Surrounded by Darkness

by Rachel Dylan

  Olivia frowned deeply. He was scoring big points right now, and this wasn’t going according to Olivia’s plan.

  Layton wanted to add one more thing to try to push the judge over to his side. “I also have a colleague here today, Ms. Isley, who was at the alleged event in question. She can provide additional information on that evening if you need it.”

  The judge nodded. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”

  “One last thing. While I’m not a lawyer, there appears to be no physical evidence supporting her story, which, even coming from a non-lawyer like me, seems to be an issue worth factoring into your decision.” He hoped he hadn’t pushed too far. He also felt like if Katy had pictures of what he’d done to her, those would’ve been front and center.

  “Thank you. Mr. Alito, please return to your seat.”

  “Your Honor, may I speak?” Olivia asked.

  “Yes,” he answered.

  Layton knew that Olivia was going to make an attempt to change the narrative.

  “Whether Ms. Leonard sought counseling years ago shouldn’t have any bearing on the issue at hand today. The issue before you today is whether Mr. Alito physically assaulted my client.”

  “And you don’t see any interconnection? What about her credibility?” Judge Lowe asked.

  Olivia looked at the judge. “Your Honor, with all due respect, that’s starting to sound like blaming the victim. Mr. Alito has no credible argument to rebut my client’s allegations beyond a stark denial. He’s provided no plausible reason why Ms. Leonard would make this up and put herself through this troubling ordeal.”

  “Mr. Alito, I’ll give you a chance to respond,” the judge said.

  Layton straightened up in his seat. “I didn’t want to have to go there, but given the seriousness of these claims, I feel like I have to.” He paused. “I didn’t reach out to Ms. Leonard. She called me.” And didn’t it feel good to have that fun fact in his back pocket.

  “Is that true?” the judge asked Katy. “I believe you previously told me Mr. Alito was the one to reinitiate contact with you.”

  Katy sat silently, her face flushed.

  “Your Honor, my client has been through a traumatic ordeal. Physical abuse. Her memory may not be on point on those types of details.”

  “Mr. Alito is directly contesting whether those events ever happened,” the judge said.

  “I realize that, Your Honor.” Olivia’s voice got louder. “But in these situations, it’s often one person’s word against another. The fact that we don’t have pictures or other physical evidence shouldn’t be determinative.”

  “Then what should be determinative?”

  “As I said before, my client has absolutely no reason to make this up. Having to be here and testify and relive these events is tremendously difficult. We all know that a hearing like this isn’t about a monetary outcome. It’s solely to issue an order of protection to keep Mr. Alito away from Ms. Leonard. The only reason she would be motivated to try to get such an order was if she had truly lived through this horrific experience and wanted to get away from this man.” Olivia took a breath. “And given how long you have been a judge in this area, I know you have seen instances where a witness presents well, but underneath is a completely different person.”

  Judge Lowe looked up at Olivia. “Ms. Murray, may I have a word?”

  “Of course, Your Honor.” Olivia stood and approached the bench.

  Layton had a feeling the tide had turned back in his direction. The judge and Olivia spoke in low tones for longer than he would’ve liked. Anytime Olivia got to open her mouth, it wasn’t a good thing. She was probably trying to spin her own web of lies against him.

  He tapped his foot nervously as they continued to talk for way too long. But when Olivia finally turned around, her cheeks were red. She was not happy.

  “I’m denying the request for an order of protection,” the judge said. “Mr. Alito, no further action is required from you today. Thank you for your time. Ms. Leonard, I think you’ll need to have some discussions with your attorney and then decide how to proceed. Thank you both.”

  And with that, the judge rose and left the room. Layton had no idea what had happened, but he knew one thing—he’d just faced down an adversary and won big time.

  Chapter Fourteen

  That night Olivia sought comfort and advice from Pastor Dan. She needed somewhere to turn, and she didn’t want to bother Grant. Now, sitting in Dan’s living room, he was trying to talk her down from the rough day she’d had and provide her encouragement about the Grant situation.

  Dan came back into the room and handed her a cup of coffee. “I’m sorry about everything, but you know Grant is doing the best he can. This isn’t easy for him.”

  “I believed that if I told him I needed him, he would be there for me. I really do think that.”

  “I do too,” Dan said.

  “But I also know that sometimes things don’t work out.” She sniffled, trying to hold back her crying. “I’m sorry to dump all of this on you, but you’re one of the only people that fully understand everything here.”

  “You’re not dumping anything. My door is always open for you—and for Grant.”

  “And I appreciate all you’ve done for both of us, but I wanted to talk to you about what happened with Layton.”

  “I’m ready.” Dan took a sip of his coffee.

  Olivia explained what had transpired at the hearing. “Then the judge asked to speak with me privately—true to form, Layton had him convinced. It didn’t help that Katy had lied about the initial recontact. I don’t know why she felt the need to lie. Maybe she thought it was somehow her fault since she reached out to him. But regardless, that lie negatively impacted us. The judge strongly urged me to have Katy see a mental health professional. I tried to explain to him that Katy was perfectly stable, but to him, her allegations about the séance seemed crazy. Especially when Layton was able to play the Louise card once again. How many times will he get to do that before someone figures out the truth? We have to expose Optimism for what it is.”

  Dan leaned toward her. “Be patient, Olivia. Their time will come.”

  She ran her hand through her hair. “I know. I’m upset. I feel like I failed Katy, and she couldn’t just take the money that Layton had offered her. Now she has nothing, and she’s been victimized a second time. I need to do better. I have to do better.”

  “You are doing your best, and we all know these are not normal circumstances.” Dan raised his cup. “And speaking of not normal, I had a talk with Eliza.”

  “And?”

  “I listened to her story. We’re still in the getting-to-know-each-other phase. I can’t launch in without understanding her, but she seemed open to continuing our dialogue, so I took that as a big plus.” Dan squeezed Olivia’s hand. “You are facing some huge obstacles right now, but you still have God on your side. Never forget that.”

  “You’re right. It’s not like me to wallow this much. Where do you think Eliza’s head is really at right now?”

  “I think she’s convinced herself that her Wiccan practices are harmless, and she enjoys them. She’s not ready to give them up. She knows Optimism is bad news, but she still isn’t making the connection.”

  “If she keeps going down this path, she could end up in the crossfire.”

  “All we can do is try to guide her. We can’t make her change.”

  Olivia knew that fact all too well. “She’s been shaken up, that’s for sure, but it hasn’t gotten real enough for her yet. I’m glad that she and Katy are friends and she was able to avoid getting personally involved with Layton. That would’ve been a complete and utter disaster.”

  “See, there’s one thing to be thankful for.” He smiled.

  “Thanks for the company, Dan.”

  “Olivia, you can’t let this thing with Grant defeat you. I believe the two of you are supposed to be together. I think this is just one more trial the two of you have to face. You’
ll both come through it stronger. He loves you.”

  “And I know that. I love him so much too. It’s hard when you can’t immediately fix something. Fixing things is what I do. It’s my job and my way of handling things. I think he’s having issues that go beyond me. He’s struggling with where he is with God.”

  “You’re worried he’s doubting God?”

  She nodded in agreement. “He’s being tested. This lawsuit is personal because it calls into question his actions as an attorney. That goes to his very identity. It’s more than the money, although that financial exposure is also big.”

  “Don’t give up on him.”

  “I’m not. I’m just trying to give him the space he asked for.”

  “And that’s good, but you should also make sure he really knows you’re on his side, no matter what.”

  “You’re right. I have to show him I’m willing to wait on him, but also that I’m not going to run away because times got tough.”

  “Seems like you may need to make a stop on the way home tonight.” He stood up. “Give me your coffee cup and hit the road.”

  She got up from the sofa, knowing exactly what she needed to do.

  When his doorbell rang, Grant groaned. He wasn’t sure who would be at his door, but he didn’t want to see anyone tonight—or really at any time right now. People were annoying him. Maybe he should ignore the doorbell and they would go away. Each day he seemed to get more bad news, and his attempted prayers were falling on deaf ears.

  He couldn’t blame God, could he? Grant was basically giving up on himself, so why should God care about him?

  The bell rang again. Someone was persistent, and there was only one person who he figured it could be. It was with a mix of emotions that he walked toward the door and opened it.

  “Olivia.”

  “Can I come in?” she asked.

  He stepped aside, allowing her to pass. “Are you all right?”

  Olivia brushed by him, walked into the living room, and took a seat on the couch.

  He could tell she was flustered, and that made him concerned because it took a lot to frazzle her. He sat down next to her. “What happened? Was it your hearing today?”

  Olivia nodded. “What I couldn’t tell you at the time was that the protective order I was trying to get today was against Layton.”

  “What?” No wonder she was upset. “Did you get it?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

  “No.” Her voice cracked. “I failed.”

  Seeing her in such pain broke his heart. He went against his better judgment and wrapped his arms around her. She needed him right now, and he refused to be selfish. He wanted to do the right thing by her. “What happened?”

  She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. “Layton lied and the judge believed him. That’s the short version.”

  That evil man had brought pain to so many. Grant couldn’t understand why God would allow him to have such a free rein in Windy Ridge. “I’m so sorry, but you can’t blame yourself. You know how convincing Layton is. He’s a master manipulator.”

  “But this time it wasn’t about a business or money. It was about a woman’s safety, and I let her down.”

  Grant wanted to try to bring some perspective, but he didn’t know how she’d take it. “If you’re going to do this type of work, then this thing is bound to happen. It’s completely natural for you to be hurt, but you can’t let it consume you.” As he said the words, he realized the irony in him giving her this kind of talk.

  She realized it too, but she didn’t say that. She sat quietly for a moment.

  Finally, he stood up and walked over to the fireplace, putting a little distance between them. Even though he was comforting her, his bottom line hadn’t changed.

  “You know I love you, Grant.”

  “I do,” he said softly. “But I still think I’m undeserving of your love. That’s the truth. It’s how I feel.”

  “You have this crazy idea in your head that you’re not good enough for me, and that’s a lie.”

  Olivia rose from the couch and joined him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him. Even though he should run away, feeling her in his arms was too much to pass up. Because he was madly in love with her. He was also a very damaged man about to go to trial for legal malpractice. His livelihood could be taken away from him. “I wish it were a lie.”

  She looked up at him with her big brown eyes focused in. “I still believe in what we have together. Sometimes you have to fight for the things that matter the most, and I’m fighting for you.”

  He didn’t know what to say. Once again, her kind words both touched him and made him feel like crap because he couldn’t reciprocate. “Olivia, I’m numb.”

  “And that’s okay.”

  “How can you say that? It’s not okay!”

  “If that’s what you’re feeling, then who am I to deny that?”

  “That doesn’t mean you have to embrace it. You need to be telling me that I’m messed up and not worth your time.”

  Olivia shook her head. “I would never think that.”

  He blew out a breath.

  She rested her head on his chest, and he allowed himself to accept the love she was giving him—even though he didn’t deserve it.

  A chill shot through Eliza as she wrapped the blanket tightly around her. She sat on her couch with her friend Katy by her side.

  “I can’t stay here forever. Now that the judge has denied the restraining order, I will probably try to get out of town,” Katy said.

  “There’s no reason for you to do that. You’d need to find a new job, a new place to live. Do you have the money for that?” Eliza asked.

  Katy sniffled. “Not really, but I also don’t want to be hanging around Windy Ridge when Layton decides it’s time to have his revenge.”

  “Given everything, don’t you think he’ll stay away from you? He got lucky at the hearing, but if something happened to you, it would all come back to him.”

  Katy picked up a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie. “Yeah, I guess that’s a good point. I can’t thank you enough for letting me stay here. I know you’ll want me out of your hair soon enough. Once I get everything figured out in my head, I’ll get out of here.”

  Eliza shook her head. “You are not a burden on me. In fact, I’m actually glad you’re here so I won’t be in this house alone.”

  “Why?” Katy asked.

  Eliza hadn’t filled Katy in on everything that had happened because she already had so much on her mind, but maybe it was time to tell her about her experience. “You got a taste of what Layton was involved in when you got roped into the event at his house.”

  Katy shuddered. “Yeah, and that was freaky. I couldn’t get out of his place fast enough.”

  “Well, something disturbing happened here at the house.” Eliza recounted the story to Katy in vivid detail, including her seeing the demonic forces.

  “Right here in this room?” Katy’s eyes widened.

  “Yeah. I know it sounds far-fetched, but I saw them with my own eyes. I’ve never been so afraid of something in my life, and now Olivia and her friends are trying to tell me that my Wiccan beliefs are allowing those types of forces to continue to come into my life.”

  “And do you believe them?”

  “Honestly, Katy, I’m not sure what I believe anymore—about almost anything. I had my own world going, and I was enjoying my lifestyle. My Wiccan beliefs ground me and are completely compatible with the type of person that I am.”

  “How?”

  “I’m not a fighter. I want peace. The spells and meditations I practice are for those types of things. For healing, peace, love. Not for hate, anger, and violence. But ever since those evil spirits came into my home, I’ve been off kilter. I’m lacking clarity. I went back to crystals to try to get re-centered, but no matter what I try, nothing works.” Eliza knew she was venting, but it felt good to be able to explain this to someone who she felt wouldn’t be judging
her.

  Katy continued to nibble on her cookie. “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m not sure. What do you believe in?”

  “Do you mean like God?” Katy asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Katy didn’t answer immediately. “I do believe in God, but before this happened, I wasn’t thinking about it.”

  “You don’t think I’m completely nuts for saying I saw these demonic spirits in my house?”

  Katy shook her head. “No, but I surely hope I don’t see them while I’m here. I have no interest in that.”

  “Me either. I’m hoping they’ve left for good, but I can’t shake the feeling they’re lying in wait.”

  “Then why don’t you stop with the whole witchcraft thing? Is it worth it if it brings about these troubles?” Katy asked.

  “I’m not convinced that there is a direct association like Olivia and the pastor say.”

  Katy crossed her legs under her. “I’m the wrong person to be asking for faith advice, but it seems to me it’s reasonable to think practicing witchcraft could have unintended consequences.”

  “Then why was I able to do it for years without it happening?” That question was bothering Eliza.

  “Maybe things were happening to you that you weren’t even aware of?”

  Eliza had considered the possibility. “I guess so. I plan to stay far away from Layton.”

  “You seem to be really confused. You can’t live in limbo or in fear. Life is too short.”

  Katy was right. She couldn’t keep living like this. She needed to take action.

  Grant adjusted his tie as he took a seat in the law firm conference room. Today was Ms. Ramos’s deposition, and that meant Grant was just a spectator. He had to place his faith in Scott to get the job done.