Allie #2
Ashley quickly makes her way to the stand, her long, platinum blonde hair swishing behind. Next thing I know, she’s sworn in and already answering something I somehow didn’t catch.
Wait.
Did I miss a whole question?
She’s got that look on her face—the scrunched-up are you serious? One she gives new nurses when they forget gloves or don’t chart at the end of the night.
So whatever Trevor asked, it was definitely stupid.
God, what did he say?
I take a deep breath and try to will the anxiety to at least simmer for five minutes so I can pay attention. But the way the room keeps tilting pretty much tells me it’s here to stay.
I close my eyes, breathing in through my nose, and out through my mouth. The burning still sits low in my belly, showing up every few minutes like a reminder that it’s not going anywhere.
Then I feel a hand on my shoulder, and my eyes snap open.
Jax leans over the banister behind me, worry written all over his face. “You alright, Al?” he asks, his voice so low I almost miss it.
My eyebrows knit together, and I nod. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I say. “Why?”
But before he can say anything, Judge Steinbeck’s voice booms behind me. “Ms. Windsor—or should I say Mrs. Owens—this is not your honeymoon.”
My heart lurches into my throat.
I spin around, confusion slapping me in the face when I see Nora on the stand, eyes wide. The second ours meet, she mouths, I’m so sorry.
What the hell is going on?
“You may step down, Miss Pike,” Judge Steinbeck says, her tone clipped and disapproving.
Nora waddles by me, her head down until she disappears into the small crowd behind me to take her seat.
“Allie,” Trevor says, suddenly standing right in front of me. Even he looks worried now, his brows drawn tight as his eyes sweep over me slowly. As if he’s ever given a damn about how I felt through any of this.
I look up at him, raising a brow. “Yeah?”
“It’s, uh… your turn,” he says, running a hand through his already-messy hair.
My head throbs as I glance at the now-empty witness stand. I push to my feet, but the second I do, the room tips sideways and I stumble slightly into the table, grabbing it to stay upright.
Behind me, I hear Jax shoot to his feet. “Allie?”
“I’m okay, Jax. Please sit,” I say quickly, the words nearly slurring from how dizzy I suddenly feel. I don’t dare turn around. I don’t think I could if I tried.
I have no idea how I make it to the witness chair without knocking into anything else, but somehow, I do.
Trevor places a glass of water in front of me, which confuses me even more. He doesn’t say anything—just sets it down and backs away.
I don’t ask questions. I just grab the glass and take the biggest gulp I can, hoping it’ll settle the shakiness now crawling through my bones.
When I set it down, I catch Trevor staring at me—not really at me, but like he’s trying to figure something out as he shifts from leg to leg.
Then I glance past him—and realize it’s not just him.
Everyone behind him is watching me the same way.
And now it’s really starting to piss me off.
“Ms. Windsor?” Judge Steinbeck says gently from my right. I turn toward her slowly. “Are you sure you’re alright? We can recess if you need a moment.”
Why is everyone acting like I’m fragile right now?
My eyebrows pinch together as I shake my head—and instantly regret it. “N-no,” I say, my voice shaky. “I’m fine.”
Even though every muscle in my body is starting to hum with fatigue.
Maybe I should take a break.
Trevor clears his throat, the sound grating right through me before he finally starts pacing again. “Allison, would you mind explaining why—after less than a year with Jax—you went and got married?”
Ice shoots down my spine, and all I feel is sweat pool at the edge of my hairline. “W-what did you say?”
He stops pacing, turns toward me, and folds his arms with that smug little tilt of his head he always uses when he thinks he’s making a point.
“You and Jax,” he says, his voice painfully slow, like he’s talking to a child. “You got married. Just a few days ago, apparently. Ms. Pike was kind enough to clarify that for us.”
He lets the silence stretch for just a second.
“So tell me,” he continues, louder now, addressing the courtroom instead of just me, “was that another one of your impulsive, emotionally-driven choices?” He shrugs like the answer doesn’t even matter.
“Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re more interested in playing house than actually providing one. ”
Why would Nora tell them that? Or more importantly when did she say that?
Another wave of cramps slams into me so hard it steals my breath. I squeeze my eyes shut and clutch the front of my shirt, trying to ground myself while forcing my lungs to work through it.
“Allie?” Trevor says, all the smugness suddenly gone.
I blink through the pain, just about to look up and ask him to repeat the question—
But then a sudden warmth spreads between my thighs.
My hand moves on instinct to check, and when I lift my fingers, they’re shaking.
Shaking—and unmistakably stained red.
No. No, no, no.
My eyes snap to Jax. He’s already watching me. Already standing.
Before I even know what I’m doing, I push to my feet—too fast.
“Allie?” Jax’s voice cuts through the courtroom. “ALLIE?”
That’s when everything goes black.