Chapter 60: Chapter 60
It's time.
The next few minutes will be crucial. Everything we've all waited for. The moment that has been highly anticipated. We all hold our breaths, eyes trained directly on the judge —
"Jane Preston. You pleaded guilty to the crimes against you." Judge Hendrick's begins. I watch as sadness fills his features and despite trying to remain professional, he appears like he's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"This is it, everything we've worked for." I murmur under my breath. Tobias, Ivory, Jake and Trish stand beside me, eagerly waiting in anticipation.
"I sentence you to forty five years for the brutal murder of Dylan Phillips. Additionally, I sentence you to a further fifteen years for the kidnap and torture of Ivory Melvin. Lastly for your false claims to frame Tobias and Jake Melvin, I sentence you to a further five and a half years." Judge Hendrick's says sternly, his voice booming over the court room.
Cheers and whoops can be heard coming from the crowd and beside me, Ivory simply stares straight ahead. She's frozen in place, glossy tears covering her eyes. Tobias has his arm around her, his face equally as pale and haunted. The judge raises his hand, signalling for silence. He sits up straight, making eye contact with Jane —
"Sixty five and a half years, without parole."
He ends the case, standing up and nodding at the crowd before disappearing. Jane begins sobbing out loud, falling to the floor in a crumpled up mess. The prison guards beside her lift her up, once on each arm. We all watched, hands held tightly as Jane Preston is dragged away, kicking and screaming.
"I hate you Emily! This is all your fault!" She screams at me, her face red with rage. I simply stare back at her, my eyes full of anger and pity. I raise my hand, giving her a small wave in response. It angers Jane further and she screams louder, her arms thrashing around as she disappears behind a wooden door.
"Goodbye, you little bitch." I whisper, glancing around at the people surrounding me. We're all frozen in place, not quite knowing how to react.
We've received justice.
So why didn't it feel like a victory?
Tobias is the first to break the silence. The court room is now empty beside from us and Dylan's parents. They're also sitting in shock, their faces unreadable. We all watch as Tobias stands, fixing his suit pants. He walks over to them silently, his footsteps echoing around the empty court room.
"Where is he going?" I ask and Jake shrugs beside me, his eyes watching Tobias carefully. He takes a seat beside Dylan's dad, his head bowed with respect. Dylan's mum sniffles, leaning against her husband for support. Upon seeing Tobias, she sits up straighter, turning towards him.
A few silent moments pass before Tobias speaks —
"I am so sorry for your loss. Nothing I can ever say will make the pain better." Tobias murmurs quietly, his eyes trained on the floor in front of him.
We all hold our breath as we watch them, waiting for Dylan's parents reaction. Dylan's dad stands up, his tall frame looming over a seated Tobias. I feel Jake tense beside me, standing up to rush to Tobias' aid. I reach my arm out, placing a hand on Jake's arm to stop him.
"Give it a minute," I whisper. He pauses before nodding, taking a seat back down beside me. This time, he leans forward slightly, ready to charge if anything goes wrong. I'm worried, I have faith in Tobias.
Dylan's dad stares down at Tobias before signalling for him to stand up. Tobias obeys and stand up slowly, his head bowed to the floor.
A moment or two pass before Dylan's dad reaches forward, embracing him in a tight hug. Tobias embrace him equally as passionately, slapping his back firmly as a sign of respect. Beside me, Jake releases the breath he's holding, shoulders slumping in relief. I reach up, wiping away the single rear sliding down my cheek at the sight in front of me —
It's a beautiful moment to witness.
Two completely opposite people coming together to mourn the loss or pain of a loved one. It surprised me to see so much emotion in Tobias' features and eyes.
No-one would ever know how severely effected Tobias will be from Jane's actions. Despite knowing him for over a year, it's taken a long time for him to trust me. To others, he's simply a closed book, completely unreadable.
Tobias eventually pulls back, clearing his throat. He glances around at the empty courtroom, looking overwhelmed.
"How about we all go for a drink?" Tobias offers. We all nod silently and to my surprise, so does Dylan's parents.
"A drink sounds perfect right now." Dylan's dad mutters, holding out his arm for his wife to take.
"A double vodka and coke is practically calling my name." Ivory mumbles, her first words spoken in a while based around alcohol. I chuckle quietly, reaching over to take hold of her hand.
"I'm afraid it's just an orange juice for me," I state, signalling down at my pregnant stomach. Everyone begins to chuckle, their laughter replacing the anger and sadness they all feel.