Andrew stared at himself in the floor length mirror behind the bathroom door. He was wearing a pair of gray dress slacks with a charcoal colored jacket and a white button down shirt. He glanced at the gray striped tie on the counter and frowned. He had tried and tried to get it right, but eventually took it off and tossed it. He snatched it up quickly and shoved it into his pocket before heading into the kitchen.
“Baby, everything will be okay,” Madison said with a smile.
Andrew smiled, not sharing her optimism but enjoying it nonetheless.
“Do you want me to do your tie? You know Mr. Bennett will make you wear it,” she said with an arch of her brow.
Andrew sighed and pulled it out of his pocket. She smiled and picked it up, seeing the wrinkled section indicating it had been tied and untied several times. She touched his neatly shaved face, already missing his trademark stubble, and then shifted to his recently trimmed hair. He was nervous about today, and she knew that, but she was confident that all would work out the way it was supposed to. Callie had told her so and Callie was never wrong, was she? They had exactly thirty minutes to get there, but she figured they should be there earlier so that Mr. Bennett could talk to them beforehand. She carefully tied the perfect Windsor knot and allowed her hand to run down the tie, slipping her fingers inside his slacks.
“I am sure you would like this tie more if we did something fun with it,” she said playfully.
His eyes darkened just slightly, causing Madison to smile mischievously. Of course she would love to use that tie in all sorts of naughty ways, but they would need to wait for that. They had already made love twice that morning, so, in all honesty, she shouldn’t be thinking about sex, but he brought that out of her.
“We better go before we’re late,” she said, kissing him softly.
“Yeah, let’s get this over with,” he said, his stomach turning.
They held hands as they exited their home and started for her car. Madison could see the somber expression on his face and tugged on their joined hands.
“Baby, talk to me, what are you thinking?”
He shook his head slightly, and when she squeezed his hand again, he looked down, defeated before anything began.
“I don’t think it will turn out like you want it to and I am afraid you will be disappointed,” he said with a sigh.
Madison stopped walking and stood before him. “Andrew, we have a home, you have a great job that you love, we have the best friends in the world, and, aside from my mother, the most supportive family we could ask for. Whatever happens, happens, okay?” she stated firmly.
“Okay,” he said with a slight nod.
The drive was eerily quiet as Andrew was lost in his thoughts. Madison was right. He loved their home, which he was happy to say he contributed to. He also had a spectacular job with his best friend. Something he looked forward to going to every day. His aunt and uncle were always there for him, and even Madison’s grandmother supported them. He needed to focus on that.
“Callie still wants us over tonight, no matter what happens.”
“Jayden said the same thing,” Andrew replied, glancing out the window.
“I really hope this works. I would hate to taint Ellie in any way,” Andrew said to the window.
“What do you mean?” Madison queried, not sure where this was going.
Andrew turned. “Being her godfather AND being on the sex offender registry seems wrong to me.”
Madison quickly pulled over. “Stop it! Jayden and Callie asked us because if something were to happen to them they want us to always look out for her, which we will. None of us care if you are on the registry and neither will Ellie.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into me,” he rubbed his temples and closed his eyes. “I’m afraid that no matter what I do, this stigma will haunt me and hurt the people I love. I know we don’t talk about New York very much, but my status was a definite hindrance out there and contributed to so many problems for us.”
“Baby, what happened in New York doesn’t matter anymore, besides, I completely trust Mr. Bennett, don’t you?”
Andrew opened his eyes. “Of course I do.”
“He seems very confident, so I think we need to just see what happens and either way we get to hang with our friends and family, and then this weekend we get to become godparents to that precious little girl. Our life is good whether you are on the registry or not,” she said confidently, touching his hand.
“You’re right, Madison.” He leaned over and kissed her, softly but deeply. “I love you.”
She smiled. “I love you, too, always.”
After a few minutes, Madison returned to driving. As they pulled up to the courthouse, they already saw Aaron and Olivia talking with Callie and Jayden outside. They were obviously waiting for them to arrive. After they parked and exited the vehicle, Andrew grasped her hand with his. He needed her support and reassurance, now more than ever. However, the minute they approached his aunt and uncle, he saw the fear and concern on their faces and let go of Madison so that he could hug them tightly. He hated that everyone was so upset already. It made him more nervous and concerned.
“Hey, man, quit worrying, my dad’s got this!” Jayden said, slapping Andrew on the back.
Andrew tried to laugh, but it definitely came out as a forced chuckle. They stepped inside and sat in a very familiar pew. Andrew shook his head and let out a nervous laugh just as Elias and Liam approached.
“What’s amusing, Andrew?” Elias asked with a smile.
“This is the same courtroom I was in before, you know, for the incident with Jimmy.”
Elias smiled brilliantly. “Well, that’s a good sign considering we won that case,” he said as he squeezed his shoulder.
They talked briefly before they were called inside. Andrew and Madison entered first, followed by Aaron and Olivia, and then Callie and Jayden, while Liam and Elias brought up the rear, talking quietly to one another.
“Mr. Bennett?” a woman said, stopping the door from closing.
Everyone turned to see a young woman in her mid-twenties with long blond hair and heavy makeup on standing at the door. Elias exhaled in relief as he walked up to her.
“I’m glad you changed your mind. Let’s talk in the hall for a moment.” He then turned to Andrew, “Have a seat, Andrew. I’ll be right back.”
Andrew was unable to move. It couldn’t be who he thought it was. Madison tugged on his arm, bringing him out of his haze.
“Who is that?” she asked nervously.
Andrew swallowed. “I think that’s Ashley.”
Madison gasped and then Jayden spoke, “Who’s Ashley?”
Andrew looked at him. “The girl I was with at that party. The girl I was convicted of raping.”
Everyone turned to the door to see Elias walk back in without Ashley. He was smiling as he touched Andrew’s shoulder and directed him to their seats. Everyone had questions but no one asked them. Luckily, they only waited a few minutes before the judge came inside the courtroom and began the proceedings. Elias stood, but before speaking, he smiled at Andrew.
“Your Honor, we are here today to right an injustice that has caused my client, Mr. Harrison, years of undo duress.” Elias walked over to the judge and presented him with several sworn affidavits. “These are affidavits, one from Mr. Harrison’s probation officer, who indicates that Mr. Harrison is a model citizen, who maintains a steady job and has avoided all trouble. Also included are several personal references by previous employers as well as personal friends attesting to the exemplary character of Mr. Harrison.”
The judge started flipping through the papers before him while Elias walked back to the table. He nodded reassuringly at Andrew before he faced the judge again.
“It is our intention to show evidence that ten years ago Mr. Harrison received a harsher than necessary sentence due to an ineffective defense and a witness that was not allowed to speak. Today, Your Honor, she wishes to tes
tify and, in doing so, it is our belief that you will see the necessity of overturning Mr. Harrison’s previous conviction.”
“Call your witness, Mr. Bennett,” the judge said, looking up from his papers.
“We would like to call to the stand, Ms. Ashley Shapiro,” Elias said firmly as he turned towards the door.
The judge waived to the bailiff who stepped outside the room and called the witness to the stand. As she walked to the front of the courtroom, she did not make eye contact with Andrew or any of the people behind him. All of which were staring at her open mouthed.
“Ms. Shapiro, do you recognize the defendant?” Elias stepped aside slightly, wanting her to make eye contact with Andrew. He knew that it would be much harder for her to back down or lie if she looked into his eyes.
She nodded. “Yes, I remember him.”
“Your Honor, let the record show that she identified my client, Mr. Harrison.”
“So noted, please continue.”
“Ms. Shapiro, could you tell the court how you know Mr. Harrison?” Elias queried.
She sighed and fiddled with her hands. She had been reluctant to come today but her longtime boyfriend had encouraged her to do it. He had told her that she had been given a second chance and that this man deserved one too. Her boyfriend had been in prison before and knew how difficult it was to find work as a convicted felon but to also have a sex offender status on top of that, he could not imagine. When they had met three years ago, she had confessed that not testifying on this man’s behalf had been one of her biggest regrets. He couldn’t have her regret it a second time.
“Ms. Shapiro, it is important that you tell us what happened. A man’s livelihood is at stake,” Elias said a little harsher than intended, but he needed her to start talking.
She nodded and then looked at the judge. “I was a pretty messed up teenager. I was using drugs and partying pretty hard by the time I was thirteen.” She looked down, embarrassed and ashamed. “My friends and I went to a party in Palmdale. I saw him there,” she looked up and motioned with her head towards Andrew.
“You saw, Mr. Harrison?” Elias stated with ease, she nodded. “Please continue.”
“He was very cute but he hadn’t really noticed me. So when I saw him and his friend shoot up, I thought why the hell not. I was already pretty wasted and now so was he. I wanted him and well, I wasn’t planning on taking no for an answer so I, umm, approached him,” she swallowed thickly and looked up to see her boyfriend walk inside the courtroom.
He slid into the pew in the back of the courtroom and smiled at her, giving her a reassuring nod. She had told him she didn’t want him to come, but now that he was there she couldn’t remember why she had told him no in the first place. She took a deep breath, already feeling at ease, just having him in the room.
“We started kissing and I was, you know, messing with him. He stopped me and asked how old I was,” she looked up to the judge, “and I told him I was 18. He didn’t rape me.”
Madison had been trying to hold it together, but the minute the words were uttered she cried out in a gasp and placed her face in her hands. She had always known that Andrew didn’t do what he was accused of, but there was something freeing about hearing this girl tell the truth for the entire world to hear. Andrew was not a rapist. Madison felt Olivia pull her into a hug, and by the rapid rising and falling of her chest, she knew that she was also shedding tears.
“Why didn’t you tell this before?” Elias asked, leaning against the railing. “This man served six years in prison and has been forced to register as a sex offender, losing jobs, being evicted from homes, being shunned by society. All of that could have been eliminated had you spoken up back then.” Elias was not holding any punches.
Tears trickled down her face. “I wanted to say something, but my father wouldn’t allow it. I started using heavily after that,” she said, looking down, “I was in and out of treatment for several years. I’ve been sober now for almost four years. I thought it was too late to do anything about what happened then.”
“It’s never too late, Ms. Shapiro. Thank you for having the courage to speak out now.”
She nodded before she looked past Elias to Andrew. He still looked as he did then, still very handsome, but as she looked at him, she could see what she had done. Her chest heaved with the magnitude of the life he was forced to live because she didn’t have the ability to stand up to her father and do what was right.
“I’m sorry,” she finally said as she beheld Andrew. “I’m really, really, sorry for what happened,” she said before she started crying into her hands.
“No further questions, Your Honor,” Elias stated as he helped her off the stand and escorted her to her boyfriend, who was standing at the entrance, waiting for her.
“Your Honor, as you can see, had this young woman been able to testify, no reasonable jury would have convicted him of statutory rape, as according to California law, ‘if the defendant had reason to believe that the victim was of legitimate age of consent, then statutory rape cannot be claimed’. At most, the defendant should have been charged with penal code 261.5, Unlawful Sexual Intercourse, which does not require the accused to register as a sex offender. We humbly ask that you overturn his previous conviction based on these new facts and allow his name to be removed from the sex offender database,” Elias exclaimed passionately.
The judge glanced at Andrew and then back at the documents before him. He knew the judge of record, and as he briefly reviewed the documents, he thought he should probably give him a call to get his take on the case.
“We will take a thirty minute recess while I review the information received today,” the judge said, bringing his gavel down.
As soon as the judge was out of the room, Elias turned to Andrew, “Judges don’t like to overturn another judge’s ruling, so he will review everything that we have presented. But I am confident he will rule in our favor.”
Andrew nodded and turned, needing to hold Madison. The next thirty minutes felt like hours. Everyone was antsy. Callie had tried to lighten the mood by talking about things that little Ellie had done, but that only worked for a brief amount of time before the gravity of the situation weighed them all down. By the time the judge came back inside, everyone gripped each other’s hands tightly.
“Mr. Harrison, please rise.”
Andrew rose, feeling the weakness in his knees that had accompanied him the last two times he had to stand before a judge. His stomach flipped and turned as he awaited his fate.
“After reviewing all the evidence before me, it is clear that although you are guilty of having sex with a minor, you are clearly not guilty of felony statutory rape. The court wishes to express its regret for the discrimination you have endured due to this conviction. As such, the court will expunge your record of the Statutory Rape charge and remove your name from the Sex Offender registry. You will however be convicted of California Penal Code 261.5, Unlawful Sexual Intercourse and sentenced to two years, with time served. You are free to go, Mr. Harrison, with the court’s apologies.”
Andrew felt his eyes water as he turned to Madison, who was crying again. He reached his hands out and grabbed her, bringing her over the railing as he twirled her in his arms before his lips crashed against hers. They could hear crying in the background and Elias was talking to someone, Andrew and Madison didn’t know who, all they knew was that Andrew no longer would be considered a rapist.
“I’m free,” he murmured against her lips.
“You are, baby, just like the phoenix, free to go anywhere, free to be anything,” Madison cried.
He smiled, pulling her against his chest. He inhaled her sweet and perfect scent and was filled with an overwhelming sense of happiness. A great weight, a blackness that had hovered around him for the past ten years was finally gone. He glanced at his aunt and uncle, who were holding each other tightly, crying tears of joy. He then saw his friends, who were watching him. Jayden’s smile lit up his entire face
and Callie was beaming as she mouthed ‘I told you’. Andrew nodded as he shifted to face the Bennetts, where he whispered ‘thank you’. They both smiled and soon ushered everyone out of the courtroom. Andrew pulled back slightly so that he could admire Madison.
“I love you so much, Madison,” he said, looking at her deeply. “Thank you for not giving up on me, on us. I finally feel worthy of the sacrifice you made for me.”
She touched his facing lovingly. “You were always worth it.”
He breathed in deeply and nodded as his mouth captured hers. Their love had indeed survived the chaos, survived his past, and hers, as well as New York and all it had thrown in front of them. Their love had not faltered, but, instead, had grown exponentially, and now with the freedom his conviction being overturned allotted them, their life could truly begin, as partners, fully and completely equal.
Helios Illustration © Alex Marin
AUTHOR NOTE
I want to thank you for reading Helios Exposed, the second book in The Helios Chronicles. This book is a little shorter than book one and book three but that’s just how it worked out. I needed this one to end at a good stopping point. While I do love cliffies in chapters, I prefer to have books end in a good spot and this felt that way to me. I didn’t want to go into anything that linked to what would come next or made the reader feel like this particular book wasn’t ‘complete’.
In this book, our couple goes through a lot. As the title indicated, Helios was ‘exposed’ and had to come to terms with his past and all those feelings of insecurity his parents put in his head. He no longer had walls up around his heart, which proved to be a detriment in New York. Now, I know that sometimes people get frustrated when stories have a couple break up in a story, but in this case it was absolutely a necessary growing tool for Andrew. He needed that time away to figure out who he was with and without Madison. Of course, if he had just opened up to her, he would have realized that she was on the same path as he was. But then again isn’t that real life? We make decisions because we think it’s best for everyone but never consult the people it effects the most?
Helios Exposed (The Helios Chronicles #2) Page 29
