Love Don't Cost A Thing

32.

Meredith was called up first. She was the one it had happen to. The other people involved like Derek and her friends, which were in the court room too, which she hadn't noticed would have to testify too, once she said her piece.

When she left Derek's arm, she felt cold and that instant feeling that her life was over came over her, whenever she wasn't in the safety of Derek's arm, she felt broken, betrayed, used.

Meredith swore that she would tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth and blah blah blah with the bible or whatever and then she sat in the chair. They chair was cold. She was cold. Everything felt cold. She needed to Derek. She looked at Derek with desperation in her eyes. She felt like she was going to cry. She needed to feel his arms around her now. She half hugged herself, but not so much as to look crazy and kept looking at Derek. She wasn't going to look over at Charles, she would break down if she saw him.

The offense attorney walked up to her, looking over at Charles before looking at Meredith, who finally broke her gaze from Derek and looked blankly, deadly into the attorney's hazel eyes.

"So, Meredith, I'm Kelsey and i will be asking you some questions." The attorney told her as she walked forward a little more, her heals clicking on the tile floor. Click. Click. Click. Stop.

"So Meredith, who is Charles Belmont to you?" Kelsey asked Meredith.

"No one." Meredith said. He was no one now. He had violated her, had made her what she was right now. He was no one.

"That's no what i meant." Kelsey said softly as she sighed.

"What did you mean?" Meredith asked kind of dreamily. Kelsey paced a little in front of Meredith. Click. Click. Click. Stop.

"Ok...let me rephrase the question. Who was Charles to you?" Click. Click. Click. Kelsey paced. Click. Click. Click. Then stop. Meredith shook her head a little.

"Charles was a friend." Meredith said.

"So...the accused was your friend? Charles was your friend and then he tried to rape you and almost succeeded?"

"Yes." Meredith whispered.

"How long were you friends?" Kelsey asked. Click. Click. Click. Stop. Meredith drew in a sharp breath.

"A month in and half." Meredith answered.

"Why do you think he did it to you? Tried to?" Click. Click. Click. Meredith study the floor now. She didn't want to look into those hazel eyes.

"How the hell should i know, i can't see inside his fucking head." Meredith said as she snapped her head up to look into those hazel eyes. That damn noise. Click. Click. Click.

"Easy now." The judge said loudly.

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me." Kelsey said quickly.

Meredith stared down at the tile again, and a shiny black heal came into her view and then it was gone. Click. Click. Click. Stop.

"Did you ever suspect anything of Charles before it happened?"

"No." Meredith said instantly.

"Do you or have you ever felt feelings for Charles in a more than friendly way?"

"Hell no." Meredith said as she glared at the tile and than looked up toward Derek. He didn't look happy. And she couldn't look at him right now, she just felt like looking at no one now. Click. Click. Click. A flash of shiny back. Meredith closed her eyes.

"Is it possible that he didn't rape you, that it was actually love making that the boyfriend supposedly walking in, that's why Charles was so beat up?" Kelsey ask with fear in her eyes.