"Reid! Reid!" I rushed out, and when he got into his car, I tried to open the door. He sped off while the neighbors stood watching. I flipped them off and stumbled back into my glass castle as I watched and waited for it to crumble around me.
Chapter 21
Tara
Present Day
“So you fought him?” Maria asked.
"Tooth and nail, but I lost because the evidence was stacked against me. Footage, pictures, witnesses. And me, I had nothing, or at least I thought I didn't. I was too strung out to make sense of anything. I had a state attorney, but I was fighting on my own, and I was drunk most of the time anyway.”
“What do you have, Tara?”
"I'd been building up my own evidence before everything fell apart. Hotel receipts and photos of his infidelity. I took pictures of the bruises whenever he hurt me, and I was examined by a doctor once. If we can get him to testify, we would have something."
"Anything else? A witness, maybe?"
"There is someone. She saw and heard Reid threatening me. Until now I didn't think she would speak up, but I think she just might.
“That is great news. Perfect actually, because that changes the game.”
She looked satisfied with our progress.
"So, you ready for your date?" That was so completely unexpected. I looked at her in disbelief. I did not expect Maria to ask me something like that. She merely grinned and kept taking notes.
“It is not a date,”
"A man, a woman, dinner. Sounds like a date to me," she teased, looking up at me.
"I only agreed because Tilly made me." I knew that was far from the truth. There was something between Jude and me. Although a big part of me was scared shitless, another part wasn't.
"I did not!" Tilly shouted from the kitchen. I didn't mind that she could hear our conversation. Tilly was family, and I trusted her.
“I should get ready,” I sighed.
"You have made amazing progress, Tara. Dev is so proud of you. I am so proud of you."
"Thank you, Maria. I have so many people to thank for that, yourself included. If you didn't have faith in my case, I doubt I would be this willing to pursue it."
"Well, I am all for the truth, and I want your daughter back where she belongs. And about Jude, I see the way he looks at you. It's obvious he cares for you. You two have a history, that is easy to see. Not all guys are Reid, just remember that."
She leaned in to hug me, and I squeezed her back. And now for the horrible part. What to wear?
Right on cue, my sister Annie walked in with a couple of shopping bags. I glared at Tilly. “You didn’t.”
“I did,” she said sternly. “You are not going out on a date with that hot guy in a pair of yoga pants. That ain't happening on my watch.”
"Your watch ended a week ago, you're just stalking now," she waved a spoon at me, and I blew her a kiss.
“Oh, Annie, you didn’t have to go overboard.” I fussed.
"I didn't, I promise," she said, kissing Maria and me on our cheeks. She helped me up, and we slowly walked to my bedroom where she put on a display of the outfits. I settled on a lightweight, blue, knee-length flowy dress that dipped at the front showing some cleavage. I decided on a comfortable pair of flat pumps to match, and after a shower, Annie helped me get dolled up.
When I slowly made my way into the living room, the grin on Jude’s face was my undoing. I can’t remember the last time a man looked at me like that. I liked it. I liked it a lot.
‘You look beautiful,” he said, handing me a bunch of flowers.
“Thank you,” I blushed. He looked handsome in a black button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and dark blue jeans. He’d aged gracefully, like a good wine. His short beard and bedhead suited him.
