Shattered Chances: A Breaking Black Companion Novel (7 page)

She laughed and shook her head.

“For being you.”

This statement. Those words alone rendered me speechless. I didn’t get compliments often. My family tried, but I knew, I was a pain in the ass sometimes. But at twilight, with the stars beginning to appear, Cheyenne saw something different. Those eyes that I love so much saw through the bullshit. The girl had x-ray vision and she knew what was real and what was a façade. She knew I cared about her and that I would not let anything happened to her if I could help it.

“I’ve got you. That’s all you need to know. I’ll always have your back.”

Her grip tightened on my hand just slightly. A song flooded the garden from the bar. A song that we both immediately recognized. It was the song from the car, the one Michael West so joyfully crooned.

Piano Man.

“That was his song,” Cheyenne said. “It made him so happy.”

“Maybe’s he’s watching. He’s looking over you. Telling you he’s okay.”

As Billy Joel belted out the lyrics and beat on the piano keys, I pulled Cheyenne in tight, her face breathing softly on my neck. It took everything in me not to lose it when I felt her warm tears fall onto my shirt.

14.

Cheyenne

It had been a long time since I felt so at ease. Mr. and Mrs. Hall welcomed me into their home with open arms and I couldn’t be more grateful. I took over their guest bedroom which was two rooms down from Randy. It was quiet and the window overlooked the pasture. What more could I ask for?

I should’ve known it wouldn’t last forever. Two weeks after I arrived, she showed up. My mother. The woman I loved, worried about, hoped for, and eventually lost respect for, arrived at Hall Ranch with a new boyfriend in tow. Two weeks. My father was a gem of a man. He takes much longer than two weeks to get over! I was furious. She showed up with new clothes on her back, some fool on her arm and a glazed look in her eye. The worry about her taking her medicine no longer plagued me. It was clear she was medicated… Dosing up on much more than just her anti-depressants, too.

Mr. Hall tried to convince my mother to take her time. Give herself time to grieve. But she wouldn’t listen, saying that she needed to start her new family. I would never call that man Daddy. I have one father, and he was a much better man than she deserved.

“Cheyenne, say hello to Clark.”

“I will not,” I said, pressing my jaw out.

Damn her.

“Say hello!” my mother demanded.

“Mrs. West,” Mr. Hall said with a stern voice. He put emphasis on Mrs. “You will not raise your voice in my home.”

“We’re leaving. Happy?”

But before Hank could reply, my mother had gripped my arm and yanked me out the door.

***

Clark, AKA husband number one, lasted all of a month. She kicked him out after Clark started paying me more attention than my mother. It also didn’t help matters when Randy showed up at the house to confront good ol’ Clark calling him a sexual deviant who preyed on teenage girls. I was glad to see Clark go. Next came Bruce. Bruce was rich. Bruce was smart. Bruce was boring. She got tired of him after just three dates, but not before he bought her a diamond necklace. She sent him packing without the bling. I was thrilled to see him go although I did feel bad for him. He was at least a nice guy. My mother thought she’s be set for life. I guess she wasn’t counting on an anulment instead of a divorce. Nothing would prepare me for the one that stuck. When David Grisham walked across our threshold, our lives were never the same.

15.

Randy

One look at Cheyenne, and my rage has boiled over the edge. She’s kept her head down, refusing to look up… refusing to look me in the eye. But I’m not stupid. Even though her hair is falling over her face, I can clearly see the bruise that has discolored her skin. Running from her eye to jawline, a nasty bruise had appeared. It wasn’t there yesterday. I almost didn’t want to look at her, my temper was quaking out of control. If that piece of shit biker put his hands on her, God help him.

I could tell that Cheyenne was afraid to show me her face. It had been three days since she moved back home with her mother. Three days that I could barely sleep because of Cheyenne’s last words to me before leaving my grandparent’s ranch.

“Randy, I’m scared.”

Fuck. How was I supposed to protect her when the demons lived with her?

We were in gym class, warming up. Mr. Hamilton had us all in lines, doing our warm up exercises before we had to do our timed sprints on the track. Cheyenne stood in the next row over just a few spots up from my own. My eyes grazed over her body. Her exposed legs had bruises, too. Her left arm had strange markings as well – digits. Marks where and hand had grabbed her hard.

Dave Grisham had it coming.

“Ten jumping jacks, then reverse position and do ten more!” Mr. Hamilton instructed.

I did the first ten as instructed, but then, when everyone else turned around, I stayed in place. Her hair flew from in front of her face. Black eye. Gruesome bruise across her cheek. A defeated look in her eyes.

With one look, she knew I knew. She knew the shit was going to hit the fan, because before she could say a word, I had stormed out of the gymnasium. Racing to the locker rooms to change into my jeans and boots, I was hell bent upon giving Dave Grisham a piece of my mind.

“No, Randy!” Cheyenne cried after me as I emerged from the boy’s locker room. “Please! You’ll make it worse!”

I turned on my heel with a little more rage than I intended showing in my gaze.

“Nobody lays a finger on you!”

And with that I ran out of school in the middle of the goddamn school day to deal with Cheyenne’s mother’s newest boyfriend.

***

It was a fool’s mission, but I had to make sure he knew that Cheyenne was not to be messed with. Lucky me. Dave Grisham is a cop. That’s not going to stop me, though. Go big or go home right?

I found him sitting in his patrol car just outside of the Oakeley police station with a miserable scowl on his face. A cigarette hung off his lip as he talked into his radio. I hated him from the first moment I saw him. His knuckles were scraped and there were scratches down his arm. That’s all the proof I needed. I knew he was the one who had hurt Cheyenne.
My Cheyenne.

“Yo kid, shouldn’t you be in school?” he said with an authoritative voice.

“Hey copper… shouldn’t you keep your hands to yourself?!”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about Cheyenne.”

“Oh, so she has a little boyfriend.”

“You won’t think me so little when I hand you your ass. Touch her again! I fucking dare you! I’ll rip your throat out!”

“Watch your tongue, boy… or you’ll find yourself in a 6x6 cell.”

The double doors of the Oakeley police department swung open as my uncle stepped out. He saw me, and immediately looked perplexed.

“Is there a problem out here? Randy, why aren’t you in school?”

“Because this asshole is an abusive piece of shit!”

“Shawn, I have no idea what this kid is talking about.”

“Cheyenne showed up at school today. Bruises all over her.”

Shawn turned on Dave, “Is that right? What are those marks on your arm Dave?”

“Nothing. From the call last night.”

“Mmmhmm. I’m reporting this.”

Dave fumbled a little. His voice faltered a bit.

“Okay.”

“And if Cheyenne comes into school with more bruises, you better watch your ass!”

“Randy!” Shawn yelled, but I was already walking up the block.

“Randy! Where are you going?!”

“Back to school! Where do you think?! Keep an eye on that asshole!”

“Mouth!”

“No! It’s the principle! Deal with him, or I will!”

***

Uncle Shawn called protective services this time and I didn’t stop him. I’d rather her be somewhere safe than in a home with that violent asshole. When CPS didn’t come out the first time, we placed five more calls. Not just Uncle Shawn and me, Cheyenne’s Engish teacher called. My grandparents. Averi. We were all concerned, and the county did not a fucking thing.

16.

Cheyenne

Sleep was a fickle friend who had evaded me yet another night. The alarm clock that sat on my nightstand read 3:16 AM, the red numbers glaring at me like a warning. I have a Geometry test in 5 hours. This is the
last
thing I need. It was way too late to call Randy - though I knew he wouldn’t mind, the call would startle his grandparents. Not to mention, if Randy got a call from me at 3 AM he’d come running for sure. I was just restless. No need to get everyone in a tiff. Time to put on my big girl panties.

Nothing was inherently wrong with me, per se, but in the same breath, nothing was right either. A month had passed since my father’s death. I now lived with two people I had grown to resent. Dave, for his vitriolic temper and abusive behavior and my mother, for allowing it to happen.

Bitch
.

I notice that I’m parched so I climb out of bed and walk down the long hallway towards the bathroom. My mother’s bedroom door is cracked open and a sliver of light bled out into the dark hall. I could see them, Dave kissing my mother. She looked out of it. He smiled at her as he passed her something.

Oh, my God.

She takes the needle from Dave and smacks the skin on her arm before injecting the needle into one of her veins. I watched in horror as whatever she injected into her body took effect.

She was gone. Regina West, the mother I once knew and loved, mental illness, alcoholism and now drug addiction had stolen the soul that resided within. She would not protect me against Dave. She couldn’t even protect herself. And Daddy…. Oh, my God. What would he think? Just a month after he was gone. Rather than grieving my father, who was a good man, she crawled into bed with this one.

I feel sick to my stomach.

Forgetting all about my dry throat, I retreat back into the dark of the hall, finding what solace I could in my bedroom.

I didn’t sleep a wink.

17.

Randy

I waited for Cheyenne outside the main gate at school like always. She arrived around 8:15 looking sluggish and exhausted. I knew damn well why, too. She called me this morning around 5:45, apologizing up and down for calling so early. She told me what she witnessed last night and to say I was pissed was Captain Obvious’ statement of the year. Not at her. At her white trash mother and the bastard she shared her bed with. I had to harness my rage, though. Dave Grisham had it coming.

Cheyenne’s bruises had faded and no new ones had appeared. I would not relax about the situation. It’s no secret I have a problem controlling my anger… but even I know that there is no excuse to hit a woman. I sure as hell would lay out an abusive piece of shit like Grisham, though.

Cheyenne and I began walking towards school, not touching, not talking. We walked in silence for several steps until she stopped abruptly. Grabbing my jacket, she pinned me against the chain link fence with a charged look on her face.

“Look, I’m sorry I called you so early.”

She had an apologetic look upon her face. I shrug non-chalantly.

“Chey, it’s cool. Technically, you should’ve called me last night when it happened.”

“It was 3 A.M. I didn’t want to wake up your grandparents.”

“Day or night. You can call me. Once my grandfather’s hearing aid is off, he’s dead to the world and my grandmother sleeps like a rock.”

“Still…”

“You were scared… and pissed. Next time call me. You’re not alone in this.”

“I’m not?”

I removed her hands gently from my jacket and held her left hand in my own.

“Whatever this is, we’ll get through it together.”

18.

Cheyenne

18 months later

Two days before the end of the school year

We had fallen in deep together. Wherever I went, Randy wasn’t far and whatever he needed, I had his back. He told me he loves me, and I can see in his eyes that he does. He’s been able to charm his way to third base, but he refuses to take it further. He wants it to be special. After eighteen months, I was sure that he’d be snarling at the bit – but with me, Randy was a perfect gentleman. Well, except for the time, last Thursday when his grandmother caught us messing around in Randy’s shower. I’m sure the poor old bird damn near had a heart attack when Randy’s ass cheeks pressed up against the sliding glass door of the shower. Even then, he refused to take it all the way.