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Louane thought this day would never come. She had prayed that this day would never come.
From the first time she had held the case for she had an uneasy feeling.
It's just another case. No need to make a fuss.
But she never would have thought he would see that face again.
His face.
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*12 years ago*
"Louaaaaane!"
Louane giggled as a man she had befriended at the mall weeks ago chased her around the park.
Louane was currently high school senior. She had everything she could have ever asked for. Looks, friends, grades. It was no wonder she had so many boys trailing behind her. She was no stranger to older men being attracted to her especially since she was more mature than other girls her age.
But there was something about this man in particular that Louane would soon wish she never would have found.
As the man lightly grabbed her from behind and spun her she felt weird.
Something about today was off.
The man who had told her he was 25 in college seemed to sense Louane's uneasiness.
"Let's go back to my place and have some drinks"
There was something in Louane that told her she shouldn't.
"Um actually I have to get home my parents are waiting for me," she lied already backing away.
The man's whole demeanor changed and in an instant Louane felt a sharp prick at her neck and then everything went dark.
When she woke up she was in a hospital bed as her teary eyed mother explained to her how the man had raped her and all Louane could do was cry.
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"Louane?"
"Louane!"
Someone was gently shaking her.
Where am I?
How did I end up on the floor?
Louane was very confused. Her face felt hot and wet.
She was crying.
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Rafael Barba had been prepping Louane for court.
In any other occasion he would've taken the opportunity to flirt with the woman who made his heart flutter ever since elementary school.
But this was different.
Louane wasn't testifying as a detective but as a past victim.
Why hadn't she told him? How had she managed to hide it from him? He was with her almost all the time.
Almost.
That senior year of high school he had been visiting Harvard and the faculty like crazy because they had told him he could receive a very nice scholarship. He had been in Massachusetts a lot during the year.
That's how he never noticed.
Because he left when she needed him the most.
Stupid.
When he found out what Louane had been through he was more than furious. He felt like tracking the man and giving him the beat down of his life.
He hadn't gotten details or specifics about what exactly happened but based on the current victim it wasn't hard to imagine.
Since then Louane had been distant from him. She made up excuses when he wanted to hang out, ignored his texts, but worst of all she had been avoiding him at work. He understood she needed space but it seemed as if she never wanted anything to do with him again.
Which is why it felt intensely awkward being in a courtroom by themselves.
He didn't know what to say or if he should say anything.
"Let's just get this done" Louane said.
He nodded, "Alright. Just remember that the questions I'm going to ask you are going to make you relive what happened and I need you to tell me if it becomes to much okay?"
Louane nodded back.
And so began their session.
It had been easy at first. They were simple, broad, yes-or-no questions.
Were you raped? Yes.
Was the defendant the man who raped you? Yes.
Did you want to have sex with the defendant? No.
Then came the inevitable question of how it happened.
Louane had started to tell him before she started hyperventilating. She tried to stand but was shaking and gasping for breath as tears fell down her face.
Barba was quick to get to her and she had gone limp so he sat her on the floor.
She began to sob and scream, "STOP IT! MAKE IT STOP!"
Rafael felt his heart shatter. He didn't know what to do or how to comfort her. He felt his own eyes water as he held her and gently shook her trying to get her back to reality. Back to him.
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"What happened?"
Louane felt weak and small as she recognized the man holding her.
Her best friend.
"You had an anxiety attack," he said softly.
Louane felt a wave of embarrassment as she tried to push Rafael away from her. She hated that her childhood best friend was seeing her like this. He probably didn't even want to be friends after finding out how stupid she had been.
But Rafael had had enough.
"Why do you keep pushing me away? Can't you see its breaking my entire being to see you like this? Can't you see how it hurts me? How it kills me? The worst part is that you had to live with this for years and didn't tell me. I blame myself for what happened to you. If I hadn't been so obsessed with Harvard, if I hadn't left you none of this would have happened. All this time all I've wanted was to be there for you. You don't ever have to be alone with your pain ever again. I would do anything, anything, to see your smile to hear you laugh. I love you Louane and I can't keep seeing you drown in your pain like this."
Louane gaped at her best friend. All of a sudden every wrinkle was visible, every line and curve on his face, the subtle stubble that was growing on his face. Louane felt lightheaded.
Of course he didn't hate her.
He loved her.
Louane felt a new choke of sobs form in her throat. But this time joy accompanied it.
The joy of knowing that she was loved by the man who had and would always be with her no matter what. She knew that with him she would never have to fight alone again.
Because he would be there to fight the good fight for her.