Page 67 of Saving Tracey
I slid my hand out from under the ice pack and pushed her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. She sighed softly in her sleep, and I smiled a little when she subconsciously sought out my touch.
Tracey, baby, just know that I've always got you.
Chapter Twenty
TRACEY
Isqueezed Trevor's hand tightly in my own, my knuckles turning white from the grip I had on his hand. I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to face him.
Hell, Icouldn'tface him. I always froze up, and I always panicked. Today wasn't going to be any different.
"Baby, you've got this," Trevor told me gently as he kissed the top of my head.
I just stared at the large courthouse doors in front of me, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. I shrieked when someone walked up and put their hand on my shoulder. I swung around so fast that I staggered back into Trevor, who gripped my hips to keep me from falling. Gabriel gave me a small, apologetic smile, putting his hands up in a surrendering gesture.
"You okay, girly?"
I blew out a harsh breath, and Trevor rubbed his hands up and down my arms soothingly. "You've got this, baby; Ipromise," Trevor murmured in my ear again, desperately trying to soothe my nerves.
I swallowed hard, turning toward the courthouse doors again. "If I stay out here, I'm never going to go in," I admitted, wiping my sweaty hands on my slacks.
With his hand on my lower back, Trevor led me through the courthouse doors. As soon as we entered the courtroom, nausea swirled in my stomach. My dad was sitting in a chair on the defendant's side. His hands were cuffed in front of him, and he was looking at his lawyer, taking in everything he was saying. He turned his green eyes to me when I entered the room, and I halted in my tracks, bile rising in my throat.
“I—I can’t,” I choked out, backing up as my fight-or-flight instinct kicked in.
Every single fiber of my being was telling me to run like fucking hell. I wanted out of there—away from him.
Trevor grabbed my hand in his, bringing it up to his lips. His eyes bore into mine as he tucked my hair behind my ear with his other hand. "You have to be strong, Tracey. I know you can do this.”
My bottom lip trembled, tears filling my eyes. A pained look passed through Trevor’s eyes. Not giving a fuck about anyone else in the room, he pulled me to him and kissed me, instantly calming my nerves. I melted into him, gripping his leather jacket in my fists. When he pulled back, he rubbed my bottom lip with his thumb. "Only you can put him away, baby. You have to do this.”
I blew out a harsh breath and resumed walking to the plaintiff's table, taking my seat beside the lawyer Angelina had hired for me this morning. The lawyer—Carl Grayson—gave me a tight-lipped smile. "Are you sure you're okay to do this?"
I couldn't answer him. My dad's eyes were boring into the side of my head, and it was making me highly uncomfortable.Sweat was trickling down my back. It was like being right back where I was months ago.
I turned to look behind me, catching Angelina's eyes. She gave me a small, encouraging smile. I turned back around to face the front, blowing out a harsh breath.
I couldn't do this.
When the judge entered the room, everyone stood up, waiting for him to sit before we all did. I could barely hold myself up. My legs were shaking so badly that I was gripping the table with a white-knuckled grip to keep myself upright.
"You all may be seated,” the judge’s voice boomed out through the courtroom.
I heavily collapsed into my chair, dropping my face into my hands. I sucked in a large breath of air, desperately trying to calm my nerves. Carl leaned over to me. "They're about to call your father up to the stand, and his lawyer is going to ask him some questions, and then I'm going to. Once he's off the stand, then you'll be called up, okay? Do you remember how to respond to the questions his lawyer may throw at you?"
I swallowed hard, nodding mutely. I could remember them now, but at this rate, I wasn't even going to remember my fucking name when I finally made it to the stand.
"Henry Olive, will you please step up to the stand?" the judge asked, turning his eyes to my father.
My dad rose to his feet, and I shrunk back in my chair. If it were possible, he'd only gotten larger and beefier since he had been locked away. I couldn't even begin to imagine the pain I would suffer if he made it out of this courtroom today.
After agreeing to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, his lawyer stood up, facing him. "Mr. Olive, is it true that you abused your daughter for the seventeen years she's been alive?"
"No." His voice was strong and confident as he met his lawyer's eyes, the lie easily slipping past his lips.
My stomach dropped to my feet. I had forgotten how good of a liar my father could be.
"So, it’s not true that you raped her, either?" I winced at the word rape, swallowing down the vomit that rose in my throat.
