Slowly, I stood and held up my hands. “Your Honor, please, if I can finish what I was saying. You have the wrong letter.”
Her head reared back. “What do you mean?” Her eyes scanned, mouth moving as she neared the bottom. “Oh.Oh.” With careful movements and color flooding her cheeks, she folded the letter back up andslid it back into the envelope, eyeing the rookie over her glasses. “Why don’t you come get this?” she asked politely.
Among the quiet tittering in the room, he kept his head down and retrieved the letter, ignoring her pointed glare as he set it back down in front of me.
“You can rejoin your teammates, Mr. Williams. I think we’ve had enough of your help.”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
I let out a slow exhale. “Sorry,” I told her. “Really,reallysorry.”
“Mm-hmm. And who was that letter meant for?” Her eyes skimmed the faces behind me. “Someone here, I’m assuming.”
The thought of outing Remi in front of her boss, in front of my teammates, made my lungs squeeze. “Your Honor, with all due respect, that was meant for a private moment.”
“And yet it’s become so very public.”
I picked up the second letter and held it up. “This was meant for you. If you’ll allow me to approach?”
She continued, undeterred, as if I hadn’t spoken, “In my many years on this side of the courtroom, I’ve found something to be almost universally true, Mr. Evans. Do you want to know what that is?”
Given I didn’t really think I had a choice, I found myself nodding. “Yes, Your Honor.”
“Every person in the world is born with the ability to change. To better themselves. But we fail to dig deep enough when it’s only our own happiness and satisfaction on the line. What I’ve found is that the love of others, what we give and receive, is the most powerful motivator for change.” Carefully, she removed her glasses and set them down on the desk in front of her. “I hope the intended recipient of that letter is aware of what your love for them has done, because it’s a wonderful sight to behold.”
Anxiety had a fucking choke hold on my ability to breathe properly. I’d practiced. I’d practiced how I was going to say it, when, theintonation—everything. We’d be alone with no eyes on us, and this was not how I’d intended it to go.
I’d get her fired.
She’d hate me.
She didn’t want attention ruining her life and Gavin’s life and—
“Iamaware, Your Honor.” Remi’s voice was clear. No hesitation.
I whipped around, eyes finding hers. “Remi—”
“May I approach?” she asked, gaze locked on mine.
The judge made an amused sound. “I think you better.”
She was standing. Why was she standing? God, I couldn’t fucking breathe.
Then she was moving.
Then she was running.
It only took one stride and I had her in my arms, holding her as closely as I dared. Arms tight around my neck, Remi buried her face against the side of my neck and exhaled shakily.
I pressed my nose into her hair and filled my lungs with the clean, sweet scent of whatever crack shampoo she used. The courtroom filled with claps and whistles, and I couldn’t even pretend to be embarrassed.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
She pulled back, eyes watery, and she cupped the side of my face. “I’m making a change too,” she said. “No more holding back because I’m scared.”
I set my forehead against hers and exhaled a shocked laugh. “I’ve missed you so—”
She kissed me before I could finish my sentence. In front of the entire fucking room, in front of every person in the world who mattered to me, Remi Sinclair staked her claim.