Seeing Ghosts
Chapter 8
By Dottie
Copyright 2015
It seems like the whole world turns out for the funeral of Kevin Richardson and his children. Chealyn steps out of the car at the cemetery looking gaunt and desolate. Grant is with her, holding her up as a man wearing a Scottish kilt plays Amazing Grace on bagpipes. The press release from the Backstreet Boys camp named DJ and Sophie as his…children he wanted kept away from the limelight. Speculation about their mother is put to rest when it’s announced she had been in the witness protection program but has since chosen to leave it and let it be public knowledge who she is testifying against and why.
In the last few days, Chealyn sat in a courtroom with a judge, Sawyer’s lawyer, LA County’s district attorney, Grant and Sawyer himself. Her testimony is heard and recorded and Sawyer is warned that if anything happens to Chealyn, all eyes will turn to him and his organization. His eyes are filled with a burning hatred as he stares Chealyn down, trying to intimidate her. But he can’t. There’s nothing left to threaten and he knows it. He can see she wants to die. And she’s sentencing him to die by testifying.
Chealyn pushes thoughts of her testimony aside and waits with Grant by the car. The press is everywhere. When the crowd starts to break up, she’s noticed. One reporter runs up to her, but the marshals with Grant hold them off. The commotion garners the attention of the Backstreet Boys. Through his tears, Nick sees Chealyn. He breaks away from the group and runs to her.
She meets him halfway, throwing herself against him sobbing. He whispers over and over again, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Brian, AJ and Howie come over to them, surrounded by their bodyguards. Nick manages to say, “It’s Elena.”
Brian reaches out and touches her arm. She pulls away and looks at him through her tears. He sniffles loudly and whispers, “My cousin adored you.”
She moves from Nick’s arms to Brian’s, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.”
Brian squeezes her tightly. “No it’s not. It’s not your fault and you can’t blame yourself. Kevin wouldn’t want you to do that.”
Grant steps up. “I…is it ok if Chealyn has a minute? Then we can go somewhere and…talk.”
The Backstreet Boys step back respectfully and watch as Chealyn walks shakily to the graves of her children and their father. In the back of her mind she knows there are television cameras and this is being seen around the world…but she doesn’t care. She has to say goodbye.
Seeing the fresh turned soil…the headstones lying to the side of the grave are her undoing. She drops to her knees sobbing. She clenches hands full of dirt in her hands and sobs, “I’ll love you always mi adorata.”
Grant comes forward and kneels beside her. “Chealyn…we need to go.”
She nods slowly. Even though she’s not worried about herself, she knows being with the Backstreet Boys puts them in danger. She needs…she needs to talk to them…about Kevin.
Grant helps her stand and half carries her to the waiting car. Nick comes over. “Will you come to Brian’s house? For a while?”
She nods slowly. “Yeah. I just…I’m so sorry Nick.”
Nick gives her a quick hug. “We all are…but it’s not your fault. We’ll talk at the house.” He watches Grant help her into the car before saying, “Do you want to follow us?”
Grant shakes his head. “We have the address.”
Nick almost asks how, but then he remembers what Grant does for a living. Nodding slowly, he whispers, “Thank you for bringing her.”
Grant sighs. “She needs you…all of you. She says she has nothing to live for anymore. She won’t go back into witness protection.”
Nick turns away. “She doesn’t have to. We’ll keep her safe with us. Where she belongs.”
They sit around Brian’s dining room table waiting for Grant to show up with Chealyn. AJ clears his throat. “Man, I don’t know if I can handle this. I need a drink.”
Nick snorts. “We all do…but that’s not what Kevin would want. Right now, Chealyn needs us as much as we need her.”
Brian cries quietly, whispering, “She…she really loved him more than her own life.”
Nick nods. “Yeah, she did. I saw…on the news last night, she’s already recorded her testimony for the trial. She…what I heard was that the DA wanted it on record in case this Sawyer guy and his people tried to hurt her again.”
Howie chimes in. “And they said she won’t hide anymore. I can’t…she’s putting herself in so much danger.”
From the door way, Chealyn whispers, “What can he do to me now? I’ve lost everything that ever mattered to me.”
Howie stands and walks over to her, hugging her tightly. “I’m so sorry Elena.”
She pushes away, shaking her head. “No…call me Chealyn. Elena died with her family.”
He nods slowly. “I’m sorry. I just…”
She reaches out to touch his face. “It’s ok.” She looks around the room. “I guess…you all have questions about Kevin and I.”
AJ shakes his head. “No…we don’t have questions. Not now. Now it’s about us getting to know the woman our brother loved. Nothing else matters.”
Chealyn sniffles and walks into his arms. “He was so proud of you.” She steps away and looks around the room. “He was proud of all of you.”
Nick holds out his hand. “Come on, sit down.”
Brian nods, standing to pull out a chair for her next to Nick. “Please, sit. Anyone want anything to drink?”
Chealyn nods slowly. “Thank you…I…”
Jen slides into a chair across from her. “Chealyn…whatever you have to face, we’ll be by your side. Kevin would want us to take care of you. And we will.”
Grant puts his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be outside if you need me.”
Chealyn looks up. “Thank you Grant.” After he leaves, Chealyn whispers, “I don’t know what to say.”
Brian settles in his chair. “Tell us how you met Kevin.”
For the rest of the day, Chealyn gets to talk about the man she loves. She relives every happy memory and learns more about the man she loved from his friends. She sticks close to Nick. He was there in Chicago. He saw Kevin with Sophie and DJ. She feels…connected to him. After dinner, he whispers, “Where are you going?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. I…I haven’t thought about what’s ahead.”
Nick nods. Brian jumps up. “You can stay here if you want.”
Chealyn shakes her head slowly. “I…is there any way I can stay at Kevin’s?”
Jen takes a set of keys out of her purse and hands them to Chealyn. “Do you want one of us to stay with you?”
Chealyn shakes her head, taking the keys in her trembling hand. “No. I…I need to say goodbye.”
When she breaks down sobbing, Nick takes her in his arms. “He loved you…Chealyn…Elena…he loved you so much. Hold on to that.”
She sobs harder, her heart breaking all over again. “I loved him too. I’ll always love him.”
Chapter End Notes:
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