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“This doesn’t feel like the best time to hash it out,” I tell him. “Can we revisit this after the trial?”

“I can’t let you risk being kicked out of the Law Society.”

“And I can’t risk you getting kicked off the team.”

He shakes his head. “You were right; it was my dream only because I was good at it. I didn’t give it much thought other than that. I don’t think of the future like you; you have planned out your life so insanely carefully, I can’t mess it up.”

“Theo, it’s fine,” I say. “We’ll win the case—”

“What if you don’t?” he says. “What if you try and lose anyway? Then you’d have pissed off Rachel and Chloe for nothing.”

I peel his hands off me, offended. “Excuse me; I never lose a case. Besides, I have a new witness the dean approved.” I soften. “Jamie. He told me the truth, Theo, everything.”

Theo’s eyes go wide. “No. Don’t let him on the stand. I don’t want him to do that for me.”

“He wants to—”

“No, he doesn’t.” Theo grabs my hand, his eyes a plea. “I don’t want him to come out because of me.”

That’s the sole reason Theo was so tight-lipped about that night, about the founder, about Chloe. His cousin Jamie came out to him as gay, then told him how he overheard a bunch of guys on the team praising the founder for some of his beliefs, and that’s why Theo was witnessed as angry the night of the vandalism.

He was confronting some of the team, and Jamie was trying to get him away. Then the statue was vandalized, and everyone assumed that they caught him red-handed.

“It’ll help the case,” I say, feeling like it’s my duty to point it out. “It’ll paint you in a better light, get the jurors more on your side. I can frame it in a different way; I won’t bring up Jamie’s sexuality.”

“I’m not risking it,” he says, shaking his head. “I mean it, Lopez. Promise me.”

“Would you even believe me if I did?”

He grips my face in his hands. “Promise me.” I let out a frustrated sigh and he smiles before I admit defeat. “I’m sure you can figure it out without him.”

“Oh, now you believe in me.”

“I always did,” he says. “I was just doing a little back and forth for dramatic effect.”

I slap his hands away. “Fine, fine.” I start moving. “Then I need to rearrange my argument. Stay away from me; I can’t be distracted.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he says with a salute and a smirk.

CHAPTER 22

The Trial—Part 2

After the recess, Jake continues with his next argument. His new positioning is defaming Theo’s character as much as he can, using anonymous sources to the court, and classified testimonies from teachers who speak to Theo’s sometimes careless attitude in class. Having Jamie would have been great to combat that, but instead I relied on other teachers and character testimonies I gathered to refute, and I think we hit an even playing field all the same.

It should be a stalemate, but for some reason the dean seems to be siding with Jake. The way he nods when he reads the statements, or lets Jake say outlandish things before cutting him off. He’s good at appearing unbiased, but I can read between the lines.

I step up. “Your Honor, I’d like to call Samantha Wilson to the stand.”

Jake approaches the bench. “Your Honor, Samantha Wilson isn’t on the list of approved witnesses.”

“She is.” I join them. “I submitted her this morning. You should have received an email notification.”

“Hours before the trial?” Jake scoffs. “Your Honor, this is clearly underhanded work. Ms. Lopez didn’t want me to have time to prepare.”

“The rule is,” I say with a smile, “anything submitted and accepted before the trial goes.”

Jake scowls. “It couldn’t have been accepted so fast.”