“Do you think he can last a few months?”
She offers me a side look filled with compassion. “He’ll have to. Then you and I can work on fixing him,” she says, giving my elbow a little bump with hers.
“Thank you for being here for him, Shelly. And for me. I don’t know what I would have done if you and Kev hadn’t…”
“It was our pleasure having you home, Andy. Lex is family, and so are you now. And if… if things don’t go the way we’re hoping today, you know our guest room is always available to you, right?”
“Kev made that very clear, yes. Hopefully, things will be fine, and I’ll be spending some time with Lex in his apartment instead.”
“Fingers crossed.”
She actually crosses her fingers on both hands, and I smile at that. Thanks to her, I feel a little lighter than I did moments ago. Everything will be okay, yes.
The respite is brief as my eyes meet those of Lex’s lawyer, Mr. Goldberg, and I discern something in them that brings back my anxiousness. His talk with Kev seems over, and he walks up to me instead. “Miss Walker, good morning,” he greets me, extending a professional hand my way.
“Hello,” I reply, shaking it.
“Would you mind accompanying me upstairs? I’ve been instructed to prepare you for today’s hearing.”
“Prepare me?”
“Mr. Coleman insisted we did so, in case the prosecution asks you to take the stand.”
There it is. The painful ball of stress is back in my stomach. The same one that’s made it almost impossible to eat lately. “To the stand? I didn’t know that was a possibility,” I protest. “What will they ask me? What should I—”
“If you’ll come upstairs with me, I’ll explain it all to you, Miss Walker. We have two consultation rooms there, and we’ll be able to talk freely.”
My mind goes a mile a second as I follow him to the grand stone staircase, then through the hallways. I should have researched how today would unfold instead of staying away from reality in an attempt to manage my anxiety.
Mr. Goldberg stops at a door and opens it for me, but my feet remain planted there, my eyes on the two men guarding the next room. The presence of armed police officers makes my heartbeat hasten. Mr. Goldberg said they have two rooms, right? Does it mean Lex is behind that other door?
The mere thought of being so close to him has my mind in a frenzy. Lex, right there, with only a wall between us…
“Miss?” Mr. Goldberg calls, forcing my eyes away from the guarded door.
“Sorry, yes.”
I step in before him and watch as he closes behind us. The space is of medium size, like a small conference room. There’s another door, one that must lead to the room that’s guarded. I’m tense all over as I watch the attorney walk up to it. “Before we continue,” he begins, hand on the handle, “Mr. Coleman has gone to great lengths to ensure this door would remain unlocked today. He trusts that information won’t leave this room.”
My nod couldn’t be any more eager, but I still confirm with a feeble, “It won’t, I promise.”
That seems to satisfy him as he opens the door, revealing a similar room on the other side. But this one isn’t empty. There’s Lex’s second lawyer standing by the table, but I barely notice him, all my attention latching onto a familiar silhouette, its back covered by a dark gray suit jacket, broad shoulders sunk in what resembles defeat, hair neatly combed…
Following Mr. Goldberg’s silent invitation, I take a trembling, hesitant step into the room. Still with his back to me, Lex commands, “Leave us.”
I move to the side so the second lawyer can join his colleague in the other room, but he stands in the frame instead to say, “Mr. Coleman, the hearing will start in less than ten minutes. We need to go over everything with you one more time.”
“I perfectly recall everything we’ve discussed, Mr. Zucker. Ten more minutes of it won’t change anything.”
“Then allow us some time to prepare Miss Walker for—”
“She’s clever enough to counter whatever the prosecution will throw at her. Leave.”
A little disoriented, I watch as both lawyers comply. I don’t feel clever enough. On the contrary, I feel like I’ll mess this up somehow. Just as I consider calling them back, the door closes. That’s when Lex finally turns around. The weariness on his handsome features nearly brings tears to my eyes. The nightmare he’s been through is evident, and I’d do anything to take some of it off his shoulders.
We don’t speak for a moment, and I can’t help but notice his gaze evades mine, looking at anything but me. I’ve been desperate to see him for nine torturous days, and now that I am, I have no idea what to do or say… Asking how he’s doing seems so weak when I can’t do anything to help him.
He makes the first move, coming around the table to stand in front of me, still avoiding my eyes. His body language is stiff and uneasy, his face closed off—even to me. His lawyers didn’t ask me for a suit, so I guess this one’s brand new, perfectly tailored to his strong body. Same for his glasses, which are almost identical to his usual ones. He’s the epitome of rigorous professionalism, and I hope it’ll be enough to convince the judge of his strong moral fiber.
