Dnaleri

Ch-15

Jacob stood back in stunned silence. The two young women clung to each other tightly, trying to speak but were sobbing too much. When they finally pulled away to look at each other, Rebecca was stunned at the beautiful young woman before her. Her smile showed pearly white teeth and made her forest-green eyes shine. Her purple-black hair had grown long, the few strands that had come loose from her tight updo braid fell in elegant waves down to her mid-back and her simple wardrobe accentuated her curvy figure. Heather had changed, but Rebecca could still see the young friend she knew many years ago. Rebecca didn’t know what to say, her mouth stuttering to say something meaningful but only nonsense came out. Heather giggled and said softly,

“Told you I’d find you.” Rebecca still couldn’t believe that this was real, despite being able to squeeze her friend in her arms and feel the affection in return.

Jacob chuckled softly and Heather’s head snapped up with a stunned look on her face. “Oh, I’m sorry.” Heather reached out her hand. “I’m Heather, and you must be…?”

“Jacob,” He took her hand firmly and she frowned slightly at the coldness. He helped support Rebecca against him, a secure arm around her waist. “Rebecca’s boyfriend.”

“Really..?” Heather glanced between him and Rebecca hesitantly. Rebecca smiled softly, resting her head on Jacob’s chest.

“He knows…everything.” Heather nodded in understanding and said,

“Sorry for being cynical,” she muttered, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. “... but I was very protective of Rebecca.” Jacob waved a hand in dismissal.

“I’m glad you two are back together.”

“But how, how did you get here, and why now?” Rebecca whispered as she sat back in her wheelchair. Heather looked away guiltily, picking up a smooth stone from the beach and rolling it between her fingers. A gloomy look overcame her face that Jacob was all too familiar with. The look of someone who’d been through betrayal and grief but didn’t quite know how to talk to anyone about it.

“Witness Protection is no joke. It was very difficult to find you, and expensive.” Heather said after a while. “But by the time I finally had the money saved up to hire someone to find you, my mom got sick and…” She bit her lip. “…we had to use the money to pay off the bills after she died. Then my father took to the bottle.” She threw the stone angrily, making a loud splash in the lake. “Looking for you was all I had left.”

“How did the investigator find me?” Rebecca asked.

“Well, the news covering your attack went nationwide and after that it wasn’t hard to track you down.” Rebecca stilled as a thought came to her mind. A cold shiver ran down her body and made her blood freeze. The world seemed to turn into a complete silent and lonely hole that swallowed her.

“If…if you were able to find me…then he can too.” The sheer panic in her voice was hauntingly familiar to when she was a child, terrified of her father finding her. Heather looked at Jacob who became very serious and said firmly,

“I won’t let anything happen to you.” Rebecca took his hand tightly, needing his assurance. Heather said nothing, but knelt down and held her other hand, giving silent comfort that made Rebecca smile.

Jacob felt his energy buzz with delight as he saw the happiness radiate from the woman he loved. He had hope now that she could truly start healing with his love and support and Heather’s as well.