Yes Your Honour, hes a Liar Your Honour

Apparently consent was the false finale. This was the real kicker.

I looked over to Chase, seeing his mouth agape, just as mine had been. Wyatt was the same way. We looked like a weird rendition of three stooges.

" Mr Saunders are you telling me that Mr. Andrews," he gestured towards our table " is the one who actually assaulted Ms. Birkett on that night? Out of what? Jealousy?" This time it was Judge Booker who spoke. He pulled his glasses down the bridge of his nose.

"Yes your honour. I ran as soon as I was free of him, I heard Willow scream then I turned around in time to see him swing. He caught her left cheek. They both went to the ground then I- I tirned and ran. I wanted to help but I was so beat up that I was worried what would happen if I went back. It was cowardly," Will hung his head in mock shame, while Cruize have him a look of pity

That lying little prick.

I felt my face go red up to my ears, and opened my mouth.

"Your honour this was an unexpected accusation," John spoke instead, cutting off what was about to be contempt. "I saw nothing in the evidence submission to supplement the claim,"

"Mr Cruize? "

" Mr Saunders had explained in his police questioning that he was assaulted by Mr Andrews and that he had seen him assault Ms Birkett, but the officer in question neglected to put the assault on Ms Birkett into the report as he assumed it was false. It was not until another officer who was present at the time brought it to our attention that we knew of it. Which was this morning. We didn't have enough time to get it submitted."

What. The. Fuck.

" I see. So this claim is purely spoken and not proven at this time?"

"Yes your honour"

" Well then I hope you intend to gather the evidence to prove it, as this matter will now be going to trial,"

Good news, the charges weren't dropped. Bad news is it was no longer whether I was assaulted, but who did it's

"In the meantime, Chase Andrews will not be charged at this time as The defendant had chosen not to press charges at the time of filing the report. Unless anything has changed?" Cruize agreed, nothing had changed. "However. I do believe based on these photos Ms. Birkett that something did take place given the severity of the bruising. If it is proven that you have filed false charges to protect Mr. Andrews, both yourself and Mr Andrews with both be held accountable to the full extent of the law. Am I understood?"

"Yes your honour," Chase and I deadpanned.

"Now given the nature of the situation, I move to have the non contact order stay in place. Mr Saunders is not to be within one hundred meters of Ms Birkett or places Ms. Birkett is known to frequent. There is to be no phone calls, Text messages or other telecommunications of any sort from one party to another. Though J would like to include Mr. Andrews into this as well with the same conditions," he wrote notes as he spoke, then waited for a response.

"Permission to speak your honour," Henderson stated

"Permission granted,"

" Although I agree with the non contact, there are some complications with that moving forward. Both Mr Andrews and Mr Saunders okay for their college hockey team. They play each other fairly often in one of their home arenas, and if Mr Andrews is present and Birkett would most likely be there as well,".

Judge Booker thought for a moment. "Very well. I would hate to see two promising young men lose out of a future career due to this situation. I don't see the need to force one or both of you out of the games. So the one exception to this will be any home or away games involving the other team. However. There will be absolutely no verbal, non verbal, physical, or telecommunications between the parties in the event they are at the same arena. If this is violated in any way, both of you may not enter the arena for those games. Am I understood?"

"Yes your honour," both boys responded.

"Now as for your warrants. Mf. Henderson has asked that a warrant be provided and I am granting that permission. Me Saunders you are to surrender your computer, tablet, and/or cellphone to the detachment to be examined. In working condition might I add. Any questions?"

When nobody raised one we were dismissed with a stern look and a " I expect to see you all back here next Thursday at 3 pm with all required evidence submitted and in hand,"

John held us back, waiting for Will to leave the room and giving him enough time get down the hallway at the very least before he lead us out. I held Chase's hand tightly, none of us speaking. It wasn't until we made it out the back doors once more that someone could find words

"What the fuck-" Wyatt started

"Was that shit?" Chase finished

John signed, running a hand through his hair. "You said Will had a brother at the detachment? My best guess is he was there during questioning, or a friend on the force was and was easily persuaded into admitting his short coming. Or it in entirely false but we be filed as true,"

"So what does this mean?" Chase asked

"This means it has gone from Willow vs Will to Will vs Chase. We have two ways to lose, he only has one and he's made it a bitch to beat him. If there's nothing on his devices that shows he's guilty it's a 50/50 shot and I don't like those odds. He already amended an emergency non contact, and that never happens,"

" and he's going to have at least one witness to lie for him. Robin." I added

Surprising all of us, Wyatt chuckled. It wasn't a happy sound it was dark and almost sadistic. " I'm going to make his life a living hell. And leave no trace he has a lot of enemies,"

"Don't do anything rash or too obvious, you will all be under heavy scrutiny from here on out. I'm going to do my best to gather as much evidence as possible, get your witnesses ready. Whether it's Character or incident related. Get it to me A.S.AP with statements of possible,"

Chase and I said we would before he shook rje boys's hands and have me a quick hug. I thanked him for his time before trudging down the stairs.

I opted out of Chase's offer for a ride so I would have my car for the next day. The three of us decided to meet at my place to talk. The ride home was silent, music was for the first time ever an annoyance that wouldn't help me.

I parked on the street, leaving Chase the driveway for his truck. He pulled in two minutes behind me, with Wyatt coming up right behind him, parking on the street as well.

The three of us made our way into the house, Chase grabbed us each a water out of the fridge before he and I collapsed into the couch, Wyatt flopping down in the recliner.

" you guys should really be going to class,"

"After that shit show? I'd rather not. Will is in three of my classes today. And I need to know what your plan is here,"

Chase sighed. " Besides not going to jail?" He gently put his arm around me and I leaned into him. We still had to talk, but in front of my brother wasn't optional. If he was willing to stay I was grateful for it though.

" well here's what we know" I stated. " Robin is most likely going to lie for him and conform his sob story. He said she wasn't with him so she's going to say he showed up at her place in a panic not knowing what to do. he decided not to go to the station until I talked to the police then he had to. He walked into the station and lied. I don't think his brother was in the room with him. Having the same last name with how much they look alike jt wouldn't be hard to tell letting him in woukd break protocol. Hopefully he used his own devices to send the emails to book the appointment. If he was smart and thinking ahead he wouldn't have,".

" which means he did it at the library or used Robin's. If it's hers I doubt they will allow a search,". Chase added

I nodded. " however. Chase was there, Wyatt, Cass, Olivia, Callum, Owen, Miles and Reed can all stray fkr what I looked like after, and how I acted. They will solidify the story. They can also all be used as character witnesses. Wyatt may be the hard hitter in that case since you guys hated eachother for so long,".

"Of course, man." Wyatt stated. " so what do we do?"

" we tell everyone what's going on, get their statements and get them to John. Hopefully they're all willing to go in. From here on out we don't say anything to Will. Including you, Wyatt. Tell your coach. Will is probably already crying to him about a conflict of interest in the team. He's more apt to believe the bullshit story he gets from Will than he is the truth,".

" speaking of which. The game is rescheduled for tomorrow night. You're not going,". He stated giving me a look

"I am gojng. The longer I stay cooped up the worse it looks for us. It's time for me to get back to classes and some sense of normalcy. I'll sit with the girls well away from everyone and I won't talk to anyone I don't need to,".

I knew Chase wouldn't like it and would be bringing it up later but I didn't care. I was going that game and every other game after rhat. He wasn't going to keep taking things away from me.

Wyatt let it go for now, but he would probably be bringing it up later too. After a few more lengthy discussions it was decided that Wyatt would speak to the guys on the team that hated will and probably knew he was full of shit anyway to give them a heads up and see if there was any way we could use them later or if they had witnessed anything he said.

Chase and I were going to tell the gang about everything and give them two days to get statements together so we could get them to John. They weren't doing us any favours putting us on a deadline like this, which felt like a bad sign.

Half an hour after that Wyatt finally made his way out, giving Chase a one armed bro hug and myself a real one before heading to his car. When the door clicked shut behind him I took a breath, enjoying the silence. I turned around to Chase standing right behind me. I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his white dress shirt. His arms came around me amd held me to him.

" are you okay?".

Was I?  That was a lot today. I thought I had reached rock bottom with the realizations about my relationship, but I was wrong. Realizing that Will probably hadn't stopped when I passed out and having to admit that I'd been raped had been a punch in the face. Sure I consented to sex, but I didn't consent to his hands on my throat, to passing out, or to him continuing after I passed out.

On top of that, he managed to turn this around and give the possibility that Chase had actually been the one to attack me. He played the victim so well and I was afraid of what how far he could take this performance. I had anxiety, sure but it was reaching a level of exhaustion that made it both better and worse.

" I-I think he raped me,". That wasn't at all what I wanted to say. I was going to tell him I was fine. That I would be fine at least.

" I know , baby. And I'm so sorry,". He wasn't angry, at least not at me. But there was nothing either of us could do about it. It was inadmissible anyway. There was no need for John to have brought it up, spur of the moment or not.  "He had no right to do that to you. No man does that to a woman,".

I nodded, having nothing to say. I fought my eyes to open again, feeling as though I could fall asleep standing if I let it happen. I looked up to Chase to see his eyes were also bloodshot. Had they been like that all day?

" I need to lay down,". I said tiredly

"I feel that,". He rubbed at his eyes before running a hand through his hair. " So I guess I'll se you tomorrow? I'd Saturday if you don't want to ride with me, I get it if you-"

" you don't want to come with me?"

His eye brows raised then shifted down in confusion. " Do you want me to? I mean yeah but if you need-"

I shoved my head into his chest again, cutting him off. He blew out a laugh, wrapping his arms around me. " J guess that's a yes?"

"Please?" I asked, the word muffled my his shirt.

"Of course Willow. Come on,". He held my hand as we walked up the stairs and into my room. I yanked my hair back into a ponytail and stripped out of my jeans into pajama shorts While Chase worked his way out of his shirt.

" Do you want me to keel my jeans on?"

I shook my head "however you're comfortable,". And h in meant it. I was upset about the revelations in the court room today and I appreciated his concern but I didn't know if I needed it or not. I felt like it was my fault. I could have prevented it. It was also so long ago that my brain just didn't want to remember it. Like part of me knew the whole time but it was easier to tell myself it didn't happen. This numb exhaustion was somehow easier to deal with.

I was so lost in thought I didn't even notice Chase had stripped down to his boxers and gotten into my bed. " if you bite your lip Amy harder you'll chew right through it,". The joke was half hearted. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Sorry,". I mentally shook my self then climbed in to bed beside him. After a moments hesitation I threw my leg over him and wrapped my arms around his arm. He shuffled, lifting his arm to let me in before circling them around me.

We lay in content silence for a few minutes but I couldn't stop the nagging shame in my chest.

"Hey, Chase?"

"Hm?" His fingers began lightly trailing uo and down my back.

"I'm really sorry about yelling at you, about getting you wrapped up in this. I'm sorry for everything,"

His hand flattened out  over my hip and I felt him press his cheek to my head. " You have nothing to be sorry for. I made you feel like I didn't want you when you needed me, then tried to force mt way in when you didn't want me. I never should have tried to touch you like that's I wasn't thinking,".

"Yeah but I shouldn't have done that,"

"You can't control how you feel any more than I can. I made you feel unsafe even if it was just for a second. I can't say I know how it feels, but I can tell you I've seen what this has done to you and after everything today, finding out he may have- I'm surprised you didn't stab me,". He laughed half heartedly but I didn't have it in my to offer one of my own

"I don't know who I am anymore,". My eyes welled up with tears that didn't seem to have to energy to spill over. "I let him- I let him do that to me, I lost two of my best friends, one of them is dating the man who tried to- I yell and I scream and I cry and I just- I can't-" my brain was no longer forming words. Maybe there weren't any for this kind of feeling.

" I know who you are, and you do too. She's in there, she's just trying her best. He did this to you and the second everyone sees what a bullshit liar he is, it's over. He doesn't have power over you anymore. Maybe that's why you feel different, because you are different,".

He pulled me in closer, still rubbing my back. " I hate this,". I whispered.

"I know you do, I hate that you have to deal with this too. But I'm here, and I'll help anyway I can. Even if it's just setting up his ambulance ride from the arena,".

" you're going to get arrested,". I yawned

" not if it looks like an accident,".

I snorted, snuggling into him as close as I could. "Can I have Robin then?"

"Of course! I'll even get Miles to pay our bail,".

" you have yourself a deal," I reached over awkwardly to shake the hand that was around me. He shook it twice with a breathy laugh himself.

"Should we be making jokes right now?"

" what else can we do?" Although I appreciated the little bit of humour, it didn't take the edge of the exhaustion with the whole situation. This was a nightmare.