“I love you, too.” I whisper back.
The gavel pounds and the shit is finally over.
I inhale a breath of air, it feels fresher, fucking better knowing that prison is out of the question. There’s a glassiness hanging in Mik’s eyes when I spin to face her. She looks sad, but she stands tall, holding herself together the best she can.
This will all pass. I hang onto that, knowing that soon this will all be over. A few more steps and we can lay this terrible mess to rest.
“You okay?” I ask.
She sucks in a breath and nods her head. “I’m fine,” she says.
She’s not fine, but I don’t expect her to be.
“You need to give a statement,” David drawls as he taps away on his iPhone, probably informing someone, likely my father, of the news. “And so does she.” He adds, his eyes lifting from the phone to face Mik.
“She’s not prepped.” One of his assistants says from behind him.
“Then prep her.” He snaps.
“I’m fine.” Mikaela says, slicing a hand through the air to silence us. “I can give a statement.”
“You sure?” David asks, an air of skepticism ringing in his voice.
“Yes.” Her eyes meet mine. “Trust me?” she says, using my own words against me.
I do trust her. I’ve always trusted Mik.
She loves hard, all-consuming. Which is why she’s struggled so much since Auden’s death, she can’t hand
le the thought of losing someone she loves.
But that same logic applies to me, and that's why I trust her. Because I know she loves me, even though it’s harder now, even if we struggle. At the end of the day, I know she loves me and keeping me here is worth more than her fear or pride.
“Always.” I smile, and she matches the grin.
“I’m ready,” she says, this time back to David.
David looks unsure, he doesn’t know Mik the way I do. “Fine,” he mutters. “But for the love of God don’t take questions.”
A soft laugh escapes Mik’s pink lips. “I can do that.”
I’m relieved of my ankle monitor before we leave the room, air hitting the skin of my lower leg and reminding me once again that I’ve just won my freedom back.
I know what people are going to say. They’re going to call this shady, that a sweetheart deal was made, but we can deal with the bad press. We’ll make donations, build a school in Auden’s honor, whatever it takes to secure my damn freedom.
As I feel the cool air hit my skin and let the leg of my slacks back down, I feel a rush of adrenaline. That thing has lived on my leg for over three months now, having it gone is better than a breath of fresh air.
We head back out to the front steps of the courthouse where reporters wait, buzzing with the news. The hearing was called this morning, an emergency, giving no one notice and no opportunities to block it. The reporters are finding out about the hearing at the same time they’re learning of the news that I’m a free man.
“Keep it short,” David reminds me.
I do. Stepping in front of the press with Mikaela tucked into my side I give them a short blurb. A quick few words about how thankful I am for this to be behind us and how I’m ready to grieve the loss of my future sister-in-law in private.
They look to Mik next, ready for her to say something.
“This has been a great tragedy for my family,” she starts, a cold flicker rising in my heart, nervous about what she’ll say. “I lost my younger sister almost a year ago now and it devastated my family. Even worse was knowing that my fiancé was suffering as well. I don’t blame my parents for their allegations, we all wanted someone to blame for this terrible thing, for what happened to my sister. But I can’t in good conscience say an innocent man should go down alongside her. I’ve already lost one person I love, and I am very grateful that the legal system did it’s job and didn’t take another loved one away from me.” She pauses for a moment, looking to me with glassy eyes. “I’m still mourning the loss of my sister, and now with this behind us, I’m ready to move forward.” She gives the reporters a slight nod, “Thank you for your time.” She says, full of fucking grace.
They hang on her every word, and when she finishes they’re raising their hands, their microphones, questions are being shouting.