Twilight Rays

29. Big dark eyes

She wasn't crying - yet. She stared at me with her big dark eyes, waiting for my response.
"Who called you today?" I asked instead.
Her brows furrowed of confusion.
"When? When you knocked for the first time?"
I nodded.
"My... A psychologist. I've been avoiding him for a while... I couldn't stand me being crazy."
"You're not crazy! You're the strongest, most fierce girl I've ever met." And I wasn't lying.
"But there's still something wrong with me."
"Well, considering how awful your life has been lately-"
"I think my life has always been that awful." Twilla interrupted me.
"But T, the point is, it's okay not to be okay. Nobody expects you to just move on and pretend nothing ever happened. "
"But everybody expects me to leave them alone, including you."
"No offense, but your forearms are kinda proving my point."
She looked down to her sleeves, noticing the bandages at the same time as me.
"It's not what it looks like." she whispered worriedly.
"Then what is it?" I asked skeptically.
She rolled up one sleeve and unwrapped her injury, revealing a burn. I didn't see that coming.
"On both arms?"
She nodded, covering it again quickly.
"Who did that to you?"
"Jo." she mumbled, averting my gaze.
"Excuse me?" I suddenly shouted, my hands curling into fists. "You met him?"
"I had to, he was hitting Clara and I needed to protect her..."
"By burning yourself?!?!"
Okay, maybe she was really crazy.
"No, I fell on the oven..."
"WHAT?"
Alright, I was going insane too.
"Ray! Listen to me!" She yelled.
"Sorry, go ahead."
But instead she curled up and started crying. I grabbed her hand to help her get up on her feet and I pulled her in for a warm embrace.
"Sunshine?" Twilla finally said.
"Hum?"
"Do you think I'll ever be alright? Like.. will I ever get over the fact that I got rejected for a second time in 17 years?"
Her voice cracked as she began weeping again. It was the first time I was seeing her crying out of anger, not of sadness."Where did I go wrong?" she moaned, still sobbing. She sniffed then added: "I was just over the fact that I couldn't make them love me more. I had finally learned to love myself. I was in peace with my past. I had you (At this one, she smiled a little and pecked my lips). I kept thanking God for this life. It wasn't Disney perfect, but I still liked it. And now, all of a sudden, they hate me all. I really tried to show them I still loved them, that they were still my family. But..." A sob stopped her, and the tears started falling again. "There must be something I have done. Something I have said. Maybe they thought I wanted to go back in Haiti or take over the mafia..."
I chuckled and grabbed her chin so she would look me in the eyes.
"No matter what, T, there's nothing you did to earn such a heartless treatment. My mom would kill for a daughter like you, and I'm sure she's not the only one."
"But Ray... maybe I am that horrible daughter and she hasn't noticed that, I mean there's two pairs of parents that left me, I must be..."
"Shut up. Don't let those thoughts steal away your smile. You are amazing."
"To do what? Tell me, Ray, what have I done so amazingly?"
"Does kissing count?" I joked.
She giggled a little, pushing me lightly.
"Okay, seriously. Trusting me is one. Still trying to find out good reasons for them to leave you is another one. Protecting those you love no matter what - although, I don't wholeheartedly agree with this one."
She smiled again.
"You're so pretty when you smile." I whispered in her ear.
"They say love is blind."
"People say a lot of things, Twilight. Let them say." I kissed her in the neck.
"It tickles, stop it! That, and the Twilight nickname." she said, grinning.
"You know, that nickname suits you even better now. Makes me think of Churchill's quote: 'the darkest hour of the night is right before dawn.' Don't give up just yet, sweetie, the sun's about to rise."
I ran my thumb on her cheeks to dry away her tears. She rose on her tiptoes and kissed me languorously.
"Where have you been all my life?" I wondered, knotting my hands on her lower back.
"Two pockets away from you, running away from the weed smell."
"Ah, there goes my Tweetie!"
"Oh, shut up."
I suddenly got an idea.
"Hey, Twilla, can I borrow your phone?"
She handed it to me, already unlocked.
I clicked on the music app, scrolling down the tracks.
"What are you looking for..."
"Hold on."
I pressed play on the song and cranked up the volume to the max. She beamed when she heard the ukulele of Island in the Sun coming out of her phone.
"What are you..."
But I shushed her with a small kiss and took her hand in mine.
"Shall we dance?"
And, taking her smile for a yes, I made her twirl around.

When we finally came back home, Mo was waiting for us in the living room with a suspicious look in his eyes.
"So... are you guys good?"
"Twilla has a lot going on, to say the least."
" Well, it is Saturday. I got all day."
"Okay then, I'm about to drive her to the hospital, do you mind coming?"
He looked confused, his gaze switching from me to her.
"You okay there?"
"No, but it's gonna get better, don't worry."
"It's a little late for that, gee, you're all red and thin!"
I circled my arm around her waist, realizing she did had lost weight.
"You wanna talk about it?" I asked her.
She nodded.

"So...where you really at Montreal this whole time?" asked Mo.
"No, Jo found us in a matter of days."
"And he beat you up, didn't he?"
"He thought I was the one who wanted to get her out of town. She just wanted to make money in his back."
"But what were you doing, then?"
"Cleaning her place, take care of her, stuff like that?"
"You didn't sell anything?"
"No, I promise."
"Okay. So, Jo forced you to come back here with Clara. And he hit both of you?"
"Yeah, but I stood up for her because she was about to faint."
"He hit you with..."
"An iron."
Both me and Mo had a hard time staying calm, so we waited a bit before I took the lead.
"T, did you call 911?"
But I didn't need an answer, I knew she didn't.
"Forget that, I just want to know his asshole address so I can call the cops on his damn guts!" I yelled, punching the steering wheel.
"Calm down, sunshine, you're still driving." She replied softly, grabbing one of my hands to let me drive with the other.
"Okay... Is there anywhere else you got hurt?"
"Why do you want to know? It has nothing to do with the psychologist."
"Twilla..."
"I got a few bruises on my back."
"That's it?"
"And..."
She stopped herself, messing up her hair by passing her hand in them. I glanced at her face, and my eyes widened in shock.
"Is that a..." It was one kind of a bruise.
"It was an accident! Clara was a little drunk..."
Well, that couldn't be good.
"...And she pushed me against the brick wall too fast so I hit it with my forehead."
"SO CLARA BEAT YOU TOO?!"
"Ray, you gotta calm down."
"My girlfriend is telling me she moved in with two psychopaths and I should calm down?"
"Ray, I wasn't okay..."
"I'm aware of that, what I don't get is DeeDee knowing about this and not saying anything!"

Okay that was longer... and more intense. And don't worry, Raja is totally calling the cops this time, I mean there's a limit to protecting your family. And, stick to the end, cuz next chapter calls for a huge spoiler (or several of them, we'll see)! Anyways, vote, comment, add to your library :)