Page 74 of I Am the Wild

He says something funny and the jury laughs. They are putty in his hands. So am I.

And then it comes time for me to testify.

I take the stand with wobbly legs.

Jerry stays in the courtroom, watching. Studying me.

It's unnerving, and Derek lays a hand on mine as I pass him. "Just keep your eyes on me," he says.

I nod, swallowing through a dry mouth.

I'm sworn in by the small gnome woman and then Derek begins his questioning. "How do you know Jerome Van Helsing?" he asks.

"He was my therapist in the mundane world," I say.

And then I explain how Jerry seduced me during the most painful part of my life. How he used our relationship in therapy to become my lover. And how he abused me.

"The first time it happened he was drunk," I say. "He came over to my apartment and demanded to be let in. He accused me of cheating on him and began choking me until I nearly passed out."

I can still feel his hands on my throat. The panic as I couldn't breathe. The belief that I might die.

"The abuse escalated from there," I say. "In another instance he broke my finger when I got angry at him for driving erratically."

It had healed, eventually.

I recount more instances of abuse, my eyes locked on Derek's.

But the real panic doesn't hit until Moira stands to cross-examine me.

"If the abuse was so bad, why didn't you report it?" she asks.

"I was scared," I say. "I also wanted to believe him when he said it wouldn't happen again. I didn't want him to get in trouble."

My excuses sound weak. Lame. But it's so messy when you're in the middle of it. So complicated. It's not as easy to walk away as people think.

"So he was awful and abusive, but you didn't want him to get into trouble? That's odd, don't you think?"

"Objection," Derek says, standing.

"Sustained," the dragon says. "Keep the questions relevant."

"Apologies, your honor," Moira says, refocusing on me. "Why didn't you leave?"

"I did," I say through clenched teeth.

"Why didn't you leave earlier?" she clarifies.

"My brother was dying of cancer. I had no one else to turn to. I was scared, alone, and heartbroken."

"It sounds to me like it wasn't that bad at all," she says, through Derek's objection. Moira smiles. "Withdrawn."

"Jerry didn't just abuse me," I say. "He continued to stalk me after I broke up with him."

Moira cocks her head. "Do you have proof of this?"

"Yes," I say. "I saved screenshots on my phone."

"Can you produce this phone? I'm sure the judge will allow contraband for the purposes of evidence."