Falling In Hard: Book Four in The Bridgeport Lake Summer Series

by Danielle Arie

“Objection overruled as to determine the severity of the threat.”

  The judge motioned for me to continue. I tried to think back and remember if he did threaten Cory’s life, but I couldn’t remember exactly what he’d said. “He said something about making him pay. That he’d never live it down. And that’s when I tried pushing him away, but he grabbed me and threw me to the ground.”

  A bunch of gasps sounded through the room.

  I shook my head, staring hard at Cory’s dad, but he was sitting with the same posture as Cory, and staring off blankly.

  “Cory wrestled him to the ground and held him there until the sheriff came.” My eyes were watering, and my voice was trembling, and I should tell them I was done, but I couldn’t leave it there. “And I know he hates that he even had to do that, but I respect him. So much.”

  Cory’s eyes slid to mine, that longing look back in his gaze. The one he had in the amphitheater, when I thought everything was amazing between us.

  “He’s kind, and brave, and strong, and he deserved way more than the life he had to deal with growing up. And whatever happens here, I just hope he finally sees that.”

  “Thank you, Miss Miller,” the judge said. “Does the defendant wish to question this witness?”

  Cory’s dad’s attorney stood up. “Yes, your Honor.”

  “Proceed.”

  The attorney came to stand in front of me. “Miss Miller, is it true that you recently lost your father to cancer?”

  How the heck did he know that, and what did that have to do with anything?

  My muscles tensed. “A year ago, yes.”

  He nodded. “And, is it true that you have been in and out of therapy due to concern over your mental and emotional well-being since then?”

  I frowned. “I’ve been to grief therapy.”

  He nodded. “And, is it true that you had a nervous breakdown the week you were at camp, and required rescue?”

  “What does this have to do with anything?”

  “Please. Answer the question, Miss Miller.”

  I glanced at Cory.

  His chest rose and fell with his breaths and his fists were balled on top of his knees, his knuckles whitening.

  “I fell on a hike, and was rescued.”

  He nodded and handed me a paper. “Is this a medical record from the camp on the date of the incident?”

  “Yes.”

  “Please read line thirty-seven.”

  “The patient was under intense duress at the time of her injury.”

  “Is that a true statement?”

  I rolled my eyes. “I was stressed out, yeah. But, what does this have to do with anything?”

  He nodded. “It’s my belief that, due to your mental and emotional state at the time of the incident with Mr. Miller, it’s possible that you were not in your right mind. My client says you attacked him, and he pushed you away in a measure of self-defense. Is that true?”

  “No! He wasn’t defending himself, he was trying to hurt Cory. I was trying to stop him!”

  “Did you touch Mr. Miller first, or did he touch you first?”

  I closed my eyes, shaking my head. “I tried to make him let go of Cory.”

  “Please answer the question.”

  I swallowed. “I touched him first.”

  “In addition, my client did not threaten his own son’s life, or make an attempt on his life. Miss Miller, did my client threaten him with his life, or not?”

  “He said he would make him pay.”

  “That’s not what I asked. Telling someone they will pay can be an emotional threat, with no intent of fatal harm. Did he make a direct threat on his life? ”

  My eyes were stinging. “No.”

  “My client not make a threat on his own son’s life, and the fact that you touched him first, when there was no threat to his life, indicates my client may have been blinded by emotion, as well as being intoxicated. He made poor choices, but you were the one who escalated it. You were not directly linked to the situation, and yet you laid your hands on my client. He pushed you off, because you assaulted him.”

  I ran my shaking hands on my pants and cleared my throat. Was I going to be charged for assault?

  Cory looked away, and it was like reliving his cold shoulder all over again, only this time, it was because I’d failed him.

  After all of the witnesses gave their testimonies, Wanda’s attorney went up to make his closing remarks, stating the obvious about everything that had happened up at camp, and the danger Cory and his Mom were constantly in because of Cory’s dad.

  Cory’s dad’s attorney came up last to give his closing remarks. “Your Honor, in every testimony given here today, the witnesses recounted that Mr. Griffin was under the influence of alcohol at the time of offense. Because of this reasoning, I feel it is worth mentioning that Mr. Griffin has a mental disorder called alcoholism. It would be unfair, and unjust, to hold Mr. Griffin accountable for actions that were outside of his control on these occasions. And, as you heard from the witnesses themselves, the most recent grievance was an unfortunate situation, aggravated by Mr. Cory Griffin and Miss Lea Miller’s assault against my client.”

  Cory’s breaths deepened, his posture so tense, I thought he might jump across his dad’s table and tear him apart. I wanted to sit next to him, to rub his back and tell him it would all turn out okay. That there was no way the judge would buy that lame excuse, and that his dad was definitely about to get locked up, but I couldn’t. The guy was good. He’d made me look like I couldn’t spell my own name on the night his dad showed up at camp. Who knows how this thing would turn out?

  The trial adjourned for an hour-long recess and Mom, Nolan, and I left to grab a bite to eat.

  Cory’s mom caught up to us in the parking lot. “Lea, do you have a minute?”

  “We’ll just be in the car, honey,” Mom said, before she turned toward Nolan and they walked away.

  I faced Cory’s mom, tucking a rebel hair behind my ear.

  “Just couldn’t let you leave without telling you how sorry I am that you had to go through all of that.” She squinted against the falling sun behind me. “I know how quiet Cory is, but he told me about the two of you.” She slid her hands inside her pockets and shrugged. “Can’t say what he’ll decide to do after this, but he doesn’t just go around giving his heart away, and judging by the way he was looking at you in there, I think it still belongs to you.”

  Why in the world was she doing this right now? Cory could walk out at any minute, and he’d be beyond embarrassed if he caught her talking to me about him. “Oh. Yeah. Um . . . thank you?”

  She sighed. “Just a darn shame his daddy had to ruin it for you. I’m just hoping he gets put away for a long time.”

  “Me, too.”

  She shot me a half-grin that reminded me so much of Cory’s. “Well, I guess I’ll see you again soon.”

  The courthouse doors swung open, and Cory stepped out in front of the elderly woman they’d called up to talk about the barn fire. He held the door for her and offered his arm as she came through. My heart was so predictable when it came to this guy. My mind told it to just get over him already, but apparently, it didn’t get the message. It was back to the quivering mess it was when I saw him that first time at camp this year.

  “My word, that woman’s as solid as they make ’em, isn’t she?” Cory’s mom said softly. She cleared her throat, set a hand on my arm, and squeezed. “Bye, sweetie.”

  She rushed to help the woman down the stairs. I needed to look away, get back to Mom and Nolan. Run down the street, maybe? I didn’t know, but anything other than standing like a statue and staring at Cory would be great.

  His eyes slid my way.

  My heart pounded harder.

  Don’t be dumb, Lea. He doesn’t love you like you love him.

  His gaze locked on mine, but I forced myself to turn away. I sucked a sharp breath, lifted my chin, and went to find Mom and Nolan, my skin burning when I shot a glanc
e over my shoulder, and he was still watching me.

  I wanted him to say something. Anything. Even if it was just “hello.” He cut his gaze back to his mom, and I blew out every last stitch of hope I’d been holding onto about us. My brain totally got it. For whatever reason, he was over it.

  Guess what?

  In the matter of a couple days, when I was back in LA, he wouldn’t be the only one over it. Whatever happened after this, there was no doubt in my mind I was going to find a way to get over him, too.

  Twenty-One

  CORY

  An hour later, the trial reconvened. I’d sat in the same place as before. Lea’s family was still in the row right behind me, and that apple shampoo was stronger than ever, taunting me. I slid my hand across my mouth to give my nose a break from it. It was too heavy a reminder of what we’d had. What could’ve been if Dad wasn’t the man that he was, and if I’d had anything better to offer a girl like her.

  Fact was, I wasn’t qualified to be with Lea. Being outside of camp made it even more clear. She was talented, smart, strong, and beautiful. She had a future ahead of her that she needed to go after, all-out, and I had nothing except a few sets of clothes, my old, beat-up truck, and a date with the Naval recruiter. Besides, if all of that wasn’t enough, her last text was crystal clear. She was done with me.

  The judge reappeared and banged his gavel. “We shall now convene.” All the voices hushed, and the tension in the air thickened. Mom sat stick-straight in her seat, her new boss never wavering in the seat behind her, reaching forward to set a hand on her shoulder. Dad sat smug in his own chair, like he’d already won, but that was yet to be seen. Aside from his attorney’s claim that he had a mental illness preventing him from making sound decisions, he had no defense at all. Sitting there and listening to his sorry side of things had been grueling. The man was a bold-faced liar, and I couldn’t stand him.

  I traced the lines of my palm, remembering the day I’d asked Uncle Dave what palm lines were from. He’d told me they were from holding onto things and then letting them go. He said I’d have a lot of things in life that I could cling to, or choose to set free. That no matter how hard the letting go was, the good things always came back. He’d taught me to keep a soft grip on the fishing line, same way he’d taught me to keep a soft grip on life.

  No one knows their final day on earth, Cory. Hold tight to the important things and let the rest slide.

  I’d tried to live by that philosophy. I’d clung to the important things harder than I probably should’ve, to my own detriment sometimes, and to others’. But I’d done my best to let the rest slide, and come hell or high water, I’d keep letting go of the things that weren’t meant to be mine. No matter how bad it stung.

  The judge faced Mom and Dad. “Mr. Griffin. On account of the criminal evidence presented in this case, and along with the testimonies given here today, as well as your inexcusable behavior in my courtroom, I find you guilty as charged. I am hereby granting Ms. Griffin the restraining order she petitioned for. And, as you chose to have a bench trial over a jury, in an effort to ‘speed through the courtroom b.s.’ as I overheard you so graciously mention to your attorney earlier, I will do you a favor and cut your sentencing wait time down considerably. In fact, I will cut your wait time out completely. I am hereby sentencing you to eighteen months in Cartwright County Department of Corrections, with a credit of seven days. Also, I order you to never contact Ms. Wanda Griffin, Mr. Cory Griffin, or Miss Lea Miller again. If you go against this order, let the record show that you will be sentenced to an additional five years in prison.”

  “What!” Dad bellowed. “I was under the influence when I did that!”

  “Due to your outburst, Mr. Griffin, let the records show an adjusted sentencing of twenty-four months. Case dismissed.” He banged his gavel and stood. The bailiff moved toward Dad.

  It felt like something had been sitting on my chest for years, and I was finally able to take a real breath. This meant he was going to prison and he wasn’t allowed to talk to us. Never again, unless we wanted him to.

  It felt like a Christmas I’d never had, but always wanted, but as good as that felt, there was something hollow in watching the bailiff usher him out of our lives.

  Mom let out a gasp, falling forward and sobbing into her hands. All the air left my lungs, and my bones filled with a cool relief that felt a whole lot like freedom.

  The judge gave a curt nod. “Court is adjourned.”

  Mom came running over to me, and wrapped me up in the tightest hug of my life, the scent of lilac and roses bringing me back to all the times we’d clung to each other in the dark after another one of Dad’s rampages. We’d never have to do that again.

  “I can’t believe it.” She buried her face in my shoulder and sobbed. I tightened my grip on her and rested my cheek against her hair.

  “Believe it, Mama.”

  She sobbed some more, and I couldn’t blame her. After all the hell he’d put her through, she deserved to cry her eyes out.

  “Thank you, Jesus,” she whispered.

  I closed my eyes in reverence and nodded my gratitude, too.

  She stepped back and dabbed her eyes dry with her tissue before she set her hand on my cheek and smiled like I’d never seen her smile before. She was glowing, and that made every last stitch of this chaos worth it.

  “Congratulations, Wanda,” her boss said from behind her.

  She turned and tucked herself up against his chest. “Thanks for being here.”

  “Yup.”

  “Hey Cory,” I heard from behind me. I turned to see Nolan standing there with an outstretched hand. “Congrats, man. This was a long time coming.”

  I shook his hand, shifting my eyes from his because he’d always known. Questioned me on it a few times, but he’d always accepted the bare bones minimum I’d given him, and stuck with me anyway. “Thanks for coming.”

  He sighed. “Hate to break it to you, but you were kind of the second reason I was here.”

  “Mm.”

  “Don’t really want to hate on you, but my family’s kind of my whole world right now, and my sister’s my biggest mission. She’s crazy, but she only says what she means, dude, and it took me a while to see her side of things about you guys, but I guess . . . I can see it now. At least, I can respect it.”

  I lifted a shoulder, staring at the ground between us. Why was he telling me all this?

  “She’s heading back to LA in the morning.”

  The noose around my heart tightened. “Hope she has a safe trip.”

  Nolan sighed. “You know, I respect you, Cory. Probably more than I respect anyone else back at camp. But I know you’re not this dense.”

  I tugged my hat down lower.

  “For whatever reason, it’s like there’s no end to the chances she’ll give you. I’m sure she’d give you another one, if you decide to actually stick around next time.”

  I grunted. She needed to wise up and find someone else. Someone better.

  “I really hope you figure yourself out, dude. Just . . . don’t hurt my baby sister again.”

  “Don’t gotta worry about it.” I sighed. “I’m joining the Navy, end of August. She’ll find someone better.”

  Nolan stared blankly at my face and nodded. “Good luck out there.”

  “You, too.”

  He dropped back and made his way outside, and I did, too, making a beeline for my truck. I slammed the door shut and started it up. Lea passed by my window, and slid into the passenger side of Nolan’s Jeep right in front of me. She was still every bit the girl I’d fallen for—maybe even better now. Stronger somehow, and I admired her for it.

  She tucked her hair behind her ear and caught me staring at her. Something flashed in her eyes, and all I wanted to do was jump out of my dang truck, pull her out of that Jeep, and hold her until all the pain was gone. Hers and mine. It was tempting. She was tempting.

  But dang it, I was the broke son of a convict, and she
was everything right in the world.

  I clenched my steering wheel and pulled out of the lot, more than ready to get out of dodge and start over new. More than ready to let her forget me, and move on for good.

  As much as that thought terrified me, it was vital for her happiness, and I wasn’t about to mess with that.

  With Dad put away, I could finally focus on where I was headed from here. I’d dreamed about the Navy for so long now, it was a little unbelievable to think it was finally about to happen.

  Twenty-Two

  LEA

  “You guys are, like, the biggest new thing out there. How’s that feel?” The radio host Kyle and I were sitting across from smiled at us and pointed to me. “Ladies first.”

  “Yeah, uh . . . It feels basically crazy. All the time.” I barked a laugh. So did Kyle.

  The host sat back in his chair, nodding. “You’re in total agreement there, Kyle?”

  Kyle leaned toward his mic, nodding too. “Absolutely. I mean, three months ago, we were just a couple of high school graduates at a camp sing-off. It’s really surreal to go from that to this so quick, you know?”

  “Yeah. For sure. So, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Your first single hit the charts with a massive bang. I mean, you’ve been contending at number one on the Christian charts since it dropped, and you’re climbing your way up the pop charts, too. Were you expecting that?” The host pointed to me.

  Gah! These interviews were the worst. I turned to Kyle. “I’ll let you answer that first.”

  “Thanks, Lee.” He grinned and scratched his chin, conjuring up all the rock star charm he owned. I was poop when it came to interviews, but he was good enough for the both of us, and as long as I did my part to try and answer the questions, Genevieve didn’t mind him taking the lead. “It’s humbling, for sure.”

  The radio host sighed. “So, you guys haven’t made an official announcement yet, but curious minds are wondering if the couple hype is true?”

  “Maybe curious minds need to keep their noses in their own business.” I swallowed as soon as it came out.