David and Mia had to work and since it wasn’t a nursery day for Leona, Jenna had to watch her. I didn’t want everyone to rearrange their life for me. They were plenty supportive without being constantly beside me.
“See you later, Leona,” I said.
Cole dropped a kiss to the top of her head, and then we went to get in the car.
By the time we arrived at the courthouse, I’d bitten my nails down to the quick.
Cole had his hands on my hips as we entered the public gallery, walking behind me.
“I can’t wait to see him go down,” Jasper said, taking a seat next to Mum and a stranger.
Cole and I sat beside them. I held his hand and Mum’s as we waited.
Please give him the maximum.
Nothing less than that would do. He had to be behind bars where he could never hurt another child again. My gaze drifted to the woman he’d abused when she was little.
With tears in her eyes, she watched the judge address the room. I wasn’t sure if she was breathing, and I wanted to reachout to her. She didn’t look my way, though, so I wouldn’t bother her.
Dad seemed older and smaller still, like every day inside was aging him by years. He stood with his shoulders hunched over as he looked at the floor, knowing he’d lost. Seeing that frail man in front of me, I couldn’t believe I had ever been afraid of him.
But appearances were deceptive.
If I could have spoken, I might’ve shouted out. They’d remove me from the courtroom, but so what. It wouldn’t have any bearing on the sentence now.
The judge stood up in what felt like slow motion, and I tried not to faint, my head dizzy.
When the judge opened her mouth, I closed my eyes.
Please.
Please.
“Gross abuse of trust,” and, “danger to young children,” were the only things I could pick out through the whooshing of my pulse in my ears.
My eyes flew open. Shit. I couldn’t hear, but I could lip read.
Mum sucked her breath through her teeth and gripped my hand so hard, my knuckles screamed, grinding against each other.
What?
The courtroom burst into life, but I hadn’t heard what the sentence was.
I missed it!
I looked around frantically, sitting straighter.
Was someone talking?
“Oakley,” Jasper said, leaning across Mum.
Jolting, I turned to him. “W-what?”
“Breathe!”
That was the problem. I sucked in a breath that unblocked my ears, the sudden burst of oxygen adding to the dizzy spell.
“Are you having another panic attack?” he asked.
