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Back When We Were Bright and Beautiful Save as PDF
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Part One
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. Part Two
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. Part Three
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. Epilogue
  68. Author’s Note
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. About the Author
  71. Also by Jillian Medoff
  72. About the Publisher

“No more witnesses.” Anderson is not happy. “The State rests.”

“We’ll resume Monday with the defense,” McKay says. “Court dismissed.”

49

OVER THE WEEKEND, WE FEEL THE NEED TO COME TOGETHER as a family, even if no one says so explicitly. Friday night, we drive back to New York and sleep in our own beds. On Saturday morning, all five of us gather in the celebration room and spend the day there. We try to refrain from talking about the trial but it’s the only thing on our minds.

Toward dinnertime, Nate builds a fire. “Peter was a champ yesterday,” he says, adding paper. There’s a whoosh, and the blaze ignites. “His cross was amazing.”

The room fills with warmth. Moving closer to the hearth, I hold out my hands. “He definitely cast reasonable doubt. And raised a ton of questions.”

“So what?” Lawrence is adamant. “The girl was convincing.” Sipping scotch, he watches the fire crackle. “Those posters were very powerful. Peter couldn’t mitigate their impact, no matter what he said.”

“You’re wrong, Dad. He found every hole in her story.” Nate nudges me for support.

“I agree.” Personally, I think Lawrence’s animosity toward DeFiore has nothing to do with the lawyer’s performance. Lawrence can’t stand that every time he turns around, DeFiore and Eleanor are huddled together, freezing him out. “He raised a lot of good points.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Lawrence repeats. “The evidence was solid and incriminating. Far worse than Peter let on.”

“So, you think Billy’s guilty, Dad?” Nate asks. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“No, Nathaniel. Of course not. But let’s not kid ourselves. Peter has to do a lot of damage control.”

“Shut the fuck up, Dad,” Billy snaps. “Why are you talking about me like I’m not here? You need to back off. Peter is doing a great job.”

Diana’s testimony has jarred something loose in Billy. He hasn’t said much, but last night, after the reporters dispersed around eleven-thirty, he went for a long run. This morning, he got up at the crack of dawn, lifted weights, showered, shaved, and cleaned his room. Now, he’s spoiling for a fight.

“I know you admire him, son. But I don’t think you understand what we’re up against.”

“What don’t I understand? The part where we let my lawyer do his job? Or the part where we listen to you, and I go to prison for the rest of my fucking life?”

“I wasn’t the one who hung you out to dry,” Lawrence says, looking at Eleanor. “We didn’t have to go to trial.” Of course it’s true that Lawrence didn’t want to go to trial. But it wasn’t about Billy. It was about Lawrence + Cassie.