the reason | 13rw

f i f t y - t w o

the next day and i was sat in the court room again. my lawyers were sat on either side of me. 

"i'd like to call montgomery de la cruz to the stand." bryce's lawyer said. 

they brought him in, getting him on the stand. 

"mister de la cruz, you are good friends with bryce walker correct?" he asked. 

"yeah, we've known each other for as long as i can remember." 

"now you are very loyal to him?" 

"of course," monty nodded. 

"you have also dated nicolette james." 

"that is correct." 

"now did either of them tell you about their fling those few years ago?" 

"no, i found out recently through nicolette." 

"now you were present when bryce was said to have touched nicolette, correct?" 

"yes sir, both times." 

"how come you proceeded to date nicolette but also stay friends with bryce?" 

"nicolette claimed it hadn't bothered her and when she did bring it to my attention, i stopped." 

"did you though? because to me and according to security tapes, the two of you were around him quite a lot." 

monty fell quiet. 

"don't worry, not a question. this is, did you ever lie about bryce touching nicolette?" 

"yes, i said that he hadn't and she'd gotten with him which wasn't true. he had touched her and she never allowed it." 

"but why even side with bryce in the first place and go back to change your answer?" 

"because i thought bryce did nothing wrong, but i saw how hardly it'd broken nicolette. i felt guilt, bryce walker would never know how that feels." 

"thank you mister de la cruz." he nodded and sat. 

one of my lawyers stood. 

"now monty, can you tell about how you and nicolette began dating?" 

"well we didn't know each other very well. we were friends sure but mostly through her brother. at the beginning of our junior year, we began talking more and became very close. i really started to fall for her, i wasn't sure if she'd felt the same way. i wrote her little letters and put them in her bag or her locker. she never even suspected it was me." he said. "when she finally found out is when we got together." 

"i have some of the letters here, can i read them?" 

"of course," he nodded. 

"this is the first he ever gave her." she said and then held it up. "you're my nemo, if you get lost in the great, big ocean, i'll find you."

she grabbed another, "i have a crush on your mind, i fell for your personality and your looks are just a big bonus." 

she read a couple others before turning to monty. 

"now you and nicolette were in a very commited relationship, correct?" 

"yeah, i love her with my whole heart." he said. 

"now if this is too personal, you don't have to answer but have the two of you been together in a more physical way?" 

he looked over to me and i nodded. 

"yes we have," he said. 

"and how did she consent to those times?" 

"verbally," he said. "always verbally."