Page 94 of Heart of Stone
The result of that injury left Tim with some long-term neurological deficits, and Tim was now suffering from paraplegia and was wheelchair bound. Evidently, he believed Reid was to blame.
Not the fact that he’d abused me for years.
Not the fact that he’d attacked me weeks earlier at Lake Erie.
Not the fact that he’d trespassed on private property.
Not the fact that he’d come into my home and attacked me.
No.
In Tim’s mind, it wasn’t any of that which led to him winding up in this position. He believed it was the unwavering love one man had for me, to defend and protect me from the likes of Tim.
When I learned about the suit, I felt nothing but devastation. Because Reid didn’t deserve this. He’d come back to Ohio for what was supposed to be a six-month stay, and he’d wound up finding himself with legal troubles because of his involvement with me.
But like the man he always was, Reid assured me that nothing bad was going to happen, that everything would be fine.
And so, the next difficult task for me was trying to find ways to enjoy my life and my work when this thing was lingering in the background. I did my best to be present in every moment and during every celebration—our birthdays had been one of the few instances when we both let go of anything weighing us down and relished in the joy.
For someone who’d thrived on creating and living in a state of utter happiness for so long, it was no surprise that the last several months had been challenging. I tried hard to be positive,and I was mostly successful, but there were times, especially after Reid received word of that lawsuit, when I couldn’t stop the sadness from leaking in.
It was those moments I deemed to be the worst of what I had to face.
But like everything else I’d endured since Tim attacked me in my cabin, I soon learned I was wrong once again.
Because it wasn’t the stress of the impending lawsuit that was the worst. It was this moment. The moment in this courtroom as I sat pinned between Barrett and Sylvia, my hands gripping theirs like I was terrified they’d get up and walk away. It was me sitting directly behind Reid as he awaited the decision.
Guilty or not guilty.
Guilty or not guilty.
The judge was speaking, but I couldn’t pay much attention. All I wanted was to hear those two words. Two.
Reid didn’t deserve this. He’d been protecting me, saving me,loving me.
Silence fell over the room, and that was my cue to listen in again.
“We, the jury, find the defendant…not guilty.”
Air rushed from my lungs as murmurs erupted in the courtroom.
“Order.”
Silence again.
“And on count two,” the judge went on reading the specifics of count two.
“Not guilty.”
More relief.
“And finally, on count three…” He read out the legal description of the final charge.
I’d stopped breathing again.
“Not guilty.”
Tears spilled down my face as sobs consumed me. Not guilty. Not guilty. Not guilty.
