Page 79 of Deep Down
Johnson smirked at him, obviously aware of what Craig was doing. The rest of the court case went surprisingly fast, including witness statements being read from his neighbours and Darren’s ex, and Logan being questioned until the judge exited to make his decision.
“You did good. And thefuck youexpression you gave Darren. Perfect!” Johnson’s voice rang with pride and laughter, making Craig smile, a more confident smile this time.
The judge entered after around fifteen minutes and ruled in Craig’s favour. Darren was going to jail for eight years.
“Fuck, yeah!” a voice from the gallery called out when the ruling was complete.
“You’re all done, Craig. You’re free to go.” Johnson packed up his paperwork after giving Craig a hug.
“Thank you, Johnson. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.” Craig felt numb. He couldn’t reconcile what had happened with what it meant for him. He roamed back to the guys and received hugs and congratulations in response to the ruling. He had no idea what he replied to them.
“We should go and celebrate.” Max, of course, wanted to celebrate anything and everything.
“Um, thanks, guys, but I think I’m going to go see…someone.” Craig didn’t know how many people knew about him seeing a psychologist, but after the word came out, he figured out he didn’t care. “I’m going to talk to my psychologist. I need to get my head on straight again after that.”
“Okay, no problem. Do you fancy meeting up with us afterwards?”
“Sure. I’ll call if I don’t feel up to it, but I should be alright.”
Craig waved goodbye to everyone, realising after a few steps, Alex was keeping pace beside him. “What are you doing? Aren’t you going with the rest of them?”
“No. Not yet. I’m right where I’m needed.” Alex watched Craig as if waiting for his reaction.
Craig nodded as they reached his car. Pulling his keys from his pocket, he chucked them to Alex. “Fancy driving?”
Alex smiled and opened the passenger door for Craig to get in before rounding the other side. The journey to the hospital was quiet.
“I’m going to get a coffee from the restaurant. You know where to find me when you’re done.” Alex leaned in and hugged him briefly before waving as he ambled off. Craig stared after him until Alex disappeared around the corner.
Craig had made the appointment with Amanda as soon as the court date had come through. He knew he’d need to talk about it, and Amanda had agreed; therefore, they’d set aside two hours today just in case. As he sat in front of her, he found himself unsure what to say.
“I can see you’re looking a little lost. How about you tell me what the verdict was, and we’ll go from there.” Amanda leaned forward on her bent knees, fingers linked, hair swinging free from behind her ears.
“Darren got eight years.” Craig frowned. “I don’t know in all honesty. I was expecting to feel relief, but I feel…numb, empty.” Craig exhaled hard as he slumped back in the seat.
“That’s all understandable. You must remember, Craig, when you first came to the hospital, you had no idea what was happening to you, was abuse. You didn’t see it that way. We’ve been working on it, but it’s something which will be with you for a while. We need to bridge the gap, and in time, we will. It’s okay me saying the words, but you have to understand and believe them before they will become a reality.”
“I like Alex. I don’t know what to do about it.”
Amanda didn’t balk at the abrupt change of subject, she rolled with it, doubtless the years of experience she had. “When you say you like him, do you mean in a romantic way or a friendship way?” She tilted her head, hitting the nail on the head as usual.
“Romantic.”
“Okay. What would you like to do about it?”
“I want to try a relationship with him, but I don’t know if I can with how fucked up I am.”
Amanda leaned back in her chair, fixing him with a frown. “You’re not fucked up, Craig. I can see strength in you, and I bet others do, too. I know Alex does. You’ll get through this. I think you should follow what you would like to do with Alex. Why not ask him on a date?”
“He might say no.”
“He might say yes.” Amanda smiled.
The pre-Darren Craig would’ve asked Alex out without any hesitation. He wanted to get back to being that Craig, not the Craig he was now.
“You will, Craig. Not completely the Craig you were before, but a good likeness. Let everything sink in from today. Come talk to me if you need me. We’ll meet again next week as agreed and go from there.”
Craig drifted slowly down the corridors and into the lift, thinking about what to do with Alex. He should see how it goes and not push anything yet. After all, he had time.
