troubled | e.d.

twenty-seven

ethan

"so..." hargrove sighs, pacing the length of the office and running his hands through his hair.

i sit quietly, swiveling in the spinny chair every couple of moments.

"what do we do, jace?" richard asks. "what are your ideas?"

"whatever we do, ethan's not taking the plea, got it?" he states harshly like the words fast bad in his mouth.

i perk up. "what plea?"

"jared bernard is going to offer up a plea deal, where you probably get five less years and instead get out on parole. you're not taking it, no matter what."

nodding numbly i reply, "okay. s-so no matter what i'll plead innocent?"

hargrove gives me a firm, long look.
"correct. those deals never go through half the time anyway. eventually it just ends up being the full sentence."

"have you contacted cameron dolan?" richard asks him. "she's our main hope right now."

hargrove sighs, looking out the blinds of the window. "i've tried reaching out. she's refusing to speak to anyone caught up in this case. she doesn't want to be apart of it anymore."

"how's that even legal? this entire thing was revolved around her." i ask. "i know it's her right to refuse to testify, but if she gets up on the witness stand then i'm surely a free man."

richard chews on the inside of his cheek.
"no court date has been set as of now, but it's in the process. my estimations would probably be sometime next month."

"next month?" i gape. "that's so soon."

"if it's another undecided trial, then the next one would be in december."

my mouth dries out instantly at his words, and i have the sudden urge to call my mom.

"how do we prepare for this case?" i ask. "where would we even start?"

"we start by proving your innocence about the pocket knife. why did you purchase it, again?"

"i was planning on going fishing the next weekend and needed something to cut the fishing line with," i explain calmly. "i can show the receipt of the fishing license i obtained only days prior to getting the knife in order to prepare for the trip."

"and why did you go to your sister's house that night? did you have intentions of hurting david?" he asks, reciting questions i've been asked billions of times in court.

"no. i went because i had to drop off some mail that my mom sent. there is proof from security footage of me entering the building that i have envelopes in my hand," i recite again smoothly.

"and how did you end up with david on the ground?"

i swallow, trying not to remember too many of the details.

"he was under the influence. i heard yelling and came in to see what was happening. my sister was hiding in another room and he was looking for her. he came after me first, and i used self defense to protect me and her."

"and that's where we would need cameron," richard sighs, crossing his arms.

"did we ever get some other tenants to say they heard yelling? what ever happened with that lead?"

"none of them felt comfortable enough to involve themselves in the case. it seems like they were all scared of david loughty, which should be enough evidence on its own," hargrove replies in a quiet, husky voice.

"why is he dragging this out?" i ask desperately.

"like you, he's very persistent," richard replies, pointing a finger at me. "he won't stop until you're behind bars. lucky for you, we won't stop until the opposite."

i sit back in my chair and take a deep, shaky breath. "how are the odds looking?"

they meet eyes for a moment before turning back to me.

"can't tell," hargrove admits. "they have some good arguments, but we have the ultimate tool."

"what?" i ask.

"if it works out..." richard leans over the desk, pressing his palms into the wood.

"your sister could get you out of this mess."

✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

tessa's eyes are wide by the time i'm done telling her everything, and i try to avoid looking into them. instead, i stare down at my lap and control my anxious breathing.

"t-that's what you were so worked up about?" she whispers.

"rightfully so, i think," i reply blandly, rolling my eyes. "how would you like to be on trial for attempted murder?"

"no date is made. is this set in stone?"

"well... no," i answer.

"then we just have to get through to your sister before you sit in front of that judge again," she says sternly.

"she won't," i shake my head. "she won't do it. we haven't talked in almost a year."

"so she won't talk to you?" she asks.

"just said that," i reply, trying not to make my stress be the reason for my irritability.

"what if..." she trails off, lips parting a little.

i widen my eyes instantly, knowing what she's getting at. "no."

"ethan, i'm serious—"

"i'm not letting you step a foot near my case. no way. you're not even going to be in the court room on the day the trial happens," i promise fiercely.

"why not?" she whispers.

"because you're not getting dragged into my messed up life. i'm not allowing it."

"why not?" she asks again.

"because it's troubled."

"what if i want troubled?"

i laugh a short, humorless laugh.
"stay pure, tessa."

her nostrils flare and she stands up from the break room chair. "i'm promising you that i could make cameron change her mind if i just talked to her."

"well good luck finding her then," i say, knowing that she never will. "because i don't even know where she lives. i suggest you stay out of it."

tessa smiles almost deviously and tilts her head.
"do i ever listen to you, ethan dolan?"