“I’ll be there.” I hung up the phone, not waiting to hear my father’s reaction, and then I dragged myself to the bathroom to get ready.
I took my time showering, and though I fixed my hair and makeup, I kept things simple, as if I were going to a funeral. It was, after all, a solemn occasion; the last thing I wanted to do was show up looking like I was going to a party.
I showed up at the courthouse and avoided my parents by staying in the car until the last minute possible and then walked into the courtroom and sat in the back row. I kept my head down, but there weren’t many people to hide behind. I did my best to duck behind an old man who was jotting down notes, but he kept leaning to the seat next to him where he had laid out some papers. I wasn’t sure if he was a reporter, but I didn’t want to ask.
“All rise.” I took to my feet and kept my head down as the judge entered the room and then I saw him over the small crowd up front. Aiden had shaved his beard and was wearing an Armani suit.
God, he’s gorgeous. My heart raced as I looked across and saw my parents facing off with the man I loved.
Shit. I love him.
My nerves were completely shot, but I knew what I had to do. I got to my feet and moved to the front. There was one empty seat on the end just behind the defense, and my ass had it good and warm before my mother glanced over and gave me a strange look. She waved me over as if I had stupidly sat on the wrong side, but I took a deep breath and looked forward. I might be about to out myself to Aiden, but he’d know whose side I was on.
After hearing the evidence, the jury broke and the judge told us he’d have his decision after lunch. It wasn’t until then that Aiden stood and turned around.
“Lexa!” He pulled me into his arms and held me tight, but my parents were already on their way over.
“Alexandra!” My mother’s voice cut through the crowd, and she pushed past Aiden’s lawyer, who seemed just as confused as everyone else and stood waiting for an explanation.
Aiden pulled away, and I glanced down to the floor unable to meet any of their eyes. “Mom. Dad.”
I glanced up in time for Aiden’s reaction. His face had gone ghost white, and he stood stone still, searching my eyes.
“What are you doing with our daughter?” My father’s temper was so bad the words sounded like they’d been mixed with molten lava and poured from his mouth.
“No doubt you’re the one whose been filling her head, villainizing us so she’d talk us into dropping this case.” My mother looked at me like I was a
piece of trash — and like Aiden was much lower.
“Daughter? These are your parents? The assholes who are suing me?” The courtroom had cleared out all but for the lawyers and us, and they were trying to get us to take it into a private office.
“Like you didn’t know,” my mother hissed.
“He didn’t. I never told him who I was.” I trembled, rocked with emotions so overwhelming that I could hardly stand.
“How could you lie to me? They put you up to this?”
I shook my head and fell against his chest. “No, Aiden, I swear. It was a fluke, and I didn’t know how to tell you.”
“I fell in love with you.” He grabbed my arms and pushed me back. “I don’t even fucking know you.” He pushed past me, and his lawyer held my dad off as Aiden hurried out. The man glared at me with wide eyes and then shook his head and hurried after Aiden.
My mother and father walked away, as well, and I was left standing alone with a very confused bailiff.
I ran out to the bathroom and called Bre, but she wasn’t answering. On my way out, I ran right into Aiden who looked at me like I was a stranger before walking away. His lawyer stayed back and once Aiden was away, he pulled me to the side.
“You need to give my client some space. I’m begging you to stop whatever game you’ve got going on with him, and you two can work things out another time.”
“I just want to explain things to him. My parents didn’t know. I swear it. I met him when he crashed his bike, and I let my curiosity get the best of me.” He gave me a pitiful look, but then his face softened.
“Today isn’t the day to work this out. If there’s anything to salvage, it will wait. I heard what your parents said. They think he put you up to trying to talk them out of this. Was that because you wanted his money all to yourself? Is this some sick twisted revenge of your own?”
The idea that Aiden might think that knocked the wind out of me. “No, I don’t want anything. I just didn’t think it was fair.”
“Lying to him is fair? Making him fall in love with you is fair? And just so you know, I wanted to throw you under the bus. I wanted to out this little scam in court and let the judge chew on that, but Aiden said no. He didn’t want to put you through it. You’re a piece of work.” He shook his head and walked away, and I couldn’t even argue with his parting words.
I hung around long enough to catch the verdict. At least I could rest easy that my parents hadn’t gotten what they were asking for. The judge thought it was a gross amount, and the proof of negligence was not as solid as they had hoped because there was no way to know that when the plane went down that it was Mr. Walker in control. The jury did find my parents’ case favorable enough for a settlement, and Mom would have enough to redecorate the beach home and buy a new one if she wanted.
Aiden looked like a shell of himself the entire time and any trace of light that had been in his eyes before the trial was good and gone as he walked past me and hurried out. My parents approached me, to my surprise, and let me know that they wanted to hear me out whenever they let this all sink in. In the end, nobody won — and I was the biggest loser of all.