I sat at the edge of my seat in the crowded courtroom, watching Zach clad in a dark suit next to a young girl. She was only 18 but the bravery in her heart made her appear far older. Having faced more than what a teenager ever should have to endure, she represented so many girls and boys who never got this far—their voices silenced before they had a chance at closure.

It was Zach's first case as the sole prosecutor. Before, he had always been accompanied by senior members of the office he belonged to. He'd come a long way since he finished his degree, but this was the ultimate trial, not only because he sat there alone, but because the man on the other side of the isle was far too familiar.

Clive sat with his back straight, staring at the girl with malice. She refused to meet his eyes, but I believe that to be a sign of strength rather than one of weakness. She didn't need to meet his challenge. She already had him nailed down, and hopefully, she would see him walk out through that large door with cuffs around his wrists.

Their case was already made. Zach had had his final say, and now we were all waiting for the verdict. Clive's lawyer kept writing notes, but I was fairly certain that he was writing to keep himself occupied. He was clearly uncomfortable beside his client, probably aware that Clive faced long years in prison after the jury announced their verdict.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Clive's friends two rows behind me. Their glum faces betrayed their fear. Obviously, the case wasn't just clear to Zach and me, it was also clear to those who attended the trial.

The girl's parents sat close to their daughter, hands clasped. They appeared nervous. Her dad had been particularly helpful during the months leading up to the trial, showing just how much he cared about his family. They hadn't blamed her for what happened, something that seemed far too common.

Of course, Clive's lawyer had asked a number of offensive questions, such as what clothes she wore, why she was out at night and how often she had sex with men upon their first encounter. He had tried to paint the picture of a slut, but even if she was sexually active, she hadn't given him fodder for such accusations. The judge had stopped his line of questioning when it got too far. She seemed like a decent judge, and I knew Zach had great respect for her.

The jury was a wild card, however. No one knew what they would rule. Rape cases were still difficult. Often it was one man's word against another—her statement of being subdued, and Clive's defense that she had complied.

Evidence proved that they did have sex, so there were no questions concerning that part. Zach had presented one other evidence that weighed in our favor—a recording that the girl had somehow managed to get. She had been sane enough to reach for her phone and started a video recording. The video showed nothing, but you could clearly hear her pleas for him to stop.

The recording was difficult to listen to because the sheer terror in her voice evoked terror in others. You could hear her pain and how defenseless she was beneath the man twice her size.

Zach met my gaze, nodding with confidence. I hoped he was right. She deserved justice, and Clive certainly deserved to go to jail. I also knew that Zach felt partially responsible for what happened to the girl. If we had found evidence of what Clive did to his sister all those years ago, perhaps the man wouldn't have been able to harm yet another girl—and who knew how many he had raped or assaulted in between.

The courtroom stirred when the jury returned to their seats. We all rose to greet the judge, and then it was time to hear the final verdict.

She rambled a long while, and even if I tried to get what exactly she was saying, my focus kept shifting to Zach. He looked somber, patient. Then, all of a sudden, he smiled wide, including his client first, and then me. Pure relief shone from his eyes. She cried, letting go of her stoic appearance to embrace the truth of her victory.

They did it.

"Order!" the judge exclaimed, trying to calm down the ruckus from the back rows. Clive's friends continued to shout out curses until the judge threatened to have them removed from the room.

I watched with glee as two police officers cuffed Clive's wrists and led him out of the room. The guy didn't look as cocky anymore, but he still managed to send a threatening glare toward Zach and the girl. Not that they noticed, they were busy embracing each other. Realizing it was fine to move around the room, I walked over, smiling wide.

"You did it," I said.

Zach let out a relieved breath. "Yes. We did it."

I took his hand in mine. "Want to go celebrate?"

"Definitely. Let's just ask what these guys want." He nodded toward the family.

"Sure. Otherwise, I'm taking you to a fancy restaurant, right away."

———

Zach loosened his tie and slumped in the chair across the linen-clad table. "Finally."

I raised the glass in my hand. "To a job well done, and justice at last."

He clinked his glass with mine. "Thanks." He let go of a tired smile, but I could hear the deep relief in that simple word. "I'll probably sleep for a week after this."

"They're giving you time off?" I was surprised. The hours he kept at the office were horrible, but he loved what he did, and I supported him. Hopefully, his hours would be a bit more moderate now that the case was over—until the next one came along.

I worked odd hours as well, but we tried to get our schedules to match as much as possible, otherwise we would never see each other. Sometimes that scheduling went to hell, however, when he had to work overtime.

"I do have some vacation left. I think I'll use that now, but not if you can't come along. I need relax with you, not away from you." He looked almost vulnerable, tired as he was.

"I'll check with the hospital tomorrow. They've hounded me for not taking my vacation when I should. You're not the only one with too many hours of overtime."

He reached for my hand, clasping it gently. "Where do you want to go?"

"Costa Rica."

"Sounds perfect." He smiled and raised his glass again. "To us, and hopefully, to a vacation that's long overdue."

"So, how do you feel?"

"Like I'm the tallest man on earth."

I laughed. "Good. You deserve it. You were brilliant in there."

"Thanks. It's been one hell of a journey, though. I hope the next one will be easier. Just talking to that man was hard."

I knew he was referring to Clive. He never said his name, as if the name itself was a curse.

"But you made it, and if you managed this one, you'll excel in the future."

Zach let out a soft sigh. "I'll probably lose more times than any man should, but at least we're helping these victims."

"Don't think about that now, enjoy your first victory. You put that man to jail, which is just what he deserved."

Zach winced. "In my books, he deserves worse."

"I know. But I bet prison won't be pretty on him."

"You're right." He attempted a weak smile, and then he seemed to shrug off the glum thoughts. "We got our revenge."

"Yes, so let's order some food so we can go home and celebrate for real."

Zach smiled and leaned over the table to give me a kiss. "I like the sound of that."

———

Five days later, Zach came back from his swim in the clear blue ocean, dripping from head to toe. The sun was beating down on us, so I had taken refuge beneath a parasol. He sank down in the white sand and then I was squished beneath his weight.

"Hey, now I'm getting all wet."

Zach laughed. "You're too hot, you need something to make you cool."

"I'm already cool," I huffed, but kissed my partners soft lips, sweeping my tongue against his. The passion between us was back in full force, and I planned to make the most of it during our days of freedom.

The place was fantastic, but most of all, I enjoyed having Zach around without having to compete with his job for attention.

"Good that this is a private beach," he teased.

"I'm not having sex on the beach." No way with all that white sand surrounding us.

Zach laughed. "Then I'll race you." He swiftly got up and dashed away through the sand toward the villa we rented for the week.

I was quick to follow, wincing as the hot sand burned my feet—at least that helped me run faster.

Zach caught me as I entered. I was still running which meant that our collision almost sent us both to the floor. We both laughed, sharing more kisses and eager touches.

"We're still reckless," I said. "After all these years."

"I don't think we'll ever stop."

I kissed along one of his tattoos that I loved, pieces of art that he kept hidden from me far too often, or rather, from his colleagues, not me. It was a nice feeling to know that even if he spent a lot of time at the office, they never got to see him like this.

He had his mission, and I would always support him, but what I liked the most about him was those sides I had lured out of him our last year in High School. His warmth, his passion and his vulnerability.

"I love you, you know," I breathed into his ear.

He kissed me hard, almost desperate, and even if he didn't say those words back, I knew what he was trying to express. We needed each other, and that what was kept us going. Our love held us together even if life sometimes seemed to want to pull us apart.

It hadn't been an easy journey. We spent years living in different cities while he finished his degree and I mine, we struggled through the times when his parents shunned him for having a boyfriend rather than a girlfriend, and we managed to help each other when Tobias made a last attempt to insert himself into my life again.

Hopefully, life would stop testing us because I was ready to spend the rest of my time feeling utterly content in Zach's arms.

He kissed me again, then he took my hand and led me to the master bedroom. My body was burning from the inside as he pushed me into the soft mattress, eagerly waiting for him to burn bright right along with me.

He leaned over me. "I love you, too. But right now, I'm going to ravish you. No mercy."

I smiled and pulled him closer. "Wouldn't want to have it any other way."