Chapter 80

Renee’s POV

Mia’s lawyer calls for a fifteen minute recess. Jasper is dismissed from the stand. The group of girls in miniskirts and posters declaring Eric’s innocence start cheering and clapping.

Eric turns around and we make eye contact. His look of surprise matches exactly how I feel. Marie is in his ear talking to him, not wasting a minute if this break but I’m not sure Eric is listening.

I gesture one minute towards him as I hurry out from my seat to go find Jasper. I break through the throng of reporters and find Jasper making an escape for the exit. “No comment!” He yells over his shoulder.

“Jasper wait!” I yell. He stops. My voice is distinctly different than the clamorous shouts of reporters. I, along with the media, move forward. Just then a security guard built like a tank blocks our path.

“If you are not family, get out of the courtroom!” He tells striking fear into all of us.

“He’s my brother in law” I say weakly. The security guard eaves me forward as reporters look on enviously.

“Jasper,” I say again breathlessly. Jasper motions towards the media behind us.

“They’re nothing but vipers,” he says agitated. I nod in agreement, then hurry to my question knowing we’re running low on time before we have to go back into the court room and hear the judges ruling.

The ruling that likely was swayed by Jaspers testimony. “Why did you advocate for Eric in there?” I ask and leave out the rest of the question about how if he has feelings for me then sending Eric behind bars would be his best option.

Jasper shrugs. “I just told the truth. Eric is cold but he’s not immoral,” Jasper hesitates.

“What?” I press. Jasper looks at me, his eyes wet.

“It’s just, I guess I didn’t tell the whole truth,” my heart gets stuck in my throat as Jasper speaks. “I used to think he was cold, but seeing how he looks at you,” Jasper breaks eye contact. “He’s warmed up,” he says with a small laugh.

I don’t meet his humor. Instead, I put a gentle hand on his arm. “Jasper,” I whisper, the weight of his name weighing down my voice. “I know you love me,” I say before I can decide to take the words back.

Jaspers eyes meet mine again, the tears ready to fall. I don’t why I expect him to deny it, maybe that’s because what Eric did for so many years but Jasper isn’t Eric. In fact, Eric isn’t even who Eric was.

“But you love him,” Jasper says and as he does it’s like scales fall from my eyes and with it, tears. They roll down my cheeks.

“I do,” I admit mostly to myself. This time, Jasper puts his hand on my arm.

“It’s okay,” he says and I wonder if he’s telling me or himself. Jasper sighs. “Mia knows it too,” he says and I look up at him confused. “She thought I would side with her and testify against Eric knowing that would leave you more available,” he scoffs in disgust. “I’d never help someone as conniving as Mia, even if it means losing you,”

I shake my head. “You aren’t losing me,” I say with a sad smile because we both know what he means. “Maybe just in that way,” I tell him. Jasper wraps me into a hug.

“You’re a good friend,” he tells me.

“You’re a good brother,”

Back in the courtroom, everyone is holding their breath as we wait for the jury to be led back in and give their verdict.

Mia and her lawyer sit upright and it isn’t lost on me how they sit just a couple inches further away from one another than from before the recess. Mia’s arms are folded and she’s lost the sunglasses, as though her façade is coming undone.

Eric leans back in his chair and one of his fan girls who is far too young to be here herself is straining her neck to sniff his hair.

I sit on my hands so that I don’t bite my nails.

It would be a breaking story if the number one Alpha was brought down, there’s almost an incentive for Eric to be found guilty. Not to mention there’s a whole population of jealous betas who would love to see someone with Eric’s standing he knocked down.

I think of Debbie who’s been staying with Margaux this whole time. She doesn’t need to be around all of this, but what if I come home only to tell her that the father she’s wanted so badly is gone again?

The doorknob clicks and every head turns to see the jurors be lead back inside in a single filed line.

When juror number twelve, a short round down is seated, the judge strikes his gavel.

“Has the jury reached a verdict,” he asks.

“We have,” the woman says using a pushy finger to push up her glasses. She hands the bailiff a file containing Eric’s verdict, the sentence that will be a defining moment for the rest of his life.

I glance at Mia who’s already looking at me with a smirks. Does she know something? My mouth goes dry. What did she do?

“How does the jury rule?” The judge asks seemingly indifferent. Mia flips her long brown hair over her shoulder. My heart pounds.

“Not guilt, Your Honor,”

Half the courtroom erupts in cheer, most of it coming from Eric’s fan group who are bouncing up and down clapping. Unlike Eric l, Mia, and I who are too stunned to speak.

My ears start ringing and my breathing becomes shallow. He’s free. All my pent up nerves come crashing about. My cheeks are wet and I realize I’m crying.

Around me the reporters are up on their feet shouting at one another and at the judge, lawyers, at Eric. Eric. I shakily stand and manage to spot Eric among the sea of people, mostly because he’s the tallest one here.

He looks composed which amazes me as he respectfully shakes Marie’s hand. I look at Mia who’s yelling at her lawyer who has his head buried in the palm of his hands.

Eric is free.

“Order! Order!” The judge shouts, his once deafening gavel now hardly audible among the crowd. The valid blows his whistle and a high pitch bell cuts through the noise. Everyone settles briefly but I scramble to Eric.

He sees me and gathers me into a hug that sweeps me off my feet. Cameras flash. “Let’s go home,” I tell him with a kiss.

“Just one more thing,” he says and puts me down.

“I’m going to repeal this verdict. This is unfair!” Mia throws a fit stomping her foot on the ground. Eric steps in front of me. His calm demeanor quickly pitting Mia’s in check.

“I am going to counter sue you for defamation,” he tells Mia. Her jaw hangs open.

“Good luck trying to prove that,” she says trying to sound unbothered but I notice the quiver in her voice.

“We have a very good witness who would be happy to testify,” I inform her thinking of Jasper who had just admitted that Mia tried to exploit his feelings in order to do harm to Eric.

“Another thing,” Eric says and laces his fingers through mine, holding on to me like he’s proud. “I’m in love with Annie, I only was with you to appease your mother,”

I turn Eric’s strong jaw towards me and I give him a tender kiss on his soft lips. I close my eyes and don’t open them to see Mia walk away, but I hear her make a sound that’s somewhere between a cry and a scoff.

It’s finally over.