Bryce continued to question us, and by the end of it, half an hour later, I hadn't ever felt more uncomfortable. I was fearful of what Wyatt's attorney was going to ask me, if it was anything more than what Bryce had, I was worried I would visibly squirm, appear nervous, appear as a liar.

It hadn't only made me uncomfortable, I could see and feel that it had affected Dawson in a similar fashion. When we exited the office, we didn't speak, we didn't even look at one another, and I had no clue as to why it had created such a tension.

It was late afternoon when we headed home. Darkness had begun its ascent, swallowing the light, sucking the sun below the surface. I leaned back my head against the seat, chewing my fingernails until they were so close to the skin they stung. I didn't know what to say to Dawson to undo the awkwardness, I couldn't think straight, my mind was running a hundred mile an hour, imagining what the next morning would be like, how different the courtroom would look once everyone was ready in attendance. I tried to prepare myself mentally, but I knew no matter what I thought it would be like, it would not be the same.

"Bryce was right.." Dawson spoke, slicing through the silence as he looked ahead

I remained quiet, only briefly looking to him

"I knew better" This time he looked at me, his expression unreadable "I knew it could jeopardise the case, I knew I shouldn't have let myself.." He was shaking his head as his fingers tightened around the steering wheel

An unexpected pain ached inside my chest. It felt as though I'd been punched. I wasn't sure what had bothered me more, that he had known our closeness would affect the case or the idea of him regretting the closeness we had developed. I was angry that Lawrence had invaded our privacy, I was angry that he was using our intimacy as a weapon against me. I couldn't understand how he could defend such a monster, how he could sleep at night knowing what he was doing, who he was hurting in the process of his vindication.

Dawson wasn't alone in his actions. I could have said no at any point, I could have denied myself the desires just as much as he could have. We were both responsible, we were both at fault, so why didn't I regret it? Not even for a single second?

When I failed to respond, Dawson looked at me "I'm sorry Jasmine"

My eyes snapped to his "Don't be" I told him forcefully "This is Lawrence and Wyatt's doing, this isn't something you should be sorry for"

"Like I said" He sighed "I knew better"

I shook my head, agitated when we pulled into the driveway, the sun entirely gone

"You have been the only person here keeping me sane Dawson" I mumbled "You have no idea.." Frustration grew, I could feel myself preparing for an unnecessary argument, so I exited the car, needing fresh air

I tried to hold myself together, I tried to keep my emotions in check, but I couldn't. When Dawson stepped onto the porch, unlocking the door, he looked down at me, unmoving at the bottom of the stairs

"When my dad died, I went into this.. this very dark place.. I changed" I started, my arms over my chest "I cut my emotions off, I saw the world differently.. I pushed my friends away, I didn't let anyone get close, I went out and I drank, I lost count of how many times I woke up next to someone I didn't even know.."

His hands were on his hips, his jaw twitching

"While I've been here, I've felt things that I haven't felt in.." I shook my head "In such a long time.. I thought I was back on track, I thought I was doing better, and then I came here and I spent time with you and I know that despite the situation, I'm taking away something that I couldn't have gotten any other way than being here where I am now.."

My mind couldn't keep up with what my mouth was outing. Revealing to him how I genuinely felt was a relief, but I worried for what it would do, for him, for us.

Holding my words in, I bit into my bottom lip. There was so much more I wanted to say, but I forced to control myself.

Dawson watched me, I could see that he was speechless, unable to respond. A small part of me expected him to brush me off, but instead he slowly moved towards me, stepping down the stairs, his hands reaching the sides of my face. His eyes searched my own, his face close, he didn't say anything, resting his forehead on mine. I closed my eyes, sighing.

When he kissed me, it felt different. I couldn't explain it, I couldn't understand it. It was gentle, sweet and when he pulled back, he held me as though I would fall apart if he let go. I embraced the moment, my face buried into his neck, breathing him in. I wanted to tell him just how much he had meant to me, just how much I cared for him, but my mouth had already spoken too much, so I held it back, enjoying the warmth and the comfort for what it was.

Night had fallen and when Dawson released me, I felt the exhaustion bite me.

With a lift of his hand, he tucked my hair behind my ear

"You need to sleep, it's a big day tomorrow" Holding my hand he pulled me into the house

8am court would begin, and just at the thought I cringed.

Turning the lights in the house on, Dawson removed all contact from me, standing beside the back door where he opened a white compartment on the wall

"What are you doing?" I asked, watching him with confusion

His fingers began to press into buttons, the screen lighting up with words before shutting off completely. Quickly I realised what it was, a security box controlling the cameras and sensors within the home. Closing it shut again, he moved to the kitchen, fumbling inside the drawers, pulling 3 hand towels and a bunch of rubber bands out.

Again, I was confused, but watched on while he pulled a chair along the floor, standing on top to reach the first camera, followed by the second and the third pointed into the living, kitchen and hall. One by one he had covered them up with the thick hand towels, wrapping them shut with the rubber bands.

I was thankful that we could no longer be seen, yet I was concerned that had someone of broken in, we would not know, we would be blind, unaware.

Satisfied with his problem solving skills, he moved back to me, taking my hands in his

"Are you sure you're comfortable with what the court could see tomorrow?" He sighed

I looked behind him, somewhat uncomfortable at the mere thought as I shrugged "No, no I'm not really comfortable with it, but it's just.. it's a temporary moment of awkwardness that will pay off in the end, hopefully.." I met his eyes again "What about you, this isn't going to damage your career or anything is it?"

"I can imagine it'll be a bit of a shock to those in my unit, Isaia.. and I'll probably have a stern talking to by my captain once it reaches him.. but.. I've always done my job, I've always done it right, they understand how hard it can sometimes be not to get personally involved in situations"

Removing myself from him, I headed to the lounge, sinking myself down with a sigh. I began to rub my temples "I just need this to be over with.." I mumbled

"Soon, we're almost there" Dawson sat beside me, taking off his shoes, gun and badge

Suddenly I felt a wash of unexpected comfort overwhelm me, my body felt weightless, with my head leaned back, I turned to look to Dawson, staring as I took in his features. A prickle of stubble had grown around his jawline, his mouth, he appeared calm, always, despite our situation. He had been my soft place to fall, he had been my support and my own personal guardian. I was so thankful for him, and so humbled to know him.

A dull light erupted through the living room as he switched the television on, but I was uninterested, all I could focus on was his face, his every detail.

Seconds later, he had noticed my infatuation, his eyes moving to me "You okay?"

Allowing my body to take control, I leaned towards him, quick, taking him by surprise when my lips collided with his. He hesitated for a moment before responding.

Originally I had feared that our intimacy had been based off the loneliness and lack of socialisation, but as I placed my hands on his chest, our lips connected, I imagined the life we could potentially have once we were free of the court system, the witness protection box surrounding me. I could see a future with Dawson, I could see us going on dates, having dinner together, going for leisurely walks around the neighbourhood hand in hand while enjoying the fresh air. Normal things that normal couples did. I hadn't ever had a normal relationship before, I hadn't ever even imagined it, but as I held Dawson close to me, it was an effortless daydream I longed for.

My mind was racing and so was my heart. Lying beneath Dawson as he hovered above me on the couch, my desire for him became hungry. I pulled his shirt from his torso, my fingers finding his belt buckle, but before our moment went any further, I paused, pulling my mouth back

"Rochester Avenue" I blurted out "Until you get sick of me.."

He pulled his face back slightly, his lips up turning into a small smile "I wouldn't.." He lowly mumbled, his fingers brushing against my cheek

I scrunched my nose up "You might.."

Slowly, his smile faded "I'm not home too often, which, the separation has broken a lot of couples, families apart.." He told me with soft eyes roaming over my face

I shrugged "If it's meant to be, it will be"

The moment I saw his smile lift again, I returned to our kiss, eager to feel him close.

Being with Dawson was never short of passion. Being with him was like something I hadn't ever experienced, there was so much more to it than just sex. I wondered if it would ever change, that if we were together once I was free if it would feel different, if I would feel different. I tried not to think too much into it, like I had said, if it was meant to be, it would be. I couldn't pressure myself into feeling something that would fade, but for the time being, all I knew was that Dawson was as close to home as I'd ever felt, whether I was actually home or not.

•

Thankfully I'd had a good sleep, and I had put that down to having been wrapped in Dawson's arms all night. He was a comfort that I had most definitely needed before the trial was to begin.

When morning broke, the sun peaked from the horizon, tinged golden rays of light entering the window, I lie awake, focusing intently on my breathing, attempting to keep calm. Today was the day. I hadn't ever really been an anxious person, but over the last few months, that had altered greatly. I felt instantly sick, uninterested in breakfast, I felt shaky and irritable.

Sliding out from Dawson beside me, I entered the bathroom to keep my mind busy.

After showering, I dressed in the most appropriate clothing I could find - black jeans, a white collared long sleeve shirt with a black cardigan over the top. Minimal makeup, my hair pulled into a low bun to clearly show the infliction of scar on my forehead, just like Bruce had instructed.