On The Run: Part Two

Chapter Thirty - "Ceasefire"

Fitch

I knew something was up the minute Sarah sat next to me. She was silent and distracted, very unlike her. Why I felt it had something to do with me, I don’t know.

James was as he always was – straight-to-the-point, no-nonsense, all business.

I kept looking behind me for Chloe, but she wasn’t there. It was a Friday morning and I knew she went to school now, so that could have been why. But it could also have been because she’d moved on, and I was now only a tiny part of her life.

Did that make me sad? Of course.

But I had said, ‘we can’t be together anymore. You should move on.’ I couldn’t blame her for doing just that.

“Sarah, is everything okay?” I asked.

She nodded with a forced smile, and turned back to her open folder.

The judge came in, and we rose. I looked over at the prosecutor – she was smirking at Sarah, who was glaring in response.

Something was up.

The prosecutor stood up, “Your honor, the prosecution would like to call Chloe Lane onto the stand.”

“WHAT?” I asked aloud.

The judge turned to me, alarmed, as did everyone else.

“Mr. Jackson, be quiet!” the judge snapped.

The courtroom doors swung open, and in she walked, looking more beautiful today, if that was even possible. She looked my way and gave me a small smile – she looked calmer than I expected. There wasn’t a hint of nervousness on her face; I probably looked more nervous.

Why? Why did she have to be dragged into this? Especially as that was what I was trying to do when I broke up with her – keep her out of this part of my life.

I turned to Sarah, who gave me a nervous sideways glance and turned right back to Chloe, who was being sworn in.

“I do,” Chloe said, and settled into the witness box.

The prosecutor got up, and my heart raced. Oh, Chloe.

“Please state your name for the court,” she said.

“Chloe Annabelle Lane.”

“And what is the nature of your relationship to the defendant?”

“He’s my . . . friend.”

“Is that it?”

I saw Sarah about to object but James took her arm firmly and stopped her. “You start objecting now, she gets harder on her,” James whispered.

“He was my boyfriend until a couple months ago, right after he got arrested,” Chloe replied.

“Why was that?” the prosecutor asked.

“Objection! Irrelevant,” Sarah snapped.

I saw a smile form on Chloe’s face as the prosecutor said, “Strike that. When did you and the defendant begin your relationship?”

I was about to turn a corner when I bumped into somebody. My day had been a drag, and I resisted the urge to yell. It had been partly my fault.

“Ouch. Sorry,” I said.

The hooded person stepped back, “Sorry,” she whispered.

I couldn’t really see her face clearly, but I saw her eyes, and she looked terrified and so lost. I just couldn’t stop staring. 

“Um . . .” she murmured, looking more frightened by the minute. I stepped aside and apologized, and she kept walking. I had to resist the urge to follow. I just felt something I absolutely couldn’t explain. I felt like it was my responsibility to take that fear away, right away.