Falling - On the Banks of Lake Saint Clare (Falling - Book One) (54 page)

“It was really a great speech,” Michael said, holding my hand.

My mom leaned forward, “I am so proud of you, Honey. That was really impressive.”

I looked at Brad. He looked at me and smiled sadly. I could see him sigh while his lawyer was giving him a pep talk.

I felt my phone vibrate.
Rachel: you are pathetic.

I felt a chill and
shook my head, wondering why she felt the need to send the text.

“
Court is now back in session, the Honorable Judge Kevin Donald presiding.”

My heart was racing. I looked at Brad and could tell he was nervous. I couldn’t believe it was finally coming to an end. I felt Michael’s hand squeeze mine.

“Mr. Andrews,
w
ould you please stand
?
”

I watched as he stood up along with his lawyer. For some insane reason, at that moment, I
wondered how much his suit cost
. It was really nice. The judge looked at Brad, “I am overturning the plea bargain that was brought to me by the counsel. I usually don’t do this, but I don’t see you as a threat to society. I see that you have strong potential to be a model citizen and feel no need for you to waste most of your young adult life behind bars. I hope you can leave this mishap behind you and move forward, go to college and pursue your career choice. I am going to sentence you to six months in the county jail, $5000 restitution, and
two years
probation. Court adjourned.”

I looked over at Brad. His mom
looked
dumbfounded
,
but
also
looked relieved
.
Rachel was hugging her
d
ad
as he smiled,
patting
Brad
on the back.

“
That’s it? Six months?” I asked. I was completely numb.

I knew people were talking to me, but I couldn’t hear anything as I watched my family celebrate
that my
attacker that almost killed me
won
.

I watch
ed as they put handcuffs on him
. My body froze thinking
of his hands in the alley. The feel of his hand slapping me so hard I almost passed out. The hands that touched me with such anger
.
I could feel tears running down my cheeks. I
kept looking
at his hands in the cuffs, remembering the feel of them on my breasts, how he yanked my hair back when he kissed me. I closed my eyes and heard him say, “Look at me, Alex. Look at my eyes.”

I
closed my eyes and
saw my picture flash in front of me, knowing that image will be burn
ed
in my mind foreve
r
.
And
for what? Nothing.

I opened my eyes and looked back
at
Brad. He was looking at me,
“Tell her this wasn’t supposed to happen,” he said to his lawyer. “Please
,
tell her for me.
” He looked back over at me,
shrugged, and smiled sympathetically as they walked him out of the courtroom.

We walked down the hallway toward the parking lot. There
w
as so much commotion outside the courtroom that my head was spinning. I could feel Michael pulling me toward the door, “Let’s get out of here,” he said, walking faster. He opened the door and as we walked out, Rachel and Dad were standing on the sidewalk. “Just ignore them,” he said as we walked past.

“She’s pathetic,” Rachel laughed, making me have chill
s
.

I froze, feeling Michael pulling my arm.

“What?” I turned around and walked back over to her. “What did you just say to me?”

I said, “You are PATHETIC,” she repeated with more hate in her voice.

“Come on, Alex,” Michael said
,
pulling me away.

“You were in the alley. It was you. You watched him do that to me and never did a thing. Why would you ever do that to me?”
             
She shrugged nonchalantly and smiled. I hated that smile. The smile she had every time she won.

“Remember that smile, Coach Dillard, it will come back to bi
te you. Your darling daughter’s
little game has been discovered, it is apparent she will hurt whoever it takes to get what she wants.
You two want to play games with my head, you think you have already won? Well think again! You can’t get to me. Michael is a better protector and coach than you will ever be. He has beat you every match so far, Dad. Game on,” I said, poking her in the chest.

Chapter 32

“The lake?” Michael asked, walking out to the car.

I nodded, knowing I wouldn’t be able to speak without crying.
It was over and I wasn’t sure I was ready. I didn’t know how to feel. The anticipation of going to trial, Brad getting convicted and sentenced was supposed to take a year or more, not a month. I wasn’t ready for it to end. I didn’t have time to prepare how I was going to feel.
I was shaking from confronting Rachel and although relieved I finally stuck up for myself, I was scared to death.

I sat down in Michael’s car and looked out the window. I saw Rachel and my dad walking across the parking lot. I closed my eyes, feeling the tears starting to pour from my eyes, not even knowing why. I had no feeling, no emotion. I didn’t care if I ever saw them again, but yet, I was crying. I saw Brad’s mom and Dad leaving the building. I watched them showing no expression. No happiness
,
nor sadness. They looked like I felt, numb. His mom sat down on the bench in front of the courthouse. I took Michael’s hand so he wouldn’t start the car. “Wait a minute, please.”

His mom looked at his dad and bent over and started crying. I could feel my chest hurting as I watched her cry. His dad took her hand and kissed it, just like Michael had done hundreds of times to my hand.

“She looks so unhappy. I have seen her so many times. She’s always happy and so friendly to everyone. I broke her heart today,” I said, feeling the tears running down my face faster. My chest was tightening up and making it hard to breath. “I killed a part of her, Michael. I hate myself for doing that to her.”

“How did you turn all this around to it being your fault?” He said
,
almost like he was angry. “How can you possibly blame yourself for any of this? Do you honestly think you asked to be that bloody girl in the picture? Did you think at any point in your day that you would like to be beaten to death in the alley? Did you ask him to go to the alley to kill you? Stop blaming everything on yourself, unless you can tell me that you in anyway wanted that to happen to you.

“Now,” he continued before I could say anything, “It
’
s over, he got only 6 months. He will probably be out in 3 because of this fucking court system that doesn’t give a shit about you. Fucking son of a bitch,” he slammed his hand on the dash. “Don’t you dare ever feel sorry for that fucker. Fucking judge called you a mishap. A mishap? You were lifeless, dead for two days, living on a fucking respirator with a 30 per cent chance of living and he calls you a mishap? They don’t care what we went through while you were lying in that bed. Doctors walk in, shake there head and walk out not saying a fucking word, just let us sit and watch you. His fucking six months is going to be a walk in the park compared to what I went through in that hospital. So you want to feel sorry for someone, Alex? Maybe you should feel sorry for me instead of that worthless piece of shit that deserves to be dead for what he did to you.”

He put his arms over his head and laid his head on the steering wheel. I didn’t know what to say. My heart was pounding and I was scared that he was disappointed in me. I felt so scared that he couldn’t forgive me for not thinking of him. He didn’t move. He just sat there with his head on the steering wheel.

I put my hand on his back and felt him sigh.

“I don’t know what to say to you, Michael. I don’t want you to be mad at me. I don’t know how to make it better.”

He sat back and closed his eyes, leaning his head back and sighed again.

“I’m not mad at you, Alex.
Let’s
go to the lake.”

I looked the other way, as we pulled out of the parking lot. I didn’t want to
look at
Brad’s parent’s again.

Chapter
33

We walked down to the water in silence. It was so peaceful. Michael spread the blanket down in the same spot as the last two times. I watched him sit down and hold out his hand for me to join him. He moved behind me and hugged me, “I love you so much,” he sighed. “I’m sorry about my rant.”

“I don’t know why every time you get angry about anything you fell like you need to apologize. Do you not think you have a right to be mad from time to time?”

“I suppose. Just not used to it.”

“Well get used to it cause you are sexy as hell when you are mad.”

“Oh you are so funny
for a bad ass. What was all that bad ass shit you were doing in front of the courthouse
,” he said, kissing the back of my head.

“
That was so out of my comfort zone,” I laughed. “But you are sexy as hell mad
when you aren’t mad at me
.”

“I’m never mad at you, just mad at the situation.”

He slowly rocked me side to side. “
”Did your Mom say anything more about us being engaged?”

“She’s still seems happy
. Or she is a hell of a good liar. She knows I am happy and that you will take great care of me. We never talked about when though. I think after college?”
             
M
mm
, no
,
that won’t work. I decided I probably won’t go to college.”

I turned around and faced him. “That was our plan. I thought we decided U of A? Why did you change your mind?”

I started to get nervous. “Why
are
our plans changing in just a week?
You made me plan, Michael.
”

He reached over and grabbed some rocks, placing them in my hand and closing it. “Hold these for me.”

“Ok,”
I agreed without questioning why.

“Have you ever been to
Oklahoma City
,
Phoenix
,
or
Memphis
?”

“No, Why?”

“I was thinking maybe moving away from here. That is if you want to. We can check it out. We can check out colleges for you to go to if you ever decide what you want to do with your life. I think I will just skip college and get a job. We
will
need money, you know.”

“No Michael, you have planned all you life to play college ball.”

“
No,” he said, kissing me, “I have planned on playing pro ball all my life.”

“I know. And your point is?”

“The point is
,” he
said
, looking at my eyes
,
“
I was contacted this morning about going through the draft. I will be nineteen, so I don’t have to play college.” He looked at me and smiled, “
You look so confused,” he laughed. “
You don’t get what I am saying, do you?”

He took my hand
full of rocks and kissed it
, “You, FutureAlexWilliams, are going to be a pro basketball player’s wife.”

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