You And I: Sequel

Chapter Twenty Five

"You may sit back down." The judge tells me, writing a few things down as I make my way to Libbie. She seems confused, hearing two completely different stories about how we got here. And I so badly want to tell her that I am telling the truth but I can't.

"Will Mackenzie please go to the stand?" My lawyer asks. This is the next part of the trial. After this we may call any family member or friends and then the jury must decide. Mackenzie makes her way back to the stand, holding another tissue in case she 'cries' again.

My lawyer paces back and forth between the stand and the window in the room, thinking of a possible question? Or knowing what he wants to ask and just building the anticipation.

"You say you were afraid to call Mr. Mellark. Why is that?" He asks.

"Because I hadn't seen him in so long that I wasn't sure how he would react."

"But you so desperately wanted to see your daughter. I believe those were your exact words. So fear of how he would react stopped you from trying to get in contact with your daughter?"

"I suppose that's right." Mackenzie says. My lawyer nods.

"You you must not have been that desperate to see her."

"Listen buddy, you try being in your early twenties, knowing somewhere you have a daughter. What if I called him and he put her up for adoption? That's a terrifying thought."

"So now it wasn't the fear of how he would react but the fear of where she was?" My lawyer replies? Mackenzie looks like she is stumbling over what words will exit her mouth next, and which lie she can use to get out of this situation. When she doesn't say anything, my lawyer continues. "I would like to hear about when you met Libbie for the first time."

"Objection." Mackenzie's husband stands up from his seat, only to be sat back down when the judge tells him his objection is denied.

"Let's talked about that. Peeta said you met with Libbie and crossed a line or two?"

"I didn't do anything wrong that day." She says.

"Should we call Peeta to the stand so he can tell us what happened?" My lawyer is very sassy. Mackenzie purses her lips and shakes her head.

"We met at the diner in town, sitting and talking."

"Who is we?"

"Libbie, Peeta, and his wife." She says. "We were talking and asking questions, trying to figure out a few things about each other when Libbie asked a very shocking question. She wanted to know why I left when I did." She must think of something else to say "Which is nothing a 13 year old has on their mind, so she was obviously being pushed the ask the question so it could end how it did." She seems to think she planned that one out and lied, yet again. Of course that's what a 12 year old would think about when meeting her mother for the first time.

"What was said that made Peeta want to take his daughter home at that point?"

"I told her I was young and scared, and she questioned why we had her so young if we weren't ready. I found this very shocking because she didn't know, which meant Peeta was holding information back from her. Stuff she needed to know. So I told her." Mackenzie just thinks she knows everything. I don't dare look at Libbie right now, but my eyes burn into Mackenzie.

"Doesn't he has that right though? Considering he knows her better than you do. He was there her entire life, not just three months. And he made it a point to tell you no, do not tell her this information but you still did."

"He doesn't know what is best for her." Mackenzie snaps.

"What do you know about raising a child? He has done it for 14 years and you do it every other weekend for the past three months. Buying her affection isn't raising her it's spoiling her."