Author's note: So overwhelmed with the 27 (!) sweet and supportive reviews. I felt so anxious to post this chapter, and I am so relieved you guys are still with me. You won't believe how amazing that feels. Huge shout out to G.D Pastrie for catching up with the story, thanks hun! 3 But also to so many reviewers I hadn't seen before, and many guests too! It's so exciting for me to hear all your comments!
Summary: force ma·jeure noun \ˌfȯrs-mä-ˈzhər, -mə-\ 1: superior or irresistible force. 2: an event or effect that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled. Alicia & Will, seven months after she left L/G: Surrounded by the sounds of cars pulling up and the smell of gasoline, I realize that I can't help myself. I keep denying it but there's just one truth: I can't stop thinking about her.
Thanks: to Romantic Southerner for her great advice and Aleisha for helping me out with the law bits :)
Force Majeure
Chapter 15 – Denial
"And you know there's no ignoring her now."
- Joshua Radin (In Her Eyes)
Tuesday, 8:44 AM
I'm not even sure who I visited last night. My competition? My ex-lover? My friend?
I told her to not talk. A part of me wanted to say, "Yes, let's talk now," and walk back in. But I told her we shouldn't. We should avoid being alone together. I've told her before. To protect myself and to protect us. After all, she decided to never talk after the election night. She decided to leave.
I know, something changed between us. She noticed. So did I. Of course, it affected our relationship when I found her unconscious and stayed by her side in a hospital and then in her home. Because I care for her. She seems to not get that. How I do care for her, but still don't like what she did to me. So, this is for the best. For me. I gave the police my statement, returned the bag, and that's all for now.
"Morning, Will."
I look up from my computer. David.
"Morning, David," I respond with a nod. "What can I do for you?"
"We've got a problem," he says as he walks into my office.
"What else is new?"
"Thank you for pointing out that this firm is indeed going under due to your rebellious moves these past few months," he scorns at me.
David being his joyful self.
I glance at my watch. "It's a little early for a rant, don't you think?"
He sighs at me. "I wish, I had time for a rant. No, it's about Dilaney."
Dilaney. The sound of that name fills me with rage.
"I figured that would wake you up," he grins.
"What's going on?" I try to sound relaxed and lean back in my chair, pretending to listen like this is about any other client.
"Well…he says he didn't do it," David sighs and rests both his hands on the chair in front of my desk, waiting for my response.
"What?"
"I got a call from the station."
I frown at him.
"I'm still his lawyer," he continues. "So…," he says and plops down in the chair. "What's the plan here?"
"He denied it?" I ask in disbelief.
"Oh, yeah," he snickers.
"How does that work? I know what he did. I –" I stop my words. Not just because I don't want to get worked up about what he did to Alicia, but because I realize something different.
"Wait." I get up from my chair. I think best when I stand. "We can't talk about this."
"You're a witness," he finishes my thoughts.
I nod thoughtfully. "I gave a statement to the police. So, this…" I gesture between me and him. "…isn't happening. If Dilaney wants to take it to court…"
"…They'll subpoena you," David finishes my thoughts.
"We never had this conversation," he agrees, gets up and walks off to my office's door.
"We're not doing a Chinese wall," I state.
"Of course not. This firm is barely holding its own."
"So, you're not going to defend him?" I ask, arching my brow.
He rolls his eyes at me. "It's not my field of expertise."
"Being?"
He throws me an appalled look.
"I'm kidding," I grin at his response. "Family law, I know, I know."
He rolls his eyes at me. "He needs another lawyer. I'll make a few calls."
"David, keep me up to date on this."
"Will do."
Just before he leaves, he turns back in the doorway. "Is she doing OK?"
Did David just ask how she's doing? I can't help to cock my head in surprise. "I heard she's doing better," I decide to say as unaffected possible.
"Good." He nods.
I glance at my watch. First meeting in five minutes and booked until lunch after that.
How is this even possible? He can't deny, that's insane. He knows he won't win. I rub my eyes and think about what that would imply. Court.
Tuesday, 11:33 AM
My day is hectic, full of meetings, damage control and witness prep. I don't have time to think about the consequences of Dilaney's denial until Kalinda forces me to as she catches up with me in the hallway.
"You heard?" She asks.
I stop my steps. "About?"
"Dilaney."
"That he denies? Yes, David told me."
She nods. "Should we contact…anyone?"
"The police will," I simply answer. I pull out my phone to check my messages.
"Right, I just thought–"
"We never contact the victim of one of our own clients." I look up from my phone. "This doesn't change that."
"Ok," she responds but the unsure look in her eyes tells me she isn't convinced.
I feel a lot different than what I just told her. I do want to tell her. I want to prepare her for what's coming. She could barely handle the sight of that blouse, but if she needs to face him again.
"Did you two talk?" Kalinda asks me, clearly sensing my thoughts are with her right now.
I'm not sure what to answer and stare at my phone. "I brought her the bag," is all I say.
"How is she?" She tries again. Kalinda seems persevering when it comes to Alicia lately. Protective, almost.
"I don't know," I mumble. I spot my client at the reception desk. "We'll talk later."
Tuesday, 2:10 PM
Back from lunch. I drive my car into the parking garage, but have to stop at the gate for another car. The drivers attempts to scan his card, but he can't reach the scanner from his seat. Just get up, I think to myself and impatiently tap the driving wheel.
I look up while waiting, and my eye falls on a security camera. Cameras.
As soon as I've parked my car, I get out and walk back to where I found Alicia that Thursday evening.
I stop my steps when I'm confronted with the column where I found her collapsed against. I swallow hard as I spot three tiny, dark red spots that show me the impact of how he hit her. It turns my stomach. The thought of the force he must have used to get her to hit the column like that is unbearable.
I saw her at her worst. I've never seen her like that. I've seen her upset, or teary eyed, but never that shattered and broken down.
I look up in search for a camera. There's one, in the corner. I don't know how he attacked her, where he was standing or where he was coming from, but the camera must have caught some part of the attack, if not his face, proving that it was in fact Dilaney.
As I stand there, trying to recreate the events, and it's then when I realize how little Alicia talked about what happened. When I found her, I asked her if she hit her head. She confirmed with just a nod. Right away, I could tell he did a lot more, but she never explicitly told me what happened. I don't know anything about what happened.
We need the camera footage, I think to myself. I take my phone out of my pocket and call Kalinda.
Tuesday, 2:20 PM
"What do you need?" Kalinda asks as she walks over to me. I'm still standing near the place of the attack.
"She must have tried to fight him, right?" I just ask, while looking at the camera.
She doesn't answer my question and just walks over to the column. She touches the concrete where her face hit the column.
"Or pushed him, scratched his face?" I continue.
She sighs and turns around. "Will, I don't know. I wasn't there."
"No, I know, but where would you look?" I try again.
"Will…" She pauses and gives me a long look. "She's not our client," she shrugs. "There's nothing you can do anything about this."
"What about that?" I ask, gesturing at the camera.
"I doubt it got the actual attack. But they're everywhere. The footage will show who got in and out around that time. They'll figure it out."
I sigh. "He can't get away with this."
"Will, trust me. He won't."
I just nod, not convinced.
"I should get back to work. I'll see you upstairs."
"Yeah, thanks," I respond. She walks back to the elevator.
I still stand there. My hands in my pockets, my lips pursed in a thin line. I look around the grey and cold parking garage. Surrounded by the sounds of cars pulling up and the smell of gasoline, I realize that I can't help myself. I keep denying it, but there's just one truth: I can't stop thinking about her.
Thank you for reading! And for all the sweet reviews, once again. LOVED it. Keep 'em coming :)
(Preview for next chapter: Alicia tries to catch up with work but gets distracted when she finds out what Will already knows)