Chapter 6
Elsie
Trembling, I pulled my hood over my head to hide my bright hair from anyone’s view as people filed out of the courthouse.
We’d finally made it to the beginning of the “Love Potion Case”, as the public had deemed it.
I needed information about what was going on in that room for personal reasons, but I didn’t feel bold enough to go inside today.
Security opened the doors to allow the flood of spectators to leave.
Typically, the spectators would mingle on the steps to discuss cases and their thoughts.
These steps had been a common place for me to hang around in the past few years.
Legal cases always intrigued me, and I enjoyed hearing what spectators said, how they interpreted things, and even what they thought the outcomes would be.
Today, I needed to hear specifics. Would Aster go down easily, or would there be a lack of sufficient evidence to put her in prison?
I desperately needed to know. Today was likely opening statements, but surely I could pick up on something.
I wished that I hadn’t come to this alone, but Lena had a decreasing interest in the case.
Since the potion attacks, we’d spent less and less time together.
Truthfully, I didn’t feel as though she supported me well throughout the entire issue.
Since I’d moved off campus, she’d been less present in my life.
Nothing like staying isolated after trauma.
Chatter between individuals filled the air, and I wove through the crowd to see if I could catch anything interesting. Some people were recanting opening statements, but most were discussing the issue with Aster.
“I don’t think she’ll get enough time.”
“If they’re even able to convict her.”
“Surely there are enough witnesses to prove—”
“It doesn’t matter if there are enough witnesses. What happened is awful, but they have to prove it was her.”
“She openly admitted it, did she not?”
“That could just be speculation. We have no idea yet.”
I continued to listen, my heart dropping into the pit of my stomach. Could the prosecution prove it was her? I hadn’t considered that maybe there wasn’t enough tangible evidence. If she didn’t get convicted…
Dodging more of the crowd, I watched who stepped out of the doors. Thankfully, I had looked up at exactly the right moment to see my father leaving with security flanking him. I turned quickly and hurried down the steps, trying to appear casual as I made my way to the parking lot.
If he saw me here, he would surely lock me in the house for the next court date.
He wanted me nowhere near this case, especially.
I wove through some cars, looking over my shoulder to make sure I could slide between two cars and ducked.
I could see my father’s car across the parking lot, far from this one.
This would be my hiding spot until he pulled out of the lot, and then I would go home.
Peering over the boot of the car in front of me, I watched him as he argued with someone on his phone.
Good. He wouldn’t be looking around the car park much while he was focused on his call.
Once he reached his car, I breathed a sigh of relief.
His eyes never once glanced this way. The engine roared to life, and his car slipped out of the lot.
“Who are we hiding from?” The voice behind me made a very high-pitched squeal leave my throat. I lurched forward from my crouched position, my palms landing hard against the asphalt.
Heart still racing, I twisted my body until I was sitting on the ground instead of awkwardly hovering.
“Sorry. I wasn’t trying to scare you,” Lukas said, reaching out to grab my wrist. Tenderly, his fingers turned it over so he could see the scrapes against my palms. “Shit, sorry.”
“It’s fine,” I said, pulling my hands away from him and brushing them off on my pants.
He was wearing an all-black suit, crouched in front of me.
The suit looked perfectly tailored—it probably was—and the black fabric was a stark contrast to his pale skin and bright eyes.
Lukas Bristol was stupidly attractive, unfortunately for me.
An outstretched hand hung in the air between us. I took it and let Lukas help me to my feet. When I was steady, he didn’t let go of my hand until I pulled back. If I’d kept my hand still, how long would he have held it?
“So why are you hiding next to my car?” There was a smirk on his face as he looked at me. He was probably appraising my attire, which comprised old black leggings and a blue hoodie.
“I wasn’t hiding,” I responded quickly, knowing that was not a convincing lie. Couldn’t I have come up with literally anything else? I mentally face-palmed.
When I hid here, I had paid no mind to the cars I used as my shields.
Now, standing fully upright, the fancy muscle car beside me was impossible to miss.
It was nice, whatever it was. Cars meant little to me, but my father enjoyed luxury cars and bought me an expensive one I didn’t even care to drive.
Driving was not something I enjoyed, hence why I walked here and would walk home.
“You just creep between cars like you’re in a spy film for fun?
” Lukas pressed, his smirk widening to a knowing grin.
Those blue eyes roamed over my head and looked around the lot, probably hoping to solve the mystery.
I was so glad my father had already left.
Lukas would never talk to me again if he knew who my father was… and I wasn’t sure I wanted that.
“Um,” I mumbled, trying to force my brain to work faster and come up with a believable excuse. But my thoughts were running in circles trying to determine why he was even here. “I just didn’t want to get caught up in the crowd.”
As soon as the words left my lips, I wanted to scream at myself. That was the stupidest thing I could have said, and it didn’t even make sense. There was clearly no crowd here in the lot.
Graciously, Lukas nodded and didn’t press me further.
It quelled some of the rising anxiety within me.
He shoved his hands in his trouser pockets in such a casual manner that it would probably make women drool.
Honestly, it could have made me drool if I hadn’t been so painfully self-aware in that moment.
Something in his reaction struck me. He could have kept pressing or even made fun of me for my stupid lie, but he didn’t. That alone sent a more-than-normal amount of butterflies fluttering in my throat.
“Are you busy for the rest of the day?” I blurted.
His eyes snapped to mine, and I immediately wished I could hide between different cars now to escape this embarrassment. Why would I ask him such a thing? Of course, he was busy. It was the week before finals, he’d spent a whole day in court, and he probably had tests to study for.
“I’m free. Want to go get some dinner?”
The edges of Lukas’s mouth were pulled up, like he was fighting a smile. Relief flowed to my cheeks, which were most likely burning red.
I gave him a shy nod, and he grinned wickedly.
I absolutely should not be going anywhere public with Lukas Bristol, yet here I was.
He opened the passenger door of his car and motioned for me to get in.
I moved to squeeze past him. Lukas stayed planted, leaving just the needed amount of space for me to get into the car and not brush against him.
I held his gaze as I dropped into the passenger seat. Then he closed my door.