worse. I’m a survivor. More than that, I’m a fighter. I’ll just keep fighting. Until the fight is won .” Warmth spread across her face as her color returned and thoughts of redemption flickered in the back of her mind.
He held Alexa’s hands in his own and forced a smile through quivering lips. “I love you, Alexa, like you are my own. But you’ve changed so much. I hope the goodness inside you shines through when this is all over.”
She’d heard similar words from her mother about how much she had changed. Have I changed so much that the people I love don’t recognize me? He wrapped his arms around her, and it was like saying goodbye to Britt all over again.
Appleby arrived with a cream cheese bagel and an orange juice. Dale left her side, and she ate her bagel while Appleby lectured her. “You can’t do this. These fainting spells of yours have to stop.” She’d fainted once before during the trial. That time she was in the courtroom. Everyone saw. “No one will believe this is real. They’ll all think you’re a bad actress trying to play them for a fool.” Perceptions could change so easily with one wrong move. Appleby eyed the hallway. “Seems like few people took notice. For God’s sake, if you can’t walk, I’ll hold you up. Just say something.”
Alexa tuned out the rest of his speech. Instead, her attention fixed on a thin black lady at the end of the hall. The woman’s eyes locked on Alexa. The woman wore orthopedic shoes that suggested she worked on her feet all day, and a sullen, plaid-printed button-up dress. She had a small black boy with a visible overbite clinging to her skirt. Alexa watched the woman step closer. The recess had ended, however, and Appleby motioned Alexa into the courtroom.
The judge accepted Appleby’s request. Murmurs spread throughout the courtroom. Finkle suggested they proceed to closing arguments. The judge turned to Appleby, who requested to begin closing statements the following day. The judge banged his gavel once more, and the court day was over. Appleby wanted to meet once more with the prosecution, so Alexa left the courthouse alone.
CHAPTER 9
H er weary mind drifted to sleep around two in the morning, after popping a few Benadryl and a downing a large glass of red wine. She dreamed she was driving her Mercedes to the courthouse with the top down. She stopped at a red light when a man appeared in her driver’s rear view mirror. Before she could react or respond, she felt his hands on her throat. She gasped for air, as her foot went to the gas pedal. The car sped away, but the hands never left her throat. She wrecked the car into a lamppost.
The man lifted her into the air and spun her around to face him.
She stared at Jamar. A knife appeared in his other hand. It wasn’t the knife from that night, however; this was a larger knife with a sharp curved blade. He shoved the knife into her belly, and she watched her insides fall from her midsection.
Alexa awoke, heart pounding.
As her pulse began to slow, she recalled her plan — Britt’s plan. She closed her eyes and made herself replay the nightmare. She imagined herself in her car at the stoplight. She saw Jamar. She was ready when he reached for her. Foot pressed against the gas pedal, she sped away.
She’d driven halfway down the block when she realized she shouldn’t run from him. Kill him . A quick U-turn back toward Jamar. She reached into her handbag and pulled out her gun and applied the gas. She targeted his yellow eyes and fired. He fell. She stopped the car next to the body. Two more shots fired into his skull. She saw the pool of blood form around him. She opened her eyes. She felt calmer.
She relived the nightmare over and over. Each time she became faster, her shots and movements more accurate, until her fear lessened, and she fell back asleep.
She woke for her last day of trial. She chose loose-fitting black trousers with a white, silk blouse that she tied carelessly low on
He held Alexa’s hands in his own and forced a smile through quivering lips. “I love you, Alexa, like you are my own. But you’ve changed so much. I hope the goodness inside you shines through when this is all over.”
She’d heard similar words from her mother about how much she had changed. Have I changed so much that the people I love don’t recognize me? He wrapped his arms around her, and it was like saying goodbye to Britt all over again.
Appleby arrived with a cream cheese bagel and an orange juice. Dale left her side, and she ate her bagel while Appleby lectured her. “You can’t do this. These fainting spells of yours have to stop.” She’d fainted once before during the trial. That time she was in the courtroom. Everyone saw. “No one will believe this is real. They’ll all think you’re a bad actress trying to play them for a fool.” Perceptions could change so easily with one wrong move. Appleby eyed the hallway. “Seems like few people took notice. For God’s sake, if you can’t walk, I’ll hold you up. Just say something.”
Alexa tuned out the rest of his speech. Instead, her attention fixed on a thin black lady at the end of the hall. The woman’s eyes locked on Alexa. The woman wore orthopedic shoes that suggested she worked on her feet all day, and a sullen, plaid-printed button-up dress. She had a small black boy with a visible overbite clinging to her skirt. Alexa watched the woman step closer. The recess had ended, however, and Appleby motioned Alexa into the courtroom.
The judge accepted Appleby’s request. Murmurs spread throughout the courtroom. Finkle suggested they proceed to closing arguments. The judge turned to Appleby, who requested to begin closing statements the following day. The judge banged his gavel once more, and the court day was over. Appleby wanted to meet once more with the prosecution, so Alexa left the courthouse alone.
CHAPTER 9
H er weary mind drifted to sleep around two in the morning, after popping a few Benadryl and a downing a large glass of red wine. She dreamed she was driving her Mercedes to the courthouse with the top down. She stopped at a red light when a man appeared in her driver’s rear view mirror. Before she could react or respond, she felt his hands on her throat. She gasped for air, as her foot went to the gas pedal. The car sped away, but the hands never left her throat. She wrecked the car into a lamppost.
The man lifted her into the air and spun her around to face him.
She stared at Jamar. A knife appeared in his other hand. It wasn’t the knife from that night, however; this was a larger knife with a sharp curved blade. He shoved the knife into her belly, and she watched her insides fall from her midsection.
Alexa awoke, heart pounding.
As her pulse began to slow, she recalled her plan — Britt’s plan. She closed her eyes and made herself replay the nightmare. She imagined herself in her car at the stoplight. She saw Jamar. She was ready when he reached for her. Foot pressed against the gas pedal, she sped away.
She’d driven halfway down the block when she realized she shouldn’t run from him. Kill him . A quick U-turn back toward Jamar. She reached into her handbag and pulled out her gun and applied the gas. She targeted his yellow eyes and fired. He fell. She stopped the car next to the body. Two more shots fired into his skull. She saw the pool of blood form around him. She opened her eyes. She felt calmer.
She relived the nightmare over and over. Each time she became faster, her shots and movements more accurate, until her fear lessened, and she fell back asleep.
She woke for her last day of trial. She chose loose-fitting black trousers with a white, silk blouse that she tied carelessly low on
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