Burn With Me

Chapter 40

Hallie

It's been 6 months.

6 months in protective custody.

6 months of being known to be dead by the people
I love.

As I await to enter the courtroom, I can't help
the nervousness that filled me.

Damien....

It has been hell without him. But knowing he was safe with our kids helped me get through these past few months.

I can't wait to see him. But how will he react knowing I'm alive?

I didn't have time to ponder over that as I'm being told that I'm to take the witness stand.

I stood up and took a shaky breath.

I started to walk and every step I took brought me closer to Damien. to seeing him again for the first time in a long time. 6 months. Not that long to some, but an eternity when it comes to the one you love.

The doors open and immediately my eyes were drawn to where he was sitting. His back facing me, but I know he knows. I feel his tension,
shock and confusion radiating off of him.

Then I moved my gaze and saw Nate, Lia, Dave... I swallowed the lump in my throat. His family is here. Shock in all their faces. Tears in some.

I kept walking, my gaze remaining on Damien urging him to turn so I can catch a glimpse him, but he didn't. He didn't look. Not when I walked right next to him. Not when I took the stand and swore to tell the truth. Not when I sat down.

Not when Marcus burst out in anger and started yelling angrily.

"You fucking bitch," he said.

"Councillor control your client!" The judge ordered.

But that didn't stop Marcus. He kept telling angrily, so the judge asked the bailiff to remove him.

Damien still didn't look at me.

I saw Nate say something to him. He remained in a trance.

The judge spoke again. "This court is adjourned and will resume tomorrow morning at 10am with Hallie Scott on the stand," she said.

And only then... Only then did he look up and looked at me.

I shuddered.

There he was looking at me.

It's me.

It's me, Damien.

My hair is longer and hair darker, but it's me.

I saw happiness, but something rendered me frozen. It shattered my heart.

I saw his pain.

I felt my own tears pool in my eyes.

He watched as I was led by an officer.

He had tears in his eyes. Tears that matched my
own.

"Damien. She's alive. Hallie's alive," I heard Nate say.

All he did was nod.

Damien

I was brought to the same room I had my talk
with Vin.

I took a deep breathe before walking through the door.

There she was. Standing there. Looking every bit of the woman I love, yet different somehow.

Her lip quivered as tears filled her eyes.

I found my own eyes filling with tears.

I couldn't move. I was rooted.