Like He Never Left

Chapter 1: The Asshole Returns

Happy reading!

↔↔↔

Colt's POV

21 Years Later

"And with all the evidence provided, I rest my case. Miss Aubrey Banks is innocent," I wrap up, feeling pretty good about myself. The jury goes back to discuss what they'll have her plead, but I already know the answer. I walk over to my client.

"We got this is the bag. You'll be out in no time," I smile at her. She nods, almost feeling the freedom at her fingertips.

The jury comes back in not even five minutes later, pleading my client not guilty. The judge wraps up formalities and all the other boring things and sends us home.

"Mr. Roberts, Miss Banks, you just won your case. Congrats," the judge says to us both. I nod at him before turning to my client.

"That was so awesome, Mr. Roberts! Thank you so much!" Miss Banks goes on.

"See?" I smile assuringly. "We had this covered. The prosecutor and her crew left evidence all over the place that the other team just decided not to pick up." I smile down at her and go to leave.

I drive home and swing into my usual parking space. I whistle a cheery tune as I get up and out of my Lexus. I carry the melody up the elevator, and I step out with a bounce in my step. Unlocking the door to my apartment, I  see my girl waiting for me by the stove in the kitchen.

"You win your case?" she beams, knowing the whistling is a good sign.

"Like a walk in the park," I drawl out in a 'duh' tone, tossing my keys on the table. She squeals and throws herself onto me. I catch her and spin her around, holding her tightly against my body.

"I'm so proud of you! I love you, Cole!"

"I love you, too, Brooke." She kisses me, and this day just keeps getting better and better. This woman, I swear...

I've known Brooke since I moved up here eight years ago. She was my escape from reality and an amazing change of pace from where I had come from. Although she came from the city, she was hardly like what I was expecting city-folk to be like. She was charming and bubbly and thoughtful. I had become romantically interested in her about a year ago and got the nerve to ask her out 8 months ago at a stupid frat party her brother made us attend. We've been in blissful love since.

↔

"You all right, babe?" she asks me from the breakfast nook that Sunday morning, two days later.

I look up from my pancakes to her. "Yeah, I'm good. Just thinking about this trip. I wish you could go." Her presence would probably stir up some serious shit, but I still would love a friendly face down there. 

"I would totally ditch if that didn't mean digging my own ditch for my grades." She rolls her eyes before sighing., and I know she would if she wasn't so passionate about finishing med school. "And it's just seeing your family to go help them out with legal paperwork, right? How hard could it be? You're a damn attorney." Hard. She doesn't even know half of the real reason I'm going back down South.

"Yeah. You're right. You need to stay up here to focus. I wouldn't wanna distract you too much." I wink, and she rolls her eyes playfully. Brooke was going to school to be a pediatrician, with only one more year of residency left. She loved kids and couldn't wait to settle down with her own, and neither could I.

With her.

"What time does your flight leave?" she asks.

"Soon." I stand up to go to the sink to rinse my plate of the sticky syrup from my pancakes before putting it in the dishwasher. "You sure you'll be okay with house-sitting and watching Johnny Boy?" She comes up behind me and wraps her arms around my middle, her plate in hand. I take it from her gently and put it in the sink.