Camden asked more questions, and she answered each and every one, and then it was over. Misty was done — emotionally and physically drained. She didn’t know how she would manage to get up in front of a jury and say all of this again. It was one thing to speak in front of four people, but an entire courtroom? What if the cross-examination made her look like she was the bad person? She had stayed with the man, after all. Wouldn’t they spin that into her being a willing participant in his depraved games?
“We’re all finished, Misty. You’ve done very well.” Camden moved his chair to sit in front of her while the court recorder packed up. “I know this wasn’t easy, and I appreciate your strength in giving your testimony, but we can breathe a little easier now and try to put it all out of our minds. Easier said than done, I know, but how about we go get something to eat, maybe a stiff drink, and try to relax? You don’t have to think about it anymore for now.”
“I’m not hungry,” she said, the thought of food making her stomach want to heave.
“You will be after about three or four straight shots,” he told her with a smile.
“Would you like to come, Charlotte?” he asked, turning to the other woman, who they all seemed to have forgotten was even in the room.
“No. I appreciate your testimony, Ms. Elton. It will be valuable to the case. I’ll contact Camden if I have follow-up questions,” she said, and then was the first one out the door.
“She’s scary. I’m glad you’re the attorney helping me,” Misty said as she looked at the open door.
“Ah, she’s a sweetheart, but this case has everyone acting unusual. There’s just too much that can go wrong,” Camden said. “Now, let your attorney buy you a meal.”
“I guess…”
“Good. Let’s get out of this room,” Bryson said. He almost shoved Camden aside, then leaned down and pulled Misty gently from her chair. “You are braver than I could have ever imagined. I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”
It didn’t take much for Misty to fall against his chest and accept the comfort he was offering.
“I was a fool, but I didn’t know how to get away,” she said, ashamed of herself for once again leaning on a man — even if this man seemed to be one of the good guys. She’d made that mistake before, but maybe, just maybe…
“Look, you were a victim and Jesse abused his power as a cop, abused it, and you, horrifically,” Bryson countered.
“I just want to forget about it,” she said.
“Then let’s go.”
Bryson wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her outside, with Camden following quietly. Misty looked up to the clear night sky and let the stars calm her. She was safe now. Though she was closer to where Jesse lived than she’d been in over a year, she felt safe. He couldn’t get her.
Or at least she felt like he couldn’t. Not with Bryson there next to her.
Chapter Nine
Misty sat in the backseat of the SUV and listened to Bryson and Camden shoot the breeze as they drove from Camden’s offices to a small country bar and grill. She was glad they weren’t expecting her to talk, because she didn’t think she’d be capable of it right then.
The experience had drained her. It was so much harder than she’d imagined to lay this story out on the table again. She’d learned Jesse’s character only too well while living with him, but after talking about it, voicing what he’d done to her, how many times he’d violated her, and in how many ways, she had no idea how she’d survived as long as she had.
No matter how despicable the person, Misty never delighted in the end of anyone’s life, or even by the idea of it, but she had to admit that if Jesse were to die, she’d sleep a lot better at night. Sure, she felt guilty, but she wouldn’t take the thought back. She considered him the incarnation of evil, and, yeah, she wished him dead.
She felt raw and exposed as she huddled against the leather seat during the ride down the dark road. The two men had chosen a restaurant outside town; was it so she could have time to collect herself? She doubted it would come to them as a big surprise if she had a complete breakdown.
But Misty was stronger than they gave her credit for. No, they hadn’t put her down or made her feel like a weak woman, but she knew her eyes were hollow, knew her body was shaky, knew the signs of a meltdown were all there. But Jesse hadn’t broken her down back then, and he certainly wasn’t going to do it now. She’d had a will to survive. Somehow. And she still did. More now than ever before.
Would Bryson think differently of her now? Of course, that was almost a stupid question, because she really had no clue what he’d thought of her before she’d told her ugly tale. She knew she was developing feelings for him, but wasn’t it more of a white-knight complex? He was there to save her, a quintessential damsel in distress, from the evil dragon. When this was over, one way or another, she was sure these strange feelings would go away — this need for him to be nearby would evaporate.
If Misty had felt nothing for Bryson — no attraction, no thoughts, no…lust — then she could have dealt with the situation far more easily. And anyway, because she was so torn up, so ragged, so raw, could she trust her feelings at all? Maybe she was attracted to him because that was easier to handle than thinking about her ex and the horrendous things he’d done to her.
Maybe she was projecting her emotions. And getting them all muddled up.
What would it be like to be in a relationship with a man like Bryson? Did he just seem like a white knight now, but when he got close to a woman, did he turn into a monster? How did two people find each other and live happily together? She knew those existed — they had to, or why would babies still be born? Why would anyone marry? There had to be happy endings out there. Maybe she just wasn’t one of the lucky ones.
She hadn’t even been given a family, the one thing she wanted more than anything else. No. Instead, she got to walk this world alone. That had to be why she was having fantasies about a life with Bryson. He was the first man ever to be kind to her. Still, it was his job; it wasn’t about her at all.
Bryson had it all already. A family. Friends he loved and respected. For all she knew, he could have someone special in his life now. Maybe the way their eyes connected was just a part of his job. It made more sense than that he might actually be attracted to her. Because, having it all, Bryson certainly didn’t need her.