Let Me Put You In The Picture: Version 1

Chapter 162

                  

The night before the trial had finally come and it was all I could do to relax. I lay awake thinking about all the possible ways it could go.

            There wasn't going to be a jury. Just a judge listening to everyone's testimony with the exception of Matt's. He was getting better but was in no state to travel to the courthouse.

            I analyzed my plan for what to say inside my head. Both Fiona and Raoul practiced with me to coach me on how to respond to both the defense's and prosecution's questions. Nic, Noel, Pat, and Liam were set to testify on behalf of the prosecution as well.

            I sat up and grabbed my laptop and tried to distract my mind by looking up things on Wikipedia, avoiding the pages related to Liam, Noel, and the others at all costs.

            Liam lay beside me on his stomach. His eyes were closed and his breathing quiet but he was still awake.

            I ran my free hand up and down his back making him sigh and arch his shoulders a bit.

            "Your nails are too fuckin' short." He said softly.

            I rolled my eyes not diverting them from the computer. "No they're not. A couple of them broke so I cut them all off." I replied.

            "Well ya need to go to a salon or summat and get some a them fake ones put on. Your real ones are doin' fuck all for me."

            I rolled my eyes again as I dug my nails deeper into his skin. "I don't do fake nails."

            He sighed as he raised his shoulders. "Well ya don't fuckin' have to." He said through a bit of hitched breathing. "As long as ya can scratch me shoulders good."

            I shook my head as I watched him lay there, unable to keep a small smile off my face.

            "Get to it, yeah?"

            I repositioned my fingers and dug my nails in again.

            He sighed contendedly and stretched his shoulders out a bit.

            About a minute later, my phone rang. It was Ben.

            "Hello?" I said into the receiver.

            "Hi Jules." Ben replied. "Nic asked me to call ya and make sure you're goin' to see Matt tomorrow after things are over."

            "Yep. I'm planning to."

            "Good. Mum's gonna stay there all day but it'll be good if you go see him too."

            "Blue!" Liam whispered.

            "Hang on." I told Ben. I turned to Liam. "What?"

            "Who ya talkin' to?"

            "Ben."

            He furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance. "What the bleedin' hell does he want?"

            I waved my hand at him and turned my attention back to the phone. I stayed focused on the conversation until I saw Liam's hand reach up out of the corner of my eye.

            "Stop!" I snapped as I pushed his hand away from grabbing the phone.

            "No!" He whined. "I need ya more than he fuckin' does!"