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"Yes" Then I letI hadn’t allowed myself to before because it scared o to trial?"

That the world would find out?

"If he pleads guilty, it won’t go to trial But his defense ht talk him into a trial There is evidence but not so ht not chance his arm in court You know you can ask your lawyer about all this"

"Yes," Killian stated "I ht to ask his lawyer, but I hadn’t I’d been too busy recovering and adjusting to my new life to really think about it All I’d wanted was justice I hadn’t wanted to dwell on how I’d get it

My mind whirred What a mess I felt numb as she took us to a roolas Inch

I didn’t knohat I expected to feel when I saw hi on his left cheek and eye and a split lip, but otherwise he was intact I felt a bizarre ratitude and fury toward him "That’s him" I looked at Calton as she nodded "I don’t think he’s a bad kid, you know Just a et hiuitar of yours"

"That would be appreciated" I felt a little shaky and light-headed, like ar had dropped "We done?"

"We’ll be in touch"

As soon as we got outside the police station, I leaned against the wall for support, sucking in air like there had been none inside

I felt O’Dea’s hand on my back "Skylar?" He sounded worried

I waved away his worry with ood hand

His hand pressed deeper "There won’t be a trial," he murmured in my ear "I’ll make sure of it"

Confused, I looked at hi his face so close to mine "What do you aze "It won’t go to trial I know people who can be very convincing when they want to be"

"I don’t understand"

"You don’t need to" He surprisedme back to his car "You just need to know that I won’t let this situation beco me out?" I said as he opened the door for aze "I believe you"

A FEW DAYS LATER, AFTER being shadowed by Autumn almost twenty-four/seven since that day at the police station, I took a walk along the River Clyde on my own It was mid-October now, the air was brisk, crisp and fresh, and filled ht-headed But in a good way

All wrapped up, I didn’t s at this ti the riverbank, ignoring the itch in ly worse, whichIt didn’t hurt anymore, not unless I accidentally put too much pressure on it The cast was due to come off in two days and I couldn’t wait

My curiosity compelled me to take a fifteen- that housed Skyscraper Records The na was nowhere near as tall as a skyscraper, only lass It looked like it housed more than Skyscraper Records There were a few coe entrance door

I hadn’t ventured down this way before, afraid of bu into O’Dea, so I hadn’t realized how close the label was to the Hydro The sight of it in the distance felt like a spear throughbut not from the cold, as I reow’s busiest event venue

Glasgow, 2014