A/N: There will be moments of this chapter that could be very triggering to some people. Please read at your own risk. We will put a **** at the start of the scene and it will finish out the chapter.
"Okay you should be good to go!" The nurse at the desk says chirpily.
I thank her and sign out, but instantly turn around and rush to Austin's hospital room. I haven't seen him awake since I got here and it's been driving me insane
I was only admitted for three days after the incident to recover, and during that time Sophia was in and out trying to piece together our case against Mason.
If I'm honest, I'm still skeptical about us going against him again. We lost against Mason before, who's to say it won't happen again?
Sophia reassured us that he definitely won't get away with it again, especially with all the evidence piled up against him, so I have a small bit of hope. We also are getting a judge who is not related to him, and taking it to trial unlike before, so it's up to the jury to decide if he's guilty.
The second I reach Austin's room, I don't hesitate to fling open the door and I find him surrounded by our friends. I almost cry when I see him smiling and laughing.
"Austin!" I choke out a sob and he reaches out for me instantly, his arms engulfing me.
"Hey Em!" He says with a huge smile.
"Are you okay? You're okay right?" I rush out, looking at his injuries. My heart just about stops when I see his leg in this huge cast.
"Oh Austin..." I trail off, taking a seat next to him.
I knew what had happened and knew about his knee, but seeing it was different.
"It's okay. It is what it is." He says, shrugging, but I could see the sadness behind his eyes as he stares at his leg.
"No it's not." I say feeling my hand curl into a fist.
My dad was right.
This has gone too far.
"We're taking him to court. We're going to fix this, I promise." I say, making a silent vow inside of myself.
We have to bring him to justice.
"Em, it's okay. I'll be okay but will you? This is a lot to deal with at once." He says, concern on his face.
"Austin, why are you so concerned about me? It's my fault you're in this position." I say quietly, taking a seat next to him.
I see him make eye contact with Chase and sigh.
"Emma, it is not your fault okay? You were not in that car with Mason. You did not cause him to hit us. You had no part in this okay? No one blames you." He tells me softly.
I just nod my head as he grabs my hand and squeezes.
"Now, how are you feeling? Asshole put you in the hospital again? Do I need to go fight him?" Austin asks me and I laugh.
"I think you should probably stay where you are for a little while." I tell him and he chuckles.
"Yeah probably." He says.
"Hey, I gotta go see Jake, but I'll be back later okay?" I promise him and he nods as I lean down to hug him.
Leaving the room, I pass by Chase and he gives me an awkward smile, and I smile back. Things have still been a little strained between us, but we're trying.
Walking to Jake's room, I try to brace myself for the questioning I'm about to get.
The second I push open the door, Jake makes eye contact with me, ignoring whatever Dwight was saying to him.
"You're okay?" He asks, almost as if he can't believe his eyes.
"Of course I'm okay. I'm not fragile." I tell him, forcing out a laugh.
He just glares at me slightly, and I sit next to him.
"I'm gonna give y'all a minute." Dwight says, and I give him a grateful smile. He smiles back and squeezes my shoulder before leaving the room.
"What did he do to you?" Jake asks me quietly after a few moments of silence.
I sigh a little, wondering if I should be truthful.
Although, everything is going to come out in trial anyways. I might as well be honest now when it's just us.
Looking down, I clasp my hands together before starting. "He uh...he you know, just hit me and stuff."
"And stuff?" Jake pushes and I turn my head away as a few tears prick my eyes.
"He ripped my clothes and uh," I clear my throat trying to get rid of the lump in my throat. "He touched me." I practically whisper.
It's deadly silent and I look up to see Jake halfway out of the bed in his hospital gown.
"Jake! Get back into bed! Jake stop–" I say, trying to get him to lay back down.
"He's going to fucking die." He says and I can see it in his eyes that he's serious.
"Stop, Jake it's okay." I say softly, still trying to get him to calm down.
"In what world is any of this okay Em?!" He shouts, anger in his eyes. "He almost got you again! And all I did was–"
"Don't go there Jake. Don't you dare put this on yourself, there's nothing you could've done." I say cutting him off completely.
"I just–" He starts but I cut him off again.
"Besides he's not getting off scot free this time." I say, starting to get angry myself.
"What are you talking about?" He asks.
"I told them not to tell you about it until I talked to you, but Jake we're reopening my rape trial." I say quietly, cringing at the word.
Jake goes still.
"I wanted to tell you myself so don't get mad at everyone else okay?" I tell him.
"I don't care about that right now. I'm worried about you. Em, are you sure about this?" He says, concern flooding his face.
"I can't keep letting the people I love get hurt because of me."
"Em, none this is your fault."
"Jake, Austin can never play football again. And even if everyone here is telling me that it's not, I still can't help feeling that a part of it is my fault!"
"I'm gonna murder Chase." He mutters under his breath, causing me to glare at him. "Look Em, it's not your fault okay. It's Mason's. And as much as I want him to pay for everything, I don't want you to sacrifice yourself thinking that you have to when you don't."
I look at the ground and sigh a little bit.
"Jake...it's just not because of what happened to y'all." I say quietly and his eyebrows pull together.
"What do you mean?"
"When I found Mason...he was hitting Bridgett. It makes me wonder what else he's done to her in the past, or what he could do to her when he gets out of jail. He's hurt me so much in just the past year, and instead of going to the police like I should have, I let him win.
"And because of that, Bridgett got hurt. How many other girls have been hurt because of him? Because I didn't fight harder to get justice?" My voice breaks at the end as the guilt that I've been carrying around comes to the surface.
Jake's face softens and he reaches out his hand.
"Hey, look at me." He says, and I look at him through my tears.
"If you feel like you need to do this, I'll be right by your side. And if you decide not to go through with this, I'll be right by your side too. But, you have to know that the decisions Mason makes are his own. You are not at fault okay?"
I just nod softly, and he pulls me in for a hug.
"You're so strong sis." He says and I sigh into his hug.
"I just hope I'm strong enough to get through this." I admit.
"You will get through this. It's going to be different this time. I know it." He reassures me, giving me a squeeze.
For my sake and everyone Mason has ever hurt, I hope so.
'~'
I don't know what I'm doing here.
If someone would have told me a month ago that I'd be sitting in my car debating on whether or not to go knock on Bridgett's door, I'd laugh right in your face.
It's crazy how much time changes things. Just a month ago, I was fighting her. And now, I'm praying that she joins my side. My side against her boyfriend.
Well, ex-boyfriend now I think.
Sighing, I turn off my car and take a deep breath before getting out of it. I walk up the steps to her house and hesitantly lift my hand to knock.
It's not too long before the door swings open and Bridgett is in front of me.
She looks...tired.
"What the hell do you want?" She says, her voice cracking slightly.
"I'm not here to fight you Bridgett." I sigh, fully taking in her appearance again.
She has bags under her eyes, the black eye she had fading away.
"Then why are you here? Because if it's to tell me something fucking stupid like 'I told you so' I don't want to hear it." She snaps and my heart breaks when I see her eyes watering.
Saying nothing, I pull her in for a hug.
"It's okay." I say softly, rubbing her back soothingly.
Her arms stay by her side, but after a while I feel her hug me back. Her sobs get louder and I squeeze her tighter.
After some time, she pulls away and wipes her tears with the back of her sleeve.
"What do you need?" She asks softly as she opens the door wider for me to come in.
She leads me to her living room and we sit down in silence, which allows me time to gather my thoughts.
"As you know, Mason was arrested and my parents have decided to press charges against him, and I was wondering if you would be able to testify on our behalf?"
Her eyes widen slightly and she looks down at the ground, another tear slipping out.
"Emma, I'm so sorry." Bridgett cries out.
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"For what?" I ask. Bridgett and I have had our fights but I didn't think it mattered anymore with all that was happening.
"It was me who spread the rumors that what Mason did to you was a lie." She says, glancing over at me.
Honestly, this doesn't surprise me.
"I was just so jealous of you. I had liked Mason for so long and when you two got together I got so angry. But then, I finally had his interest. I didn't care that y'all were still together, I just wanted him. And then I finally had him. But now I know I never should've treated you that way." She pauses to take a breath.
"Being awful to you seemed to get Mason to show more interest in me...but lately it's like every time he was mad at you, he took it out on me. And well–" She stops and pulls up her sleeve, showing the bruises on her arm.
I put my hand on top of hers and give her a reassuring smile.
"We both made mistakes Bridgett and that's okay. Besides, it's not like I didn't pick fights with you too." I laugh and just like that the atmosphere gets lighter.
She chuckles lightly and nods.
"Thank you Emma. And of course I'll testify on your behalf, it's about time he gets what he deserves." Bridgett gives my hand a squeeze and my smile grows.
Originally, I thought I would just come here, ask her to testify and leave. But after our talk she asked me to stay, offering me a drink. I take her up on her offer and I end up staying for two hours.
We talked about our ups and downs throughout our relationships with Mason, and surprisingly I opened up to her about a lot of my past. I think it's because we could relate to each other so much.
"I highly suggest finding a therapist and working through things. This type of thing doesn't just go away, trust me."
She nods and soon after that it's time to go meet my lawyer.
"Thanks Bridgett, for doing this. I'll be in contact about the next steps." I tell her at her doorstep.
She leans against her door and sighs.
"If you say thanks one more time, I really will fight you again." She jokes, giving me a smirk.
I smile at her and give her one more hug before walking back to my car. I wave goodbye and start my drive towards my house.
'~'
"Only start whenever you're comfortable Emma." I hear Dr. Moore tell me.
I'm in my house with Sophie and Dr. Moore. Sophie wants me to practice giving my testimony with just her and Dr. Moore to get me used to telling my story before moving on to a larger crowd.
She conferred with Dr. Moore, and he not only agreed, but came over to make sure I was completely comfortable. That, and he knows my story.
I feel my heart rate increase rapidly as I try to get the words out.
The very last time I spoke about the incident, it was in a closed court. I could barely speak and was eventually taken off the stand. I couldn't even get the full story out.
Even when I told Alex, I couldn't get through the whole story. And this time, it's an open court meaning that people outside my family have to hear my story, and I'm terrified.
"Take a deep breath Emma." Dr. Moore says and I follow his instruction.
Sophie begins questioning me and a long two hours later, I've finally gotten my story fully out.
"Okay, that went well, all things considered. We're going to hold a mock "trial" but that's really just going to be whoever you want to be there as I question you just like I did now. It's pivotal that the people you want to hear your story are here because it's the last time before court commences. We don't want any disruptions from people who care about you not being able to hold in their anger." Sophie informs me.
I nod, still a little shaky from everything I had to tell them and reliving that memory again.
"How are you feeling Emma?" Dr. Moore asks, his eyes full of concern.
I look down at my feet and then at him.
"I'm so scared, but I know that I have to, I need to." I say quietly.
"We'll meet tomorrow for the mock trial. In the meantime, get some rest okay?" Sophie says softly, patting my shoulder before her and Dr. Moore leave.
How am I going to get through this?
'~'
****Trigger Warning****
"Okay Emma, you're going to be on the stand. The rest of you, have a seat in the gallery. It's important that there's no disruptions, regardless of what is said on the stand today. This is meant to show what it will be like at court next week, and if you make disruptions there, you will be thrown out after you are warned once." Sophie says the next day, talking to my family and the rest of the gang besides Austin and Jake, who are still in the hospital.
Dwight has Jake on FaceTime and Chase has Austin so that they aren't missing this. They should be able to come to the actual trial, but right now they're still recovering.
Trevor is the only one who was able to stay for the trial. Jordan had to go back home to be with Arianna and go to work because unlike Trevor, his bosses aren't his parents.
But, Trevor, Madison, Dawson, and Caleb are able to be here so that helps. Jordan is also on a FaceTime call.
"Okay, let's begin." Sophie says, turning into her lawyer self.
"Please state your full name for the records." She says.
"Emma Kay Richardson." I say, feeling anxiety start back up again.
This is it.
My family and friends are going to know everything that happened to me.
"What was your relationship with the defendant?" She asks.
"He was my boyfriend for my first two years of high school." I answer.
"And can you give the court the reason why you two broke up?"
"I caught him having sex with another woman at a party we went to that night." I tell her, feeling my cheeks heating up.
"And this led to a fight between you two?"
"Yes, we were arguing and I left the party."
"Did you leave the party alone?"
"Yes."
"And this was on August 31, 2018 correct? The night that you accuse the defendant of sexual assault?" She asks and my breath hitches at the mention of the words.
Here we go.
"Yes." I say, my voice almost in a whisper.
"Can you explain the events that happened once you left the party."
"He..." I trail off and take a deep breath before continuing.
"He drove up next to me and talked me into hearing him out. So, I got into his Jeep and that's when I realized that he had an open bottle of tequila. He began to drive really fast and I was yelling at him to stop. He eventually did on a one way highway and I got out of the car." I manage to get out before the lump in my throat gets too big to continue.
"After, he grabbed my arm really tight and wouldn't let go no matter how hard I tried. Then he slapped me and pushed me up against his truck. He punched me and told me that if I had listened to him, this wouldn't be happening."
"What happened after that?" She asks in between my pause.
"Mason then threw me to the ground, kicked me in the side first and then my stomach. He then broke my nose, all while repeatedly telling me that this was my fault.
"He then straddled me and told me "he was going to have to teach me a lesson.""
I could feel my hands start to shake and my pulse quicken.
"H-He...T-then, I-I c-an't–" My vision starts to blur and I feel a sob get caught in my throat. I grip the stand tightly, trying to center myself but it's not working. My breath starts to come out harshly and I already feel a cold sweat overtake me.
I can't do this.
The image that clouds my brain is the same one I see in my nightmares from that night. All I can see is him.
Before I know it, Dr. Moore is standing near my side trying to calm me down.
"Let's take a deep breath okay? You aren't back at that place, you are in a courtroom safe and far away from him." He says, rubbing my back as he talks me down from the attack.
"I want you to do what we practiced, Emma. Close your eyes and your fists. That's it, now slowly take deep breaths and relax them." I listen to him, and it takes me a while but I'm able to open my eyes and look at him.
"You're okay Emma. You aren't alone, you have so many people in your corner, look." He gestures to my family and friends who look beyond concerned. "You can do this."
I nod at him, but I still feel really anxious.
"Could I have a minute?" I ask him and he smiles down at me.
"Of course. Take all the time you need."
I step down from the stand and leave the courtroom, going out into the foyer.
It's okay.
I repeat the phrase in my head over and over again until I feel my heartbeat calm down a little.
Why can't I just do this one thing right?
I clench my fists and lean my head against the back of the wall.
All I can think about is how if I can't do this, Mason will get off free again.
But it's not only me I'm fighting for. I realized that if I don't do this, Bridgett and every other girl out there could potentially get hurt and I won't let what happened to me happen to them.
I know that this is not the real thing, but if I can't get through it now, I won't be able to get through it when it counts.
So, with that in mind, I walk back into the courtroom and back up to the stand, ignoring the concerned looks my family and friends are giving me.
I have to get through this.
No, I need to do this.
"After he straddled me, Mason began to lift up my dress and h-he forcefully entered me." I manage to get out, my voice breaking for a second before I get myself under control again.
"Can you clarify what exactly he entered you with?" Sophie asks, and even though I knew the question was coming, it doesn't help me to get the answer out.
"His penis entered my vagina." I say, tears breaking through the dam and falling in a steady stream down my face.
Needing something to focus on to help keep me under control, I look up to see Dwight, a mixture of anger and concern swirling in his eyes. He gives me a tiny nod, and I feel myself relax slightly.
"Did you consent to this action?" Sophie asks me softly.
"No." I said firmly.
"Did the defendant use any form of protection?" Sophie asked me again.
"No." I say, feeling my heart constrict again. My eyes remain locked with Dwight's, and it's the only thing holding me together.
"Do you remember what happened after that?"
I shake my head.
"I passed out because of the pain, I just couldn't handle it. The only thing I remember was waking up in the hospital with my family."
"And did you inform the police about the sexual assault?" Sophie asks me, already knowing the answer.
"No." I choke out, breaking eye contact with Dwight.
"Why not?" She presses.
"I was scared, I didn't know whether or not they would believe me so I didn't tell anyone." I say quietly.
"In your own words, can you explain to me what happened on February 5, 2019?" Sophie asks, moving on.
"I was driving to the diner because I just heard that Mason had allegedly crashed his car into my brother Jake's truck. I wanted to know what happened and found out that he and his girlfriend were at the diner. When I arrived I could see Mason hitting his girlfriend who, at that point, was leaning against her car. Then, I saw Mason slap her."
"Did you know why the defendant was hitting his girlfriend?"
"Not at the time, but later I found out he was angry with her."
"Okay, then what happened?"
"I went to help her and he asked me how my brother and best friend were doing sarcastically with a smirk on his face."
"He was advancing towards me so I punched him and kicked him in the privates." I say.
I hear a laugh that sounded like it was being covered by a scoff over where my friends were and Sophie shoots them a side glare.
"Then what happened?" She asks me again.
"Mason recovered and grabbed my hair and as I was trying to fight him off, he backhanded me and I fell to the ground. He began kicking me and continued to do so until he, once again, leaned down to straddle me.
"He said "it's just like old times Em" and I remember a crazy look in his eyes, that caused me to fear for my life again." I swallow the lump in my throat and take another sharp breath.
"And then?" Sophie prompts and I push back the tears.
"I started to fight against him and he tore open my shirt and went to unbutton my shorts." My breath hitches and I close my eyes before continuing.
"Bridgett tried to get him off of me, but he punched her. As I tried to get up to help her, he head-butted me and I flew back down, my head slamming into Bridgett's car before I hit the ground.
"The last thing that I remember before passing out was Mason hovering over me again and his hands roaming my body without consent."
From that point on, Sophie continues to question me about what I had just mentioned, but I seem to go on autopilot as I continue to answer the questions.
When she finishes, she tells me that Mason's lawyer will likely get up to cross examine me. She was going to continue, but due to my mental state obviously slipping, she just says that we will meet tomorrow to do that part.
As soon as I'm given the okay, I get off the stand as quickly as possible and my support group is rushing to me.
I fall into my mom's arms as I allow myself to cry as much as I wanted to on the stand.
And that wasn't even the real thing.
My friends and family all pull me in for a hug and I talk to Jordan, Austin, and Jake for a second before we get ready to leave.
As we are about to walk away, Dwight stops me and pulls me in for a hug.
"I am so fucking proud of you for getting through that, not only today, but for the past year. You are so incredibly strong Em, and I'm so glad you're my best friend." He tells me, and I cry harder in his arms.
I don't say anything back, but sometimes words aren't needed.
I know that he and everyone else in my life has my back. I can get through court because they will be right there.
"Thank you for being here for me today." I tell him through my tears.
"Always."
'~'
That was a rough chapter :(
Please remember that we are not lawyers, nor do we know how this type of scene would actually work in the courtroom. We are writing purely fiction and while we are trying to get everything right through research, that does not mean that we always do.
The next chapter is the trial and we'll see if Mason gets what he deserves, or if the justice system will fail Emma once again.
What do you think?
As always, please leave a comment or a vote. Your feedback means the world to us.
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We have about 2 chapters left!! We are so sad to see this book come to an end, but so excited for what we have coming up next.
We love you all!
~Marie Black