just a warning that this mentions some things that may be a sensitive subject for some people
Grace
I watch the trees pass as we speed down the highway, tapping my fingers on the door handle. It's one of those days that I just want to curl up in bed under the blankets and not do anything or talk to anyone. I lean my head on the window and close my eyes, wishing that I didn't have to do this.
Louis reaches over and grabs onto my hand, squeezing it lightly. "Stop worrying, you'll be fine. He can't hurt you."
"I don't want to see his face. I could've happily lived my life without ever seeing it again."
"It's just one day. It's all over after this."
"But I have to talk about what he did to me, and I really don't want to do that."
"But you want him to get what he deserves, right?" I sigh, nodding in agreement to Louis' question.
"Yeah."
"Then we have to go through this, whether you want to or not." He pulls into the lot and parks the car.
"I just hope the judge believes me."
"They have no reason not to." We get out of the car and walk inside. I walk slowly behind Louis, having a small bit of hope that if I take enough time, it'll be cancelled and I won't have to go. But I know that won't happen.
We take a seat on the bench outside of the courtroom, across from the woman who would've been my mother in-law. She never liked me, and I was always confused as to why. It's not like I abused her son, and made his life hell.
She just sits there, sending me dirty looks. I bury my face in Louis' chest, hoping that it'll stop her from staring. He wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head, whispering things in my ear, hoping to calm my nerves.
After a few minutes, we're finally allowed into the room and we stand in front of the judge, opposite Aaron's mother. My heart begins to race when I see the man who's the reason that I'm in this position escorted into the room, and I lean into Louis again. Aaron takes his spot next to his mother, and neither of them take their eyes off me.
The judge begins to speak and I try to focus on what she's saying, but all I can think about is the two staring at me from across the room. She calls me up to speak and I swallow thickly, looking back at Louis. He nods slowly at me and I take a few steps forward.
"When I was in high school, he forced me to break up with my boyfriend because he believed that he wasn't good enough for me. He said that if I didn't, he would beat both my me and my boyfriend. To protect my boyfriend from Aaron, I broke up with him, but made sure to tell him what was going on. When Aaron found out that I had broken up with my boyfriend, he took me to his house in the middle of the night and.." I swallow thickly and take a deep, shaky breath. "He took me to his house in the middle of the night and raped me, and he abused me the rest of the night, leaving marks all over my body."
"Did no one at school say anything?" The judge asks, interrupting me for a quick question.
"I covered any marks that were visible with make up. I did make sure to tell my boyfriend though."
