Chapter 289 Garrett

Chapter 289 Garrett
Garrett

Aslan stayed beside me as we moved toward the doors, surrounded by our friends, security, and hundreds of voices still calling my name. And together, we walked into court.

The prosecution gave its closing argument first. The defense followed, and the prosecution was allowed its final rebuttal.
I listened. Mostly.
There was nothing new left to hear. It was everything we'd spent days living through, only stripped down and assembled into two completely different versions of reality.

In one, Graves had controlled, confined, and abused me for years under the protection of a place that called it treatment.
In the other, he had been a doctor dealing with a troubled, unstable patient whose memories, motives, and interpretation of events couldn't be trusted.

That one still hurt. But it didn't destroy me anymore, because every time it started crawling into my head, I remembered Aslan's hands around my face that morning.

Whatever they say today, it's the beginning.

Finally, the judge addressed the jury. He explained the law, the burden of proof, reasonable doubt, and that every charge against Graves had to be considered separately. Their decision couldn't be based on sympathy, anger, prejudice, or public opinion. It had to come from the evidence they'd heard in that courtroom.

Then the verdict forms were handed over, and the jury left. Waiting for them was worse than testifying.
An hour passed. Then another.

We weren't required to sit silently in the courtroom the entire time, so we waited nearby with instructions not to go far. Nobody could settle. Olivia kept checking with the prosecution team. James paced until Coach finally told him he was making everyone seasick. My father drank enough courthouse coffee to kill a normal human being.
Aslan stayed close. He didn't keep telling me everything would be okay, and I loved him for that. He was just there.

Sometime that afternoon, Olivia's phone rang. I knew before she answered. Something changed in her face, and everyone around us went silent. She listened for only a few seconds before lowering the phone. “They have a verdict.”

I forgot how to breathe.

We were ushered back into the courtroom. People poured into the benches behind us, and within minutes every seat seemed occupied. I took my place beside the prosecution and stared straight ahead while Graves was brought back to the defense table.
I didn't look at him.

The judge entered. We rose, sat again, and then the door beside the jury box opened. Twelve people walked in. I searched their faces for something—anything—but they gave me nothing.

The foreperson carried the completed verdict form.

Aslan was somewhere behind me. Olivia sat beside me. My parents, my friends, every person who had walked through this nightmare with me and against me was in that room.
But suddenly I could hear nothing except my own heartbeat.

The courtroom deputy took the verdict form and handed it to the judge. He looked it over before returning it.
Then the foreperson stood.

“Has the jury reached a unanimous verdict?”

“Yes, we have.”

The clerk looked down at the first count... And began to read.

“As to the multiple counts of rape, we the jury find the defendant, Dr. Julian Graves... guilty on all counts.”

For a second, I didn't react. I couldn't. I'd waited for that word for so fucking long that hearing it didn't feel real.
Guilty.

Somewhere behind me, someone started crying. Olivia's hand closed around my arm, but I couldn't look at her. I couldn't look at anyone.

The clerk continued. “As to the multiple counts of aggravated rape and abuse of a child, we the jury find the defendant, Dr. Julian Graves... guilty on all counts.”

My breath broke.
Fourteen.
They believed me. They believed the fourteen-year-old boy who had spent years believing nobody ever would.

A sound came from Graves's table.
“No.”

His attorney immediately touched his arm. Graves shook him off, but the clerk continued.

“As to the charge of wanton or reckless conduct creating a substantial risk of serious bodily injury to a child, we the jury find the defendant, Dr. Julian Graves... guilty.”

“No.” Graves stood so suddenly that his chair slammed backward. “That's not what happened!”

The judge's voice cut across the room. “Dr. Graves, sit down.”

“I was treating him! Garrett knows that. He knows I was trying to help him!”

His attorneys were both on their feet now, one speaking furiously into his ear while a court officer moved closer.

“Dr. Graves,” the judge warned, “you will sit down and remain silent while the verdicts are read, or you will be removed from this courtroom.”

Graves stared at me.

I couldn't look away.
For years, that look had been enough to make my stomach knot. Enough to make me wonder what I'd done wrong, what I'd said wrong, what punishment was waiting for me.

This time, he was the one being told to obey.
He slowly sat.

The clerk reached the final charge. “As to the multiple counts of assault and battery by means of different weapons, we the jury find the defendant, Dr. Julian Graves... guilty on all counts.”

My eyes filled.
Olivia was shaking beside me now. I could hear people behind us trying desperately to stay quiet, but there were muffled sobs everywhere.
I wanted to turn around. I wanted my lion.
But I was afraid that if I saw his face, whatever was holding me together would disappear.

Every charge. Every count.
Guilty.
The courtroom erupted; the judge immediately called for order while reporters scribbled and whispered and people behind us cried openly.

I covered my face with both hands. “Oh my God.”

Olivia pulled me against her. “They listened to you, Garr. And everyone believed you.”

A sob tore out of me.
They believed me.

Graves's attorney requested that the jury be polled before they were discharged. I barely understood what was happening until the clerk began addressing them individually.
One after another, they confirmed it. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Every juror. Every verdict. Unanimous.
By the time the last juror answered, I was shaking so hard I had to grip the edge of the table.

The judge thanked the jurors for their service and formally discharged them. Once they'd left, he turned his attention back to Graves.
“Dr. Graves will remain in custody pending sentencing. Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the presentence process.”

Graves stared at him. “No.”

One of the officers stepped closer.
Graves stared at him, then at the other officers approaching his table. “Stay away!”

One of them reached for his arm.
“No!” Graves jerked away. “You don't understand!”

“Dr. Graves—” his attorney started.

“I haven't done anything to hurt him!”

The judge struck his gavel. “Counsel, control your client.”

But Graves wasn't listening anymore. He was looking at me. “Garrett.”

My blood turned cold.

The officers pulled his arms behind him.

“Garrett, don't listen to them. You know I did it for you!” Graves struggled against their hold as they started moving him toward the door. “I did it all for you! For us... You know it, Garrett. You know it!”

I couldn't answer.
I didn't know what he saw when he looked at me anymore. Maybe he still believed that somewhere beneath everything I'd said, I understood him.
I didn't.

The officers kept moving him, but he twisted around to find me again.
“Garrett! Tell them! You know I would never hurt you!”

The side door opened, and his voice followed him through it until the officers finally pulled him from sight.
Then the door shut behind him.

For the first time in my life, Dr. Graves was the one being taken somewhere he didn't want to go.