Page 93 of Dirty Judge

I could focus on the things that actually mattered to me.

I waited until she was on the elevator before slamming the door shut.

My chest tightened as I thought about everything she’d said—how she’d almost put everything together.

“Almost” was the most important word, though…

GAP PERIOD (N.):

A SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME WHERE A RULE OR LEGAL PROTECTION IS TEMPORARILY INACTIVE OR UN-LEGISLATED.

LIAM

Three Weeks Later

Nothing of value has been lost…

CONTRITION (N.):

A DEFENDANT’S GENUINE REMORSE AND CLEAR ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN OFFENSE, WHICH COURTS OFTEN CONSIDER AS A MITIGATING FACTOR TO POTENTIALLY REDUCE A SENTENCE.

OLIVIA

“Um…Liv?” Lindsay stepped in front of the couch, blocking my view ofLaw & Order: SVU.

“Get out of the way.” I groaned. “You’re going to make me miss the best part.”

“This is a rerun episode, and you watched it five times last week.”

“No, it’s my favorite episode.” I craned my neck. “Detective Stabler is about to say?—”

“She was twelve years old, you sick fuck!” She uttered it with him, ruining the moment.

Then she picked up the remote and turned it off.

“What the hell are you doing?” I sat up. “I’m not bothering you.”

“Actually, you are.” She crossed her arms. “You have become a literal couch potato, and I’m pretty sure your skin is days away from fusing with our cushions.”

“Oh, please. You’re exaggerating.”

“You’ve showered like three times—at most—and whenever you’re not distracted by SVU, you’re crying about your boyfriend.”

“He was never my boyfriend.” I scoffed. “He was just a boss I screwed.”

“Right…” She rolled her eyes.

“I’m serious,” I couldn’t say those words without my voice wavering. “He was just great sex and a time-filler, and I don’t miss him at all.”

“Anyway…” She didn’t look the slightest bit convinced. “As your best friend, I’ve decided that today is the misery cutoff date.”

“What do you mean?”

“First, you’re going to get up and take a shower,” she said. “Then you’re going to wash the linens and couch cushions, while you finish two things.”

“What two things?”

“You seriously have to ask?” She walked over to the windows and opened the blinds, letting in sunlight I’d avoided for almost a month.