by Roxy Gray
“For the charges of criminal harassment, abduction and forced imprisonment, the jury finds the defendant…guilty on all counts. The defendant will serve eight years in a medium-security facility with no possibility of parole.”
The room fills with murmurs as the judge strikes his gavel against the wood. The sentence is official. Clay is still in his seat, his face not registering a reaction in the slightest.
“It’s over,” Violet breathes a sigh of relief beside me. Jasper stays quiet, stroking my hand between his fingers.
“Miss White, you may now address the defendant if you still choose to do so,” the judge says with a bow of his head.
I watch from the first row as Violet shakily gets up, going over to stand at the microphone. Clay is at the front of the room, safely held in cuffs.
She takes a deep breath before speaking.
“I’ve been thinking for a long time about what to say to you, Clay,” she says. Her voice shakes slightly.
“For months. At first, I thought I was going to tell you that I hate you. That you ruined my life. That I can’t go to bed at night without checking the locks twenty times. That I can’t walk alone without constantly looking over my shoulder.”
Clay continues to stare straight ahead.
“But I realized that isn’t the type of person I am. I don’t like to hold grudges. They don’t do anyone any good. I started thinking about how someone could possibly feel justified to do what you did to me. And I realized it’s because you were cheated out of things that you ended up this way. You didn’t have a normal upbringing. You didn’t live in a happy house. I can see how lacking that would make someone choose the wrong path. I can understand how it would make someone lonely and desperate.”
She looks up, gauging his reaction, but nothing. If I hadn’t known any better, I’d say Clay couldn’t even hear Violet.
“So, Clay. All I have to say to you is this: I’m sorry that this happened. All of it. To you and to me. And I truly hope you can come out of this a better person. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Violet wipes a single tear from her cheek before returning to her chair. The room erupts in low applause.
“Good job,” I say, taking Violet’s hand in mine. She offers me a weak smile.
“Thanks, Ivy.”
“And now I’ll give the defendant an opportunity to speak if he so wishes.”
The judge announces, looking over at Clay. His lanky frame is hunched over in his seat. He’s wearing a suit and tie, though he looks uncomfortable. Likely because he’s been confined to a jumpsuit and a cell for months.
Everyone in the room holds their breath as Clay leans into the microphone, parting his lips. We wait, hopeful that he’s going to say something remorseful. Something poetic.
“Please take me back to my cell now.”
That’s all Clay utters before leaning away from the microphone again. No apology, no explanation. Just a stubborn request from a man who’s clearly not ready to admit what he’s done.
“Okay, then. The court is adjourned.” The judge taps the gavel again, signalling that the proceedings have finally come to an end.
Jasper, Violet and I watch as two guards escort Clay through a separate entrance, ignoring the commotion from the crowd.
“I can’t believe he didn’t even say sorry,” I hear Simone scoff from behind me. “That bastard almost had me.”
“I know,” Bridgette’s voice agrees. “Some people are just messed up.”
The three of us don’t leave the room until everyone else is gone, and all is quiet.
“You guys ready to go?” Jasper asks.
Violet is the first to stand.
“Yeah. Let’s get out of here and move on with our lives.”
We follow her out the door. Just before I slip through the opening, I look back at the courtroom, it’s power stripped now that it’s empty. The chair Clay sat in only a few minutes ago has already been put away. Like this whole thing never happened. As if our lives weren’t just changed forever; Clay’s too.
“Do you want a ride back to your parent’s place, Violet?” Jasper asks as we head to his car.
She takes a long look at his vehicle, shaking her head.
“Nah, my parents are here. They’ll give me a ride home.”
Violet hugs Jasper and me with one arm each.
“Thanks for everything, you guys. I’ll see you soon.” She kisses my cheek before crossing the parking lot to join her mother.
“Ready to go home, babe?” Jasper asks as we watch Violet and her mother drive away.
“Yeah,” I say. “I’m ready.”
I’m quiet for the ride back to our apartment, and so is Jasper.
“Are you okay?” I ask as he pulls into his parking spot at our building.
Jasper and I moved out of our dorm after the first semester and got a place together in town. An apartment in an old brick walk-up. It’s small but plenty big enough for the two of us.
“Yeah, I’m just thinking. It’s scary to think that… never mind.”
“What? You can tell me.”
Jasper clears his throat, running a hand through his hair. “It’s just scary to think that I could have ended up like Clay.”
“No, you couldn’t have,” I say, laying my hand on his. “It was his choice.”
“You thought I was like him,” he says, bowing his head.
“I know. I was unbelievably wrong. You two are nothing alike,” I say.
“We are, though.”
“Not to me.”
I reach over the middle of the car, hugging Jasper in his seat.
“Come on, let’s go inside.”
That night, Jasper falls asleep on the sofa as we’re watching a movie.
I peel him off of me, going to the kitchen to get a glass of water. When I return, I lean his body back against mine, watching as his chest rises and falls steadily. He’s in a deep sleep. He’s relaxed. I imagine it’s because he knows this ordeal is finally over.
Jasper was strongly affected by the loss of Clay as his friend. More than he likes to let on, but I can tell. Whenever he comes across a picture of the two of them, his smile falters. Whenever he sees someone who looks like Clay, his jaw tightens. But I have confidence that in time it won’t be this way. If Violet can overcome what Clay did to her, enough to even forgive him, then Jasper can too.
I lean against his strong form, looking around at our cozy place. The walls are a worn brick, much older than either of us. The floors are wood planks, aged and full of character too. Jasper’s backpack sits on the kitchen table, his books spilling out of the top. My hoodie is beside it; the same one he gave me to wear on his first day here.
To think about how much things have changed since then is mind-bending. And after I realized Jasper’s innocence, I never looked back. In all the years he had been absent from my life, I didn’t miss him. Funnily enough, now that he had returned, I can’t imagine living without him.
“Goodnight, Jasper,” I whisper, gently bringing my lips to the top of his head. There’s still a small scar there, but it has faded considerably over the past months.
“Night Ivy,” Jasper mumbles sleepily, drawing me to his chest.
I lie against him, my eyes heavy as I listen to his slow and steady heartbeat. The last thing I remember before falling asleep is a realization: that the creepy, all-consuming feeling has finally left my bones. It isn’t haunting me any longer, and it never will again.
The image of Violet smiling dances in my mind as sleep beckons me and my mind flickers off. I rest easy, knowing that my friend is finally safe. Safe from the monsters; the ones inside of Clay and the ones inside of herself.
THE END
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Wanderlust: A Road Trip R
omance
One epic road trip. One epic romance.
I just barely survived the worst day of my life, and I made myself a promise: I’m done with men.
I planned to leave my troubles behind and drive across the country solo. Except for a new problem just walked in the door — the bartender at my hotel.
The last thing I need is to get hung up on a new guy, so why can’t I keep away from Aiden Stone? Probably because he’s adventurous, fun, and too sexy for his own good.
Of course, he’s totally hung up on his ex.
I always want what I can’t have, and Aiden is no exception. Still, I’m not ready to leave him behind, especially when he’s sending mixed signals my way.
I’m sure we can just be two friends on the road…
…right?
Wanderlust is a standalone contemporary romance, suitable for 18+ adults who are looking for a fresh, sexy and inspirational read.
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