39

Finally the judge came to a conclusion, everyone was standing up. My heart was racing in my chest, beads of sweat collected around my forehead.
With all the evidence I collected today, I sentence Jakob Tuffin to maximum time for his crime. The judge spoke, my stomach dropped in relief.
Tears filled my eyes as I listened carefully to each word the judge said, my lawyer dropped her papers to hug me. Everything felt so surreal, I broke down in happy tears while hugging her back. I wasn’t just happy for myself, I was happy for all the girls that had survive his abuse and the future women who would have fallen into his wrath.
My mom and dad were broken down in tears, they both were hugging each other for dear life. While walking pass Jakob and his family, I stopped and looked at him like really looked at him. I wasn’t afraid of him anymore and that was the best feeling ever.
I won and you lost, remember that. I told him with a happy glint to my eyes.
I watched as the officers took him away, it felt like a brick was lifted off my shoulder. They took him through those doors, and I’ll never have to worry about seeing him for a very very long time. I turned to walk away but stopped when I saw Victoria standing near the huge doors with her purse hanging off her fingers, and mascara running down her cheeks.
I walked closer to her, we both stood apart as we stared at each other.
I’m so sorry, god I’m sorry. She says, I could hear her clearly.
I know. I said.
She grabs the handle to the door and glanced at me one last time.
Bye, party animal.
Bye, Tori. I whispered.
She opened the doors and walked out, I watched as the doors closed behind her. Friendship isn’t forever and I now know that, she wasn’t leaving because she blamed me or was mad at me, there was nothing here for her anymore. Justice was served and that’s what she waited for, now she needs to open a new chapter in her life and find a guy who truly deserves her. We’re just two very different people who grew apart, she’d never be able to understand the pain I’ve endured and I’ll never be able to understand her pain, I’ve accepted that and clearly so has she.
My dad interrupted my thoughts with a tight hug, he lifted me off the ground and spun me around softly. When my dad released me I immediately went on my tippy toes to try and search for Faust but he was no where to be found, did he suddenly have the same mindset as Victoria ?
We need to celebrate. My dad says to everyone.
After celebrating my big win, I had a conversation with Rhett. We both knew what was going to happen, he was already mentally preparing for it to happen. It was hard saying bye to him especially when he kept me together for three years but he isn’t the one I love. He’s not Faust and as much as I tried to make him, it just ruined us in the end.
I arrived home a few minutes ago, I’m currently debating whether to call him or not. I was home alone which added even more stress to me, mom is with her boyfriend and my dad is with his girlfriend. I paced back and forth across my living room floor while bouncing my phone on the palm of my hand, it was hard being vulnerable in love because it could always backfire on you.
Just call him, tell him the truth
What if he rejects me ?
I just didn’t understand why he left court so early, I felt like he didn’t even witness my success. I tried my best to push those thoughts to the back of my head and with that no longer in my mind I started to dial his phone number, the sound of someone knocking on my door caused me to drop my phone right before pressing call. I thought maybe it was Rhett trying to pick up a few of his thing before heading back to Paris.
I opened the door revealing the dark summer sky, even though it was night time the air was still warm. Faust walked into my view taking me by surprise, he had his hands tucked inside his front pockets with a confident smile laced on his lips.
You had on a brown dress with sliver hoop earrings, your hair was curled at the end and you were wearing a red lip gloss in the flavor cherry – at least that what it tasted like. He says, his tone appeared serious yet affectionate. He just described my entire outfit that I worn when I first met him at the club, it filled my heart with warmth and hope.
And ever since that night I’ve been under your spell completely.
You remembered. I whispered under my breath, I don’t even remember what I wore that night yet he remembers every detail of my dress, it makes my heart flutter.
My hand slipped from the door knob, my legs carried me closer to him.
I spent all day thinking about everything, I can leave you alone now because you deserve a guy like him and you deserve to be happy. He runs his hand across his chin, it seemed hard for him to say yet he still said it.
I crossed my arms before walking over to the railing behind him, he watched my every move. I glanced out to my driveway and the houses across from me. The thing is, I don’t want you to leave me alone ever again. My voice came out like silk, I kept my eyes on the moving cars.
I turned to look at him, he was concentrated on me completely.
Nicolas told me what you did for me, about finding the other girls. I said.
He shakes his head. He has a big mouth, I told him not to say anything.
Why ? I asked.
He walks closer to me, his hand slowly leans up to tuck a piece of my brown hair behind my ear. I don’t want you to think you owe me anything. His pupils enlarged with his sentence pouring from his mouth.
Thank you. I couldn’t stop the words from leaving from my mouth, I was grateful for what he had done.
My whole life has been controlled by the wrongs of my parents, their relationship was what I looked for because I thought that was healthy and what love looked like but now that I’m older and gotten help. I realized that I should look for a relationship completely different then the one my parents shared.
Nicolas was my first attempt of trying to fall in love, it was fast and didn’t last long. Rhett was my second attempt at love but we were living in a fantasy world where he thought I was perfect and I thought he wasn’t dealing with stuff of his own. Finally, standing in front of Faust, I just realized that I never want to lose him, I never want to be without him because when I am I feel dead inside, I feel miserable.
I broke it off with Rhett, I couldn’t live the lie any longer. I told him.
I’m sorry. He says with a sincere tone.
I’m not.
It was quiet and the only thing we heard was the rough wind blowing against my house.
It’s always been you. My voice croaked, it was the truth that has been burning inside of me ever since knowing him.
The silence between us was suffocating, his eyes gleamed with hope and satisfaction.
Do you still love me ? I asked, my voice slightly cracked.
Always. He mumbles before crashing his lips against mine, my arms wrapped around his neck.