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When we end up circling around the school and pass my locker for a second time, I say, “Are you setting me up here? What are you stalling for?”

She checks her phone, then says, “This.”

We move, and I recognize the path to the auditorium. I don’t ask any questions because it seems Lexie is unwilling to give answers. I let her push me into the room, and then she says “Have fun!” and heads out the door.

I turn, and Theo is standing on the stage. For the first time ever, his shirt is buttoned properly and tucked into his black pants. His dark shoes are standard leather instead of his usual sneakers, and he’s wearing a thin tie—actually in an appropriate, fully approved uniform.

That catches my attention, then slowly, as I start walking toward him, the surroundings start to come into my vision. Behind him is the exact same setup of his trial, even though everything was removed last week. I know because the Law Society is responsible for cleaning up after trials.

He sits on the witness stand, a folder in his grasp.

As I get to the foot of the stage, he says, “Violet Miorlanis Lopez, will you please approach the bench?”

My brain has no idea what’s going on, no matter how much it tries to make sense of the situation. The only thing I say is “Who told you my middle name?”

“The bench, please.”

We haven’t talked since the case; here and there at school and some polite texts, but we haven’t hung out. I figured Theo still needed time to figure out if he could forgive me for taking on the deal in the first place, so I’ve been patient and not at all staring at my phone every minute imagining his name appearing.

I take the stairs. By the time I reach the top, Theo is sitting where the dean sat. There’s a romance book beside him he gestures to. “Do you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth on the name of Kaitlin Forney?” he says, referring to the author’s name.

I open my mouth but can’t find the right words. Am I supposed to laugh? Or actually, am I dreaming?

He raises his eyebrows at me, serious. “Lopez?”

“What is this?” I’m confused, and there are butterflies pooling in my stomach even though I can’t name why.

He rolls his eyes. “Will you play along? You’re ruining my vision.”

Now I do laugh, and swear with my hand on the book that I will tell the truth. He sends me to the witness stand.

“Ms. Lopez.” He stands, folder to chest, pacing in front of me. His voice is stern and loud, and I wonder if this is how he viewed me during his trial. “Is it true you accepted a bribe to sabotage a fellow student’s case?”

I cough a little. “Um. Yes.”

“And is it true that you only accepted the case after the defendant was a selfish ass who blackmailed you into doing it?”

“Also yes?”

His voice rises. “And during the time you swore to have been sabotaging the case, you built a close bond with the defendant?”

“Again, yes?”

“Yet during the trial you were meant to ruin, you ended up successfully defending your client despite the risks to your own academic career?”

“Theo, what is going on?”

“Please refrain from using personal language within the court.”

I laugh, then run a hand through my hair. “Okay, yes, I did all that.”

“Why? You had valid reasons for going through it.”

I chew on my lip. I know the reason—there are several, but the main one makes my body warm. When I don’t speak, Theo goes on. “Could it be, Ms. Lopez, that you had feelings for the defendant?”

I cough and choke on my own saliva.

“And could it be,” Theo goes on, dropping the folder onto the desk, “the defendant also had feelings for you?”