What The Heart Wants (bwwm)

Ten

Angel

"I love you." Rang deep in my ears and I struggled to push it out, especially with us walking so close to each other in the small hall that led to the courtroom. Kaden's face looked so panicked in that moment. Almost as if he regretted the words as immediately as he released them. My chest felt heavy as I stared back at him trying to pretend that this didn't affect me, but it did. It affected me so bad that I had to force my body to resist the urge to run to him.

I was just so stressed. With Kaden's confession and the heavy dread that sat in my stomach at the thought of seeing the girl who almost had me raped and the man who was going to do it. My mind was going crazy with a overload of stress. I felt like I was going to puke.

We came upon the heavy looking double doors that led to the courtroom and my stomach heaved violently, almost causing me to vomit. My father pushed open the door and ushered everyone inside silently. I stood at the door and stared at him. He nodded to me as if to say it'll be okay. I nodded back, took a deep breath, held my head high like my mother taught, and walked into the courtroom as if my knees weren't made of jello. My father placed a reassuring , protective hand on my shoulder and honestly even that didn't help.

She was staring directly at me. Her beautiful face full of disgust and hatred as she stood shackled to a table in a pink and white, striped jumpsuit with her big friend standing next to her in a matching orange one. I held my own and stared her down like my father taught me. I was a victim, but I was NOT going to play that roll. I AM a strong black Woman who had overcome something traumatic. I wasn't weak. I was a survivor.

I turned to look at Kaden his jaw was clenched tight as he looked anywhere, but at Donna. She was now looking at him. Pleading with her eyes for him to look at her, but all he did was take a step towards me which caused me to take a step away from him awkwardly. I watched as Donna noticed his proximity to me and somehow her hatred and disgust grew deeper.

"I'm going to kill you." She mouthed as a evil malicious grin slid onto her face.

"Try it, bitch." I mouthed back and smirked. It wasn't really her who I was afraid of, but her big friend. Who just so happened to be ushered into the room. A chill ran down my spine as he glued his eyes to me. No emotion whatsoever. Just a ice cold blank stare. Suddenly, as if he was remembering what happened his eyes roamed freely over my flesh as his eyes smoldered. He licked his lips suggestively and noticeably adjusted his crotch. I shuddered in disgust and looked away from the both of them.There was something wrong with these two.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Cryer." The bailiff said as he pulled open a door at the front of the court. A short balding white man bustled through and took a seat in the judges chair.

"Good morning everyone." He said as he situated himself and allowed everyone to be seated. "Seems like we have a attempted murder, sexual assault and assault on two minors."

"Yes, your honor." The defense attorney said as he stood while straightening his well tailored suit.

The Judge adjusted his glasses and eyed what appeared to be a file in front of him, then nodded to the D.A., "Give me a run through."

•••
(I don't know how criminal cases are held--never really was interested in being a lawyer. Therefore I'm going to skip to the end)

"Donna Lewis," Judge Cryer started as he looked down at something we couldn't see. "You have been proven to be criminally insane and I will be releasing you to be institutionalized. James Durant, you're sentenced to fifty years in prison no parole."

Donna let in a sharp intake of breath so loud she sounded as if she were drowning, then fell limply onto the floor. I stared blankly as she rolled around dramatically. Her shackles scraped against the floor as she flayed herself around. Suddenly she stopped and looked deep into my eyes. I just stared back. Unfeeling.

"You did this!" She yelled as officers picked her up easily. "You're going to pay. I promise you."

I shrugged to her and looked away. She didn't scare me anymore. She was the least of my worries.