Basketball Baby

• Chapter Nineteen •

Relief

     I fixed my hair nervously as I stood in front of the mirror in the courthouse bathroom awaiting the verdict of the trial against Kevin. I took in a slow shallow breath as I tried to calm my nerves and shook my head to clear my tangled thoughts. I had finished telling the jury every account of abuse that had happened to me. They even showed pictures of me with bruises on my face and body. I felt my heart start to beat painfully slow and I felt the tears begin to sting at my eyes. I closed my eyes shut as tight as I possibly could to keep the tears from falling. I couldn't look weak when I go back in there. I was strong and brave for putting myself and my family through this.

It had taken the whole summer for the trial to come to an end because there were so many things we had to go through. I had to postpone going to Columbia until next semester so I could finish this. The only upside of holding off on Columbia was that he would be in jail and wouldn't be allowed to ever hurt another girl like he had hurt me.

     I walked out of the bathroom and started to make my way towards the courtroom, but stopped in my tracks once I noticed Colton standing across from me. He was staring at me worriedly and I felt my heart sore at the sight of him being there. I let out a little sob of relief seeing him here then I jogged over to him and jumped into his open arms. He squeezed me as tight as he possibly could to his chest and buried his face in my hair. "I'm so glad you're here." I admitted as I ran my fingers through the back of his hair gently and he squeezed me a little tighter as he nodded in agreement.

"I wouldn't miss being here for you, Diana." He whispered and I smiled briefly then planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Colton?" I asked as I pulled back to stare at him. "I love you." I whispered just as my lawyer exited the courtroom.

"The jury's back with their decision, Ms. Walker." She announced and I nodded my head as Colton placed me back gently on the ground. I turned back to look at him and he was grinning at me. I giggled at him and bit my lip nervously.

"Well, aren't you going to reply?" I teased and he continued to grin at me as he took in a deep breath.

"I'll tell you my response as soon as they put him away." He informed me and I rolled my eyes as I smiled at him. "Let's go get this over with." He said and I nodded putting on my serious face.

The jury entered the courtroom as I sat next to my lawyers silently waiting for the verdict. "In the case, Walker versus Vincent on multiple counts of physical and mental abuse and one count of rape, how do you find the defendant?" The judge asked quickly and one person of the jury stood up. He looked at me with pity then looked back at the judge quickly.

  "We find the defendant, Kevin Marcus Vincent, guilty on the counts of domestic violence," He announced and I heard my Mother let a sigh of relief and I felt my lawyer pat my back gently. I took in a ragged breath as I nodded my head and tried to steady my heart and keep the tears at bay. "On the count of rape, we find the defendant guilty." And that was when I lost it and started to break down crying my lawyers started patting my shoulders and I heard my Mother start to cry as well and my Father whisper a thank you to God.

  "Kevin Marcus Vincent on behalf of the state of Florida I sentence you to the maximum sentencing of twenty years without the chance of parole for the count of rape and I also sentence you to ten years for 3 counts of domestic violence from the evidence provided by Ms. Walker. That is a total of fifty years that Mr. Vincent will have to serve. I hope you feel some sort of remorse for what you have done to this poor, young girl. Case dismissed." She finished with a loud bang of the gavel. We all rose as she left the courtroom.