The Foster Kid (GirlxGirl)

Chapter Thirty Six

June first finally arrived. It was a day I had anticipated and dreaded for months. Jake and I sat alone in his car, both of us anxious. He hid it well but I knew that his confidence of winning had been greatly diminished after Dani told him that she wasn't going to testify. He had scrounged up last minute testimonies from a few others, hopefully ones that would make up for Dani's absence, but it wasn't likely.

She was with Adrianna. They'd be sitting in the back of the courtroom, watching. It reassured me, knowing Dani was still there for me even if she wasn't going to testify. If at any time I felt hopeless, I'd look back at her and maybe, just maybe, that would change a little.

I hadn't seen Brian in months. When my eyes met his, the world seemed to stop for a moment. I felt a surge of emotions, all different. None of them were positive. His face was cleanly shaven, his hair was combed to the side perfectly, and his gray suit seemed void of wrinkles. He looked harmless, honestly. He looked like a businessman, but he had done something to his appearance to give himself a softer, almost fatherly look.

When I stepped out of Jake's car, I was met with reporters. Swarms of them, shoving microphones in my face as they pestered me with irrelevant questions I didn't want to answer. I quite literally pushed through them, following Jake into a courtroom that was already pretty filled. I sat down next to him and looked back, searching for Dani. She was talking to Adrianna, and even from far away I could sense her uneasiness. I knew she was worried about the outcome of the trial, for sure, but also worried about her safety. Those photos could still be leaked by whoever took them, despite what Adrianna had said. That was worrying to both of us.

Adrianna nudged Dani's side, nodding towards me. Dani's eyes shifted over to me, searching my face for emotions. She mouthed, "Breathe," and it was only then did I realize that I'd been holding my breath.

It wasn't long before the courtroom doors were shut, locking out the media. There were spectators, a lot of them. I had no idea who any of them were, but based on their appearance, I had a hunch a lot of them were here to support Brian. He was the boss of a lot of people, and coincidentally, a lot of people liked him. Quite a few adored him. I knew that. Hell, I had met some of those people. I didn't blame them. When Brian tried, he could be a decent person. But they didn't know what he was like when he got home. He only showed that side of himself to me, and on rare occasions, Sara.

Sara was sitting behind Brian, whispering into his ear. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to breathe. I was so utterly done with Sara. She was an idiot in love, and I knew I was being hypocritical because I would probably do anything, anything to keep Dani safe, but I couldn't even look at her. I had protected her. I stood up for her. I let Brian beat me because I knew she couldn't handle it.

This was how she thanked me?

Now that Dani wasn't testifying, she was my only hope. Jake had told me that she couldn't refuse to testify. Technically speaking, she was my mother, my legal guardian. I knew that people were entitled to stay quiet when it came to the prosecution of their spouse, but in this case, she couldn't. Because I was her child and my safety was in question, she couldn't.

I knew she wouldn't lie on the stand, but that didn't mean she couldn't dodge Jake's questions.

I just had to have faith that he knew what he was doing.

The jury was sworn in quickly. Jake and Brian's attorney had both gone back and forth, building a jury in their favor. We needed people that were sensitive to the safety of children, even if I was technically an adult now, while Brian needed people who sympathized with his method of parenting. Of course, neither Jake or Brian's attorney could get exactly what they wanted, but they sure tried.