I Hate Football Players 3 | 18+

Chapter 131: Ellie

After Mrs. Stevens ripped me apart on the witness stand question by question, Mr. Russell called for a brief recess and regrouped with his legal team before he presented a counter argument that hopefully avoided my entire testimony tossed out like worthless trash. My entire body was numb in reaction, like my brain lacked the ability to process what had just happened, the potential fallouts of how Mrs. Stevens presented me as a human being and...

Worst of all, now I have to face Logan and my family's reactions.

My fingers trembled and feet moved in slow motion as I stood at the witness stand, where Judge Volkman stopped me with a quick, "Miss Harrison."

I blinked my bleary eyes up at her, then leaned my head in her direction when she waved me closer.

"Commendable testimony you gave." Her blue eyes looked down sadly at me. "Can't promise it won't get tossed out for lack of evidence, but commendable either way."

Since my throat was dry and I feared my voice failed me, I just nodded silently and stepped onto the courthouse floor. My eyes tracked the floor in front of my steps in what felt like a walk of shame. I was so embarrassed, so belittled, so reduced down to a vessel of shame that I couldn't look up at my family or face Logan after I was publicly displayed as a football jersey-chasing slut who created an opportunity for personal gain.

At this point I don't even deserve to breathe the same air space as them.

Mom's arms enveloped me first, she pressed a kiss into my cheek, and whispered, "So proud of you Ellie. That was very brave of you."

"Ha," I choked out since brave was the last thing I felt.

"It takes courage to look a bully in the eyes." She pulled back and squeezed my upper arms gently. "Your dad would've been proud too."

My eyes nearly fell out of their sockets at their words, since proud was the last reaction I'd have expected from Dad.

Livid and removed from the courtroom for tossing chairs is more like it.

"I know what you're thinking." She tilted her head slightly and flashed me a sad smile. "Dad's temper never did him any favors. But he would still be proud of you for standing up for yourself."

With what little energy I carried inside me, I just nodded again, then nearly collapsed into Logan's strong embrace. My cheeks warmed as the horrible things I'd confessed, how awful he probably felt when he heard I was attracted to Ryder and the image Mrs. Stevens painted of me, him, and our relationship.

I'm still disgusted with myself.

One of Logan's hands cupped under my jaw and his thumb stroked over my cheek until I looked up and found his eyes already studied mine. As if he read my mind, he only said, "I'm sorry you went through that, Ellie. Words can't describe what a horrible, sick human being that bitch is, twisting things so far away from the truth. What she said is nothing like who you really are.."

I only offered Logan a weak smile and wanted to know so much more about his reaction but, for now, appreciation flowed through my body at his assurance that he hadn't believed a word Mrs. Stevens said. I leaned my cheek into his palm, then grabbed the other one with both hands and pressed a soft kiss onto his knuckles.

Internally, I felt like I'd been tossed through an emotional meat shredder and must've looked physically beaten down because Mr. Russell led me into a conference room with Mr. Reynolds, Jake, Harper, and Logan and pulled out a chair for me.

"Don't worry, Eleanor, she's stretching on showing that you led Mr. Stevens into thinking you'd given consent," he assured me. "Considering the firing squad, you answered her loaded questions admirably. I'll hammer home the point that we do have your state-appointed psychological examinations as evidence and, without a doubt, you explicitly expressed to Ryder that you did not give consent to his actions. Every legal representative in that courtroom also knows that even if you had given consent then you're entitled to revoke it."