Forever & More: The Friend Zone series

by Thompson, Tabetha

  “You quit crying and we can go do something. Anything you want to do, we can go do. Just stop crying, okay?”

  Sorry, Harley, but Sara just played both of us and it worked like a charm. I suck up the tears and the instant that I wipe away the last tearstain, he’s caught on.

  “No! I’m not taking you up there. You wanna go so bad, find another way,” he says with finality. I move past him to the phone.

  “Wait, what are you doing?” he asks.

  “If you’ll move, then I’m going to use the phone,” I respond. I look to Sara. The bitch is watching us with amusement.

  “Who are you calling? Skye’s in court so he can’t answer.”

  “Jesus, who are you, my fucking father?” I throw the words at him before I can catch them and they hit their mark.

  “Fuck.” He rakes his hand through his hair.

  “Pretty much. Let’s go.” I bounce to the door. My back is facing them, but I don’t have to see them to know that Sara is proudly wearing a shit-eating grin.

  “You’re a good man, baby.” I hear a smack and I’m happy he’s been rewarded.

  “Whatever. You both owe me huge! Skye’s gonna be pissed.” Sara’s chair squeaks against the floor so I know they’re right behind me. For the first time in my life, I feel brave. I’m ready to face this demon and put it behind me. I have a baby on the way, a life to live, and a relationship to mend.

  We get to Harley’s old muscle car. I climb into the back seat and impatiently wait for him to get Sara loaded. My leg nervously shakes, causing the car to vibrate.

  “Jesus, Chloe. Get that shit under control before I get off up here. I’m sure you don’t want to witness that,” she jokes.

  “You’re fucking disguising, you know that?” I reply. Harley climbs in and the car roars to life. He sits for a moment, either enjoying the purr of the engine or trying to figure out a way to back out of taking me to the courthouse, probably a little of both.

  “Let’s go.” I rush him. I don’t want to let him think about it more than he already has. I know Skye’s gonna be pissed at him, but I really don’t care at this moment. There’s only one thing I’m worried about right now and that’s making sure Todd gets what he deserves. I want to witness every second of him realizing that he’s going to have to pay for what he’s done to Sara, Tom, and myself.

  We pull out of the parking lot. The leaves on the trees have all withered up and died. I hadn’t even noticed it happening. Normally I would make sure that I spent as much time as possible outside to watch the beautiful explosion of colors as the season changed, but I’ve been so wrapped up in pity that I missed it all. The world around me has changed rapidly and I didn’t even notice.

  Cars pass by in a blur as we head to our destination. Children with their parents walk along the sidewalks, enjoying life at a normal pace, slowing down the hands of time and enjoying it together. One day, that’s going to be me with my hummingbird. A smile tugs at my lips, love tugs at my heart. Everything feels like it’s finally falling into place; there’s only one thing that’s missing in my happily ever after, and that’s Skye.

  I’m going to get him back, I have to. I just need to find a way to get him to listen to me to see that I’m not the monster he’s come to think of me as. We pull into the parking garage and begin winding our way around the dark trail until we find a spot on the fourth level of the deck.

  When Harley shuts the car off and climbs out, I almost knock him over in my rush to get out of the back seat.

  “Shit, Chloe, chill out for second, will ya?” I know he’s annoyed and angry so I don’t respond with words. My leg starts jumping anxiously again while I wait for him to pull the lever to move the seat forward.

  When there’s enough room for me to squeeze past him, I do just that. I ignore their shouts to wait on them, there’s no time. I race to the elevator, and when I get there, I start jabbing the button over and over again as if it would make the cart arrive quicker.

  When the doors open, I jump in. Harley is still getting Sara in her chair when the doors close and Sara’s swearing is cut off. I ride down two floors before the cart stops again. I slide back against the wall to allow the new passenger to climb in. To say that I’m shocked to see Jay climb on the car would be an understatement.

  “Oh, hey, boss lady.” She smiles at me. It’s not an aggressive smile, it’s more like she’s got something to hide and it hits me wrong. I didn’t care for her when I first met her and the grin is not helping. I realize I haven’t responded to her question, but I really don’t care. The new Chloe isn’t going to feel obligated to be nice to make someone else comfortable.

  “How are you?” Her voice is sticky sweet and clinging to my nerves. I respond to her question this time. Seems innocent enough, also, I want to know why she’s here.

  “I’m good,” I respond in a monotone.

  “I’m sorry to hear about what happened. When Skye told me you had tried to hurt yourself, well, I just didn’t know what to think. You didn’t really seem like that kind of person.” Wait, Skye told her what happened? He wouldn’t. Would he?

  “When did you talk to Skye?” I ask cautiously.

  “Um, he came to the building to get your things. Let’s see, he told me you tried to kill yourself and that y’all had broken up.”

  Are you fucking kidding me? How could he? Why would he tell her all this stuff about me?

  “It’s not going to be weird, is it?” What the hell is she talking about?

  “What are you talking about?” I have no clue what the hell she’s going on about.

  “Well, I just don’t want it to be weird that Skye and I are talking and I work for you and all. I don’t want to lose my job over some guy.”

  “Hold the hell up! You and Skye are dating? As of when?” It’s taking all I have not to throttle this woman.

  “The day I saw him in the building. I thought he already told you. I’m so sorry, I had no idea. I thought you were cool with it.”

  “So you’ve been seeing him since the day I was admitted?” My voice is shaking with rage.

  “Yes, I thought he told you! I don’t want to lose my job and he told me you’d be okay with it. That’s the only reason I brought it up.” She reaches for me but I back up.

  “No, it’s not oh-fucking-kay. And fuck no, you don’t have a job!” I scream at her. Without realizing it, I’ve taken several steps toward her, landing me nose to nose with her. Just as I’m about to unleash my wrath on her, the doors open and she backs out quickly, heading in the same direction I’m going.

  “Where are you going?” I call from down the hall.

  “Where do you think? I’m going to give my man the support he needs during the trial.” She smiles maliciously. So now I’m at an impasse, do I go inside and do what I know in my heart is the right thing? Is my need to testify greater than my urge to wrap my hands around both Skye and Jay’s neck and choke the last breath from their lungs?

  Am I strong enough for this, I’m not so sure. Just when I thought the dust was settling, another shit storm comes in and stirs it back up. I stand outside the wooden doors, wondering what to do. I can hear low murmurs coming through the doors, then a loud, boisterous voice announces that court is back in session.

  Fuck it, I’ve got this. I will deal with Todd now and Skye later. I can do this. I continue to chant this phrase over and over as I open the large wood doors. I repeat it over and over again, as I walk into the room, and say it again as I walk down the aisle with prying eyes glaring directly at me. I can see the questions rolling around in their heads. Who is she? What’s she doing here? I say my chant again when Todd’s hateful glare lands on me.

  Regardless of the brave face I’m putting on for everyone, on the inside, I’m scared shitless. How am I supposed to go through this when one glance from that monster can cause my knees to knock together in fear? I remove him from my view and look at the twelve strangers on the other side of the room. Even from my distance, I can c
learly see the look of confusion and question rolling off their features.

  Many of them already know who I am, so why I’m here shouldn’t come as a surprise to them. It’s the ones that don’t know who I am that’s going to get the shock. The closer I get to the front of the courtroom, the bigger the back of Skye’s head gets. His head turns slightly to the right looking toward the jury, unaware of my approach.

  “Ma’am. Please have a seat, court is order and you are disrupting my proceedings,” the judge chastises me.

  Skye’s neck cranes in the opposite direction to see who the judge is speaking to. When his eyes land on me, they go wide with shock. My nervous stomach is working itself up into a frenzy. I slide into the nearest pew, which is just behind Skye. He stares at me, but the shock has been replaced with new, unreadable emotions. I look to my lap to get away from his stony gaze.

  The ring of a hammer being pounded against heavy wood causes me to jump. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Skye adjust his focus forward. A man on Todd’s right stands and requests to approach the bench. The judge grants his request but asks that the man at the opposite table approaches as well.

  Their hands and heads move animatedly, but their voices can’t be heard. My heart starts to beat erratically when the judge’s gaze lands on me. From across the room, I can see the many questions swirling in her chocolate eyes. My heartbeat is thumping in my ears so loudly I don’t hear the judge ask me to stand.

  I come to my senses when I feel a familiar hand touching my arm.

  “Chloe, you’re needed up front.” His voice is emotionless, but his eyes betray his tone. For a moment, my body softens to him until I hear a female cough from the other side of the room. I look in the direction of the noise and see Jay sitting there, smiling.

  I jerk my body away from Skye and stand. I don’t give him a second glance as I exit the pew and approach the judge.

  What the hell is she doing here? I told Harley to take her home; she doesn’t need the stress of this. Why did she look at me like my touch burned her in the worst way possible? So many questions are going through my mind, I don’t know where to start so I can find the answers. Chloe approaches the bench and looks up to the judge.

  The DA stands on one side of her and the defense is situated on the other side. The DA’s face is full of delight, where the defense attorney looks anything but. Chloe nods at something the judge says and takes a step back.

  “Due to a new revelation in the case, we will recess for an hour before continuing today’s proceeding.” She bangs the mallet, abruptly stands, and exits the room. Chloe follows closely behind the robed court official and is trailed by the attorneys.

  A hand lands on my shoulder, startling me. When I turn, Harley comes into view. He starts slinging a string of words at me before I can say anything. “Dude, I tried to get her to go home. She wasn’t having it, man. I’m sorry!”

  I’m aggravated that she’s here, but I know Chloe and when she gets something in her head, that’s it, she’ll do whatever she needs to, to ensure what she wants happens. It’s one of the things I admire about her.

  I’m about to let him know that it’s okay and that I don’t blame her, when I spot Jay sitting across the room. A second later, the reason becomes completely clear when she leans forward and grabs Todd’s hand. What the fuck!

  “Man, say something. What in the hell are you—” He turns his head to see what I’m staring at, and the moment his eyes land on Jay, words flow from his mouth at a rapid pace. “Stupid fucking bitch. What the fuck is she doing?” He stands and I know that he’s about to plow through her, so I grab his arm and jerk him back into his seat.

  “Let it play out, man. I wanna see what happens, but don’t let that bitch outta your sight. If she leaves, so the fuck do you. Ya got me?”

  Harley nods.

  I hadn’t noticed Sara sitting next to him until she says, “Oh I got that bitch.” She cracks her knuckles. The image is almost comical. I turn around in the bench, my leg jumping in time with my heartbeat. The hour passes like molasses, slow and thick with tension.

  It seems like forever before Chloe enters the room through the door she walked out of an hour ago. Instead of sitting in the crowd, she takes the seat in front of me at the DA’s table. God, I would have killed to be in the judge’s chambers with her. Her hands rest protectively over her stomach and it sends a rush of contradicting emotions through me. She sits there, holding my child in her hands, but just two nights ago, she tried to kill it.

  The judge walks in and takes her seat on the bench. “We have had new testimony arise and I shall allow it. Miss Thomas, would you please take the stand?”

  What the hell? They are going to let her testify? She just left the hospital after trying to kill herself. Wouldn’t she be considered unstable to testify? I run my hands over my face in agitation. I feel a pair of eyes on me so I turn in the direction I feel like it’s coming from.

  Todd is slightly turned in my direction, his eyes trained on me. The look on his face says that he’s enjoying every moment of this. That he’s getting off on Chloe’s emotional distress. Sick asshole. Hopefully, this will be over soon and we can get the hell out of here.

  Chloe’s hand is resting on a bible and swearing an oath to tell the truth. When she sits in the wooden chair, the defense approaches her.

  “Please state your name and your relationship to the court,” he demands loudly.

  She gives the information he needs while looking everywhere but at Todd and me. Her voice is trembling and hesitant. It’s obvious she’s nervous about being in front of everyone and scared to face the man who is responsible for making her the victim.

  The defense is tiptoeing around the task of asking Chloe what happened.

  “Miss Thomas, are you sure, without a measure of a doubt, that it was the defendant in your home on the night of your attack?” he asks.

  With the voice of solid steel, Chloe answers him, “Yes.”

  “Witnesses have testified that you had been drinking that evening. Is this true?”

  “Yes, it is bu—” She’s cut off before she can complete her sentence.

  “Miss Thomas, I’m sure you weren’t belligerently intoxicated.” He gives her a tight-lipped smile. “However, you had been drinking. So how are you so sure it wasn’t someone else?”

  “Your Honor, the defense is badgering the witness,” the DA pipes in.

  The defense throws his arms in the air in surrender. “Withdrawn, Your Honor. The defense rests its case.”

  The next half hour goes by at a slug’s pace. The defense asked Chloe a million questions, he even went as far as accusing her of having an affair with him, to being a drunk with a fuzzy memory. All the blood has drained from my hands because of the tight knuckled grip I have on the bench.

  Finally, he sits next to the smug Todd. I don’t know what he’s smiling at, he’s going to be locked up anyway, he has Sara’s incident and the shootout at the hotel pinned on him already. The DA explained that even though he’s going to be found guilty, he has to face all the charges against him and he has to be given the chance to defend himself. Which is laughable since he offered no one the chance to defend themselves against him.

  The DA stands and approaches Chloe. He offers her a small smile, which she returns.

  “Long day huh, Miss. Thomas?”

  Chloe eyes him warily before nodding.

  “I want to make this easy for you, okay?”

  She whispers an okay, signaling him to continue.

  “Why don’t you tell me what happened from the time you left BAR until the time you woke up?”

  “Your Honor, you can’t allow this!” Before the defense can finish, the judge is on him like a dog on a bone.

  “I will allow it. You may have a seat, counsel.” The judge raises her hand, palm up, signaling Chloe to start her story.

  “I was at BAR and Tom, my boss and childhood friend, and I had gotten into an argument.”

  She fi
lls everyone in the room in on the argument between them that I missed. I was still on the stage, Chloe had just sung with me. I watched her leave the platform and approach the bar where Tom was seated. He followed her outside. The band played a couple songs before finishing up for the night. I started walking toward the back of the bar toward the exit that led to the alley when a fuming Chloe came inside.

  I tried to ask her what happened or offer some sort of comfort; I could tell whatever happened in the alley left her livid with Tom. She demanded I leave her alone and stormed off. Tom and I exchanged a few words about my intentions where Chloe was concerned, and I informed him it was none of his business.

  By the time I was through talking to him, I had turned to find that she was gone. When I realized that she had left to go home, I left BAR on a one-way mission to find her. I raced back to the apartment and when I got there, my world was tossed upside down. Todd had already gotten to her house and the hushed voices and panicked whimpers did nothing to prepare me for the scene that was taking place before me.

  The memory of that night will be forever engrained in my mind.

  “What the fuck are you smiling at, bitch? You think this shit is funny?” I rushed into the apartment. Todd was hovering over Chloe’s lifeless body. He was slamming her head into the floor, over and over again. I pulled him off her and pounded my fists into him until he was pulled free from my grip.

  Chloe is crying on the stand in front of a hundred plus people, sharing her agonizing story. Her hands still possessively pressing against her abdomen as if she’s scared someone is going to take the baby from her this very moment.

  "Thank you Miss Thomas. Judge, the state rests its case." He returns to his table.

  How can she try to kill herself and my child one minute, but in the next, play the loving mother role? Was I wrong about what happened? I can’t be, but if I am, I have royally fucked up. I need to find out for sure, the uncertainty is killing me.