A Little Piece Of Heaven
Dinner for Four
Chapter Forty-Three:
It’s been a few days since I’ve seen Alex. I’ve been thinking a lot about what he said to me. I’m trying to take it to heart and believe it, but I’m having a hard time with it. I think that it’s one of those things that takes time.
“Hey, you ready to go?” Matt asked me. I looked up and nodded. He helped me up and smiled. We’re driving up to LA to see Jared. He wants to take us to dinner and thought it would be good for me to get out of town for a bit.
“Let me just grab my meds. I’m not sure I can make it through the car ride with the seatbelt otherwise.” I told him.
“Take your time.” He waited by my bedroom door.
“Baby girl, I’ve got some news.” Gwen walked into my room. I looked over at her as I put my meds into my purse.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her.
“They’re moving up the trial. We go to court next week.” She told me. I froze.
“That’s good, right?”
“Would you be alright testifying?” She asked me. “We have evidence against him, but it would really help if you did.”
“I…” I fiddled with my hands. I knew it would be coming, but it didn’t think it would be happening so soon. I don’t want to see him again. I don’t think I can handle being in the same room as him… I want to get it over with, sure, but it so much. He left me to die the last time I saw him. I still have nightmares about him. I can still feel the knife in my gut. But, I know that if he doesn’t get put away for life, then he’ll never leave me alone. “When?”
“The trial is set for next Friday.” She told me. I bit my life. “The lawyer will ask you some prep questions, so you’re not surprised on the stand. Just be honest. There’s nothing he can say that can justify his actions, Angela. If you can’t do it, it’s okay.”
“I can’t let him control me for the rest of my life. I have to do this. No one else can. It didn’t happen to someone else. It happened to me. If I don’t stand up for myself, he’ll have power over me for the rest of my life. I can’t live like that. I’ll do it.” I told her. She smile and gave me a soft hug.
“Will you two be alright going to Los Angeles alone?” She asked me. I nodded.
“I’ll take care of her.” Matt promised.
“You better. If she gets hurt, I’ll hunt you down.” She told him. He held up his hands in surrender.
“You have my word. If I let her get hurt, I’ll come to you. You won’t have to hunt me down.” He told her. She laughed and hugged him.
“Be good to her, Matt. She’s my baby.” She told him.
“She’s mine, too.”
-.-
About an hour into the drive I caved and took my meds. The seatbelt just puts so much pressure on my stomach. It’s killing me.
“How ya feelin’?” Matt asked.
“I’ll feel better after the meds kick in.” I told him.
“What are you thinking about?”
“The trial… I’ve been trying not to, but I can’t seem to shake it off of my mind.” I told him.
“You don’t have to be there alone. I’m going to be there for you.” He told me.
“What?” It didn’t register.
“I’m going to be at the trial to support you.” He looked over at me.
“You don’t have to.” I told him.
“I want to. I told you I was going to be there for you, and that’s what I’m going to do. You’re part of my life and I don’t want that to change.” He smiled.
“You’re pretty amazing; you know?”
“I get that a lot, but thank you.” He teased. I groaned.
“Shut your face.”
“Make me.” He challenged.
“As soon as we’re out of the car,” I taunted. He grinned.
-.-
“There’s my baby girl!” Jared smiled as we walked into his office. “I’m so glad you two could make it. I appreciate you coming all this way.” He crushed me into a hug. I chuckled and hugged him back. He let me go put his arm around Matt and did the same.
“Thanks for inviting us.” I told him.
“Of course, anything for you.” He smiled and pulled out his phone. “I just need to make a phone call and we can head out.” He promised. He left the room and we waited in the office.
“I think you promised me something.” Matt teased. I touched his face and pulled his lips to mine. The kiss was short and sweet.
“I think that’ll suffice as shutting you up.” I smirked.
“Maybe you should do it again, just to be safe.” He pressed his mouth on mine.
“Alright, we’re good to go…” Derek came back into his office. I pulled away from Matt. This just got awkward. “Do you need a minute?” He asked, clearing his throat, awkwardly.
“No, we can go.” I told him, hurriedly.
-.-
“Can I get you some more iced tea?” Our waiter asked me. I nodded.
“That would be great. Thank you.” I told him. He hurried off. I glanced around the table and looked at Jared’s lawyer, Mr. Stewart. He looks like a man who knows what he’s doing. His suit is sharp and pressed. He’s well groomed and breathes extreme confidence. Jared introduced him earlier. I didn’t know he was invited to dinner. I had a feeling that there was something more to dinner than just dinner.
“Angela, I wanted to introduce you to the lawyer that’s going to be taking the lead on your case. I wanted you to feel comfortable around him before we go to trial. I think it’ll help.” He told me. I nodded and looked around the room, again. We’re eating in a swanky back room, away from everyone else.
“Okay.” I breathed. Mr. Stewart cleared his throat.
“Please, call me, ‘Ryan’.” He smiled. “I would just like to get your account of what happened, first hand. I’ve already looked through your medical history, and the pictures that you took, as well as the rest of the evidence. It’s better that we go through this now, so that there are no surprises when you take the stand.”
“I just feel a little blind-sided.” I told him, truthfully. “And with all-due respect, Ryan, I don’t know you.” I told him.
“And the people that will be questioning you on trial won’t know you, either.” He argued. I frowned and bit my lip.
“What do you want to know?” I sighed.
“Why don’t you start at the beginning?” Ryan suggested. Matt glared at him. It came out sarcastically.
“Watch yourself. She doesn’t need an asshole lawyer.” Matt warned. Ryan’s eyes grew wide.
“I didn’t mean anything by it. I apologize. Smart-ass is my native tongue.” Ryan apologized.
“If you don’t think you can handle it, I can get another lawyer who is more sensitive to the situation.” Jared spoke up. Ryan paled and shook his head. It’s going to be a long night.
It’s been a few days since I’ve seen Alex. I’ve been thinking a lot about what he said to me. I’m trying to take it to heart and believe it, but I’m having a hard time with it. I think that it’s one of those things that takes time.
“Hey, you ready to go?” Matt asked me. I looked up and nodded. He helped me up and smiled. We’re driving up to LA to see Jared. He wants to take us to dinner and thought it would be good for me to get out of town for a bit.
“Let me just grab my meds. I’m not sure I can make it through the car ride with the seatbelt otherwise.” I told him.
“Take your time.” He waited by my bedroom door.
“Baby girl, I’ve got some news.” Gwen walked into my room. I looked over at her as I put my meds into my purse.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her.
“They’re moving up the trial. We go to court next week.” She told me. I froze.
“That’s good, right?”
“Would you be alright testifying?” She asked me. “We have evidence against him, but it would really help if you did.”
“I…” I fiddled with my hands. I knew it would be coming, but it didn’t think it would be happening so soon. I don’t want to see him again. I don’t think I can handle being in the same room as him… I want to get it over with, sure, but it so much. He left me to die the last time I saw him. I still have nightmares about him. I can still feel the knife in my gut. But, I know that if he doesn’t get put away for life, then he’ll never leave me alone. “When?”
“The trial is set for next Friday.” She told me. I bit my life. “The lawyer will ask you some prep questions, so you’re not surprised on the stand. Just be honest. There’s nothing he can say that can justify his actions, Angela. If you can’t do it, it’s okay.”
“I can’t let him control me for the rest of my life. I have to do this. No one else can. It didn’t happen to someone else. It happened to me. If I don’t stand up for myself, he’ll have power over me for the rest of my life. I can’t live like that. I’ll do it.” I told her. She smile and gave me a soft hug.
“Will you two be alright going to Los Angeles alone?” She asked me. I nodded.
“I’ll take care of her.” Matt promised.
“You better. If she gets hurt, I’ll hunt you down.” She told him. He held up his hands in surrender.
“You have my word. If I let her get hurt, I’ll come to you. You won’t have to hunt me down.” He told her. She laughed and hugged him.
“Be good to her, Matt. She’s my baby.” She told him.
“She’s mine, too.”
-.-
About an hour into the drive I caved and took my meds. The seatbelt just puts so much pressure on my stomach. It’s killing me.
“How ya feelin’?” Matt asked.
“I’ll feel better after the meds kick in.” I told him.
“What are you thinking about?”
“The trial… I’ve been trying not to, but I can’t seem to shake it off of my mind.” I told him.
“You don’t have to be there alone. I’m going to be there for you.” He told me.
“What?” It didn’t register.
“I’m going to be at the trial to support you.” He looked over at me.
“You don’t have to.” I told him.
“I want to. I told you I was going to be there for you, and that’s what I’m going to do. You’re part of my life and I don’t want that to change.” He smiled.
“You’re pretty amazing; you know?”
“I get that a lot, but thank you.” He teased. I groaned.
“Shut your face.”
“Make me.” He challenged.
“As soon as we’re out of the car,” I taunted. He grinned.
-.-
“There’s my baby girl!” Jared smiled as we walked into his office. “I’m so glad you two could make it. I appreciate you coming all this way.” He crushed me into a hug. I chuckled and hugged him back. He let me go put his arm around Matt and did the same.
“Thanks for inviting us.” I told him.
“Of course, anything for you.” He smiled and pulled out his phone. “I just need to make a phone call and we can head out.” He promised. He left the room and we waited in the office.
“I think you promised me something.” Matt teased. I touched his face and pulled his lips to mine. The kiss was short and sweet.
“I think that’ll suffice as shutting you up.” I smirked.
“Maybe you should do it again, just to be safe.” He pressed his mouth on mine.
“Alright, we’re good to go…” Derek came back into his office. I pulled away from Matt. This just got awkward. “Do you need a minute?” He asked, clearing his throat, awkwardly.
“No, we can go.” I told him, hurriedly.
-.-
“Can I get you some more iced tea?” Our waiter asked me. I nodded.
“That would be great. Thank you.” I told him. He hurried off. I glanced around the table and looked at Jared’s lawyer, Mr. Stewart. He looks like a man who knows what he’s doing. His suit is sharp and pressed. He’s well groomed and breathes extreme confidence. Jared introduced him earlier. I didn’t know he was invited to dinner. I had a feeling that there was something more to dinner than just dinner.
“Angela, I wanted to introduce you to the lawyer that’s going to be taking the lead on your case. I wanted you to feel comfortable around him before we go to trial. I think it’ll help.” He told me. I nodded and looked around the room, again. We’re eating in a swanky back room, away from everyone else.
“Okay.” I breathed. Mr. Stewart cleared his throat.
“Please, call me, ‘Ryan’.” He smiled. “I would just like to get your account of what happened, first hand. I’ve already looked through your medical history, and the pictures that you took, as well as the rest of the evidence. It’s better that we go through this now, so that there are no surprises when you take the stand.”
“I just feel a little blind-sided.” I told him, truthfully. “And with all-due respect, Ryan, I don’t know you.” I told him.
“And the people that will be questioning you on trial won’t know you, either.” He argued. I frowned and bit my lip.
“What do you want to know?” I sighed.
“Why don’t you start at the beginning?” Ryan suggested. Matt glared at him. It came out sarcastically.
“Watch yourself. She doesn’t need an asshole lawyer.” Matt warned. Ryan’s eyes grew wide.
“I didn’t mean anything by it. I apologize. Smart-ass is my native tongue.” Ryan apologized.
“If you don’t think you can handle it, I can get another lawyer who is more sensitive to the situation.” Jared spoke up. Ryan paled and shook his head. It’s going to be a long night.
This is an amazing story. Some chapters were hard to read but I was hooked. Thank you for sharing it.
2/16/18