Closer to Heaven With You

As soon as she could no longer hear Michelle’s footsteps echoing down the hall Leigh burst into tears. Matt was immediately by her side, wrapping his strong arms around her waist, pulling her against his chest, placing soft kisses into her hair.

“He hates me.” she sobbed once she calmed herself down enough to get words out.

“No he doesn’t. He could never hate you.” he replied softly, his hand running soothingly over her back.

“I’ve broken his heart, told him that the woman he loves cheated on him and tried to kill me, of course he hates me” she replied pulling herself away from his grasp.

“Leigh listen to me, please.” Matt pleaded cupping her face with his large hands, gently pulling her face up to look her in the eyes.

“You’re his sister. He loves you more than anything and he wouldn’t let anything or anyone come between you. If he hates anyone right now it’s Michelle. She’s the one that’s ruined everything. She’s the one who’s broken his heart. Not you. Her.” he said, his eyes rooted on hers.

She nodded silently, tears still streaming down her face. Silently Matt moved to the end of the sofa, gently manoeuvring her so that she was stretched across the sofa, her head resting against his chest, her arm around his waist as he played soothingly with her hair. Soon enough her tears dried and her breathing slowed as her eyes drifted shut with Matt running his fingers through her hair.

It was the sound of the front door opening around an hour later that caused them both to lift their head, turning to find Brian walking into the apartment followed by a tall, balding man in a grey suit.

“Brian, Oh God, I’m sorry I...” Leigh began pushing herself off the sofa, fresh tears forming in her eyes.

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for Leigh. I’m glad you told me the truth.” He replied as he crossed the door as the man behind him followed, closing the door behind him.

“Leigh, this is Detective Beatie, apparently you talked to him after the accident but couldn’t remember anything to tell him.” Brian explained, gesturing towards the man who smiled over to them. Leigh looked at him, taking in his appearance.

“Yeah, I remember him. Why is he here?” she replied turning her gaze back to Brian.

“I’ve told him what you told us about what you remembered about the accident, he needs you to tell him yourself.” He explained.

“Miss Haner, we can’t open the investigation on what your brother has told me, but if you explain what you’ve remembered, in your own words, and we’ll investigate whatever you tell us. See if we can work out what happened that night.” The Detective explained, stepping forward.

Leigh looked between the three men before nodding silently. With Brian and Matt on either side of her, each of them taking one of her hands in theirs, Leigh began to tell the detective all that she could remember of the night, starting with the message she received from Michelle saying she was working late up until she was run off the road.

“Ok, thank you Miss Haner, I’ll look into it straight away, but I can tell you now that if what you’ve told me is true then Miss Dibenedetto is looking at charge of attempted murder.” The detective said as he placed his notebook back into the inside pocket of his jacket.

“Attempted murder?” Leigh questioned her eyes wide.

“Yeah, from what you’ve said, if it was her who ran you off the road she had motive, and she knew what she was doing. If she’s found guilty she could be looking at a very long stretch in the State prison.” He replied standing up.

“Thank you detective.” Brian replied quietly, offering his hand with a faint smile.

“I’ll be in touch.” He replied shaking Brian’s hand with a nod. As Brian saw the detective to the door, Matt pulled Leigh closer to him.

“Brian, I’m…” she began as he sat back down next to her.

“Don’t you dare tell me you’re sorry.” He interrupted sternly. “None of this is your fault Leigh, do you understand me? None of it. Michelle deserves everything she gets. I hate her and she’s got to count herself lucky that you’re ok.” he continued, his face reddening with anger as he engulfed her into his strong embrace.

“I guess we better tell the others.” Brian muttered after a long silence, allowing Leigh to relax out of his arms.

“Poor Val. I hope she doesn’t hate me.” Leigh said quietly.

“Leigh, will you stop, no one is going to hate you. It’s not your fault that that psycho tried to kill you just because you caught her about to fuck another guy.” Brian replied, his voice calmer.

“I’m sorry; it’s just that, if only I could have remembered everything straight after the accident. It might have made this easier. She wouldn’t have been walking around here for over a month, acting as if everything was ok, no doubt hoping that I wouldn’t get my memory back…allowing you to love her as if she deserved it.” She replied, watching Brian’s face falter.

“It wouldn’t have made too much of a difference.” Brian replied sullenly. “Now, do you want to get the guys over here so we can fill them in on what’s happened?” Leigh nodded, reaching into her pocket to retrieve her phone.

**

“Ok, so now that everyone’s here, there’s something we’ve got to explain to you.” Brian began as everyone sat around their living room an hour later.

“Um, Michelle isn’t here!” Gena said from where she was sat in Zack’s lap.
Leigh and Brian exchanged a quick glance before Brian continued. “That’s actually kind of the reason why we need to talk to you all.”

A look of confusion appeared on each of their friends faces as they all looked around at each other and then back at Leigh, Brian and Matt, waiting for their explanation.

“Ok, I wasn’t completely truthful last night when I told you about what I’d remembered about the accident.” Leigh began as she retold her story of what had happened and what she’d seen.

“That Bitch!” Jimmy yelled.

“No, not Michelle, it can’t have been…” Val began her protest quietly, shaking her head back and forth in disbelief.

“I’m sorry Val, really, I didn’t want to believe it was her neither, but when I confronted her she didn’t deny it, and when Brian asked her earlier she near enough admitted that she did it because I was going to tell Brian what I’d seen.” Leigh explained.

“That’s why you were ringing the guys that night?” Leana said with an expressionless face as Leigh began to nod.

“She better stay clear of me or I’m gonna fucking kill the whore!” Jimmy growled.

“It’s ok Jim, I don’t think we’ll be seeing her for a while.” Brian replied calmly.

“What? Has she done a runner?” Johnny asked.

“I don’t know but the police have been informed and they’re investigating everything, she may be charged with attempted murder.”

“Attempted murder?” Val gasped quietly staring blankly ahead of her.

Everyone else remained silent, watching both Val and Leigh. Suddenly Val stood up, everyone’s eyes on her as she walked towards the door.

“Val…” Leigh stuttered.

“I’m sorry guys; I can’t deal with this now. I’m sorry Leigh; I can’t believe that my sister is capable of causing so much pain. I’m so sorry guys, but I’ve got to talk to my parents.” She said, tears threatening to fall as she stood in the door way. Leigh called after her as she turned to leave but she just closed the door behind her.

For the rest of the evening the remainder of the group talked about what they had found out. The others were quick to assure Leigh that they all believed her, that none of them could believe that Michelle could have been capable of such actions.

Finally, Leigh, Matt and Brian were left, all exhausted from the intensity of the day.

****

Leigh lay on the sofa, stretched out between the two most important people in her life. Her head resting on Matt’s lap as he played absentmindedly with her hair, her legs stretched out over Brian’s lap, her cast finally removed. In her hand was the TV remote as she aimlessly flicked through the channels as they tried to find something they could all agree on watching.

“Put Smack Down on!” Brian almost whined as Leigh continued to press the small grey button.

“No! I refuse to watch it, and it’s almost finished anyway. I’m sure there’s an episode of The Simpsons starting soon she argued back.

“So why can’t we just watch Smack Down until it starts?” Brian demanded.

“You know he’s got a point.” Matt said quietly. Leigh suddenly stopped flicking through the channels and turned to glare at her boyfriend.

“Ok, I take it back.” He said quickly, holding up his hands as a sign of defeat. “Sorry dude.” He added turning to face Brian.

“Dude you’re so under the thumb.” Brian said with a shake of his head.

“I am not.” He protested.

“Whatever. Hang on, what’s that on your forehead?” Brian asked squinting to take a look as Matt raised his hand up to touch his head.

“Oh don’t worry, it’s only Leigh’s thumb print.” Brian chuckled gaining a glare from Matt.

"Fuck off Haner!" Matt growled.

“Guys, shut up for a second. Watch.” Leigh yelled, her eyes glued on the TV screen. While the two guys were busy bickering, Leigh’s attention had returned to the TV and the channel she had landed on, a local news station that was currently running a story about a local girl being charged for attempted murder.

The three of them stared at the mug-shot picture of Michelle that was staring back at them through the TV screen. When the item was finished and had moved on to the next news story, they all exhaled a breath they had all been holding in.

“Did they just say she confessed?” Matt said breaking the silence as they all continued to stare at the screen.

“Um, yeah, they said that she broke down and confessed after seeing the evidence against her.” Leigh replied quietly, her eyes still not leaving the screen.

“Shit.” Brian muttered silently, his hand running over his face.

“You ok bro?” Leigh asked, sitting up, her eyes finally leaving the TV.

“Yeah, I am. That’s it now. It’s over.” He replied with a faint hint of a smile as he turned to face her.