“Ms. Moore,” the judge’s voice thunders. “Sit down and let your lawyer speak for you. That’s what you’re paying him for.” She exhales sharply. “Unless you’d like me to find you in contempt.”
“No, Your Honor. Ms. Moore won’t say another word,” Steve answers in my place. He gestures at me to sit down, and I do, pressing my lips together.
This isunbelievable.
Jennings grabs a stack of papers and holds them out for the judge. “We have a supplemental document we’d like to submit into evidence.”
“Objection,” Steve rebuts. “We were not given any notice of additional evidence, and we haven’t had the opportunity to review or respond to whatever this is.”
“We received it late yesterday and moved as quickly as we could to review it.”
The judge reads through the paper, then with a pointed look at me, she sighs. “I’ll allow this to be entered into the record, but with caution,” she says, her voice tight. “Given the late submission, opposing counsel will have the opportunity to respond before any ruling is made.”
As Jennings hands Steve a paper, he says, “This is a record of one Mr. Rafael Gray’s criminal history.” I see Rafael face-palming out of the corner of my eye. “Mr. Gray is Ms. Moore’s romantic partner, and his past behavior cannot be ignored. He’s been in trouble with the law before—even suspected of his father’s assault. Most recently, he’s been arrested for breaking and entering by the local police.”
Holyshit.
A hush falls over the courtroom as Steve’s head snaps toward me. I can feel his gaze burning into the side of my face, but I can’t bring myself to look at him.
Yes, I didn’t mention Rafael—or his arrest—buthe’snot the one asking for custody. And besides, without him breaking and entering, we would have never caught the Lit Killer.
“His history shows a pattern of instability, and allowing Ethan to be exposed to such an individual raises significant concerns about his safety and the environment Ms. Moore is offering.”
The judge’s brows rise as she goes through the papers, and I can feel the shift in Steve. He’s not as confident as before—he knows we’re losing.
Eventually, she looks up and sets the papers down, utterly unimpressed. “I will need additional time to review the statementssubmitted by both parties,” she says. “Given the seriousness of what’s being requested here, the court does not take this lightly.”
Her gaze settles on me.
“Ms. Moore, I trust you understand the significant life changes this motion would entail—both for you and for the child. If this request is granted, the court expects a full and sustained commitment to that responsibility.” She narrows her eyes. “And compliancewillbe monitored until the child is of age or no longer under your care.”
When I nod, the judge continues. “We will reconvene Monday at nine o’clock to continue this hearing. I’d very much like to hear Ethan’s testimony. Until then, court is adjourned.”
She bangs the gavel, and the tension in the room seems to snap like a taut wire. I exhale shakily, feeling the weight of what just happened pressing down on me.
I fucked up, didn’t I? I really fucked up.
“Jesus, Scarlett.” Steve turns to me, his tone hushed. “What the hell? Why didn’t you tell me—”
“I didn’t think it mattered, Steve. It’s really… new, and—”
“Really?You didn’t think you needed to share this with me?”
“I—I don’t know. I thought you knew. I mean, everyone in town…” Rafael calls my name, but I keep my eyes on Steve. “Look, the only reason he was arrested is that he broke into theserial killer’sapartment, which led to her arrest.”
“You mean the ex-cop?”
Oh, God.“What did the judge mean?” I ask. Terms like “significant changes” and “monitored compliance” echo in my mind like a bad omen.
He hesitates. “Scarlett, you have to understand, emergencyhearings are extremely hard to win even in cases where there’s clear neglect, and this…” He scratches his temple. “Nothing but absolute perfection will do. What the judge meant is that she might grant your motion, but only if you cut ties with… with anything that might hurt Ethan’s upbringing. That there will be regular checks to make sure you continue to maintain an appropriate environment.”
“Nothing in my life will hurt Ethan.”
Certainly not Rafael, if that’s what he means.
“Look, I’m sorry. But you might need to decide what your priority is here. If it’s your brother…” He glances behind him, where Rafael is waiting for me. “Or your boyfriend.”
After a quick “Excuse me,” he leaves to talk to Jennings. I still haven’t processed his words as I turn to Rafael and notice Ethan’s not there.
