Page 111 of More Than Chemical
Standing there was Priya in her puffy winter jacket.
I didn’t know what I was thinking when I thought it was Dallas. He never once tried to declare his undying love for me.
“Priya!” I hugged her. “I had no idea you were thinking of coming. How’d you get here?”
“The train.”
Then Emma walked out of the bathroom.
Tears clogged my throat, and my mouth tipped into a smile. I hugged both of them at the same time. “I can’t believe you two are here.”
“We can’t let our bestie spend Galentine’s Day without us.” Priya beamed.
“Especially when she needs us for moral support,” Emma said.
Unlike the rest of my body, my voice came out steady and strong. “You two are the best friends a girl could have.”
Emma’s gaze flickered to the right.
Probably to check out Eric. I sighed. Poor thing was going to have her hopes about my brother crushed. He was secretive about the girls he dated, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he had a girlfriend that none of us knew anything about.
“You’ve met my mom before, but let me introduce you to my dad and brother.” I gestured to them. “Dad, Eric, I’d like you to meet my roommate, Priya, and my friend Emma.”
Dad scanned the group of us and grinned. He knew that this was a big deal. I was letting him into my new life. Letting him meet my new friends.
He shook both Priya’s and Emma’s hands. “So nice to meet you ladies. Not, of course, on the greatest of occasions, but no matter. This is long overdue.”
Eric punched my arm. “Thanks for befriending Ade here. We know how difficult she can be?—”
I shoved Eric back.
Gray clapped his hands. “Come on, gang. We need to be in our seats before the judge appears.”
I bit down hard on my lip before we all shuffled into the courtroom.
Gray touched my arm and whispered, “By the way, your dad agreed to the media interview. Hoping for a not-guilty verdict, and we can do it right after.”
“Great.” I pasted a smile on my face. “Thanks.”
Before we got down to the atrium, I needed to give my friends a heads-up because after the big TV reveal, Iwasgoing to need their support. Especially at the dorm. I had no idea what people’s reactions were going to be like.
The room was packed, hardly a seat to be had. Many of the people were journalists with their notepads and pens.
Eric, Mom, and I sat in the first row, like usual. Priya and Emma filed in a couple rows behind us.
The procedure to read the verdict started first with the foreman giving a piece of paper with the decision to the bailiff, who handed it to the judge for review. Next, the judge gave it back and said, “Mr. Bianchini, please stand.”
The foreman cleared his throat. “In the matter of the United States versus David Joseph Bianchini, we the jury find the defendant, David Joseph Bianchini, not guilty?—”
My heart threatened to jump right out of my chest.
“Of the crimes of solicitation of bribes, honest services fraud conspiracy, honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud…”
Mom grabbed on to the guardrail and whimpered like she’d been holding her breath for the entire week.
Dad looked back at us, his mouth open, smiling, while Gray patted him on the shoulder.
My gaze was locked on Dad, my wet eyes making him appear blurry.Thank God. Thank God.I’d been hopeful but not confident.
