Brandon's POV
The air in Courtroom felt heavy, like a wet blanket soaked in ice water, dragging down my chest with every ragged breath I drew. I couldn't breathe. My hands sat flat on my thighs, shaking so violently that the fabric of my trousers rippled. I pressed down, trying to pin my palms against my knees to force them still, but the tremors only traveled up my forearms, seizing my shoulders in a cold, tight spasm.
Beside me, Seth was dead silent. He hadn't moved an inch since my mother took the stand. He sat folded into himself, his arms locked tight across his chest, his eyes fixed straight ahead. But I could see the vein in his temple throbbing against his pale skin, a tiny, furious pulse.
