Chapter 14
The Truth
Hillary Beck
“The rest of the plaintiffs are still willing to testify,” I said, walking into his home office.
“Does it matter?” he asked, his words slurring. It was late at night, and Gale had decided to bring the files to his place so we could work together. We were out of time, so we had to do whatever we could.
“You are drunk,” I said softly. “Gale, this isn’t the time…”
“Then when is the time?” he said. “When is the time, Hillary? I promised those parents I would get them justice. And look! Look at all this! How am I supposed to do this?”
“Gale, you can’t give up,” I said. “Believe me, I see how hopeless all of this is, but you can’t give up.”
“How?” he asked. “How can you say that? Your abuser is out there, biding his time so he can have you back. The police can’t touch him, and there is nothing you can do but hide! How can you have so much hope in a situation as bad as this? How can you stand here talking to me after I betrayed you? After I led you on and then left you for Stella.”
My breathing hitched, and I looked at him, swallowing my pain away.
“Because I need your help with the Avery case,” I said. “Because I refuse to give up on them—”
“I want you,” he suddenly said. “Don’t you see that? Don’t you see that I want you?”
“Gale—” I said, but he cut me off.
“I hate Stella! I detest that woman! I wish I had never seen that face of hers or gotten involved with her! She is the reason I have lost you!”
“Gale, you are drunk,” I said. “You don’t know what you are saying.”
“I know what I am saying,” he whispered. “It’s you I want to be with, Hillary. But there is nothing I can do—”
“Why?” I cried out. “Why can’t you do anything about it? If it’s me you want to be with, then why can’t you?”
“I can’t tell you,” he said. “It’s too complicated…”
I marched over to him and knelt in front of him, taking his hand in mine. I placed it on my chest and said, “Can you feel my heartbeat? Can you? Look me in the eye and tell me that you can fight this crazy attraction between us. Look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t want to take me right here and right now. Deny that there is something between us that we haven’t felt before!”
“I can’t!” he shouted. “I can’t deny it, but…”
“Then what?” I asked. “What is holding you back. Tell me, Gale. You know you can trust me!”
“Alright,” he finally whispered. “I will trust you. I will tell you the truth.”
He looked into my eyes for a minute and then said, “Stella has something that could ruin everything. She knows what my father did, and she has the evidence to prove it. And if I don’t do as she says, she will destroy me.”
