"When I said I wanted us to spend quality time together, I meant like going to the studio or something. You know I can play the piano right? So you could sing and I could play the piano. We could make a whole album. But hiking? Since when do you like hiking?" Demi complained, panting between almost every sentence as she tried to keep up with Trey. Hence the "tried."
Apparently, Trey had really gotten into hiking over the past few years and on a random Saturday after a thunderstorm, he decided it would be a good idea for them to take a morning hike. Since Demi was still on her we-need-to-spend-time-together-doing-stuff-other-than-having-sex kick, she decided to go with him. It felt like they had been hiking for hours and even though she had eaten two cliff bars and downed an entire jug of water, she felt as if she was going to pass out.
"It's a good way to clear your head," Trey simply responded as he stopped and waited for Demi to catch up with him.
"Are we almost there?" She whined.
"Yeah. We've actually made it," he replied, pointing in front of him.
They were in a clear space and the view of the city was absolutely amazing. The sun was still rising so it wasn't that high in the sky, painting the entire city in a golden orange color. Demi gasped, partially because she was out of breath and partially because she felt like she was seeing God for the first time, as Trey tugged on her hand and led her over to a bench. So people just hike here all of the time?
"I came out here a lot after we broke up. Usually, I'd be drinking but the view would sober me. It was nice to just take a step back and appreciate the world that God created, ya know?" Trey explained, passing Demi his water bottle as he noticed that she was still wheezing.
After drinking half of the bottle down, Demi passed it back to Trey and smiled at him. "Yeah I get it. This is so beautiful, Trey. Totally worth it."
"I'm glad you think so. Maybe we could make this our thing..." Trey suggested as Demi eagerly nodded.
"I love you, baby," Demi said, resting her head on his chest as he rubbed her side.
"I love you too."
Since they were three weeks out from her trial, Demi had to visit Kayla to brief her on what was going to happen and what she needed to know. Basically, she had to prepare the young girl just in case they lost, because that was a possibility, but Demi just didn't believe that they would. This case was too simple for them to lose. And Demi would not go another year seeing Kayla locked up in jail for defending herself and her mother.
"They're going to call you to the stand so that you can tell the jury what happened, and all you need to do is tell the truth. The prosecution may go easy on you because you're a child but they might not. Just tell the truth, Kayla. You know what happened that day, okay?" Demi coached as Kayla slowly nodded her head.
Almost all of her bruises were gone, and Kayla had told her that one of the older girls in her level had braided her hair back to cover her the spots where it had been ripped out.
"Also, you know there's a chance that we won't win, right? And if we don't, I will exhaust the appeals process to make sure that you get out of here. The fight isn't over after the trial. But I will take care of you, Kayla."
"Why do you care so much?"
"Because someone has to care about the kids that society decides to leave behind. You're going to get out of here, you're gonna go back to school, graduate, go to an amazing college...you're going to have a future even if society doesn't want you to," Demi promised her as Kayla just nodded her head again.
