“Mr. Ballard, you’ve entered a plea of not guilty. Do you still stand by your plea?”
“Jameson Foster did this,” I blurt out, forgetting where I am. There’s a gasp in the galley, and I turn to find Whiskey sitting in the back, turning red. Fuck, my life.
“Order in the court,” Harvey slams his gavel down.
Saul stands. “Your Honor, if we could take a short recess—”
“Proceedings just started and now you want to take a short recess. What kind of fool do you take me for?”
“Your Honor, the State requests a recess to go over this new information.”
“Fine, fifteen minutes.” He slams the gavel down again and heads to his chamber. As soon as he’s up, I rush to the back of the room and drop to my knees.
“Whiskey, I’m sorry. I was thinking about that night and your name… it just came out. I remember what you said about Harvey. I need you to tell him the truth.”
“Why should I?” her glare burns a hole right through me.
“You shouldn’t,” I tell her honestly. “I don’t deserve anything from you.”
“Fletcher, am I allowed to testify?”
I glance over my shoulder at the attorney. “Yeah, Jamie, you can unless Mr. Ballard’s attorney has any objections.”
“None from us,” Saul says.
“Thank you,” I say to her.
She stands and I follow, still loving that I’m a head and shoulder taller than her. “Aren’t you worried about me lying on the stand?” She smirks as she steps past me.
I inwardly groan. I wasn’t, but I am now.
12
Jamie
The look of pure shock — or maybe it’s realization — on Ajay’s face is priceless, yet I feel like a complete shit for saying what I did. He has every right to tell the truth about what happened that night. I never asked him to lie for me or withhold information. When I committed the act, I knew he’d take the fall… that was the kind of guy he was. But he’s changed since then; he has a career and even though this is petty, not only the charges brought against him but the act itself, it could probably tarnish his image.
Fletcher takes me by the elbow and leads me out of the courtroom and down the hall to a small conference room. He shuts the door once we’re inside and sighs. “What the hell is going on? Why are you even here?”
“I had some business to take care of this morning,” I tell him. “It’s not like I planned this. I don’t even know what possessed me to go into the courtroom.”
“Curiosity?”
“Of what? Seeing my ex?” Fletcher shrugs. “Yeah, I had enough of that the other day when he and his perfect girlfriend came into Bailey’s.” I start pacing back and forth in what little space is available. I should’ve never walked into the courtroom, but something told me I needed to be in there. I shouldn’t care what happens to Ajay because as far as I’m concerned this is payback for ditching out on me. Maybe there’s some deep-seated jealousy on my part. He’s living the life, the one I thought we’d live together, while I’m still in Bailey working in a bar. That must be it. I’m angry at him for leaving me behind.
“So now what?” I ask Fletcher. “Do you put me on the stand?”
He nods as he thumbs through some papers. “If I don’t, Ajay’s lawyer does. You can either testify for the State or for him.”
“If I testify for you, I lie up there.”
Fletcher looks at me, his face pensive and almost sad. His dirty blond hair is kept short and styled neatly. “Or you tell Harvey you forgot.”
“Isn’t that the same as lying?”
He shrugs. “It was a long time ago, memories are hazy. You don’t remember whose idea it was or when it happened.”
I nod and continue to walk back and forth. I’ve definitely gotten myself into a jam before but nothing like this.