“Tate, it’s not your fault.” I tell her, leaning in so she can tell I’m serious. “Darren’s always had a bug up his ass about Z.”
“What?” everyone in the room looks at me.
“He tried to arrest him a few times. And every time he couldn’t, it would piss him off more. Z didn’t even care that he was after him, because he didn’t give a shit. He never looks over his shoulder because he thinks he’s that good.”
“Thinks?” Sherri asks.
“I mean, they haven’t found anything yet.” I shrug, not telling them that there’s been a few times I’ve concealed evidence at a scene so it didn’t point back to him.
23
I sit in the last row in the courtroom, almost directly behind where Drew sits, trying to keep out of her sight. I watch her shoulders sag before she turns her head enough to look back, catching my eyes, almost as if she could sense me as soon as I was in the room. It’s the first time I’ve looked into her eyes since the morning I left the house.
Hurry back, I love you. Plays in my mind, and I press my lips into a firm line as she exhales. Even though I glance away, I see her stand up, rushing towards the aisle and vacating the room.
I know I shouldn’t, but my feet are already at the door before I realize I’m following her.
Seeing the back of her head as she rounds the corner, and I’m starting towards the end of the hall. The door closes as she exits, and I shake my head.
“Sketch!”I call after her, pushing the door open. She’s already moving down the steps.
“Don’t call me that.”I can see the tears in her eyes as she shouts at me, holding her hand up.
Biting my tongue, I stand, staring at her.
“Why are you out here?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed upset.”
She lets out a sarcastic laugh and shakes her head. “I’m upset because I saw you in there. Because it’s the first time I’ve seen you since… Why are you even here?”
“I…” pausing and looking at her. I want to say everything. Want to tell her why I came and why I’m here. “Because I’m doing a favor for your brother.”
“What does that even mean?” she tosses her hands out to her sides.
Lowering my voice, I step into her and nod. “They have a plan, and they asked me to help. I’m here to make sure I’m on the same page with timing and shit…”
It’s a goddamn lie.
I’m here because regardless of the time that’s gone by, I’ll always think of Z as my friend. And more importantly, I knew today would be hard for her…
But I can’t tell her that.
“How generous of you.” She cuts out.
The door opens from behind me, and I know I should be concerned. It was risky to follow her, but hopefully everyone’s preoccupied with the trial to even notice she’s missing and come looking for her.
“Drew!”Liv’s voice calls from behind me before she passes, walking over to her and pulling her into a protective embrace. Liv glares at me as she passes, and I just sigh, not sure what I’ve done to piss her off.
I know I shouldn’t, but I walk back into the courtroom anyway.
Catching her, glancing in my direction a handful of times, as if she’s pleading for me to come to her. And I want to. God, I fucking want to so damn bad, but I keep my ass planted. Not only because I know if I don’t, everyone here will put shit together, but because I need to be there after we all leave here. I have to make sure everyone’s okay.
That’s my entire purpose.
And I know that if I let myself have one moment with her, I’ll never make it.
The judge calls for the end of the day, and everyone makes their way out of the courtroom.
