True Colors

by Melissa Pearl

  Micah’s large, dark thumb rubbed over Indie’s white hand. The contrast of their skin was stunning next to each other. They were a beautiful couple. I knew most would think it too soon to assume such a thing, but I could see behind their masks and in their hearts they already belonged together. Micah confirmed my thinking when a soft smile pushed at his lips. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore, Indie. I won’t let Liam near you again.” He ran his finger along her hairline, freeing her face from a few loose strands.

  She gave him a shaky grin. “I know.” Then she nibbled her lip, looking nervous. “Thank you for being there for me.”

  “I always have.”

  Her smile grew. “I know.”

  “I should have stepped up sooner.” His lips pinched into a tight line of regret.

  “I should have let you.” She squeezed his hand. “I used to daydream that you would come and rescue me...and you’d carry me away to safety.” Their eyes locked in an intense gaze and her pale orbs were practically glowing when she whispered, “I still remember the day you walked into school for the first time. You were so tall and strong and intimidating, but there was something about you. You gave me this small smile. Not on your lips, it was in your eyes and I knew right away.”

  “Knew what?”

  She shrugged, her face blooming with color. “That I was going to fall in love with you.”

  His white teeth appeared, unable to hide behind the beaming grin on his face. “Me too.” He chuckled. “I never believed in love at first sight. Thought it was bullshit...until the day I saw you.”

  She reached for his face, placing her small white hand on his cheek and running her thumb over his lips. I held my breath, unable to look away as she leaned forward and gave him the sweetest kiss I’d ever seen. Blinking at tears, I pulled back and turned to face Eric. But he wasn’t behind me. He had moved to stand by Libby who was now off the phone and explaining everything to him in a flurry of hand movements. His expression was dark yet filled with concern.

  I stepped toward them to hear what Libby was saying.

  “So, Mom’s calling the police and Micah’s parents for me, and they’re gonna meet us here.” Libby sniffed. I whipped off her mask and saw a surprising strength beneath the surface. In spite of her quivers and the wobble in her voice, she was determined to bring the Donovan boys to justice.

  Eric nodded at her. “Do you think the files will be enough?”

  “Indie told me on the way here that there are more than just files in that folder. It’s got photos of some things they’ve done to us.” Libby blinked. “Video footage of one of my friends getting beaten and another girl who was forced to...” she swallowed. “They recorded it. They used it to keep them in line and warn the rest of us.” She looked to the ground, ashamed.

  I touched Libby’s shoulder. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. You were the victim here. It’s guys like Liam and Mason and Carter who have to go down for this.” Libby looked at me, surprised that I’d read her so well. Eric shot me a look that told me we weren’t seeing the same thing on Libby’s face. I popped her mask back on and forced a smile. “You’re brave and your actions today will put an end to this.”

  “I should have spoken out weeks ago. I could have saved Indie and others so much pain if I’d just had the courage to say something.”

  I squeezed her shoulder. “You had the courage to act today and it’s not too late. Indie and Micah are...” I grinned. “They’re gonna be fine. And so will everyone else.” I dug the memory stick from my pocket and passed it to her.

  She took it with a relieved smile. “I’m going to see Mr. Van der Belt tonight.”

  “Do you want me to come?” I hoped she’d say no. I didn’t think I could cope.

  “No, it’s okay. Mom and Dad are both coming with me. I told her enough on the phone. She’s a counsellor. She’s good with handling this kind of thing.” Libby looked to the floor.

  “So all we need to figure out now is what to do with Indie.” I sighed.

  “She can’t go back home.” Libby shook her head.

  “Most definitely.” Eric crossed his arms. I couldn’t help thinking how sweet it was that Eric had stepped up, introduced himself to Libby, and slotted himself into the situation. His forthright behavior provided a sense of safety, even in spite of his terse tone. “We don’t know if those guys will retaliate.”

  “They won’t.” I looked up at him. “You should have seen the look on his face after you threatened him. He was petrified, Eric.”

  “Threatened?” Libby frowned and, as if seeing me for the first time, her eyes went wide. “Did Liam hurt you? Did he find you in the house?”

  “No.” I bit my bottom lip. “I ran into Mason down by my car. Eric arrived just in time.” I touched my throat.

  “Oh my gosh.” Libby’s breaths went all quivery.

  “It’s okay, Libby. I’m all right, everything’s fine.”

  “We shouldn’t have left you.” She touched her forehead, looking ready to break down.

  “Libby.” I shook her shoulder. “It’s over. I’m fine and he’s not going to touch me again. Mason Donovan might be a psycho, but he’s just as scared as his brother of being caught. I think the Donovan boys have gone into hiding. We won’t be seeing them again.”

  “You might think that, but you don’t know that for sure.” Eric’s jaw clenched.

  I turned from his anger and focused back on Libby. “Indie can come home with me.”

  “No way.” Eric voice was steely. “Your parents are in Hawaii. You’re not going back to stay in an empty house.”

  “Indie needs to be somewhere that she feels safe. Staying with strangers is not going to provide that for her.”

  “Staying in an empty house with you isn’t either.”

  I let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine, what would you have us do then?”

  Shoving his hands in his pockets, he drew in what I could only assume was a calming breath. “Go and stay with someone?”

  “Like you?”

  “No, you’re right about Indie staying with a strange guy. She’s never even met me. And besides, I wouldn’t willingly inflict my mother on anybody.” He frowned. “I think you should call your brother.”

  My nose wrinkled before I could stop it. “He’s still a stranger to Indie.”

  “With a family and wife and young kids who present no threat to her.”

  “I don’t want to stay at his place.”

  “Call your sister then.”

  I made a face. “I’d rather deal with an irritated Seth in a pristine house than a clucking Layla in her chaos.”

  “Whatever. Just call one of them.” He pulled out his phone and passed it to me. I hated the cold, indifferent expression on his face. Unfriendly Eric was back in town and I dreaded what that meant for me. I tentatively took the phone and walked away from them, reluctantly dialing Seth’s number.

  To say he was shocked by my revelation was an understatement. Much to his credit, he did listen without interrupting too many times and even agreed to let me take Indie home to my place. He’d bring Julia and the girls to stay with me until Mom and Dad got back.

  Oh joy!

  I hung up the phone battling a mixture of relief, exhaustion, and dread.

  The dread part was winning and I stayed in my private corner for a second to gather myself. Seth agreed to come to my place, but on the condition that I called Mom and Dad. He also said Indie could stay with us as long as she needed, on the condition that she call her dad. She wouldn’t want to. I knew it already and I shuddered at the thought of having to tell her.

  But selfishly, the thing I was dreading most about my immediate future was facing Eric again. I had crossed a line, broken my promise to stay safe and I think it was the end of us. Something so sweet and amazing, which had only just begun, was about to end and there was nothing I could do about it.

  32

  The police were already chatting with Libby and Eric when I got off
the phone with Seth. We were forced to stick around for another hour, answering copious questions. Poor Indie had to strip and have photos of her wounds taken. She asked me to sit the room with her and I have to say, she was pretty damn tolerant throughout the process. Thankfully the police were merciful enough not to make us go down to the station, instead saying they’d be by with more questions if needed.

  Eric walked Indie and I out to my car shortly after Micah’s parents arrived. We walked to the car in somber silence. The day was far from over.

  Eric followed us back to my place, but didn’t stick around. Julia’s car was already in the drive when I pulled up in my Mini. Eric didn’t even get out of his car, just put down the window and told me he’d give me a call later. I waved goodbye in stunted silence, fighting off tears as if my life depended on it.

  Indie gave me a sympathetic smile. “Your boyfriend?”

  “I’m not sure.” I shrugged, my eyes glistening. Her eyes welled up and soon both our lips were wobbling. I stepped around the car and drew her into my arms, careful not to squeeze her too tight. We spent the next few minutes softly crying into each other’s shoulders.

  Seth pulled up and ushered us inside. He was gentle and sweet with Indie, using his calm, fatherly voice. Julia, a pure-gold lady, hugged us both tightly, making Indie yelp. She took one peek down the back of Indie’s dress and ordered her up to the bath. The anguished look she shot me was telling. She would care for Indie as if she were her own daughter; that much was obvious. She’d already set up a spare mattress on the floor in my room, assuming Indie would want the company throughout the night.

  My nieces, Kimber and Serena, were on their best behavior, playing quietly in the sunken lounge and only sneaking curious peeks occasionally.

  Julia’s bath thing worked; Indie sat down to dinner looking refreshed and a touch less fragile. Neither of us could eat much with the dreaded phone calls impending, plus our meal was interrupted by the police.

  Seth held my hand and Julia wrapped her arm around Indie as we both cried our way through more details. Behind Indie’s mask was a plethora of emotions. I didn’t miss the guilt. A part of her still felt bound to Liam and she was ashamed to fink on him. That emotion kept bouncing off a deep relief, which then bounced off regret and beneath those layers, I saw the lost child she was fighting not to be. Her mother left her when they were young and her father had always been a busy man. She and Maverick had been raised by nannies and housekeepers. It was hardly a stable environment and probably explained why she’d fallen for Liam’s charms and then found herself trapped within his dark snare.

  I squeezed Seth’s hand, flooded with gratitude. In spite of being the young squirt and often feeling disconnected from them, I came from a family who loved me and would drop everything to help me.

  Seth made me call Mom and Dad as soon as the police left. I chose to speak to Dad first. He always coped with bad news better than Mom. It took a lot of convincing, and in the end it was Seth who insisted they not cut their trip short. I hung up feeling shattered and on the verge of collapse, but we still had Indie’s call to go.

  “Just do it.” I sat on the bed beside her, taking her hand. “As soon as you’re done, we’ll call Micah and you can tell him everything. I know talking to him makes you feel better.”

  I didn’t actually know it. I assumed it, because talking to Eric always made me feel a million times better. I bit my lip, wondering if I’d ever get to talk to him again. I collected my charging phone and checked the screen as Indie dialed her dad. It was blank. No texts. No calls.

  “Hey Dad, it’s Indie.” Her voice was soft and fragile. I rubbed her back. “I know you don’t have long to talk, but I have to tell you something... No, actually, it’s about Liam.” Her voice disappeared, drowned by a waterfall of tears.

  “Indie? What’s wrong, honey?” I could hear his muffled voice through the phone. Indie covered her mouth with her hand, unable to say the words as her father continued to repeat her name, sounding more and more worried.

  In the end, I gently took the phone from her grasp. “Hello, Mr. Swanson?”

  “Who’s this?”

  “It’s Caitlyn Davis, sir. I’m a friend of Indie’s, from school.”

  “Okay, what the hell is going on, Caitlyn?” His voice was calm and firm. I looked to Indie, swallowed and began talking. I told him everything. It was the third time I’d done it that day so I was able to add in extra details where needed. It was probably my best retelling of the events yet. I knew it was brutal, but I didn’t skip a thing, even the stuff about Liam punishing her. Wanting to end with something positive, I finished with how Indie was in love with Micah and what a good guy he was. Man, if I’d been Indie, I would have been dying, but she was too busy crying to really notice.

  “She’s safe, sir. The police are looking for Liam and Mason now. And she can stay with us as long as she needs.”

  The movie producer’s voice was quaking when he replied, “Thank you, Caitlyn. Tell my daughter I’ll be home by Wednesday.”

  “Okay.”

  “Has Maverick been told?”

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  “Please leave it that way. He’s very protective of his sister and I want to be the one to tell him.”

  I glanced at Indie; her tears were finally ebbing as she mopped at her face with a thick wad of Kleenex. I pointed to the phone and she shook her head, so I finished up the call for her.

  Dropping the phone onto the bed, I sunk down beside my friend.

  “He’s coming home.”

  “Really?” She looked confused. “He never leaves a project.”

  “Well, he’s leaving this one for you.” Her sweet smile was fractured and I knew she still had a long way to go, but at least she wasn’t alone anymore. “Want to call Micah?” She nodded and reached for the phone.

  I quietly left her to it. Sneaking into the hallway, I leaned against the door. The girls were in bed and I could hear Julia and Seth chatting in Seth’s old room down the hall.

  And once again the loneliness rounded over me. Sliding down to my butt, I clutched my legs and rested my chin on my knees. My mind wandered to the homeless stranger. I couldn’t help wondering if he’d felt that way.

  The sense of isolation was suffocating. The urge to get up and run was strong, but my legs were tired and my body was done for the day. My only choice was to face it, accept the new reality I’d been given and try not to die in the process.

  Leaning my head back against the wood, I felt the tears rise once more and wondered how I possibly had any left. They weren’t hiccuping sobs though. They were soft and silent, my soul mourning for one more loss I knew awaited me.

  33

  The next day at school was weird. People kept staring at me, no doubt checking out the shiner on my left cheek. Micah limped into school and a second wave of gossip surged through the student body. I saw faces, heard whispers. People knew something huge had gone down the day before.

  I gripped my books to my chest as I made my way to class. Indie had chosen to stay home with Julia for the day. Her belt wounds were still really tender and she was too fragile to face anyone. Micah had promised to go see her after school.

  Julia had offered me the day off too, but I was restless and felt like school would be a good distraction.

  Man, was I an idiot.

  I still hadn’t heard from Eric and even though I despised looking at a blank phone screen, I couldn’t help bringing the device with me and checking it every two seconds. Another idiot move, because it remained blank. Eric was obviously still pissed.

  I couldn’t concentrate through Algebra. My mind was a splintered mess. People kept looking at me, wondering. The whispers as I passed from Algebra to English Lit grew with intensity.

  Where was Liam?

  Why was Indie not at school?

  What had happened to the all-powerful Micah?

  I sat with him in the back of class. We didn’t talk, just gave each ot
her knowing looks that said it all. I could see he wanted to get to Indie, and the only reason he came to school was to convince his parents that he was well enough for an after school date.

  The vibe in the school grew with intensity as the day progressed and it wasn’t until I walked into the cafeteria at lunchtime that it all came clear. I saw Libby sitting with her old friends. She looked worn and a little fragile, but her smile was genuine. She squeezed Andy’s forearm before waving me over to the table. I approached slowly, glancing over my shoulder to see my old group of friends glaring at me. Chase’s dark gaze was intense. I ripped off his mask and spotted the guilty fear, his regret. I whipped my eyes to Stella and saw the same thing.

  Wait a second.

  Turning back to Libby, I scanned her friends, whipping off masks as I went and I saw it—bright, sunny relief.

  “No way.” I slid into the seat beside Libby.

  She nodded with a grin. “I was there for two hours last night. We went through all the files with Mr. Van der Belt. Everyone’s name was on there. All the people who were paying for work to be done...all the students doing the work. The videos, the photos...they even had a target list.”

  “A target list?”

  “Yeah, people they were keeping a special eye on—either to recruit or sell to...or eliminate.” Her gaze fluttered to the table.

  I sighed. “I was on the elimination list, wasn’t I?”

  She nodded.

  “What did Mr. Van say?”

  “He was really good about it. Told me he was going to deal with it discreetly.”

  I peeked over my shoulder at the defeated group around Stella. “Do you know how?”

  Libby followed my gaze and shrugged. “Not sure exactly, but I’m guessing a bunch of those guys are going to be attending summer school.”

  I didn’t know what brought it on, but giggles rushed so quickly up my system, they burst from my mouth—loud and clear. I covered my lips, my shoulders quivering with mirth...and then Libby joined me. Within a minute the two of us were a laughing, crying mess. I wrapped my arms around her chubby frame and clung tight.