Path to Deciduous (Sequel to Road to Evergreen) | #Wattys2018

t h i r t y - f i v e

Songs for this chapter:

Night Changes- One Direction
Photograph- Ed Sheeran
You and I - One Direction
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"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." -Martin Luther King
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Lesley's P.O.V

I try focusing on something else.

The mahogany I'm seated on seem to crack with every movement I make. Beside me, Spencer and Megan are seated from each side. Kyan is sitting behind me. He dismissed me from the internship for two weeks, saying I'll start fresh with a job when I return. A job in a publishing house. If the time was flipped, I would be celebrating with cocktails on the beach.

My eyes dart to Adam. I can smell the scent of him from the shower earlier of mint and cinnamon with a hint of smoke. I remember his warm and agonizingly beautiful body holding me. His taste on my tongue. His eyes shinning like a green pendant. Instead, I spent two days staring at the wall and all I could think of is how things would've turned out differently. I remember the night I witnessed everything. From what I did before to after.

And watching Jenkins interrogate Lucian on the witness stand twits a feeling of shame in me. Because his brother is watching. His father is watching. Everyone is watching.

I nib at my fingers as Spencer offers me a weak smile. Megan reaches for my hand and she holds it laying it on her lap. I squeeze on it, trying to count my heartbeats: one..two..three..four..five

It takes five heartbeats for Lucian's lawyer to make Lucian sound innocent.

He brings Jeremy up to the stand.

"Can you confirm that you were with Mr. Lucian Reindl at around midnight on December third?"

"Yes, I confirm."

"And did any of you leave the house under any circumstance?"

"Not that I know of."

"How do you think Mr. Reindl was able to be in two places at once?" The lawyer sarcastically says.

"Not unless he had a twin brother that we don't know of," Jeremy mocks.

"Thank you, Mr. Scott," he nods at him. "Defence rests, your honor."

Jenkins stands up. He seems confident which is intimidating.

"What were you and Mr. Reindl doing all that time at the house?"

"We just hanged, watched some television."

"And what did you watch in specific?"

He makes a thinking face. But it looks fake. Too fake. "As I remember, the new episode of WWE raw was on."

Smart, I mumble to myself. When a lie is detailed, it sounds honest.

"So you're saying that you stayed home and watched WWE raw on television?"

"Yes, mostly."

"Then why do I have evidence with me that WWE raw didn't air on Tuesday, December 6 but instead on Wednesday, December 7?"

Everyone blinks. How did Jenkins have evidence for that when no one knew what Jeremy will tell at the witness stand?

Spencer winks at me as a smug stretches on his face. Adam leans forward as his eyebrows frown. And Jeremy's jaw tenses as he swallows back.

The lawyer stands up. "Objection, your honor. The consoler is basing evidence on a fact that was three years ago. Mr. Scott doesn't have a photographic memory, it's irrelevant."