodded.
'How is she?'
"SHe's fine" he smiled "we meet twice a week to chat"
"I'm glad"
Matt hinted at a smile "don't believe Gina is independent but she's also very fragile, but staying away from Los Angeles helped her rise from her own Ashes. She will never come back here, but she never doubted for a second that you were innocent, that's why she sent me here."
"Because she knows me.."
"Because she wants you to be happy and she knows that you are in your life, finally, she knows that thanks to Brenda you are a husband, you are a father, you have a balance, you have something that she couldn't give you.. she knew it didn't belong to her."
Dylan nodded. Gina in her own way had really loved him and he hadn't been able to return a penny of that love, but how could he if his heart belonged to Brenda? If having lost her had forced him to travel and tell himself other more comfortable truths?
"What's new from Valerie?" Dylan asked.
"She hooked up Julius Patterson, the studio guard, and found the place Ashley frequents after work"
'Where?'
"A place in Hollywood, the Tiki, it's been a couple of nights that Valerie goes there... but she can't find her, she'll try again this evening, maybe we're lucky."
"Let's hope," Dylan sighed, "because time is running out."
XX
Valerie walked into the Tiki, nodded to Jones who had been at the counter drinking beer.
She looked around, she hoped that could be the right evening, it's been more than a week trying to hook Ashley.
That Julius, the guy from the studios, had done nothing but look at her boobs while she carped information.
They had almost become friends. A good basis for deceiving anyone. Julius knew her by now, he wanted to introduce her to this or that producer, he exalted Valerie's abilities that he didn't even know but which he deduced without a shadow of a doubt from her boobs.
Valerie framed Ashley sitting at the counter. The low look, a drink in front of her.
"Finally," Valerie thought.
Her gaze came back at Jones who understood Valerie's hint.
Valerie took a seat next to Ashley, her presence provoked a brief listless nod between the two women.
Valerie ordered a margarita and waited for the bartender to bring her the order.
Jones also approached Ashley and began to compliment her.
"What does a woman as beautiful as you do all alone?"
Ashley tried to ignore him.
"I'll buy you a drink if you want," he said, putting a hand on Ashley's thigh.
"I'm not interested" Ashley's response was lapidary and abruptly moved his hand.
"But come on, you're alone, I'm alone, why not have a drink together" Jones was getting more and more petulant.
Valerie understood that it could be her moment.
"You're feeling a lot of shit," Valerie said, turning to Jones, "She said she's not interested."
"What did you say?" Jones replied to try to power that little theater.
"Shit bag," Valerie replied with a hard-headed under Ashley's gaze.
"What do you want to do," Valerie pressed him, getting up, "are you such a man that in addition to harassing women, you also want to beat them?"
Jones spat out some tobacco on the floor "Whore" he said and walked away as he walked out of the club.
Ashely immediately turned to Valerie.
"Thank you," she said.
"It's un believable that a woman can't sit at a bar having a drink alone."
"It's true" Ashely smiled then turned to her handing her "Ashley Monroe" she said
Valerie shook hands "Leslie Plum, very pleased."
"Are you from Los Angeles?" Ashley asked.
"No" Valerie shook "Buffalo's". The old and dear Buffalo always came in handy.
"I'm from Arizona"
"I've never been there the weather will be better than Buffalo for sure, at least in the winter"
Ashely laughed.
"You should leave him," Valerie said, looking at the marks on her face.
"What?' Ashley asked.
"You should leave whoever makes those marks on your face":
"I don't know what you're talking about" Ashley put herself on the defensive.
"Do you know why I came to Los Angeles from Buffalo?"
Ashley didn't answer and then Valerie continued "Because I ran away from a man who was doing to me what I now see on your face."
Ashley didn't speak, she looked at Valerie "Really?"
"I took that little money I had and came here. Now I don't have a job, I put thousands of kilometers between him and me, and I rented a shack but I'll tell you I've never felt so free."
"Freedom," Ashley whispered with a low look that struck Valerie.
Ashley took her bag to pay for her drink but Valerie stopped her "I'll buy you a drink".
"You don't have to Leslie," Ashley replied.
"Please, I'm new to the city and you gave me some of your time, if I offer you a drink, I feel like I'm offering it to me from some time ago to tell her that there's still hope."
Ashely smiled "Thank you" took her handbag and went to her car.
Shortly thereafter Jones went back.
He passed Ashley's wallet in Valerie's hand "it was a no-brainer to take her out of her purse."
"How would I do without you Jones" Valerie paid the bill and walked out of the venue.
XX
Dylan was looking at the ceiling. From the high window you could see the night stretching out his dark hands.
He looked towards the Indian's bed. It was left empty. Probably someone else would come soon to take his place. He closed his eyes and then opened them again and for a moment he seemed to see Brenda sitting on that cot. Dressed in white.
"What are you doing here?"
"Shhh" she smiled at him as she got up.
"You shouldn't be here," Dylan whispered.
"I'm wherever you are," she said, getting up her long white dress and climbing into the bed next to him.
Dylan ran his hands along her thighs touching the sweetness of Brenda's skin and the softness of the dress fabric.
"God, how I miss you," he said.
Brenda bent over to kiss him. The lips touched first weakly and then more intensely. The kiss became deeper and Dylan began to squeeze both of Brenda's thighs straddling him.
She began to run her tongue over his neck, on his collarbone, helped him undress his prison clothes, and her mouth uncovered every inch of him.
"Brenda..." he whispered.
'Don't talk'
"It hurts too much," Dylan told her as he watched her head go down along his body.
Brenda looked up "and then let me come back, let me be with you".
"It hurts too much," Dylan repeated.
They looked at each other intensely, Dylan put a hand behind her head, and brought her lips to his, they began to kiss in a ravenous way, Dylan couldn't resist Brenda, he had no defense.
He tore the buttons of her long white dress that slipped quickly, bit her nipples, wet them with his saliva. He could hear Brenda's moans mingling with his
The parts reversed Brenda slipped quickly with her back on the bed, Dylan pulled her by the hips so that he could slip into the middle of her open wide legs.
Dylan's anger began to flow, came out suddenly and dictated the rhythms of the thrusts inside Brenda as she moaned with pleasure. He made Brenda turn, her hands against the wall, her back towards him, turned her face. The pressure of Dylan's body made Brenda's body go back and forth, and he kept kissing her.
Against the wall of a prison they made love.
"I love you," he said.
Dylan opened his eyes wide. The cell was empty. Brenda wasn't there. The Indian's cot was empty.
Everything was empty. It had just been a dream. Her soul that was going to call him.
XX
"I couldn't tell him," Samuel said as Emma snuggled in his arms. They had gone for a walk on the beach, the summer season had already begun and since their first time their bonds had become more intense.
"You will find your time"
"Maybe I'll never find it, it's my father, I don't want my father to hate me"
"Hey," Emma said, taking his face in her hands. "Your father and mother won't hate you but this thing is killing you Samuel."
"I don't want to go to the police"
"Let your parents decide too, it's really killing you, day after day"
"My father could have died"
"You could have died too," Emma pointed out to him.
Samuel pulled a long sigh and kissed Emma on the forehead holding her tighter in his arms.
"My mother has something wrong..." said Samuel
"What do you mean?"
" I think fear has taken over, if I said this thing too maybe she would collapse altogether"
"I had never noticed it"
"Because you don't l live by me, she constantly checks where I am, where Grace is, how my father is, something is wrong.. sometimes I found her crying alone, I thought it was the concern for my father and for me, at least at first, but I still find her crying. She pretends nothing happened, she makes excuses"
"You should talk to your father about it" Emma broke away from Samuel's embrace "Sam" said "you can't deal with this thing alone, you have a wonderful family, you have me, the dark can only make the fear bigger."
Samuel smiled softly at her, "I don't want to think about it anymore, I just want to be here with you."
XX
Brandon had just finished reading for Grace. He had gone back to old habits. He wanted his family to get back to normal as soon as possible.
As he returned to the bedroom he saw Kelly from behind, he felt her crying silently.
'Kel?' He asked as he opened the door.
Kelly didn't move, she stayed with her back to him. She settled her face before turning around and giving him a smile.
"Had she fallen asleep?" SHe asked Brandon.
"Yes, Samuel called and said he'll be here in an hour."
"Well," she replied, once again straining her face to an appearance that did not belong to her.
"Kel, what's wrong?" Brandon asked worried.
"Nothing," she replied, feigning joy.
Brandon approached his wife "I know you, I know you better than anyone else. Kelly, can you talk to me about what's wrong?"
Kelly took a deep sigh and looked at Brandon in those sky-colored eyes "since the accident happened, since I risked losing you and Samuel, I don't feel the same anymore" she said "I.. I... think I need help."
Kelly looked at him, her eyes were flooded with tears and bewilderment, she knew that some monster was growing behind her, she taught it to his students.
"I'm not the same anymore, I'm not anymore..." Kelly didn't finish the sentence.
Brandon sat down next to her and Kelly collapsed into a desperate and irrepressible cry resting her head on his chest.
"I don't know what to do, I don't know how to get out of it"
Kelly's desperation made Brandon move, made him skid, his wife needed love and help. And he would give that love and that help. He would grab her by the fingers and bring her to the surface.
"It's okay," he said, stroking her hair. "It's okay, I'll help you, I'm there, I love you Kel"
