Embers: The Light in Your Shadow

Fifteen

Zachary Williams was released from prison 2 days later. He was the drug addict they framed for Sophia's murder. While he was in prison, I wrote to him, visited him and gave him money. I knew he was innocent; I stayed in his corner defending him.

He was clean (drug free) once he came out the system, and Officer Fernandez helped him to get back on his feet. The state gave him a huge payout for false imprisonment, as if that would undue the damage they caused.

Fernandez was promoted to Police Sergeant; he was now in charge of the division, as Officer Rogers and his team got demoted. My parents were free to leave protective custody. All of the men who were after me were dead, killed in a police raid a couple months back.

I drove Cesare to the airport a week later. "Babe, this isn't goodbye. We'll see each other again in a month."

"A month is too long." He whined.

"You have a company to run, and I have to pack."

"They have people who get paid to do that, you know?" I gave him a look, and he put his hands up in surrender. "I'm going to miss you terribly."

"Well when we get married, you can see me every day." I smiled at him.

"I'm counting down the days..." His flight was boarding, but I didn't want to let him go just yet. "I love you, Tesoro."

"I love you too. Make sure you call me when you land."

"I will today, tomorrow and every day after until you're in my arms again." We kissed, and then I watched as he boarded the plane. I stayed until I had seen his plane take off, and then I left. I went home to pack up my apartment. Rome, Italy was going to be my new home from now on.

There was nothing left for me in Pennsylvania. My parents were moving to California. It was a new start for us all. After I finished packing my living room, someone rang my doorbell. I wrote Homeless Shelter on the top of the box before I rose to my feet to answer the door.

"Hi." Preston Montgomery said. I stood there staring at him in utter confusion. "I was just in town and thought I'd stop by to say Hi."

"Okay. Goodbye." I started to close the door, but he pushed it open and walked in. "Say your peace and then leave." I closed the door and folded my arms over my chest; I tapped my foot impatiently.

I watched him looking at all my moving boxes in shock and sadness. "You're leaving?"

"Why would I stay?" I asked in all seriousness. "There's nothing here for me anymore." Preston turned around and closed the distance between us. I backed up, not liking the way he was invading my space. "What do you want, Preston? Why are you really here?"

He was about to touch me, but he thought twice about it and kept his hands balled at his sides. "I made a huge mistake. I should've never married Kelley. You were the one I was destined to be with." My silence let him know that it was too late for whatever games he was trying to play. "Do you think we could go back to what we had?"

I laughed and felt for his emotions. "Oh, you're being serious?" Now that I'm finally happy, he's trying to drag me back down. "I would never go back to you... not when you hurt me the way you did. There's no coming back from that one."

"You hurt me too!" Preston whined. This was just like him. I don't think I remember a time when he actually apologized for his wrongdoing. I showed him my scar that he caused, and he shut his mouth. Yeah, who hurt who again?

"No, you hurt yourself taking on other people's problems." I wondered when he would actually grow up. "You hurt yourself by not being true to who you were... the man I first met before he was so easily corrupted by outside forces. You forfeited God's blessing and married a counterfeit. Now, you have to deal with the consequences."