Forever & More: The Friend Zone series (18 page)

What the hell is she doing here? I told Harley to take her home; she doesn’t need the stress of this. Why did she look at me like my touch burned her in the worst way possible? So many questions are going through my mind, I don’t know where to start so I can find the answers. Chloe approaches the bench and looks up to the judge.

The DA stands on one side of her and the defense is situated on the other side. The DA’s face is full of delight, where the defense attorney looks anything but. Chloe nods at something the judge says and takes a step back.

“Due to a new revelation in the case, we will recess for an hour before continuing today’s proceeding.” She bangs the mallet, abruptly stands, and exits the room. Chloe follows closely behind the robed court official and is trailed by the attorneys.

A hand lands on my shoulder, startling me. When I turn, Harley comes into view. He starts slinging a string of words at me before I can say anything. “Dude, I tried to get her to go home. She wasn’t having it, man. I’m sorry!”

I’m aggravated that she’s here, but I know Chloe and when she gets something in her head, that’s it, she’ll do whatever she needs to, to ensure what she wants happens. It’s one of the things I admire about her.

I’m about to let him know that it’s okay and that I don’t blame her, when I spot Jay sitting across the room. A second later, the reason becomes completely clear when she leans forward and grabs Todd’s hand.
What the fuck!

“Man, say something. What in the hell are you—” He turns his head to see what I’m staring at, and the moment his eyes land on Jay, words flow from his mouth at a rapid pace. “Stupid fucking bitch. What the fuck is she doing?” He stands and I know that he’s about to plow through her, so I grab his arm and jerk him back into his seat.

“Let it play out, man. I wanna see what happens, but don’t let that bitch outta your sight. If she leaves, so the fuck do you. Ya got me?”

Harley nods.

I hadn’t noticed Sara sitting next to him until she says, “Oh I got that bitch.” She cracks her knuckles. The image is almost comical. I turn around in the bench, my leg jumping in time with my heartbeat. The hour passes like molasses, slow and thick with tension.

It seems like forever before Chloe enters the room through the door she walked out of an hour ago. Instead of sitting in the crowd, she takes the seat in front of me at the DA’s table. God, I would have killed to be in the judge’s chambers with her. Her hands rest protectively over her stomach and it sends a rush of contradicting emotions through me. She sits there, holding my child in her hands, but just two nights ago, she tried to kill it.

The judge walks in and takes her seat on the bench. “We have had new testimony arise and I shall allow it. Miss Thomas, would you please take the stand?”

What the hell? They are going to let her testify? She just left the hospital after trying to kill herself. Wouldn’t she be considered unstable to testify? I run my hands over my face in agitation. I feel a pair of eyes on me so I turn in the direction I feel like it’s coming from.

Todd is slightly turned in my direction, his eyes trained on me. The look on his face says that he’s enjoying every moment of this. That he’s getting off on Chloe’s emotional distress. Sick asshole. Hopefully, this will be over soon and we can get the hell out of here.

Chloe’s hand is resting on a bible and swearing an oath to tell the truth. When she sits in the wooden chair, the defense approaches her.

“Please state your name and your relationship to the court,” he demands loudly.

She gives the information he needs while looking everywhere but at Todd and me. Her voice is trembling and hesitant. It’s obvious she’s nervous about being in front of everyone and scared to face the man who is responsible for making her the victim.

The defense is tiptoeing around the task of asking Chloe what happened.

“Miss Thomas, are you sure, without a measure of a doubt, that it was the defendant in your home on the night of your attack?” he asks.

With the voice of solid steel, Chloe answers him, “Yes.”

“Witnesses have testified that you had been drinking that evening. Is this true?”

“Yes, it is bu—” She’s cut off before she can complete her sentence.

“Miss Thomas, I’m sure you weren’t belligerently intoxicated.” He gives her a tight-lipped smile. “However, you had been drinking. So how are you so sure it wasn’t someone else?”

“Your Honor, the defense is badgering the witness,” the DA pipes in.

The defense throws his arms in the air in surrender. “Withdrawn, Your Honor. The defense rests its case.”

The next half hour goes by at a slug’s pace. The defense asked Chloe a million questions, he even went as far as accusing her of having an affair with him, to being a drunk with a fuzzy memory. All the blood has drained from my hands because of the tight knuckled grip I have on the bench.

Finally, he sits next to the smug Todd. I don’t know what he’s smiling at, he’s going to be locked up anyway, he has Sara’s incident and the shootout at the hotel pinned on him already. The DA explained that even though he’s going to be found guilty, he has to face all the charges against him and he has to be given the chance to defend himself. Which is laughable since he offered no one the chance to defend themselves against him.

The DA stands and approaches Chloe. He offers her a small smile, which she returns.

“Long day huh, Miss. Thomas?”

Chloe eyes him warily before nodding.

“I want to make this easy for you, okay?”

She whispers an okay, signaling him to continue.

“Why don’t you tell me what happened from the time you left BAR until the time you woke up?”

“Your Honor, you can’t allow this!” Before the defense can finish, the judge is on him like a dog on a bone.

“I will allow it. You may have a seat, counsel.” The judge raises her hand, palm up, signaling Chloe to start her story.

“I was at BAR and Tom, my boss and childhood friend, and I had gotten into an argument.”

She fills everyone in the room in on the argument between them that I missed. I was still on the stage, Chloe had just sung with me. I watched her leave the platform and approach the bar where Tom was seated. He followed her outside. The band played a couple songs before finishing up for the night. I started walking toward the back of the bar toward the exit that led to the alley when a fuming Chloe came inside.

I tried to ask her what happened or offer some sort of comfort; I could tell whatever happened in the alley left her livid with Tom. She demanded I leave her alone and stormed off. Tom and I exchanged a few words about my intentions where Chloe was concerned, and I informed him it was none of his business.

By the time I was through talking to him, I had turned to find that she was gone. When I realized that she had left to go home, I left BAR on a one-way mission to find her. I raced back to the apartment and when I got there, my world was tossed upside down. Todd had already gotten to her house and the hushed voices and panicked whimpers did nothing to prepare me for the scene that was taking place before me.

The memory of that night will be forever engrained in my mind.

“What the fuck are you smiling at, bitch? You think this shit is funny?” I rushed into the apartment. Todd was hovering over Chloe’s lifeless body. He was slamming her head into the floor, over and over again. I pulled him off her and pounded my fists into him until he was pulled free from my grip.

Chloe is crying on the stand in front of a hundred plus people, sharing her agonizing story. Her hands still possessively pressing against her abdomen as if she’s scared someone is going to take the baby from her this very moment.

"Thank you Miss Thomas. Judge, the state rests its case." He returns to his table.

How can she try to kill herself and my child one minute, but in the next, play the loving mother role? Was I wrong about what happened? I can’t be, but if I am, I have royally fucked up. I need to find out for sure, the uncertainty is killing me.

“Court will reconvene tomorrow morning at nine a.m. to determine the verdict. Court’s adjourned.” Bam, the gavel hits the wood. Chloe waits for the jury, judge, and Todd to leave the room before approaching the DA.

“Well? That’s it?” she asks.

“Yes, ma’am. Until tomorrow at nine. You don’t have to be present for that if you would like to stay home.” His voice conveys compassion for her and the situation she is facing.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll be here,” she confirms.

“Very well. You did well today and I will see you in the morning.” He gathers his belongings and leaves. I stand awkwardly at Chloe’s side. The only thing separating us is a wooden wall, but the tension is rolling over the small petition like a thirty-foot wave.

Movement from across the room catches my eye. Jay stands, facing me, and wiggles her finger in a come-hither motion. I’m torn between seeing what she wants and what she’s up to, and leaving with Chloe. But, I can’t leave with Chloe until I know that what she did wasn’t intentional. Harley is still sitting next to Sara in the pew behind me.

I face him and say, “I’m gonna head out. Call me in a little while and I may be able to give you an update on that situation from earlier.” I nod my head and raise my eyebrows in Jay’s direction. Harley catches the gesture but gives me a wary look. Thankfully, he keeps his mouth shut.

“Later y’all,” I announce to the group.

Instead of going directly over to Jay, I walk to the rear exit of the courtroom. Jay falls in line behind me but stays two steps back. She follows me out of the building and into the parking garage silently. When we get onto the elevator, I turn to her.

“What the fuck is your game?” No reason for pleasantries.

“I’m not sure what you mean, sweetie.” The sticky sweet tone of her voice makes my nose turn up like I smell shit.

“Quit fucking around. What are you doing here?” The elevator doors open before she can answer my question. Two Latino men, both wearing baggy pants and oversized t-shirts, climb on the cart.

“Sup, Jay.” The guy wearing a bandana on his head nods at her. His Spanish accent is heavy. How the hell does she know this guy? She tips her chin up with a quick jerk. I find it odd that the elevator is going up and they are getting on instead of waiting for one that’s going down.

The guys move to the back and silently wait. The bell dings, indicating that we’ve reached the floor I parked on.

I turn to Jay. “You coming?” I hold the door as she exits. Her boots click against the concrete. The sound echoes off the walls of the building. I didn’t realize the Latinos had gotten off the elevator until it’s too late.

A thick, tan arm wraps around my neck, putting me in a headlock. My body is slammed into the nearest car, knocking all the air from my lungs. I try to yell, but my airway is blocked. My hands grip the arm that’s wrapped around my neck like a python does to its prey. The more I fight to free myself, the tighter his grip gets.

“You must be more of a lover since obviously you’re not a very good fighter,” Jay whispers in my ear. “You and your little girlfriend have caused quite a mess for my father, ya know.”

What the hell is she talking about?

“You’ve cost us a lot of money and he’s not very happy about it. Not to mention, you’ve managed to put my lover in jail, probably for the rest of his life. Now, that really doesn’t matter to me as much as the money thing. However, I don’t like my toys being taken away from me. You understand, don’t you? I’m sure you wouldn’t want me to take away your toy, now, would you?”

The tone of her voice is hateful and full of menace. I’m not sure what she’s talking about, what money? I try to tell her as much, except I can’t get words to flow from my moving lips.

“Let him breathe, Nero.” The guy relaxes his grip just enough so that I can breathe. I cough and sputter a bit before I’m able to speak.

“What the hell are you talking about? What money?”

“My father paid Todd and that little dipshit that was working for him a lot of money for a shipment that never made it to its destination.”

I jerk my body to try and free myself from Nero’s grip. It was no use, he had me pinned down good.

“I don’t see what this has to do with me. I didn’t have anything to do with them,” I say between gritted teeth.