Hope ya'll enjoy! fyi...my computer just died so I'm having to bum off of friends. But don't worry, the story is saved on my flash drive, I'll my best to update.
Chapter 26
When Brandon comes back downstairs he finds Kelly in the kitchen making coffee, "Hey, why are you making coffee?"
Brandon asks confused as Kelly jumps at his voice that is behind her and drops the mug breaking it and spilling the hot liquid all over the floor. Kelly can't believe what just happened; she just stands there slowly backing away into the countertop from the spill on the floor.
Brandon asks, "Kel, you okay?" suddenly remember Silver's conversation with him earlier.
But, before he could get an answer she screams and jumps once again when she hits the countertop with her back and she accidentally steps onto a piece of the broken mug barefoot, she remembers the feeling of a sharp knife against her body. She immediately slides onto the floor as Brandon goes to try to catch her and comfort her. At this point, Silver is standing outside of the kitchen door witnessing everything but she remains unseen by Brandon and Kelly.
Kelly starts to cry and fight against Brandon holding her with her back against his chest, she screams, "no, please don't, please don't hurt me, no," as she closes her eyes tightly and tries to pull away by trying to hit and kick Brandon.
But he is able to tighten his hold on her though, "Kelly, you're alright, there's nothing to be afraid of. No one is going to hurt you."
Kelly is still struggling to be let go. "Come on Kel, just open your eyes, it's me Brandon. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to protect you and keep you safe."
Kelly stops fighting so much but she is beginning to cry harder.
"Kel, it's still okay. I'm going to keep you safe okay. No one is going to hurt you," Brandon says continuing to try to calm her down as he loosens his hold just a bit.
Silver, still outside can't believe she is seeing her sister break down like this, her older sister who has always been so strong and her rock in life.
Kelly finally opens her eyes and realizes that it's Brandon holding her and that they are sitting on her kitchen floor. She lifts her head slightly and starts to mumble through her crying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you shouldn't see me like this, I'm sorry."
"Shh…there's nothing for you to apology for. You have done nothing worry. I love you and I'm sticking around for everything. Now let's try to relax okay," Brandon says.
Kelly nods her head as she lays it down onto Brandon's shoulder, allowing him to comfort her. Brandon continues to slightly rock her and rub her back to continue to soothe her.
After a couple of minutes Kelly's tears are at a minimal and she starts to open up to him with a small quiet voice, "Brandon, I can't sleep, I've been avoiding it all week. I can't forget it; it's been haunting me in my dreams. I can't get the feel of his body off of me or the ringing of the gunfire out of my ears. It's been so long ago and the nightmares have never been this bad before. I've never wanted you to know that it happened. I'm sorry, Brandon, I'm sorry."
Brandon lifts her chin so he can look directly into her eyes, "It's not possible for me to ever think less of you, no matter what happened in the past or whatever will happen in the future. We are going to get through this together, the same way you helped me to get through my nightmares after we came back from Hawaii."
Kelly starts to cry again trying to turn herself away from Brandon, "It's not the same Brandon, I committed a really bad crime…I…I killed….I killed the guy who…. raped me."
But Brandon quickly turns himself so Kelly is still forced to look at him, "Kelly, look at me," he waits until she lifts her eyes to him, "I don't think anything less of you, even if it ever happened again. Can you tell me about it?"
Kelly continues to tell Brandon the details, "It was about nine months after you left town and Dylan had come back. He was having a hard time, so he called to ask me to meet him at Frank's coffee shop one night because he was afraid that he might get high. So, I went to go meet him but I had to park the car a couple of blocks away. As I was walking, I started to hear footsteps behind me so I tried to walk quicker, but he was faster and pushed me into a dark alley as he hit me. He pulled out a knife at my neck threaten to kill me if I screamed as he….."
Brandon tightens his hold a bit again as she starts to cry harder and unable to finish. "Shhh….it's okay, I got you," Brandon says softly.
After about a minute, she continues, "afterwards I went to the hospital. The only person I felt comfortable enough calling was Steve. I've never seen him more scared in his life when he saw how many bruises were on my body as well as my lip cut open. After a couple of days, Dylan gave me a gun so I could protect myself because I was afraid to go anywhere without him. I couldn't sleep unless if he was beside me. I've never liked how Dylan always had guns, but at that point in my life, I didn't see any other way of not being afraid anymore. About a week later, I was alone in Donna and mine bouquet store. Matt, who I started to date to try to get over you, he was the guy's defense lawyer for something else and after their meeting Matt told him he should get something for his girlfriend at the store. When he walked into the store we both recognized each other and he pulled out his knife again. He was going to try to rape me again so he went to lock the doors as I reach into my purse for Dylan's gun. And before he could reach me, I shot the gun killing him. I found out later that his name was Joe Patch. Since it was self-defense the police didn't charge anything against me except they had tried to commit me with a stolen gun. But once Dylan spoke with the police, everything was finished except for my memories. I haven't thought or dreamed about it in a long time, but on Tuesday when Silver's friend, Naomi, confided in me that one of the teachers, Mr. Cannon raped her on prom night the memories came back. I believed her as soon as she told me that Silver was in danger because he had conceived her to go to his house that night. It was the police station we went to that evening and he was finally arrested yesterday at school. I'm sorry; I knew I wouldn't be able to tell you where we went not only for Silver and Naomi's protection but also for mine because I was afraid to tell you. The dreams have never been this bad before, normally I'm able to just shake them off and move on but I think they have stuck another cord deeper because it almost happened to Silver and I didn't know how to hide it from either of you because you can still read me like a book. I never want her to experience that. I never even told our mother that it happened. I didn't want you to know in the past because I didn't want you overreact like you did when I was shot because I know you would have made up an excuse to leave work and traveling the world just for me. And also Dylan was here already making it harder on my relationship with Matt, which he was a big mistake anyways. I knew that you and Dylan would get into a fight, I'm sorry Brandon that was just how I felt then."
"Kel, I can't speak for in the past, but right now and in the future, here with you is where I belong, I'm not going anywhere no matter what has happened in the past. I'm not worried about Dylan; we made our peace on a bus trip back from Palm Springs awhile in college. We have you to thank for that, for giving us a chance to still be friends. And I'm thankful that he was there for you when I couldn't be, but I'm here now and we'll get through this together. You just got to be willing to lean on me okay," Brandon tells her as he wipes some tears off of her face as she nods her head.
Silver finally steps into the kitchen with caution after hearing everything that Kelly just said, "Kelly, it's okay, you don't have to hide things from me. I just heard everything."
She slowly walks over to them as Kelly looks up and then reaching her hands out to her sister. "Kel, you've always been my rock and you always will be because you're always here for me. Please let me return the favor and be here for you," Silver pleads as she fully grasps her sister in a hug still on the floor.
All Kelly can do is to nod her head. After a couple of minutes of allowing Brandon and Silver to comfort her, she says, "yuck, my face is such a mess and so is the floor."
Brandon speaks up, "Why don't you go wash your face, I'll clean up the kitchen, and met you with some tea on the couch okay."
"Okay," Kelly stays as she nods her head.
"Hey, I'll come upstairs with you," Silver says as she helps Kelly up.
After Brandon stands he remembers, "Oh hey, Sammy asked to sleep in your bed tonight. I didn't think it would be a problem until now."
"It's okay, we can move him later," Kelly says.
After about five minutes, Silver comes back downstairs without Kelly, "hey she's just changing quickly, she'll be down in a minute."
"Okay thanks. Hey Silver, could you do me a favor?" Brandon asks. "Yeah sure, anything," Silver says.
"Could you get up a bit earlier tomorrow and watch Sammy down here. I'm hoping to convince Kelly to sleep in and relax a bit," Brandon tells her.
"Yeah, I can do that. Alright, well I'll see you in the morning then, night," Silver says as she walks out of the kitchen door.
