Black and Blue Ivy

Blinded

Blinded by snow, sobbing hysterically, I slid on the slippery sidewalk and landed hard on my hands and knees. I think I might have fainted too because all I remember after that was waking up in the Mercedes. I was shivering uncontrollably and Bentley was driving through the pelting snow, away from Rittenhouse Square.

"Please, please," I moaned through chattering teeth. "It's not true. Please don't make it be true."

"For God's sake, Ivy." Bentley shifted his gaze from the icy windshield to me. "What the hell happened back there?" He looked back out at the blizzard, bit down on his lower lip, and slowly shook his head. "Don't tell me. I can guess." Then more to himself he mumbled, "I should have never let you go in there by yourself." He punched the steering wheel.

"I can't go back to Providence," I sobbed. "Not like this."

"You're right. You can't." He veered left onto Ben Franklin Parkway. The traffic was moving at a snail's pace. Ahead of us blinking red taillights penetrated the curtain of falling snow, but beyond that was nothing but white. Blankness. "And we can't drive in this shit."

Bentley pulled over and parked, leaving the motor running. He cranked up the heat. "This storm can't last forever." He gazed at me with eyes shot with concern. "Here," he said, leaning forward to remove his leather jacket.

"A-aren't you cold?"

"No, but you are. You'll be no use to anyone if you die of pneumonia."

He draped the jacket around my knees. I still shivered, but I my breathing was returning to normal.

"Thanks."

Bentley stared straight ahead. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel when he said, "Just tell me one thing. Did that asshole—"

"Rape me?"

He winced as if he didn't want to hear my answer.

"No, but he tried." I started crying again remembering the horror of what just happened. I'll never forget the sensation of the judge's cold fingers on my flesh, his foul breath. I shivered again.

"Ivy, if you don't want to talk about it—"

"No. I'll tell you everything."

And I did. When I got to the part of how I was betrayed by my own mother, Bentley's chin dropped to his chest.

"Christ," he said. Tears welled up in his eyes when he looked at me. "Ivy, I am so sorry."

I fished a Kleenex from a box Gardenia kept near the dashboard and blew my nose. "But that's not the worst of it."

"What could be worse than that?"

Bentley's eyes widened in shock when I told him what I had done, how I'd assaulted a Philadelphia judge. "Are they going to arrest me now?" I wailed, the reality finally hitting me.

Bentley leaned over the seat and folded me in his arms. When I had stopped shaking and sobbing, he held me at arms' length, brushed my hair from my face, and said, "Listen to me. You won't get arrested. You think that bastard going to risk being charged with assaulting a young girl? If I knew I could get away with it, I'd kill that fucker myself. I swear I would."

My heart warmed at Bentley's display of chivalry. "Do you really think he won't tell anyone?"

"You didn't kill him did you?"

I thought for a second. "I don't think so."

Bentley burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?"