Chapter 8: Entreat
Lacey was still in disbelief. She didn't know if she should be angry, puzzled or sad. 20 minutes had elapsed before she could completely digest the horror that had transpired. She didn't realize how long she had been staring out the window, hugging her waist with one hand and touching her full lips with the other. She was amazed that they were still wet from when Danny kissed her. Lacey winced remembering the feeling of having his warm lips snatched away from hers. She wondered why hope was always a fleeting moment when it involved their happiness. She looked around the kitchen and noticed one of the chairs was flipped upside down on the kitchen floor. She assumed that must have been the chair she heard crash into the floor when they were handcuffing Danny. As Lacey continued to scan the kitchen for further damage she stumbled upon the kitchen door that the officers had left ajar. It was the very door she last saw Danny exit. Lacey walked over and lightly pushed the door shut. She held her hand on the knob and began to ponder on Danny's last words. He pleaded for her to believe that he didn't kill Regina. She felt a headache emerging. Instead of seeking instant relief by scavenging for painkiller she simply strolled up the stairs like a zombie to her room.
Lacey flopped onto her bed, kicked off her shoes and stared up at the ceiling hoping to make sense of the matter. She closed her eyes and hugged her favorite pillow against her chest. She then nudged her nose into the pillow, and suddenly felt her body quake when she caught a whiff of Danny's scent lingering along its fringes. It was a sweet, smokey spice scent... The kind of scent she was missing already. She hugged the pillow tighter wishing it were Danny. Even with her eyes shut, she could still see the image of Danny's handsome face smiling back at her. This was how she wanted to think of him. The idea of him killing her best friend with the alleged weapon seemed to be the most difficult for her to imagine. It just didn't make sense. Lacey curled tighter into the fetal position. For a split second she honestly felt like giving up everything that would remind her of Danny. She knew Danny wasn't a saint; but he wasn't vindictive either. Suddenly Lacey's eyes flashed wide open. She recalled when Archie warned her that Danny was bad news. Lacey considered the validity of Archie's statement. She thought maybe he was right, because trouble seemed to find Danny wherever he went.
Lacey fell into a deep thought. She considered the magnitude of their inevitable separation. She thought …maybe the Universe was telling her to let him go. In so few words, their love was like…defying gravity on earth. Sure in another time, space and place their love would possibly rule as king. But in this time, space and place, he'd be the ocean and she'd be the moon; and despite the magic they created with one another, they would never meet; they would always be separated. These were the laws of nature, which in Lacey's mind were similar to the laws of a good girl and an alleged criminal. Lacey shook her head violently and grunted.
"Rubbish, I can't believe I just compared us to an ocean and moon… pathetic!"
But, no matter how many times she shook her head and chanted rubbish, the sentiment of this revelation saddened Lacey. She felt a knot tightening up in her chest. She told herself she wouldn't cry; but this attempt was futile. Lacey lay in her bed and after several soldiering deep breathes she surrendered to her sadness. One by one the warm tears bled into the very pillow she just couldn't bring herself to release. The more she thought about seeing Danny behind bars, the more she cried. The harder she wiped away her tears the angrier she became at herself for being so weak over a boy she barely knew, a boy who just may be camouflaging who he truly is, a boy who could possibly have a alternative motive. These thoughts plagued Lacey. She felt she owed it to herself to look him dead in the eye and demand to know the truth. She was tired of assuming, tired of guessing, tired of expecting the worse and tired of sacrificing the life she built for a liar. Lacey jumped up, grabbed her car keys, trampled down the stairs, jogged to her car and sped off.
Meanwhile on the other side of the city surrounded by two detectives playing Good cop and bad cop sat a very stressed Danny Desai. Chief Masterson sat in the chair across from Danny. "We have the weapon you killed Regina with? What do you have to say about this?"
Danny felt like he was drowning in a sea of fear. They had ripped him from his beautiful anchor, chained him to an anvil they called evidence and watched him struggle as he sank to the bottom. Silence was Danny's best defense. He knew this from prior experience. He felt as though they would turn anything he said against him. It was obvious they believed he killed Regina. So instead of engaging, he leaned back in his chair, swooped his gorgeous hair back, formed a stoic expression and calmly said, "I want a lawyer." Chief Masterson cut an annoyed glance at Danny and shouted, "Lock him up!" Danny shook the hair out his face and was ushered out of the confession room.
Lacey whipped her car into a visitor parking spot and slammed on her breaks just before her car jumped onto the curb. She didn't waste any time fixing her hair or makeup, instead she hopped out of the car and walked fiercely into the police station. Lacey was so fueled, so focused, that she didn't care about bypassing the five people that were already standing in line. Those that were standing in line refrained from protesting because Lacey's agitation and urgency was manifested in her walk, tone and eyes. All she wanted was to speak with Danny Desai. The receptionist told her where to go and then called Chief Masterson's office. Chief Masterson met Lacey half way. Lacey was too angry to form words. All she could do was replay seeing Chief Masterson's face as he ripped Danny away from her. He stole their moment and her joy.
Chief Masterson guarded the door for visitation and motioned for Lacey to look at him. "Lacey I know this may be hard for you; but Danny isn't who you think he is. There is something going on and he is in the middle of it all. I think it is probably best if you let me handle this. I am only looking out for your safety.
At this very moment a flood of feelings overwhelmed Lacey and she tried to reign them in but hearing Chief Masterson try to persuade her to leave, practically ignited its release. Chief Masterson became alarmed as Lacey's nose began to flare with each pant. Lacey looked at Chief Masterson as if he were an offender. With a slow, cold, trembling tone Lacey exhaled, "You barge into my home…accuse and tear someone I care deeply about away from me and then suggest I stay away from him. No, I may not know him and I may not know what's going on, but that doesn't give you the right to dictate what I should do. You and I both know something isn't right. Too many things are a coincidence and they all conveniently have Danny in common. I am not claiming his innocence entirely, but I do expect you to find out what's really going on. So instead of wasting your time trying to convince me to mind my business, you need to go do your job. Now excuse me I need to talk to him." Chief Masterson reluctantly stepped aside with a dumbfounded expression plastered on his face. Lacey entered the room and instantly made eye contact with Danny.
Danny's heart leaped at the sight of Lacey. She was breath taking even in dim lighting and obviously angry. Danny stood and opened his arms to Lacey. It practically killed Lacey to refrain from hugging him. She balled her fist and kept her arms clamped to her side. Danny didn't care about her disposition he just needed to touch her, hold her, to be reminded of the one good thing he had; and so he hugged her tight and rested his head against her chest.
Lacey squeezed her eyes tight and kept reciting the mantra, "Stay strong, don't break, ask him!" in her mind. But, Danny's hugs felt so good. They were warm, strong and comforting. Lacey tossed her head back and could not resist any longer. As she looked down at him, he arched his head upward and stole a heart-stopping kiss. Against him she had no defense, no will power, no reason to say no. He was her weakness, her mistake, and her love.
Suddenly the guard started banging and signaling them to break up. This startled them. Danny quickly released Lacey and Lacey jumped away from Danny. They both sat down and then bore into one another's eyes. Danny smiled a sexy grin at Lacey. Lacey almost smiled back but then remembered her purpose of coming.
She cleared her throat, "Danny you can't keep me in the dark. What the heck is going on?
Danny shook his head, and pleaded, "No Lacey I can't! Please don't ask.
Lacey gritted her teeth and exclaimed, "Are you really willing to take this secret to the grave and sacrifice us? Are you really this selfish? They are about to charge you with murder! You entreat that I trust you, believe you, have faith in you, but you aren't being completely honest with me! How do you think this makes me feel! My whole life has been turned upside down again, because of you! I can't keep holding this torch for you, if you won't at least meet me half way and tell me what the heck is going on!"
Danny exhaled slowly, took both of Lacey's hands and spoke earnestly, "Lace, selfish would be to do the very things you are asking of me. Yes, Leaving you in the dark is what I am sacrificing. And if it means, I will have to lose you for the sake of saving you, then I will take my chances. But I can't, I won't, and will never tell you. I would never forgive myself if anything were to happen to you. I am begging you from the depths of my being to not ask any questions. Just trust me, please! You may not understand now, but in the end you will thank me for bearing this burden alone."
Lacey looked deep into Danny's eyes hoping he could see how much she was hurting. As a single tear escaped Lacey's eye, she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. She wanted to smack sense into Danny. She was tired of the brick wall he always threw up in her face. He called it the wall of protection but Lacey viewed it as the wall of terror. He wanted her to stay put, but everyday she wondered what was on the other side of the wall that he refused to let her see. The unknown terrified Lacey. She wondered why Danny couldn't comprehend that this was eating at her and possibly driving her mad. She wasn't naive, she was simply giving him the benefit of the doubt. At that moment she realized there was no way she could sway Danny. He was too smart and too stubborn. Sitting in front of him, knowing he was headed for the worst was killing her. Lacey had nothing left in her to argue. All her anxiety, fear and pain was slowly churning into anger.
Danny squeezed Lacey's hand prompting her to say something. He didn't like when she went silent. This frightened him more than the idea of going to prison. He felt like he was losing her. He felt like he needed to say something quick; so he whispers, "Lace, say something? Promise, you won't give up on me? I love you."
Hearing Danny say, "I love you" with such sincerity, nearly broke Lacey in half. Little did he know, that she was crying on the inside, because her mind and heart were at war. Lacey sniffed, tilted her head to the side admiring the face and man that sat before her and replied, "If you only knew."
With that statement she stood up, kissed his cheek and walked out the room.