Dylan grabbed Courtney by the shoulders, shaking her awake. "Courtney, wake up!" He said, the urgency in his voice causing him to nearly yell at her as he kept desperately trying to wake her up. She shook fitfully, caught in a nightmare. She struggled as Dylan held onto her. As she continued to fight against him, a cry caught in her throat.
"Courtney! Open your eyes! It's me!" Dylan begged as he touched her face gently, pulling her close to him.
Suddenly, she broke into tears as Dylan held her close. When she opened her eyes, she realized she was safe. She was in her own home, in her own bed, with her own husband.
"It happened again, didn't it?" Courtney asked, ashamed. She buried her head against Dylan's shoulder.
"Yeah." He sighed. "It's okay. We'll get through it." Dylan ran his hand over Courtney's hair, smoothing it as he hugged her.
"I know." Courtney said, her voice muffled by Dylan's shoulder. "I just want the flashbacks to stop." She pulled back and looked at Dylan, her green eyes still full of tears. She turned away, laying back down on her left side. She stared at the clock. It was just after 4am. She tried to turn her mind off, but it was not working.
It had only been a few weeks since the incident at the office. But what had scared Courtney more than everything that had happened was the fact that the nightmare truly wasn't over.
Michael wasn't dead.
He had passed out from shock and from blood loss, but the wound wasn't fatal. Paramedics had found a pulse, revived him, and rushed him to the hospital, where he was able to make a full recovery.
The news gave Courtney an overwhelming feeling of fear, along with the tiny feeling of relief that she wouldn't have to live the rest of her life with the knowledge she had killed someone.
He was currently being held for evaluation. It seemed very likely that he was going to be able to avoid going to jail. At most, it looked like he would be remanded to therapy and time served. Courtney had met several times with her Attorney to discuss the case, and had repeatedly expressed her displeasure with this development.
She had been granted an emergency restraining order. But that piece of paper didn't make Courtney feel any more at ease. Knowing that he was being kept under close watch while institutionalized made her feel a little better, but she still worried about what would happen when he got out.
Courtney knew that Michael would come after her. There was no doubt in her mind. Michael was a psychopath, a master of manipulation. He would be able to convince whoever he needed to he was no longer a threat, that his issues were resolved, and he would be done with therapy. He'd be unmonitored, and she was willing to bet that the first chance he had, he would find her.
Eventually Courtney settled back into a fitful sleep, only to be jolted awake by the sound of the alarm clock. She blindly fumbled for the snooze button, slapping it before rolling over and pulling the covers over her head. It seemed only seconds had passed before the alarm blared again, and Courtney reluctantly dragged herself out of bed.
She was thankful to be settling back into her normal routine. Work gave her the distraction she so desperately needed. Rick had given her a few other projects to keep her mind occupied since they had been slow in the office. She had also decided to begin studying for some additional certifications. Anything to keep her mind busy was a positive thing.
A few times, Courtney caught her thoughts wandering back to David. He was her first boyfriend. He was a control freak, abusive and extremely violent. He threatened to kill her any time she tried to leave. For almost a year and a half, she lived in the painful cycle of a violent relationship. He taught her what fear was. If she ever said no, it became yes, if he had to beat her into compliance. She thought she would die before she got out.
Eventually, she got up the courage to leave, and he nearly did kill her. A concussion, bruised ribs and sprained wrist later, he was in jail for the weekend and she was single. Once everything that he had done to her came out, her closest friends and family were in shock. But David made a deal and walked, spending three days in jail and two years on probation.
Until she left her hometown behind, he followed her every move, keeping his distance just enough that she couldn't do anything about it. The restraining order she had was as worthless as the paper it was printed on. Courtney knew it was an excuse, albeit a lousy one, but she blamed him for being afraid to run away from Michael.
Michael made her uneasy from the moment that she first met him. The fear continued to grow every time that he would try to get her to open up about personal things when he would call for a business transaction. When he was able to pick up that he made her nervous about something he had said, he continued to push, knowing she wouldn't snap back at him. He knew she had a secret that could be exploited. He knew that underneath the cheerful smile and sunny demeanor hid a broken, scared girl that could be easily controlled through fear and intimidation. And he couldn't wait to get his hands on her. Each interaction, he was setting her up, putting his plan together for the final push that would bring her to him. It worked flawlessly.
Courtney sighed as she parked in front of the courthouse. It was a breezy spring morning. Courtney was thankful that she elected for dress pants over a skirt. She buttoned her suit jacket and pulled her leather coat on as she stepped out of the car and headed for the door.
The hearing started on time. She sat next to her attorney, Dylan, Rick, and Courtney's best friend Hailey, who had driven over two hours to be there. "I was there for you with David, I'm going to be there for you now." Hailey said, effectively ending any objection Courtney had.
When Michael was escorted into the courtroom, Courtney jumped. She instantly began shaking. Dylan protectively wrapped an arm around her as Michael glanced in their direction.
As the hearing began, it was the typical review of the facts, the charges and the current status of the defendant. At that point, questioning began, and Courtney was called to give her statement. As she approached the stand, she could feel Michael's gaze burning through her. She did her best to ignore him. When the defense attorney asked her to confirm who her attacker was, she looked straight at Michael. Their eyes met and she felt faint. Even though his face was blank, his eyes were full of fury. He could have killed her on the spot.
After her testimony, they called Dylan and Rick for their statements. Courtney could barely listen as they recounted the details of what Michael did to her. Then, the defense spoke. Michael said nothing. When the defense finished, they were dismissed while they all eagerly waited for the Judge to make a decision. Courtney needed a break, so she stepped out into the hallway.
Fighting tears, she looked at the ceiling, staring at the light blue paint as it cracked where it met the plaster. "I hate this." She whispered, blinking back the tears that were stinging at her eyes as she paced anxiously.
Soon, the judge returned from his review of the details that had been presented. Courtney sat on the edge of her seat, fidgeting as the judge addressed the room.
