"And you called the police informing them you heard some concerning noises from next door. Is that correct?"
"Yes sir"
"And what exactly was it you thought you heard coming from next door on the aforementioned evening?"
"Um, well" I watch my neighbour, Mark clear his throat before sitting up straighter in his seat, "I heard shouting, a man shouting, and I heard what sounded like something breaking and then a loud thudding sound"
"Okay. Then you called the police to inform them of your concerns?"
"Yes sir. Emily has always been a quiet neighbour, never any issues so I knew that something was wrong"
"Thank you" I watch the prosecutor nod his head and pace in front of Mark for a few seconds before stopping to look at him again.
"If I may ask, when the police arrived, did they immediately approach next door?"
"No sir. I saw them pull up outside and I went to the front door when they approached to ask what the issue was. I told them what I heard, and they were about to head over when the front door opened"
"And when the front door opened, what exactly was it that you saw Mr Young?"
Mark grimaces on the stand at the memory and I feel Nate tense up beside me,
"Well, I saw my neighbour – Emily, run out of the front door. She was stumbling and when she turned to look behind her, I saw she had blood over the side of her face and down her arm also"
Nate reaches out to grip my knee, squeezing gently and pulling me closer to him, as though to remind himself I'm right here next to him and I'm okay.
"And then what happened?"
"Well, when she was looking behind her, I saw another man approach and he grabbed her – not in an aggressive way just like he was trying to get her attention. She seemed startled at first but relaxed when she realised who it was"
The prosecutor nods again and gestures for Mark to continue,
"And then another man followed out of the house, limping a little bit and he looked like he was running straight for her, for Emily, but the police grabbed him first and cuffed him. Thank God"
"I see, thank you. I have one more question if I may – is the man you saw following your bleeding neighbour out of her home here in the courtroom today?"
"Yes sir" Mark lifts his hand and points towards where Alistair sits, cuffed to the table and an indignant look on his face "That's him sitting right there"
"Thank you. No further questions your honour"
The rest of the day went pretty much the same way, with Alistair's defence attorney trying to paint that I had attacked him, and my injuries were from Alistair protecting himself. Something that had my friends around me itching to climb from their seats and hurl abuse at Alistair's entire defence team.
Nate remained in silent fury next to me the entire time. His hand tightly gripped my own and I felt his grip tighten slightly every time something upset him, but I knew he didn't want to show it for fear of upsetting me.
Alistair's entire defence fell to pieces when the pictures he'd taken of me over the course of the last couple of years were brought out, showing his clear obsession and possibly intent to hurt me.
They also brought forward the fact that my car was tampered with – something that they had evidence of, thanks to Rico taking pictures of the damage to my car and his surprising testimony in court. They also found the tools he used in his house, oil from my car found on the tools he used.
It took all morning for the evidence to be fully presented to the court, including opening and closing statements from the defence and prosecution.
We started shuffling out of our bench when the jury left to deliberate, our movement clearly catching the eye of someone sat at the front of the court, Alistair glancing over his shoulder at our movement just as the court officer had uncuffed him from the table.
I watched as his brows furrowed and a snarl lifted his lips,
"You!" he bellowed lunging towards me and narrowly missing the hands of the officers reaching for him "You rotten bitch! You were supposed to love me! We were supposed to be together!"
"You fucking delusional piece of shit" Nate moves me behind him and steps in front of me, shoulders tense, surely ready to reach out and hit Alistair if not for the pair of hands that forcefully grabs his arms yanks him back, forcing his arms behind him and dragging him away from us.
Nate's shoulders are heaving in front of me, hands fisted at his sides, and I reach out to gently touch his forearm,
"Hey" I tug his arm, smiling around his shoulder at him and smoothing out the crease between his brows with my thumb, "I'm okay, let's go get something to drink before the jury comes back"
He nods his head and turns to follow me, gripping my hand tight when I hold it out behind me for him to hold.
"We all need the bathroom, should we all meet back here when we're ready?" I nod and smile at Marc, watching him laugh when Nate pulls me behind him, away from the crowds and towards an empty corridor.
"What-" my words are silenced when Nate tugs my face towards him and kisses me, holding me tight against him and I can feel the desperation in his touch.
His chest is heaving when he pulls away and his eyes dart across my face, lingering on my head where my scar is a small pink line now and he brushes the skin with his thumb.
"I'm okay" I tell him, holding his wrist beside my face and kissing it lightly, "It doesn't hurt anymore"
I squeeze his wrist to direct his attention away from the mark on my head and smile up at him when he meets my eyes, barely concealed concern shining in his irises and a reluctant smile lifting the edges of his lips.
"Okay" he nods to himself, "Do you want something to drink before we head back inside? I think I saw a little coffee stand off to the side of the entrance"
"No, I'm good, unless you want to?"
He shakes his head in response and steps away from me, holding his hand out to me and lacing his fingers between mine, tugging me behind him and back towards our group of friends who all seem to be ready to get back into the room,
"Oh, there you guys are! Jury's back in already. Only took them an hour" Keira leads our group back inside, her strides confident and I already have visions of her launching herself at Alistair if this doesn't go the way she's hoping it will.
JD files in before her, taking his place at the far end of the bench, Keira next to him and on my left, sandwiching me in between her and Nate, both taking one of my hands to hold as we watch the jury file back in.
"Have you reached a unanimous decision?"
"Yes, your honour. We, the jury find the defendant guilty on charges of stalking, harassment, and actual bodily harm. We recommend the harshest sentence possible for the charges"
My ears start ringing before the judge can respond to the jury, pins and needles starting in my fingertips where Nate and Keira are squeezing the life from my hands, Keira jostling me from my left side.
"We did it" she whisper-screams in my ear "We fucking did it" the last sentence is said in a laugh, clear relief coating her voice.
I nod my head faintly, turning my eyes to Alistair, who sits with his head in his hands and from the way his shoulders are shaking I'd say he's having a nervous breakdown.
Good.
I see the court officer escort Alistair out of the court room, and I watch as the Jury stands and leaves the court through a separate side door, the judge leaving her stand and leaving the room as well.
"Hey" Nate's face comes into view, kneeling down by the side of me, hands resting on my knees and a giddy smile on his face, "We got him, sweetheart"
A laugh bubbles out of my throat and I feel almost weightless as the realisation sinks in, leaning forward to throw my arms around Nate's shoulders, stretching when he stands with me still holding on to him, wrapping his arms around my waist and squeezing me tight to him.
"Anyone fancy getting absolutely shitfaced?" I pull back as far as Nate will allow and look over Nate's shoulder at Marc, who stands with his shoulders back and a wide grin, eyebrow raised at me and a firm nod when I respond,
"Abso-fucking-lutely"