Chapter 10

Holden

       Shaw's hearing came a lot faster than I thought it would. It still took a long time, but at least I didn't have to go months and months with him behind bars waiting for his trial because if he did get off, he would have already spent a lot of time in prison.

       I was honestly starting to get worried. I honestly didn't know much about how Shaw acting in the past when he was getting help from Mom and Dad because I spent most of that time in boarding school, and Kendra started to tell me some of the things he did.

       If someone brought that up to the judge, they might reconsider the whole thing and believe that Shaw could have done something else to get away instead of killing Cassidy.

       The trial was happening during school hours, but Dad gave me permission to skip. Not that I wouldn't have skipped if he told me not to because I was now eighteen. If he wouldn't allow me, I was going to tell him that I would drop out of school then.

       Thankfully, he knew that it would make no difference if I skipped since if I didn't, I wouldn't have been paying attention in school anyway.

       Jane even wanted to come with me since she knew I might turn out to be a complete wreck in court, and since she was a very smart girl and always on top of her game at school, one day wasn't going to affect her.

       "Please tell me my heart isn't going to leap out of my chest," I said as Jane helped me adjust my tie since my hands were shaking too much to do it myself. 

       "Relax, I don't think it will," Jane said, pushing the knot of the tie up to my neck. "I don't know much about what happened with Cassidy but from what everyone has been telling me, I think he'll get off. She has a history of actually killing people, so it's not going to be hard to prove that she actually did try killing Shaw."

       "You know, everyone's saying that they'll think he'll get off, but what if that means that he won't get off?" I asked. "There's that saying, be careful what you wish for."

       "Holden, seriously, this has nothing to do with wishing or luck or fate," Jane said. "It has to do with evidence. He'll be fine."

       I still had my doubts.

       Dad, Jane, and I headed over to the courthouse for Shaw's hearing. Not surprisingly, Mom didn't want to come because she didn't want to see Shaw get away with killing someone.

       Even though Cassidy tried killing him first.

       The closer we got to the courtroom, the more nervous and worried I was starting to feel. If he got sent down, I wouldn't be able to see him as often. He would be in prison for a long time when all he tried doing was defending himself.

       "Holden," Jane said when we got to the courtroom, gently grabbing my arm. "Try not to worry, okay? If Shaw's lawyer is confident about it, then just focus on the best case scenario, okay?"

       I nodded, even though it felt impossible for me.

       Once we got in the courtroom, it felt like days before it was finally time for Shaw's trial. The whole time, my heart was beating fast and we weren't even at the point where we were to find Shaw guilty or not guilty of misconduct.

       If he was found guilty, I would probably break down.

       The nerve and worrisome wasn't leaving at all, even though Brody was doing an amazing job trying to prove that Shaw shouldn't be going to prison when all he did was defend himself. At least mixed with those feelings was a tiny bit of hope.

       The hope faded when the other attorney fighting against Shaw brought up his violent past. He got into a lot of fights and hurt a lot of people, and most of it was intentional.

       Brody was quick to point out that he was a teenager at the time, and how he hadn't shown any violent tendencies for a few years now.

       If that wasn't enough, I didn't know what to do.

       When the part came where the jury was discussing their decision, I went outside to get some fresh air. It could take a while for them to come up with a verdict, and I really needed to spend that time not feeling like I was suffocating.

       Someone walked up behind me, and I turned around to see Dad. "How are you doing?" he asked.

       "Horrible," I said. "I'm really scared. I could have lost him if he didn't do what he did, and I still might lose him if he's found guilty." 

       "You won't lost him forever," Dad said. "Like his lawyer said, it will be a maximum of three years. That's not too long."

       "It is when prison changes people," I said, looking down.

       "You're right," Dad said. "But Shaw has been through so much to be the man he is today; a man that I'm really proud of. I know I haven't shown it lately, but he's really a great guy and would mean no harm. He wouldn't risk changing all of that from being in prison for a few years. And if he does get sent down, you can still visit him and I'm sure him seeing you would help him stay the same."

       Nothing anyone could stay would make me feel any better.

       I got a text message, so I pulled my phone out of my pocket to look at it. It was from Jane and she said the verdict was already in.

       "The verdict's in," I told Dad. "That... that was fast."

       Either they all agreed he was guilty or that he was not guilty.

       "Then let's head back in," Dad said.

       He turned around to head back into the courtroom, but I stopped him by saying, "Dad?" When he looked at me again, I continued. "Thank you. For trying your best to accept me and Shaw."

       Dad just gave me a small smile before we went back inside and sat down in our spots.

       Once everyone was seated, the jury came back into the courtroom. My heart regained its rapid speed and Jane noticed how worried I looked, so she reached over and held my hand in an attempt to keep me a tiny bit calm.

       As soon as the jury was seat, the foreman was asked to stand. He did and he was then asked if they came up with a verdict they all agreed with.

       They did.

       "Do you find the defendant, Shaw Thomas, guilty or not guilty of misconduct?"

       It felt like hours passed before the foreman replied. "Not guilty."

       Hearing those words gave me a relief I had never felt before. He wasn't getting a sentence. He was actually getting off.

       Shaw looked over at me and gave me a smile, and I smiled back. Everything was going to be okay.

       Jane, Dad, and I left and had to wait outside  of the room for Shaw. Once again, time seemed to go by way too slow before I finally saw him walk out. He walked over to me before pulling me in for a kiss.

       Afterwards, I pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're out."

       "Me too," Shaw said, hugging me back as tight. "I promised you I'd be okay."

       Since Shaw just wanted to go back home, I went with him and Dad said he would take Jane home. Before we left, I gave my best friend a hug and thanked her for coming for moral support. Even though I still felt nervous and worried, I probably would have felt worse without her here.

       It did feel weird being back at Shaw's house since I was staying with my parents, but at least I could move back here and not hear to my mom's accusations.

       "I honestly don't know what I would do if you got a sentencing," I said.

       "Hey, we don't want have to think about that," Shaw said. "I got off and that's all that matters."

       "Yeah, you're right," I said.

       There was a knock at the door and since I was closer, I went to answer it. "Hey. Can I come in?"

       "Yeah, of course," I said, opening the door wider for him to come in. 

       As soon as I closed the door, he looked over at Shaw and said, "I don't know if I can keep lying anymore."

       "Are you okay?" Shaw asked.

       "No, I'm not," he said, tears starting to flow around. "Every night, I just see that scene over and over again and I feel so guilty that you could have been sent to prison and I would have been walking free when you did nothing wrong."

       "Whoa, what?" I asked. "You... You killed Cassidy?"

       He nodded, the tears still flowing.

       Holy crap.

       Shaw didn't kill Cassidy.

       Julian did.

_______________

WHAT IT WAS JULIAN THAT KILLED CASSIDY?????

OMG WHAT???

lol.

i'm evil.

and next chapter we'll be going in the past to show what happened when julian showed up to shaw's house.