Because of the Accident (Book 1)

Chapter 17

After the case concluded, I sank into the car seat, letting the gravity of everything wash over me like a gentle tide. It was over. All of it. The months of stress, sleepless nights filled with swirling doubts, and the relentless battles fought in the courtroom had finally reached their conclusion. The verdict was in my favor. I had won.

The weight that had been crushing me for so long was suddenly lifted, like a heavy shroud removed from my shoulders. I could finally see a path forward, one that wasn't obscured by shadows of despair. The future, once a daunting abyss, now shimmered with possibilities and hope.

Miranda had decided to keep Miracle for a little while, and after everything we'd been through, I felt a profound sense of relief. We all needed time to heal, to process the whirlwind of emotions that had consumed her since the accident. Taking Miracle to visit her family felt like the right step for her, a chance to reconnect with her roots and find solace. It also meant that Lia and I could enjoy some time alone—a rare and precious opportunity amidst the chaos of our lives.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Lia's voice pulled me from my reverie, her gentle tone slicing through the haze of my thoughts. I turned to her, sitting beside me in the car, parked outside the courthouse. The sunlight streamed through the windshield, casting a warm, golden glow that danced across her features. She was smiling at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and her hand rested softly on mine, radiating warmth and comfort.

In that moment, everything else faded away—the weight of the past, the uncertainty of the future—and all that mattered was her presence beside me. I felt a surge of gratitude as I took in the sight of her, the way the light highlighted the curve of her smile and the gentle sparkle in her eyes. She was my anchor, a beacon of light in a world that had felt so dark for so long. "Nothing much," I said, shaking my head to clear the lingering remnants of the case. "Just... I don't know, processing everything."

"Well," she leaned closer, her smile widening, "we need to celebrate!"

I raised an eyebrow, amused. "Celebrate?"

"Yes! You just won your case. You're finally free of all that weight, and now you can move forward! You deserve to celebrate. We deserve to celebrate!" She punctuated her statement with a playful nudge, her enthusiasm so infectious I couldn't help but grin.

"Alright, alright. Maybe you're right," I conceded, shaking my head with a smirk. "We do need to celebrate."

"Don't worry about paying," she added quickly. "I got this one. You've been through so much."

"Nah," I shook my head again. "I'll take care of it. I mean, I just won a pretty decent chunk of money from the case. I'm not exactly hurting for cash right now."

Lia let out a soft laugh, folding her arms as she settled back into her seat. "Alright, big spender. So where are we going to celebrate?"

I turned left out of the parking lot, heading toward the restaurant district downtown. "You'll see," I said, my grin widening as I caught her confused expression out of the corner of my eye.

She tilted her head slightly, watching me as I drove. "You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Nope."

A mischievous gleam flickered in her eyes as she stared at me. "You're enjoying this way too much, you know that?"

"Maybe," I replied, flashing her a grin. I reached over to the passenger seat, where a bandanna had been sitting, mostly forgotten. I handed it to her.

Lia gave me a bewildered look. "What's this for?"

I chuckled. "I want you to put it on."

"What, like a blindfold?"