Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)(121)

I was already dying, Bao Yu said. I’d seen the light already. He was trying to help me. I wanted it out. It’s not his fault. Her gaze met Della’s. I finally remembered. Thanks to you.

Della stared at the altar and the cross and where her aunt stood. She smiled at Della. She had tears in her eyes and mouthed the words, Thank you.

“She was already dying,” Della said. “I’m sure you did that because she … because you thought it would help.” She squeezed his hand. “The man who came into your house, the really mean one, he was the one who killed her.”

Her father shook his head. “Mr. James told me that too.”

Della looked back at her aunt.

Bao Yu turned and looked over her shoulder, and Della almost gasped when the wall behind her aunt seemed to open up. Where the Sheetrock had been was now what looked like the most beautiful sunset she’d ever seen. Colors so brilliant, so … unlike any she’d ever seen. Bao Yu turned, and suddenly Mrs. Chi showed up. They both waved at Della, then walked away, and the colors slowly faded.

But the warm, soft feeling swelling in Della’s chest didn’t fade.

“Did you see that?” her father asked.

“See what?” Della asked, shocked.

“Those colors, like a rainbow flashed on the wall.”

“Yeah,” Della said. “I saw that.”

“Maybe it is a sign that good things will happen from now on.”

“Yeah,” Della smiled. “I think it was a sign.”

They sat in the peaceful silence. Both looking at the wall, as if waiting for more colors to appear.

Her father spoke again. “Mr. James also told me that you saw Feng.”

“I did,” she said. “He’s a very nice man. A lot like someone else I know,” she said and smiled.

“I would like to see him,” he said.

“I’ll bet he would like to see you, too.”

*

Four days later, Chase poured Eddie a glass of blood and they sat down at his French farm table. Baxter rested at his guest’s feet. The dog loved Eddie almost as much as he loved Chase.

“Della called me today,” Eddie said.

Well, that hurt. She hadn’t found the time to call him. Chase picked up his glass and took a slow sip to hide his emotions.

“The courts have dropped the case against Chao. His lawyer requested a new DNA test to be done on Bao Yu’s gown, and when they went to do it, it was missing. Fearing he would look bad, the DA decided to drop the case.”

“Really,” Chase said, and took another long sip. “Funny how things like that happen.”

Eddie looked at him. “I see you used your fireplace recently.”

“It got cold.”

“Right,” Eddie said. “You could have gotten your ass in a lot of trouble.”

“Yeah,” Chase said. “But I asked myself, if I got caught would it be worth it? It would have been. Besides, I didn’t do it alone.”

“Who?”

“Della has a lot of friends at Shadow Falls.”

Eddie nodded. “Della says that my brother wants to meet with me.”

“That’s good,” Chase said. He’d heard through the years how Eddie missed his twin.

He’d also heard from Burnett how Della’s father had admitted he’d been a total ass and was seriously trying to make amends with his daughter. So maybe the man wasn’t such an ass after all.

“Have you called or texted her?” Eddie asked.

Chase took another slow sip. “She told me not to.”

“And since when do you do what people tell you? You sure as hell didn’t listen to me.”

“She knows where I am. I’ve told her how I feel many times.” And she never told me she felt the same. That hurt.

Eddie leaned down to pet Baxter. When he sat back up, he dropped Baxter’s dog collar on the table. “Never turn your back on a challenge,” he said. “Isn’t that what the collar says? There was a day when you said you lived by that. Don’t stop doing that now, son.”

*

“Checkmate,” Della said, and smiled at her dad.

“Okay, I clearly need to brush up on the game,” her father said.

Della just grinned. She knew he’d purposely let her win, and she loved him for it. God, she loved him. Loved her whole family.

“One more game?” he asked.

“I should go.” Della frowned. “I promised Mom I would help her cook chicken fingers for dinner and I promised Marla I would watch the Twilight movie with her.” Della made a face.

Marla had gotten to come home yesterday. The doctors were still stunned at her recovery.

Her father grinned. “Your sister is trying to show that she accepts you.”

“Yeah, well, she could just say that. We watched those movies years ago. Whoever heard of a vampire sparkling?”

He leaned in. “Marla’s like your mom. She has a hard time saying things sometimes. Not like you and me.”

It was true, Della realized. She and her dad didn’t sugarcoat things like her mom and sister did.

Her father leaned back in his chair. “Are you sure I can’t talk you into staying home and finishing out the year at your old school?”