Fated (9 page)

Chapter Thirteen

I wake early the next morning and get ready to make my way to the courtroom. I exit the cab and I see Austin look over to me; I can tell that he didn’t sleep and somewhere inside of me I start to feel bad for him. I force myself to walk up the steps and he meets me without saying a word, we both know that this isn’t the time to talk about anything. He places his hand on my arm and I pull it away. His eyes lower and I think that he his embarrassed. I’m not sure why. I’m pretty sure no one saw it.

We are finally able to go into the room when he finally says something to me, “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” I stop when I see Joe. I forgot how handsome that I once thought he was. He smirks at me and it’s almost the last inch that breaks me but I stop and walk back outside, I need some air. I lean against the building as I catch my breath when the door opens and I expect to watch Austin walk out to me. Instead of the spectacular blue eyes I want to see I see Joe’s shallow grey ones. I, almost as if out of instinct, reach into my pocket of my coat and fumble with my phone as he places his hands on each side of me so I cannot move away.

“You look good, Sophie. I forgot how damn sexy you look when you dress up.” He smirks as he steps closer to me, and I look away not wanting to talk to him. “Too bad your life fell apart and now no one wants you.
wasn’t that your boyfriend, your lawyer? Oh, but you didn’t look very loving, because no one could ever love you Sophie, you’re a fucking little cunt. That’s why I went after the only thing I wanted from you… your money, but you already know that was Becky and I’s plan all along marry you and then divorce you and take all of your money.” Astonishing the part that hurts the most is when he mentions Becky’s name. “But sadly you don’t have any more of it but I can force you to pay me for the rest of your life, well let’s be honest you’re a great fuck too.” I still don’t say a word, terrified that he is going to do something else. Or say something else. He grabs my arms tightly and smirks to me again.

“Joe, you’re hurting me please let me go.” I beg him and he just laughs and tightens his grip. I think I whimper a little bit.

“The best part of our makeshift relationship was enjoying seeing your life crumble. People like you make me sick.” His voice scares me.

“People like what?” I say with a shaky voice still in pain from the grip he has on my arms.

“People who take so much without even thinking about it,” he says laughing and then finally releasing my arms and walking away. I finally exhale and walk inside to the courtroom and pull my phone out quickly just to make sure. I am trembling when I sit down next to Austin and he looks to me as if asking me where I have been. My eyes are rimmed red, from the tears that I wanted to cry. I can’t keep my mind focused and then he brushes my arm as they call me up to the stand, I flinch when his hand makes contacts with my bruises and he looks to me confused. Joe’s lawyer walks up and before walking up to me he pulls out a picture and passes it along the jurors. I catch a glimpse of it and can see that it is a picture of Joe when he was in the hospital.

“Now, Miss Sophie,” He looks at me, “Can you tell me who this is in the picture?” he hands me the same picture that the jurors are looking at.

“It’s Joe,” I tell him.

“And will you read the date that it was taken?”
I hate him already.

“November 30
th
.”

“And do you know who did this to him?” he asks me with a condescending tone.

“I was told that I did.”

“You were told?” he asks me.

“Yes, I cannot remember doing any of this. The last thing that I remember was crying in the bathroom after hearing him say that he was planning to divorce me and take the money that I had earned.”

“But isn’t that the day that your business closed down?” he asks me and in an instant I am reliving that day all over again.

“Yes.”

“So then why would my client try and take money from you if you didn’t have any?”

“Because he didn’t know that it was closing that day, he knew that it was having problems but I had been so depressed about it I hadn’t told him just how bad.”

“Now, Sophie, can you tell me who is in this picture.” He says holding up a picture to the jurors and then bringing it over to me. The picture is of Austin and I, and we are kissing on the beach outside of his house. I remember that because it was Christmas.

“That’s a picture of me.”

“And who else is in the picture.” My eyes shoot up to Austin they are pleading with him to get me down from here. He is searching through his items trying to find something to tell him what I am looking at.

“Mister Calloway.”

“Your lawyer?”
Austin jumps to his feet.

“Your honor, this information is irrelevant to the case.”
Austin demands.

“Oh, but it is relevant, since you have such a reputation in Miami for being a playboy, if she is sleeping with you than what does that say about her character.”

“Excuse me?” He rears back and I worry for a moment that he is going to jump across the table and punch him in the face, but I know that it isn’t because of what he said about him but what was said about me.

“Calloway is correct the information is irrelevant. They jury can disregard the last bit of information.”

“Thank you.” Austin says, sitting down.

“No further questions.” Joe’s lawyer says and sits down. Austin gets up and walks over to me.

“Are you alright?” he asks, quietly so no one else can hear, and I nod my head.

“Now, Miss Tice, when you say that you cannot remember, what exactly do you mean?

“Well the therapist said that I had a mild mental breakdown.”

“What would cause that?” he asks me and he smiles trying to reassure me. And as much as I want to stay m
ad at him, his smile manages to relax me slightly.

“Everything in my life was falling apart.”
I admit in front of everyone.

“So, you were not in your right state of mine.”
He looks to me.

“No, I was not.”

“And when you came to again, where were you?” His blue eyes are asking me.

“At the police station,” I tell him, wondering where he is going with this.

“Do you have any recollection of how you go there?”

“No.”

“And what happened when you arrived at the police station?” I have never found Austin more attractive than right at this moment. The way he stands in front of me, the way he knows exactly what to say to make me look good in front of the jury. I really wish that I wasn’t pissed at him right now and not speaking to him. My heart hurts when I think about the conversation that I overheard last night. My heart hurts when I look at his eyes and know that he is hurting as well. I’m not sure why he is, if he is in on everything why would he actually be upset that I left. Maybe it is just a front to get me to not be mad anymore. “Sophie,” he gets my attention again, “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m sorry,” I pause, “What was the question again?”

“What happened when you got to the station?”

“They made me sit with a therapist, who decided that with everything going on in my life and hearing about what Joe was plotting to do I had just reached my breaking point and blacked out.” I
lie a little but most of it was the truth.

“And do you remember anything form that night?”

“Only one thing, that came to me last night. I remember opening the door, and then asking Joe’s girlfriend what her name was.” I am staring intently at him now, trying to tell him that I heard him last night and that I know who he was on the phone with, trying to explain to him that it is the reason why I left.

“Your Honor,” Joe’s lawyer stands up, and I see Joe smirking to me, “I don’t see how any of this is relevant, there is not anything saying that my client was trying to-,” Austin cuts him off.

“Your Honor, as my client has made aware this is the cause to the reason why what happened did. She does not want to press charges herself, but only explain what happened so that this does not follow her for the rest of her life.”

“Alright, let’s hear the rest.” The judge
reluctantly says and Austin smiles, nods his head, and then turns back to me and his smile falls.

“Now, you said that you remember that, why?”

“I think it was because I was in the same atmosphere that I was in when I overheard it.” he closes his eyes tightly and then lets his head fall, turning around and walking back to the table.

“No further questions.”
His tone is defeated.

I zone out again when they start to call other witnesses, many of the ones that come up to take a stand for me are character witness who state the fact that I never would harm someone. That I am a hard worker and their hearts broke with mine when my business failed. Then I hear a name that brings
me out of my zone. I turn when I hear the doors open and I see him. The grey hair that sits on his head is the same white that I remember from Christmas. I grab ahold of the table as Austin leans over and says, “Don’t worry,” how can I not worry, this is the one man that has hated me my entire existence. I see Joe smirk at me when he sees him walking in, and it takes me longer to realize that it is Austin who has called him up. This had just convinced me that he is on their side and I want to run out of the room.

“Calloway,” the judge nods to him.

“No, let them go first.”

“Mr. Tice.” Joe’s attorney asks, “Would you say that you and your daughter are close?”

“No, I would not.” He says bluntly, and I see the jurors becomes extremely intrigued.

“And why is that.”

“Because she is too much like me,” He admits for the first time in my life.

“And how would that be?”

“She is determined, strong-willed, if she wants something she will go after it and nothing anyone says or does can get in her way.” I’ve never heard my father talk about me that way before and I feel the smile spread on my lips. “We never got along because it never mattered what I said if she wanted to do it she would go for it.”

“Now, would you say that your daughter is capable of something to this
magnitude?” He hands a picture of Joe over to my father and I see my father look over to me as I see a slight grin spread on his lips. It makes me want to giggle for some reason. It’s a grin that tells me he is proud of me.

“Capable yes, but do I think that she would ever do this on purpose, no not at all.”

“Any why is that?”

“Please, I heard her shouting peace and love for far too many years to believe that she would ever do anything like that unless completely provoked.” I don’t care what happens with the rest of this case, my father just admitted to kind of liking me, I feel like the world around me has changed drastically. Joe’s attorney walks away and I think I see a sight of him looking defeated. I watch as Austin gets up and walks over to him nodding his head.

“John,”

“Austin,” M
y father smiles to him.

“Thank you for coming all the way here today.”

“Anything for my daughter,” my father says and it is the first time that he has ever really looked at me.

“I’m sure that she is glad to hear that,” Austin says to him; looking back to me for a moment and then back to my father, “John, would you say that Sophie is a violent person?”

“No,”

“And why is that?”

“Because, she is the nicest person that I know I once saw her go into a grocery store and buy ten dollars worth of food to give to a homeless man and she has less than a hundred to her name.” I remember that night; my father gave me so much crap for that, telling me that he didn’t want the food that he only wanted booze. When I handed the homeless man the loaf of bread, peanut butter, and the jug of water, he cried. When I look up to Austin he is staring at me along with everyone else.

“Why do you remember that?” he asks my father.

“Because I told her not to do it,”

“Why did you tell her not to do it?”

“Because she was in college and she wasn’t making much money.”

“Then why did she do it?”
He asks really wondering.

“She said that he needed it more than she did. When I told her she could be hungry later she told me that she could go without one meal to make sure that he had one. Her compassion for people is astronomical.”

“No further questions.” He tells my father and I watch as he gets up from the chair, when he gets next to our table I jump up and hug him. He smiles patting my back as I cry into his chest.

“I’m sorry Sophie, I love you.” he tells me which makes the tears come out faster, I let go of my father, wipe the water from my face, and sit back down. They explain how there are not anymore witnesses and I finally remember the voicemail. I tug on Austin’s jacket and whisper.

“Give them your phone.” I tell him.

“Why?” he asks and I see as the judge looks to us curiously.

“Because I left something on there this morning that everyone needs to hear.” He looks at me questioning me, “Just trust me.” He shakes his head like he wants to say something more but can’t, not now anyways.