That next morning in class, a few things were itching at me. One, I hadn't told Bonnie about my meeting with my dad, and two? I was starting to wonder how Connor was doing at Annalise's. Poppy was with me, in her car seat by my feet. I yawned. Eventually, the bell rang out and I couldn't have been happier. Not because I didn't like my new classes, but simply because I had to go to the D.A.'s office, I couldn't handle not talking to Bonnie for so long.
The walk wasn't a long one. Although I was starting to get frustrated of having to lug a heavy car seat with me everywhere. I really needed to learn how to drive...
When I made it up to Bonnie's office, she was doing some type of paperwork. I opened the door, and she looked up, sending me a smile. "Hey. How are you?"
"I'm okay." I smiled back, walking to the chairs so I could set Poppy down in one and take a seat for myself. "I, um...have some news for you."
She furrowed her eyebrows. "Good news...?"
"Well, I'd like to think so." I nodded. "I'm sure Frank told you about my dad coming to the house."
Her eyes widened. "Excuse me?"
Oh boy. "He didn't tell you?"
"No. What the fuck."
"Hey, it's fine, it's all good." I said quickly to ease her anger. "Listen...he gave me this." I lifted the stuffed lion from Poppy's car seat that I'd since given to her. "This, this is my best friend. Well, he was. My mom gave him to me when I was a baby, and he was with me through years of...bad things. And my dad dropped him off, along with a note for his address and phone number..."
"What. The. Fuck." Her anger was increasing. "How dare he?"
"Bon, calm down." I mumbled. "I went."
Now? Now she was furious. But it was a quiet anger. She wouldn't speak, and the steam bubbled beneath the surface.
"I went with Connor. And we had a very long discussion about what happened, and...that I still hate him, but-"
"You don't go to a pedophiles home and spark up conversation with them." She shouted.
I flinched, and rubbed my thighs. "Bonnie, please, calm down."
"I'm supposed to calm down? That was a stupid, irresponsible mistake." She continued.
"Don't tell me I'm irresponsible." I scoffed. "This is my dad we're talking about. Not yours. I wanted closure, Bonnie. Something I never dreamed of having, and I got it."
"For what price?" She stood.
I now stood, as well. "Okay. I guess you wont bother to listen to me, so, I'm going to-"
Suddenly, the door opened again. I whipped my head to look behind me. A taller man walked in, with dark black hair, he appeared to be latino but I had no way to confirm that.
"Am I interrupting...?" He asked.
"Yes." Bonnie.
"No." Me. "I was just leaving."
He nodded slowly. "Isaac Roa." He gave out a hand to shake, and I stepped forward to shake it.
"Leorah King."
He appeared surprised for a moment, but rushed to cover that up. I noticed it, though. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise." I mumbled. I didn't give another word before I left the room, though. I was angry, and upset, and confused. Just because Bonnie didn't have the chance to sit down with her dad and confront him the way I did, didn't mean she had any right to not be happy for me.
But I couldn't focus on that now. I had to go hunt down Annalise, so my first step was to call Connor. He answered almost immediately.
"Hello, beautiful."
I smiled. "Hey, Con. Where are you guys? I'm gonna meet up with you, now."
"Courthouse." He responded. "Do you need me to pick you up? This meeting could take awhile."
"Sure. That would be lovely." I sighed. "I'm so tired of walking."
"Be there soon. Kiss our baby for me." He hung up.
I smiled. I loved him.
We made it back to the courthouse in the nick of time. Annalise was exiting the office when we were walking back toward the bench.
"Did he sign it?" Connor questioned.
"He doesn't have the balls." She responded grimly.
"So let's find a judge that does." I said.
She shook her head. "They're too scared now that Denver's running for Attorney General."
"You're gonna let that stop you?" Connor raised his brows. "Because I kinda told Tyrone you're a genius."
"Why would you do that?" I gaped.
"Exactly." Annalise muttered. "Those were your words."
"And I meant them." Connor sighed. "I'm just saying, there has to be a solution that isn't just letting the toolbag that is Denver rob our clients of house and home."
Annalise eyed the two of us before turning around and walking ahead.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"I'm in the mood to yell." She responded. "Follow me."
I glanced at Connor, and he glanced back.
"Here we go." I breathed out.
Little did we know, I would be returning to the D.A.'s office rather quickly. I wasn't too happy about that, I must say, but what can one do?
"Ms. Keating." Denver greeted warmly. "Why don't we talk in my office? They stay here." He motioned to me and Connor.
"No need." Annalise said. "I can say what I need to say right here."
He spun on his heels. "I'd rather we talk in private."
"Why? Are you ashamed of what you're doing? You all should be, helping your boss take a family's home away." Yes, Annalise, preach.
"Your client is a drug dealer." Denver scoffed.
"She sold pot from her house, not meth, not even pills, but marijuana." Annalise shook her head.
"Call security." Denver ordered.
"I know what you all say about me," she continued, "that I'm a joke. But at least I don't prey on the poor and the weak." I saw her eye Bonnie, but I refused to make any eye contact. Fuck. I forgot that I hadn't even gotten the chance to tell Bonnie that I was working with Annalise again, and this definitely wasn't helping the situation.
"Save your grandstanding for the courtroom." Denver rolled his eyes.
"The home that you're taking away has a family in it. With two young boys, with their grandmother who's in a wheelchair, and you're tossing them out on the street."
"Okay, everyone, ignore the crazy. Just get back to work." Denver called out.
"What do you all say to your families when you go home at night, huh? How proud you are to make a child homeless? Or how nice it feels to legally steal from people who've got nothing?"
Security showed up. Shit.
"Get her out of here please." Denver asked.
"No need." Annalise stated. "We're leaving."
We walked out, and I with a smile dancing on my lips.
"She's confusing the hell out of me." Connor rubbed his head when we arrived back at her apartment. We were talking in the hall. "It's like, I want to hate her, but then she goes off on the entire D.A.'s office like Diana freaking Prince, and I love her."
I smiled lightly. "I know what you mean. We should hate her, for all she's done to us, but...this? This is us. You and me. This is what we were meant to be doing, and I'm literally loving every second of it. And guess what?"
"What?" He asked.
I grabbed for his hands and pulled him close to me. "You sound happy. Really happy. And that makes me happy."
He leaned down and kissed my lips softly. "I am happy. But not because of her...well maybe a bit, but...it's mostly because of you. I love you, Leo."
"I love you too." I pecked him once more. "We should go back now."
He agreed, and we walked into the apartment together. "You know what I was thinking?" He spoke. "Asher probably knows a lot of judges, or, you know, at least his dad did. So we could go talk to him if you think that's a good idea."
"It's a terrible idea." She shot him down.
"Well I don't hear you pitching any gems." I raised my brows as I lifted Poppy into my arms.
"Here's one, let's eat." She said, handing us both spoons.
I furrowed my eyebrows, taking the spoon from her. We all sat together, eating strawberry ice cream. Annalise is still my boss, and I was eating ice cream with her. What world am I in?
"Is this what you do now instead of drink?" Connor questioned.
"It's better than sleeping with strangers." She sighed.
"Is it?" Connor cocked a brow.
I elbowed him. ''You better damn well hope it is."
He laughed lightly.
Annalise sighed. "So are you two doing better?"
We looked toward her.
"Who said we weren't?" I asked slowly.
Annalise looked over at Connor who rubbed his neck guiltily. "When I cry, things come out..."
"Oh." I shrugged. "Yeah. We're doing a lot better actually...and I think some of that might have to do with you."
She furrowed her brows at me.
"Connor doesn't want to admit it, but he definitely missed you. I did too. This job...is kind of ingrained in us, you're ingrained in us, and...I'm glad we're back here again."
There was a bit of silence before Annalise said, "The judge doesn't think that I'm the right lawyer for the class action."
"Well, he's wrong." Connor stated.
She sighed. "Is he?"
"If anyone is right for this, it's you." He continued.
"Y'know what, I don't need a cheerleader." Annalise stated.
I laughed. "Agree to disagree. You ripped Denver a new one today. It was awesome. I mean, I kinda wish I'd taped it. It would have gone viral."
"That's the last thing I need." She rolled her eyes.
"Just listen to me. You out of anyone knows what it feels like to be thrown into jail for a crime you didn't commit. So who better to fight for these people?"
The next day, we had a press conference, which was sort of insane. But it didn't feel right. It didn't feel right that I didn't get to go home and tell Bonnie about it, and I was angry. I didn't want to be angry, but I was, and I refused to let it sit there. When we finally got home, I told Connor that I was going to go take a hot shower, that I needed time to think. He said he'd cook dinner and put Poppy down to sleep, so I hurried into the bathroom and locked the door behind me.
I scrolled through my contacts, and there was Bonnie's. I gulped, and pressed the call button. I was expecting her to ignore me. She didn't.
"Leo?" She sputtered.
I breathed out steadily. "I don't get it."
She was silent now. Good.
"I don't understand. All you've ever wanted for me was to be better, right? To feel like I can finally be free from my childhood? Bonnie, you don't fucking get it. My dad had a mental illness. What he did to me, it was his mental illness. I have him back, and you still have the balls to sit there and hate me for wanting that back?
I will never have the relationship with him I had when I was a kid. I don't need it, to be quite frank with you. Because..." A lump gathered in my throat. "because I had you."
"You still have me." She said.
"Do I, though?" The tears began spilling. "You hate me now. I'm working with Annalise, and you're working against her and so...you hate me."
"No one said I hated you..."
"Then why did you yell at me?" I shouted. "Just because you aren't letting yourself heal, don't tell me I can't."
"That isn't healing, Leorah, that's giving into him." She stated.
"Fuck you." I spat, and proceeded to hang up the phone.
I sank against the wall in a ball, sobbing into my knees. Little did she know how much this was killing me. Bonnie had been...she'd been my mom, really. Something I haven't had in years. I hated yelling at her, but I hated even more that she yelled at me, and told me I was wrong to feel happy about where I was with my dad...it wasn't right.
A MONTH BEFORE LEORAH BEGAN SCHOOL AT MIDDLETON
"Bonnie, if this is too close to home, you need to tell me now." Annalise stated as they began walking into the prison.
"No. I'm fine." She shook her head. "I can do my job, Annalise."
Annalise eyed her before sighing. "Whatever. Don't say I didn't warn you." They were buzzed into the visiting area for lawyers and their clients, and he stood up from his seat.
"Mr. King." Annalise raised her eyebrows at him. "I'm Annalise Keating, and this is my assistant Bonnie Winterbottom. I'm your lawyer."
To be continued...
