Free (Sequel to Through The Dark) Complete

Chapter 75

The next morning Julie just wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.  She kept going over in her head that she was about to get up on the stand and have to talk about everything that had occurred during her time with Johnny.  All the things that she'd endured plus everything that Johnny had brought up the day before.  Harry had tried to talk to her, to support her, to make her understand he was there for her, but she just couldn't accept it right now.  She was shut up tight.  The only thing holding her together was walking through things step by step in her mind and not letting her emotions get the best of her.  She was thankful for Harry, and Amanda, Niall and the rest.  She just had to do what she had to do to get through this day. Compartmentalizing was the only thing holding her together. They had arrived at the courthouse, and she went to her seat immediately without a word to the others.  She knew that it was hard on Harry.  She knew it was probably hurting him, but she would make it up to him later.  Right now, she was in survival mode.

Everyday so far, she had turned around and looked to see who was sitting behind her.  Made sure Harry and her friends were where they always were.  Today she couldn't.  She realized that she had told them about most of her history with Johnny but talking about it in great detail with them present, walking through the feelings and the reasons, was just too much for her right now.  Julie took a deep breath when Marc got up and spoke to the court.  He was going to call a couple of expert witnesses first, and then maybe Amanda and Zayn.  They had seen the most in Vegas.  Marc made quick work of the doctors he called to the stand.  They disputed the expert witnesses Johnny's lawyers had brought to testify.  Stating that the wounds shown in the pictures and the medical records entered into evidence were definitely signs of being physically abused.  The doctors stated they had no doubt beatings had occurred and thought it was a ridiculous notion that the doctors testifying on Johnny's behalf had said it was because Julie was a klutz.  There was no way she could have run into things or fallen down and received those types of injuries.

The doctors did a good job of disproving all of Johnny's lawyers theories, and all the shady doctor's testimony.  Julie was starting to wonder why Johnny would do this.  Why would he come all this way and not have a real plan?  Did he truly believe that his sitting on the stand and trying to get sympathy would automatically win him this case?  Julie knew he was quite a bit of a self-centered narcissist, but this was a step above crazy.

Nate took over from Marc, and he decided to call Amanda to the stand.  He wanted the night in Vegas set.  He wanted the judge to hear what an outsider had witnessed that night before Julie gave her testimony.  It was hard for Julie to witness.  She could barely look up when Amanda was sworn in.

"Ms. Thornton, thank you for testifying today."  Nate said to her.  "I'd like to start by asking you to tell me how you came to see the scene in the alley in Vegas October 2014."

"Of course."  Amanda replied sitting up straight and folding her hands in her lap.  "Julie and I were in Las Vegas for the last performance of the tour for One Direction.  We went to a club to celebrate the end of the tour.  JJ, er, sorry, Julie and I went to use the restroom, and when I got back up to VIP and turned around, she was gone.  I turned around and went back down the stairs and asked security which way she'd went.  When they said she went out the backdoor with someone and I saw Harry still at the top of the stairs, I went to find her.  That's when I saw her with Johnny."

"Mr. Thomas was there with her?"  Nate asked her.

"Yes, he was standing in the alley with her, and he was saying some pretty nasty things about her."  Amanda continued looking over at Johnny.  "I knew, without having to be told, who he was."

"And what happened after you saw Mr. Thomas in the alley with Ms. Jackson?"  Nate asked.

"I ran up to them and tried to get her away from him.  He had her wrist in his hand, and I lost it.  I slapped him across the face."  Amanda said looking down at her hands.