Cold State Line

All eyes were on me as I took my seat at the bench again. Nerves were coursing through my body. I was about to reveal to everyone what Clay had done to me. This would be the first time I laid it all out, not just what I had told Matt. This would be everything. It would be the gritty and the dirty and the absolute fucking bloody. It was about to be full detail too. Was I ready? Fuck no.

"When was the first time it escalated beyond verbal abuse, Miss Lewis?" Alvin asked. Even he didn't know what I was about to say. All he knew was what was on my phone. My phone had the pictures and the voices; I had the memories.

"It was two and a half years ago," I said quietly. This was going to be hard to do. "I had just finished training with my new horse and got into the apartment late. Clay kept asking why I was late, not accepting that I had been at training. When I tried to get around him to get to our bedroom, he grabbed my upper arm. Before I could even blink, his hand was around my neck. He said I belonged to him and proceeded to rip my clothes off and rape me.

"When I started to cry, he slapped me. After everything was over, he acted like nothing had happened. That's when it changed, our relationship."

"And why did you stay with him?" I knew Alvin was going to ask it, but it still hurt to hear.

"I was young and in love. I didn't know better." I looked at my hands. "I thought it meant he loved me, but it didn't mean that at all."

"We would like to present evidence C through F." Alvin handed over the pictures. I may have been young and stupid, but I knew I needed to document what he had done just so I knew that it had actually happened.

"Can you take us through everything he did?"

I nodded. "The second time it became violent was about two months after that. Clay had been very sweet the entire time after the rape. He acted like the perfect boyfriend, so I assumed it was a one-off and would never happen again.

"One night, Clay was drunk. He knew I was going to be at my friend, Anna's, house and that I would be home late. I have no idea why he got drunk, but when I got home, he back handed me. There was blood streaming down my nose as he pinned me against the wall. He forced me to my knees and unzipped his pants." I paused, swallowing my tears. "Clay shoved his penis into my mouth, forcing down my throat which made me joke. He kept doing that until he ejaculated into my throat. Then he pulled me up by my hair and turned me around. Clay... I think the term is sodomy. He raped me in my ass."

Alvin raised an eyebrow. Fury ignited in his eyes. I shot a quick glance at Matt and saw his hands balled into fists.

"We are presenting evidence G through I. Please go on, Miss Lewis."

"The third time it happened I finally went to the police station. Without any prompting, Clay raped me in our bedroom. I hand't been late or anything. He shoved my underwear into my mouth and put his hand over my nose and mouth so I couldn't breath. I remember passing out shortly after he penetrated me. By the time I woke up, I was in a hospital with doctors, nurses, and police officers asking me what happened."

Alvin nodded as I took a shaky breath. "Evidence J through L. The police have a rape kit they are also introducing into evidence. Miss Lewis, when did things get truly... intense?"

I swallowed. The tears were know leaking out of me as I talked about what had happened to me. "After that incident that put me in the hospital, I moved back in with my parents and filed for a restraining order. I was in the process of getting one the first time Clay found me.

"I was at my parents' house and he broke in when it was just me alone. Clay pushed me down a flight of stairs and yelled some things at me. I don't really remember much, but I do know that I had a broken arm and a broken tailbone."

Alvin introduced more evidence and asked me to continue. This was going to be the hardest part... well, one of them.

"I moved into a new apartment that only my coach, my parents, and Anna knew about. I was there for two months before Clay found me." I stopped. I didn't want to do this, but I knew it was the only way to get Clay away from me. "He was drunk and kicked in my door. Pieces of wood went everywhere, including into me. He pulled my hair so hard that clumps of it fell out. He dragged me from my bathroom to my living room.

"He threw me onto my glass table and glass got everywhere and into me. Then he somehow tied me up with rope he brought. I don't know how I got naked, but he did it. He raped me, this time it hurt so badly. I could feel the vaginal tears. I admit I did spit on him." I gulped again, gaining courage as I finally talked it out.

"After I spit on him, he grabbed a piece of glass and put it inside of me. He raped me with a piece of glass. By the time someone found me, I was damaged beyond repair. The doctors tole me I would never be able to have children."

The court room was dead quiet. Alvin presented more evidence as did the police. But there was still more to tell.

"The last time he hurt me before he left for the rodeo world circuit was after I was out of the hospital. I was going to physical therapy and he rammed the back of my car, sending me flying into traffic. The doctors say I was lucky to live."

Alvin handed over the second to last pieces of evidence. "There is one more incident before the defense can cross examine. Can we take another recess?"

The judge nodded. "We're at recess until tomorrow."

Notes

Oh boy, what now?