I Met Her On the Balcony

by Sandra Corton

  Her greedy eyes could barely look away from the future that she could see in his hands. More money than she had ever made in her life. When she ran out, she would come back to find her daughter, and her very loaded boyfriend. The rest of her life would be easy.

  “Focus on me, Lucy. You are not going to black out,” Ash quickly said, as he saw Lucy’s posture go slack, and her eyes become vacant. Her head snapped back to look at him, and he felt instant relief.

  “Why would you care? It was long before you came here,” Crystal waved her gun free hand, as though her past indiscretions were not an issue.

  “Tell him mother,” Lucy managed to stutter, as she put all her intensity onto Ash. He was the only one keeping her in the moment, as her body shook, and her brain wanted desperately to freeze.

  “God, you’re such a sook! So you stumbled down some stairs, how was that my fault?” Crystal stated breezily.

  “Because you were threatening me with a knife.” Lucy found herself lost back in those memories, as she tried desperately to gulp in some air.

  “Belle.” Her nickname stated softly, brought her back from the brink.

  “Well, if you had just taken the damn money like I asked, you stupid girl then I wouldn’t have had to force you down those stairs.” Crystal criticised as if it had all been Lucy’s fault.

  “Why do you hate me so much? All the years, all the abuse, and here you are holding a gun to my head.” Lucy couldn’t help the tears that began to streak down her cheeks.

  “I never abused you.” Crystal quickly denied.

  “Really? I remember going to school so bruised beneath my clothes that I could barely move without hurting. What about the time you seared a cigarette butt into my leg?” Lucy labelled some of the things Crystal had done to her, and Ash felt appalled. He had always wondered what that scar just above her knee was, and now it made perfect sense.

  “I’ve had enough of this bunch of lies! Give me my money now!” Crystal demanded, but Ash could see the fear that she was trying to cover with bravado. Her eyes went wide, as her free hand stretched out to Ash’s briefcase desperately.

  “Answer my question, and this is all yours. Did you push Lucy down those stairs in the feed store?” Ash stated the words clearly, even as his anger wanted to take over.

  “Yes, I did, and you know what I would do it again. When she didn’t land at the bottom I kicked her until she kept rolling.” Crystal laughed viciously.

  Lucy lost her focus, as the memories spilled over her, and she collapsed at her mother’s feet, no longer able to hold herself together. Ash looked at the woman with a horrified, but furious expression. It took him a moment to pull himself together at the sheer cruelty that Lucy had to suffer at the hands of this horrid woman.

  “There I admitted it, now give me my money!” Crystal demanded, her hand stretching even further towards him.

  “Here.” Ash threw the briefcase down close by him. A puff of dust rose in the air between them, as he forced himself not to rush over and tend to Lucy.

  She was once again the fragile and broken girl who he had first seen so long ago. Now he was able to understand it a little more clearly. He was no longer surprised that this was how Lucy coped with everything her mother had done to her. She closed herself off, to protect her mind and body from the abuse. It broke him to see her crumpled figure lying there, but he had to sort this out first.

  “Did you get that Sam?” Ash spoke clearly.

  “Yep, good recording it seems,” Sam staggered out of the bunker. Crystal’s eyes finally moved from the briefcase to Sam. She went pale, before blood rushed to her face in relief at Sam being alive.

  “We heard it all too,” Daz said furiously from behind Ash, as he approached his mother, gun held firmly in his hand, “Drop your weapon,” Daz’s voice was as cold as ice.

  “But I… um… I,” Crystal stuttered, as she noticed people closing in on her. All of them armed, and surrounding her.

  “Do it, Crystal! All those years… I can’t believe you did that to her.” Daz shook his head, but kept his weapon trained on her.

  Crystal finally seemed to realise that she had lost the war. She had in fact lost everything. She finally dropped the gun, making sure it deliberately hit Lucy as it fell.

  “Whoops.” She sent them all a snide look, as she continued to stare at the briefcase on the ground. Ash flinched at the heavy metal striking Lucy’s skin. and Daz froze beside him. He looked where her gaze sat, and could only shake his head. What a foolish, selfish, and mean woman Crystal was.

  “You really want to see what’s in here don’t you? Just think of what you could do with all that money,” Ash taunted her, knowing her weakness now. He looked at the uncaring woman, who almost salivated, as he gestured to the case “Okay, but be prepared for disappointment.”

  As handcuffs snapped onto Crystal’s hands, Ash opened the case to show her that it was completely empty. All it contained was a photo of him and Lucy together. The woman howled, as she realised that he never intended to give her anything.

  She spat vicious words at him, calling him every ugly name that she could think of. She struggled against Daz’s grip, which he only tightened, as he led her away. Ash sighed, as he tucked the photo into his pocket, and quickly went straight to Lucy.

  Ambulance staff was rolling Sam off in a stretcher, and Ash sent him a nod, which he returned. Sam handed the phone with the recording on it to him, so he tucked it into his pocket. He gathered Lucy into his arms, and finally noticed a rather ashen Rachel staring at him from the open door of the bunker.

  “Go home, and stop making our life hell, Rachel.” Ash snapped, as Daz walked back over to them.

  Daz wasn’t quite as forgiving, as he closed handcuffs around the girl's wrist. Silent tears streamed down her face, as she realised what her involvement with Crystal had cost her. She turned back to Ash, who was still sitting in the dust cradling Lucy gently to him.

  “I’m sorry.” She whispered, before letting Daz lead her away.

  The paddock around them quietened, and Ash finally felt his heart begin to calm. He gently kissed Lucy lightly on the lips. He waited anxiously, until she blinked her eyes, and peered up at him blankly for a moment. He wiped a finger down her dusty, tears stained face, and knew that he could never live without her.

  “Ash!” She threw her arms around him. “What happened to Crystal?” She peered around her, and noticed the absence of her mother.

  “Come, and I’ll show you.” Ash got up, and helped Lucy to her feet.

  He kept one hand tightly wrapped in hers, as they walked away together. Police vehicles and ambulances flashing lights came from all directions. Thankfully, the Olsen farm was on a dead stretch of road that nobody ever used, so there were no onlookers. Lucy could hear her mother from a distance having a tirade, as she refused to get in the police car.

  “Is that it? Am I finally free of her?” Lucy asked hopefully.

  “Yep, Lou, she’s going to jail, and even if she posts bail she still can’t come anywhere near you. I doubt she’ll be offered bail, especially when the judge realises who he has in his court,” Daz said from behind her. She turned and reached out to hug him with tears flooding her vision.

  Lucy watched the police officers force her mother into the car. As they drove away, she finally seemed to accept her fate, and stared glumly out the window. Lucy felt such an intense sense of relief. It was over.

  She felt Ash’s arm tighten around her waist, and she turned to him. She let out a sigh at his expression; he was not a happy camper. She grinned weakly at him, knowing that she probably deserved the lecture that was coming her way.

  Before he could say a word, she captured his lips in a thorough kiss, distracting him, but making him smile. She was safe and really that was all he needed. He returned her ardour, but prepared the lecture for later. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and kissed her, with lights flashing, numerous people watching, and all the love in his heart.


  Chapter 34 – Guilt and solutions

  By Monday, the news had spread around the whole town about what had occurred over the weekend. Lucy was left feeling awkward and uncomfortable, as she walked into the schoolyard. She felt every eye on her, as silence followed her around wherever she went. Ash’s hand tightened on hers, as he sent her a warm smile. Reminded that he was there for her, she was able relax a little.

  She had spent all of yesterday making statements, as had Ash, about everything that had happened. She was glad that her mother was where she belonged, behind bars, but at the same time, she still felt unsettled. Now, standing here with all attention focused on her, it reminded her of when Crystal had made her steal, and they had been caught.

  “Well, Miss Lucy, haven’t you been a busy girl.” A familiar voice called from behind her.

  She turned to see Ren and Col, who quickly grabbed her in for a hug, and fussed over her for a bit. She was getting tired of people treating her so carefully, as if they thought she might break. Daz had been extra overprotective, until she had to scream at him to leave her alone. Now, her best friends were acting different, and it was driving her crazy.

  “Cut it out, you two! Either act normally, or get lost,” she snarled at them, and felt pleasantly surprised when their evil grins returned, and they high fived Ash.

  “I knew that would work,” Col said with a snort, and Lucy punched him in the arm.

  “What would work?” She threw his words back at him.

  “We have it on good authority,” Ren cleared his throat, and stared unsubtly at Ash. “That you haven’t really been yourself since Saturday.” Lucy’s mouth dropped open, and she turned to an innocent looking Ash.

  “What is he talking about?” Lucy stared at Ash, who shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

  “Belle, you’ve been acting strange since, you know.” He reached his hand out to clasp hers again, but she snatched it back, feeling a swell of anger.

  “What the hell do you expect after that?” She snapped at him before storming off to class.

  She sat in the classroom, and thought over the last day or so. She had felt a sick swirling in her chest over what had happened, ever since they had drove away from the Olsen farm. With a sudden hit of clarity, she realised that Ash was right. She had been acting weird, but it was only because she had yet to process everything.

  She avoided Ash and her friends for as long as she could; she needed to think this through. Thankfully, the teachers were leaving her be, as her mind churned. She had a horrible feeling that things had been left unresolved. When she saw a familiar length of raven dark, she knew what it was

  Rachel turned sluggishly, when Lucy called out to her. The girl looked like she had ridden to hell and back. The bags under her eyes and the sallow tint of her skin made her eyes appear almost lifeless.

  Everyone knew of Rachel’s involvement, so her classmates and friends were trying to stay away from her, making her isolation complete. Her family's fury, when they had to pay bail to get her out of jail was nothing compared to their disappointment. The only person who had been nice was her stepsister Lucinda, who she had always treated in the nastiest manner.

  “I guess you want to gloat, Lucy?” Rachel said gravely, as they turned to face each other in the empty corridor between classes.

  “No, but I did warn you not to get mixed up with Crystal again,” Lucy told her sternly, as Rachel appeared on the verge of tears.

  “How is it that she can make any idea sound like it would work? I knew it was wrong to trick you into going with me…” Rachel trailed off, as a few tears ran down her cheeks.

  “She’s always been manipulative. Crystal only ever sees one person, and that’s herself.” Lucy assured her.

  The bell rang, and people began to crowd the hallway. When they recognised who it was, everybody stopped and stared. Lucy let out a sigh, it seemed that this would be more public than she would like.

  “I’m sorry, Lucy. I never had a chance to tell you on Saturday because you collapsed, and then your brother dragged me off. I really am sorry,” Rachel spluttered truthfully through her increasing tears.

  “Thank you. I needed to know that you regretted what you did.” Lucy said, feeling relief rush into her body.

  “I’ll never do it again.” Rachel promised and Lucy nodded.

  She turned and walked away from the girl, feeling more like herself than she had in days. She had needed that closure. Her mother may always hate her, but she thought Rachel might have been different. She was glad to feel free of what had been holding her back.

  “You three are in some deep trouble for whatever you were thinking this morning,” Lucy told Ash, Ren, and Col, as she slapped her lunch tray onto the table.

  The three looked at her apprehensively for a moment, and then sent each other a wink. They each brought out a piece of chocolate cake, and the scowl instantly dropped from her face.

  “You know this doesn’t mean any of you are off the hook, right?” She looked at the three of them in turn, as she broke off a piece and ate it.

  “Carl made that for you,” Ash said with a small smile.

  “You’re telling me that there is more than three slices?” Lucy asked, with a gleam in her eyes that the guys recognised.

  “Well, there would have been, except for those two.” Ash pointed to a broadly grinning Ren and Col.

  “You didn’t,” Lucy said fiercely to the two grinning fools.

  “Of course they did, Belle.” Ash said calmly, as he snatched the end of one of her slices. She slapped at his hand but wasn’t quick enough, as he popped the piece into his mouth.

  “Give that back!” She glared into his cheeky golden eyes, which showed no remorse.

  “Come and get it.” Ash teased, and her eyes widened.

  She threw herself across the table, yanked on his shirt, and kissed him hard. He tasted scrumptious, and Lucy didn’t want to pull away. She heard grumblings from around her, so after another quick lick over his lips, she let him go.

  “Don’t go taking things that aren’t yours.” She told him sternly, while shaking her head.

  He sent her a heated look, before trapping one of her feet under the table between both of his. His leg rubbed against hers, and Lucy found it hard to focus on what was going on around her. His lips formed into his trademark megawatt smile, and she felt deliciously caught, until everyone around them began complaining again.

  She looked around at her friends and smiled. It seemed like nothing had changed between them, even after all the dramatics. Lucy had never been more thankful for her friends before.

  “Are you coming to my place this afternoon?” Ash asked, as he squeezed her trapped leg between his, and she shivered at the intent in his eyes.

  She looked at him through a mouthful of cake, and nodded, sending him a cheeky grin. Her phone rang, distracting her from Ash’s intense gaze. She answered it with a resigned look on her face. Ash watched, as she got up, and paced around as she talked. When she sat back down grumbling under her breath looking unhappy, Ash quickly reached for her hand.

  “What is it?” He asked quietly.

  “Daz wants me to stop at the station on the way home,” she said on a groan.

  “What for?”

  “Another statement or something like that. I’m so sick of that police station right now!” She stamped her foot under the table.

  “Stop chucking a tantrum over there,” Ren ordered from a few seats down. Lucy threw a carrot at his head, which just made him laugh wholeheartedly.

  “I’ll come with you, Belle, and then we can go back to my place,” Ash offered and she agreed.

  Lucy felt worn out by the time she had made it through all the questions the police asked. It seemed like all they were doing was exchanging the same information repeatedly. Even when they let her go, Daz pulled her into his office for what he called an ‘unofficial chat’. All he did was start pacing, and Lucy found that she was bordering on losing her temper.

>   She had spent the previous day at the hospital, and the police station. They had made her take a counselling session, and tell her innermost feelings about Crystal. Now, this thing with Daz had her bottled anger threatening to burst. All she wanted was for things to go back to normal.

  “What’s the problem?” She turned to her brother and grouched.

  “I’m sorry, Lucy. I shouldn’t have let you go meet her,” Daz said sadly. “I’m such a horrible brother, and I hate myself that I let you take all the flak with her. Why did you never tell me what was going on?”

  “That’s what this is about?” Lucy shook her head at him. “You know you couldn’t have stopped me from going, short of cuffing me to some unmovable piece of furniture. I guess I was used to the way she treated me, but I never wanted it to happen to someone else,” she mused, almost to herself.

  “It was still no reason for you to go,” Daz argued.

  “Stop feeling guilty about this. It happened, it’s done, now let’s move on,” she reached out to give him a hug, and he finally let her.

  “Did anyone know what she truly did to you?” He asked his voice reverting to sadness.

  “No, but they do now, and it’s been recorded as evidence.” Lucy insisted, and he nodded “Good. Are you going to be home for dinner, because I’m going to Ash’s for a while, and then I’ll be home?” She enquired, and he nodded.

  “You forgive me for not protecting you in all this time?” He sounded defeated, and Lucy just sighed.

  “It was never your fault. Like I’ve said to everyone, there is only one person to blame, and that is Crystal.” Lucy insisted.

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” He shrugged. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

  She left the station with a frown on her face. She felt unsure whether Daz had felt any better when she left. Ash saw the frown, as he pulled up in his sports car, and wondered if everything was fine.

  “Belle?” He asked when she looked to be a million miles away, and hadn’t notice him pull up. The frown deepened for a second, as did his concern, before she shook her head and smiled at him.