Ash's Darling | ✔

Chapter 50

~Ash~

After another thirty minutes Esther finally walked away from the witness stand. I caught her eye and gestured to the hallway door, knowing she was free to leave after she gave her statement. She nodded back to me and we both made our way to the hallways door.

She had looked like she wanted to leave since she stood up to the witness stand and it doubled after she had the flashback. I saw her messing with the cuffs of her shirt sleeve and knew she was going to have a flashback before anyone else realized something was wrong. It took everything in me to not run up and help her when she zoned out and I almost lost it when she started crying during the flashback.

We both made it to the hallway door at the same time and I opened it for her letting her walk out first while we both tried to stay quiet since there was another girl now standing at the witness stand. I closed the door behind us quietly when we both had stepped into the hallway. I grabbed Mae's hand and led her a little ways down the hall.

After deciding we were far enough away from the courtroom that we wouldn't be heard, I turned around to face Mae. "You did so well, darling." She fell into my arms before I even had a chance to offer a hug.

I could feel her hot wet tears soaking my shirt but I didn't care. I ran my fingers through her wavy hair, that she had spent almost an hour on this morning, while I spoke to her softly. "It's over now. You don't have to deal with it any more. It's up to the court."

"I want to go home." Her voice broke and my heart broke along with it as she choked out her words.

I didn't hesitate to pick her up bridal style and carry her towards the door of the building. I held her with one arm as I quickly pulled my phone out of my pocket and gave it to her. "Order an Uber."

She looked at me, confusion in her tear filled eyes. "What about your car?"

"I'll have Kyle and Tim pick it up. I'm not letting go of you right now." I explained.

She didn't ask anything else before quietly picking up my phone to order the Uber. She turned the phone towards me, showing me the locked screen. "Password?"

I smiled down at her as I turned the corner of the hallway. "Two, twelve, ninety-nine."

She started entering the numbers as I spoke, only to pause and look at me when I got to the last number. "My birthday is your password?" A smile pulled at her lips, making mine widen.

"You're saying you don't have mine as your password?" I feigned hurt.

She laughed and laid her head against my chest. "Mine's five, twenty-one, nineteen." She quietly admitted. I immediately recognized the numbers. The day we started dating.

"I knew it." I boasted playfully, earning another laugh from her. She ordered the Uber just as I walked out of the courthouse's doors. I sat down on a bench, still not letting go of Mae while we waited for our ride.

Our ride pulled into the parking lot a few minutes later and stopped in front of us. "Ashton Dalloway?" The driver asked after rolling down his window.

"Yes." I confirmed. I opened the back door and sat down, closing the door behind us. I set Mae in the seat next to me and let her buckle herself while I gave our driver the address of my apartment.

I leaned back in my seat and wrapped my arm around Esther's shoulders when she leaned into my side. "Darling?" I spoke softly. She hummed in response. "I'm proud of you."

"I had another flashback when I was up there." She tilted her head up to look back at me and I could see the fear in her eyes along with the new tears that were threatening to fall. "I couldn't control it."