The Only One

Chapter sixteen

Lisa's pov

The day of trial

There are days when you would be okay with feeling vulnerable or lonely and there the days you wouldn't even think of letting your guard down, especially when you were facing a monster under the bed. A very old one too. I tie my hair up and try to decide on something to wear. Today is the day which determines on whether the monster under my bed gets bigger and worse than before or goes back to it's usual hiding spot, claiming to strike another day. I was unusually very calm about all of this. Was it because of the fact that I had enough evidence?A sudden boost of confidence on my trusty lawyer? I really don't know.

I settle on a pair of black jeans and a olive green v-neck top. I strew it down on the bed, and walk over to the bathroom. I strip completely and enter shower, with the shower in the coldest setting there was. I don't dare to look at my lower half, because it's all still there. The vulnerability from years ago. The marks, on my physical and mental self is still there. My legs suddenly feel all weak and wobbly just like it did ten years ago. It's funny that I can't even say It's been a long time, when the memory is etched onto my brain, like an event that happened yesterday.

I had felt so much pain, torment all these years but when I experience it again, It's like a new feeling all over again. I scrub myself off and stand under the shower head again. After a few minutes, I step out and wrap myself in a towel. I dress up quickly, and walk out my room to see Nate leaning against the kitchen wall, his eyes half closed. It's seven in the morning of a supposed to be blissful Saturday, the weather was trusted to be sunny. He insisted to drive me there even though I didn't ask him in the first place. I don't sit in the passenger seat, but Nate particularly doesn't question my intention, despite his always curious demeanor. As I watch the trees pass by, I try to understand why I was doing this.

What was the exact use of all this? I didn't fight when I had to, in the end, he got what he wanted, and I found myself broken. That was it. As different as many people think, there wasn't any satisfied feeling I'd got when he was thrown in jail. At that time I hadn't even felt safe. I'd wake up, crying or wouldn't even get sleep in the first place. The car stops silently at the secluded looking parking lot of the prison. I opened the back door slowly and get out. My eyes were tired, my stance not guarded. I see my lawyer standing in front of the entrance, he looked quite laid back. 

We all walk inside together, my lawyer leading, probably because he was the only one who knew the way. We entered what looked like a common hall, white blanched walls everywhere. There were a few plastic chairs laid out for people to watch, in the front of it all was a big table, no doubt where the judge would sit. 

There was chair slightly facing both the table and the cluster of chairs, and that was definitely the witness chair, sitting there in bare glory, with no podium around it, barely able to  make up for the real image of a courtroom. The judge wasn't here yet, but there were a few people seated, waiting. I walk myself to the very last row of seats and seat myself lightly. Nate looks like he had made up his mind to stay standing, as he folds his arms, a grim expression evident on his face.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, I look up to see Mr. Evory peeking down at me with a small look of comfort in his eyes. I don't want that. That's the last thing I wanted right now. Only when his eyes stray away to a particular somebody do I understand what that look was really for. Parents. Josh's parents, the two of them with their six year old son, Theo looking straight at me. His mom is giving me the stink eye while his dad was just looking at me. No emotion whatsoever. I look away, and rush of emotions course through me like a river with rough current. 

I see the double doors open and nobody other than Josh walk through. He stops when he sees me seated, with Nate looming over me. He carefully looks over at the both of us, trying to understand why we of all people were here. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together, so when he finally gets it, he sighs and walks over to us. Nate immediately steps in front of my seated form,  using himself as a form of protection for me. I stand up and next to him, ignoring his protective stance, the guy literally had his way with me, what else could he do now?