THIS COULD BE US, anna shumate

the court date

it was now the day, layla didn't want to come, she sat in court beside her lawyer beside her with leonardo apollo, amanda and their lawyer next to them.

layla looked to the judge who called out her name, "sorry—" the judge nods her head, "it's okay, please come and take a seat at the podium," she lets out a shaky breath looking back to her family who put their thumbs up.

she comes around the corner sitting at the podium chair where a security guard told her that she can't lie under oath, "okay, miss beck—" leonardo's and amanda's lawyer comes to her, "my client leonardo asked you to do a photoshoot with him?"

layla nods her head, "yeah," the lawyer nods his head, "okay, and when amanda was getting you ready for the photoshoot, she left the room to give you privacy, correct?"

layla looked at the correct, "correct, but—" leonardo's lawyer looked at the judge, "that's all i have to say—"

"judge," layla's lawyer looked at her client, "may i?" the judge nods her head, "layla," layla hummed, "did leonardo come into the dressing room when you were half naked?"

layla felt her mouth go dry looking towards where leonardo sat next to amanda, "y-yes," mellisa kept professional, "and did he invade your personal bubble and start touching you inappropriately,"

anna looked at her girlfriend beside her girlfriend's parents knowing layla was having a hard time talking about it, "layla?" layla feels a tear come down her face, snapping out her daze, "y-yes he did,"

mellisa leaned forwards touching her client's hand, "and did he not slap you across the face after you told him to let go multiple times?" layla looked at her lawyer, "yes, he left a hand print what my girlfriend saw when i went to her house,"

the judge looked to her favourite attorney lawyer, "that's all i have to say your honour," mellisa helps layla come back over to their table where leonardo was now being questioned by his lawyer.

"did she want you to touch her?"

leonardo looked at layla who was behind his lawyer, "she was begging me to touch her," layla looked at him in shock, "objection, your honour, he's throwing false accusations," mellisa said to the judge.

the judge slapped its gravel aganist the wooden plate, "quiet!" she lets out a breath seeing layla being in her brother's arms who sat beside her with tears coming down her face, "leonardo,"

leonardo turns towards the judge from where he sat at the podium, "you're guilty," she hit her gravel aganist the wooden plate, "10 years in orange county community jail, and a restraining order, if you're withing 10 meters of miss beck, you'll be sentenced with twenty years, do you understand me?"

the court security guards comes towards leonardo handcuffing his hands as the security guards come and take leonardo from the podium where they start to pass layla, "you liked me touching you, you slut!"

anna watched her girlfriend's horrified face, coming through the court's open gates bringing layla into her arms, "he's gone, he's gonna be gone for a long time,"

layla pulls back from her girlfriend, "i-i just wanna go home," noah looked at anna with a small frown seeing his sister passing her girlfriend coming towards jasmine who walked them to noah's car, "sorry.."

____

jasmine looked at her family from where they sat in layla's apartment kitchen with everyone who attended the court standing there, watching jasmine come downstairs, "she's asleep now,"

amy looked at her niece, "is she okay?" jasmine looked at her aunt, "i think she's gonna need a few days without no one asking her how's she's doing, but just being there for her will help her," john nods his head, "yeah,"

zack looked at anna who sat in the living room by herself, excusing himself he makes his way towards anna, "hey,"

he sat opposite anna on layla's comfy sofa, "are you okay?" and just when he asked that, he saw a tear coming down his friend's face, "i just—"

anna let's out a breath, "when i was hugging her in the court room, she pulled away from me," zack looked at her, "the man who sexually assaulted her, called her a slut, and said that she begged for her to touch him, she was just overwhelmed and upset, you know she loves you,"

anna ran a hand through her hair, "just maybe not as much as she used to," zack furrowed his eyebrows when anna stands up, "i'm gonna go and get something for her to eat when she wakes,"

"okay.."

anna then walks off grabbing a hold of her range rover cars keys when the door closed, layla comes downstairs rubbing at her eyes looking around at everyone and not seeing her girlfriend, "where's anna?"

everyone turned to look at layla who stood there in her court clothes, "uh," zack comes closer to his girl best friend, "she went to go and get something for you to eat, she'll be back,"

layla nods her head, "okay.." she fiddled with her fingers, "when she does come back can you tell her to come upstairs?" zack nods his head, "ye-yeah, i'll tell her,"

jasmine comes towards her cousin, "do you want me to come upstairs?" layla looked at her cousin, "n-no, it's okay," she turns around walking back upstairs to where jasmine now goes towards her family.

____

anna comes back into her girlfriend's apartment seeing everyone left expect for layla's family where zack messaged anna saying that layla wanted her upstairs in her bedroom.

she comes upstairs walking down the hallway coming to her girlfriend's closed bedroom door, slowly opening it when she pokes her head in seeing her girlfriend's head looking back at her, "hey, it's just me,"

she stated coming inside her girlfriend's bedroom with the bag of food in her hand, "i um- i got you raising canes,"

layla looked at her girlfriend with a tear stained face, "anna, i'm— i'm so sorry for what i did in the courtroom, i promise i-i wasn't begging for him to touch me, i-i promise,"

anna frowned looking at her girlfriends eyes, "i know you weren't bub, it's okay," she moves a piece of her girlfriend's brunette hair from her face, "he's locked up now,"

layla let tears come from her eyes, leaning her head on her girlfriend's shoulders, "i love you so much," anna let's out a breath, "i love you too,"

layla moved her head from her girlfriend's shoulder, "ar-are you okay?" anna looked at her girlfriend's eyes, "i thought i did something that's you pulled away so quickly when i hugged you in the courtroom,"

layla shakes her head, "what, no, no-" she looked at anna, "i was just overwhelmed and," anna nods her head, "i get it, it's overwhelming,"

she comes towards anna, "you didn't do nothing, we're fine," anna half smiled, her hands coming to layla's cheek kissing her girlfriend's lips.