Hope's Chance(37)



Chance stood up and began pacing around the room. “I got her into the bathroom and helped her with the bleeding. She went through a whole towel and it still dripped into the sink for at least ten minutes more before subsiding. Anyway, once she was cleaned up she sat on my bed next to me and confessed how she had feelings for me for over a year. She already knew that Veronica had broke up with me and I guess she figured this was her chance. She leaned in and kissed me, and I let her. I was emotional and drunk, and you have no idea how I wished it never happened, but we ended up having sex.”

“After it was over, I told her how I still had feelings for Veronica and that nobody could find out what we had done in case we got back together.”

Chance kneeled down in front of me. He grabbed my hands and looked into my eyes. “That was the last time I saw Christian; that anyone saw Christian. Her parents reported her missing and after the police asked around I became the prime suspect in her disappearance. Two days later they found her body in a nearby culvert. She had been brutally beaten and left to freeze to death.”

Chance buried his face into my legs. He began to sob and I ran my fingers through his hair telling him it would all be alright, but he continued to talk.

“People from the party had told police we were together so they got a search warrant and came into my room, where they found a ton of her blood and a used condom with both of our DNA on it. They arrested me a few days later when they got the reports back. With the evidence and the eye witness accounts it wasn’t hard for them to lay the book on me.”

“Veronica and her father returned and he agreed to be my lawyer if I swore I would never go near his daughter again. At first she believed I was innocent, but as more evidence piled up, I was left with only Buffy and my mother at my side.”

He started to cry again and I held him tight in my arms. While he continued to cry he started talking again. “My mother had a massive heart attack a week later. She died right in front of me. There wasn’t anything I could do to save her. She was healthy Hope. I killed her; I broke her heart and killed my own mother.”

“Oh my God Chance you can’t blame yourself for that.” I said trying to get him to calm down.

Finally he managed to calm down enough to talk again. “When it was time for court, Veronica’s dad was getting ready to make a plea bargain, but one of his partners found a loophole in my case and got me acquitted. The evidence had been tainted somehow. Anyway, after burying my mother and paying for the attorney’s, and then finally being kicked out of school, I had to move in with Buffy. Your father moved us here and the rest is history.”

He pulled me up into his arms and looked me in the eyes. “Hope I swear to you, I never would hurt another female like that. She was my friend and I never would have let her leave if I had any idea that would have happened. I swear to God!”

I pulled him into my arms. “I believe you Chance, I believe you.”

He pulled away and held my shoulders. “There is something else Hope. Remember that night that we were at the bar? Our first night together?”

I nodded my head yes.

“Someone disappeared from the bar that night. The police got a hit on the video surveillance from the nationwide mug shots. They came asking me questions about it. The video shows me leaving with a female and people gave my description. When they saw my criminal history they hunted me down and told me not to leave town.”

“You left with me Chance.” I confirmed.

“You don’t understand Hope. You are underage and your father didn’t even know we had met. I couldn’t say that I was with you even if I wanted to.”

“I don’t care about what happens to me, you have to tell them we were together. I am your alibi Chance.”

He shook his head. “No way! I won’t get you involved.”

We both held our heads up toward the window when we heard a car pulling up out front.

“They are home.” I said in a panic.

Chance kissed me. “I’m going in the kitchen. Run upstairs and don’t come down until you hear us talking.” He urged.

Without even thinking about everything he had told me, I rushed up the stairs toward my room.





Chapter 21


Chance



Telling Hope the truth was easier than I had originally thought. She believed me and it meant so much. I hated to send her upstairs after confessing so much about myself, but we couldn’t risk being found out. I made my way to the kitchen and started to make coffee. By the time the front door opened it was already brewing and I was leaning against the counter.

I heard Buffy first as she called out “Hello, We are home!”

I walked out of the kitchen and into the foyer. Buffy was smiling ear to ear. She dropped her suit case and held out her arms for me to hug her. I gave her a big squeeze and finally let her go as Mark walked into the house. I reached my hand out and shook his hand, the whole time wondering if he knew I had slept with his only daughter. Again!

“Where is Hope?” was the first thing out of his mouth.

“I have no idea. I came in to make coffee, and then heard you guys coming in the door.” I explained…lying.

“HOPE!” Buffy called up the stairs.

Perfection came walking down the stairs in a pair of pajama pants and hoodie. She had pulled her hair up, but it looked like she had just gotten out of bed. “Hey, I didn’t hear you come in.” She announced.

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