the sneaky little narrative decoy designed to make you side-eye the wrong suspect, often equipped with suspicious hobbies (e.g., taxidermy) or a conveniently timed alibi gap; exists solely to mislead readers who wereso surethey’d cracked the case; will inevitably turn out to be innocent—just really,reallybad at looking it
The courtroom feels smaller today.
My heart pounds against my ribs, and my hands won’t stop shaking. I glance at the clock, then at the door, praying that Ethan will walk through it any second now. He has to. But every time I look, the door stays shut, and the knot in my stomach tightens.
Across the aisle, my grandparents sit stiffly, their expressions as cold and hard as ever. Their lawyer is smug, confidence oozing from his every pore. He knows, just as I do, that without Ethan’s testimony, I don’t stand a chance.
The judge has asked about him twice already, and each time, Steve has lied, saying Ethan’s on his way, buying us more time. But there’s doubt in the judge’s eyes, like her patience is wearing thin.
My phone is clutched in my hand, and I try Ethan again, to no avail. Each unanswered call sends another wave of panic through me. I can’t lose this. I can’t lose him. Not after I gave up Rafael. Not after he left.
“Ms. Moore.” The judge’s voice cuts through the fog of my anxiety. “I’ll ask this just one more time. Where is your brother?”
Steve jumps in before I can answer. “He’s on his way, Your Honor. Just a little delayed.”
The judge’s expression is skeptical, her eyes narrowing slightly. “If he’s not here soon, we’ll have to move forward without him.”
My throat is too tight to allow me to speak. Steve meets my gaze, his eyes urging me to stay calm, but I don’t know what to do. I feel helpless, and this time, Rafael isn’t here to make it better.
I’m all alone.
Just when I’m about to lose hope, the doors at the back of the courtroom creak open. I whip my head around, and there he is—Ethan, walking in with that familiar determined stride. Relief crashes over me as he steps past me, his focus entirely on the stand at the front of the courtroom. When his eyes finally land on me, he hesitates before stepping up to the stand.
“Sorry I’m late,” he says as he faces the judge. There’s an apology in his eyes when he glances at me again, but before I can process it, Steve clears his throat and approaches Ethan.
“Ethan, can you please tell the court about your relationship with your sister, Scarlett?”
My brother’s gaze flicks to mine, a storm of emotions swirling inhis eyes. “Yes, I can. But before I do, I’d like the judge to know something.” He turns to her and swallows hard. “I… I’m gay.”
I breathe out, not knowing whether to feel proud that he’s come out or ashamed that he’s basically been forced to. This is not what I expected, not what we planned. He deserves better than this. Better than having to do it in a courtroom, because ofthem.
“My sister knows this,” Ethan continues, his voice gaining strength. “And she could have won this trial just by telling you the truth, which is that my grandparents don’t accept my sexual orientation. They’re homophobic. They’ve refused to let me come out, tried to keep me from my boyfriend, and now want to send me away so they won’t have to face public judgment.”
He looks directly at the judge. “I wanted to live with my sister even before this came up, but that’s what caused the urgency. And my sister has known I’m gay, but she never said a word. She gave me the chance to come to her when I was ready, and she’s done everything she could for me.”
The courtroom fades away as I watch him. He’s baring his soul here, and I can’t imagine how difficult this is.
“And Rafael Gray? He helped me when he didn’t even know me. He supported me and my sister, and with him, I finally saw her be selfish, like everyone should be once in a while. I saw her happy. I saw her open herself up to new things. I saw her be…heroic.”
I shake my head, as if trying to tell him it’s okay, that he doesn’t have to do this.
“And instead of being happy for her”—Ethan’s voice breaks, and he swipes at his eyes—“I screamed at her. I pushed her, and I told her I hated her.”
He’s crying now, his hands trembling as he looks at me. “I’mso sorry. You took me in even though nobody expected you to. You paused your life for me, told me one day we’d be here, and I just treated you so bad. I pushed you away because youdaredto find some happiness.”
“No, Ethan,” I whisper. I want to run to him, to tell him he’s forgiven, that I love him, but I’m afraid the judge will scold me like last time, and we’ve got too much on the line for that.
Ethan turns to the judge, his voice stronger now, though it still wavers with emotion. “Look at her.”
The judge turns to me, her brows furrowing slightly as she studies my face. I know I look terrible. I haven’t eaten or slept, and I’m barely holding it together.
“She broke things off with Rafael. My grandparents’ lawyer twisted her life, her relationship, her work, and she didn’t think about herself or the man she has feelings for. She only thought about me. And she’s a mess, but she’s here. She didn’t go back to Rafael. She’s fighting for me, even though I was a little bitch—”
“Language, Mr. Moore,” the judge interrupts sternly.
Ethan flushes. “Sorry, Your Honor. What I meant is that my sister loves me, and I never need todeserveher love. It’s not something she chooses to feel, something she can dole out. Even when it kills her, she still puts me first. That’s why I want to live with her. Not just because she’s okay with me being gay, but because she acceptsme, no matter what. Because she’s my role model, she’s my family, and she’s my hero.”
The courtroom falls into a heavy silence, and the judge looks moved, her gaze softening as she regards him. “Thank you, Mr. Moore,” she says quietly. “Are there any further questions for this witness?”
