Closing Time

Chapter 16

(Lose You To Love Me By Selena Gomez)

Rylee's Pov

"Rylee Sage?" I picked at my nails before standing up and shaking hands with the officer.

Sam then shook hands with him and we were escorted to the room. The tan wood walls haunted me right now. The smell of cleaning supplies, and the bright lights made my head spin more than it already was.

"Your parents and Mr. Peters are not here as of right now. If they don't show up within the next hour, this case will be closed and have to be processed all over. Right now, the judge would like to speak with you alone and get your side. There is a lawyer in there, there is always one when there is a child involved, the lawyer is there for the child and decides what's better in the end along with the judge." The officer held the door open for us and we walked in.

My hands started to shake a little, and I found myself looking around and taking in every single detail. It didn't matter if it was a small detail, or if it was a big detail, I took it all in. It was all something that I know I'm going to remember forever. This was going to be hell for me to get over in the future.

"Miss Sage." The judge nodded her head at me and I felt my breath hitch.

There was a lawyer standing in the corner, Sam stood behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. This is so nerve wracking. It's not even funny how much my nerves are shot right now. I honestly feel like I'm going to pass out. I looked around at the room once again, trying to see if anything was changing before me.

"And you are?" The judge asked with a smile on her face.

"S-" The doors opened and cut Sam off.

I didn't even need to look behind me to know that the people I have grown to hate were in the same room as me. I didn't always hate them, I just resented them. Maybe it's the fact that Sam has made me realize that I do hate them.

"Don't let them know that they affect you, Rylee." He mumbled so only I could hear.

"Mr and Mrs Sage." The judge nodded her head at them, in the same way she did with me.

This is a closed court case, therefore there is no jury. Jason stood next to my parents with his arms crossed. He stared at me like I just killed his dog or something.

"Mr Peters." She then turned her attention to Jason and he didn't even acknowledge her.

He stared at Sam with his jaw clenched and bounced his foot on the ground.

"Well let's get this started, shall we." The judge spoke, opening up the file in front of her.

I took a folder out of my purse and laid it closed on the table in front of me. My mother looked at me with a confused expression. She almost looked like she didn't think that I was going to try and fight for custody of my daughter. Crazy isn't it? That's what she would have done to me and I'm nothing like her. I'm starting to think that she's not even my mother.

"This is a custody battle of three year old Iris Sage-"

"She has your last name?" Jason asked, turning to face me instead of Sam.

"She has for three years." I straightened my back as I spoke and held my chin up.

"Let's start with you Mr and Mrs Sage. What are your reasons as to why you want custody? What do you have that Rylee doesn't? What are your reasons for this?"

"Number one, Rylee hasn't been in a job long enough to buy an apartment or a car. She's not good at saving money. We have the money, we have the space, and we have the love. Rylee from what I heard from Jason doesn't show her daughter love. She doesn't do anything. So basically our reason for being here is to show Iris that love and family aspect that she is missing." My mother said with a smile and the lawyer started writing things on a paper.

"Why do you think this exactly? If I'm not mistaken, Miss Sage has had custody over her daughter for her daughters entire life. Why does this change everything?" The judge questioned and my mother seemed taken back by the comment.

"Mr Peters where do you come in, in this?"

"Excuse me?" He asked, not hearing a word she said because he was too busy glaring at Sam again who wasn't paying any mind to him.

"Where do you come in?"

"I'm Iris's father."

I leaned my head back and let out a loud laugh. Everyone turned to face me and I covered my mouth with my hand.

"Why are you laughing?" Jason rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms.

"Because you're a literal dumbass. Just because your her father, doesn't mean your her father. You're more so of a sperm donor. You haven't done shit since I've given birth to Iris. I paid for everything, I worked for everything, I stayed up the nights when she was crying, I starved myself just so she would have something to eat, I spent every once of everything I had on her and not you, so don't you think for a second that she's your daughter." I pointed my finger at him, and with every word I spoke, the more confident I felt.

"Miss Sage-"

"I'm sorry to cut you off. But I have a folder here of every payment that I did that he could have helped me with. I have pictures of myself after he hit me. I have pictures of things after he broke them. I have threatening text messages from him. Everything."

The police officer looked at the judge before walking over and taking the folder from the table. He gave it to the judge and she opened it, slowly.

"Whatever is in there is a lie. Rylee is a big liar-"

"The only big liar here right now is you, and you're making a giant fool out of yourself by doing so. So maybe just shut your mouth and let the judge say when she wants you to talk." Sam cut Jason off and Jason looked shocked by it.

Hell, I was even shocked by it. Sam never normally acts so bold and open then he has been. I looked up at him and mouthed thank you. He shook his head with a smile on his face.

"Thank you..?" The judge looked at her papers trying to find his name but it wasn't on there.

"Sam."

"Thank you Sam." She spoke, opening the folder.

I sat down, I couldn't stand without feeling like I was going to pass out. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I didn't even show Sam some of the things in this folder. The only people who have seen it are Eryn and Julie. They helped me put together a strong case. They helped me pull up the text messages. It was almost like they had done it themselves and that scared me. I didn't want them going through this pain.

The judge looked through all of the pictures, all of the copies of the bills, and all of the papers that show that I spent money on everything. Every piece of proof that I had was all in that folder.

"Ma'am, anything that is in there, is false. I never once laid a hand on Rylee. If anything, her new boyfriend hits her." I felt myself freeze.

How can someone say this? This is more than just a custody battle, I want him in jail now.

"You keep your mouth shut. He's been more of a father to Iris than you ever have, and you're jealous of that. You're jealous that you didn't scare me away from men as much as you thought I did. You're mad that I'm moving on with my life and you aren't going to be part of it. You're nothing more than a dead beat, and now, now I want to press charges."

"You can't do that!" Jason shouted after I stood back up and crossed my arms.

Sam put his arm around my shoulder, trying to calm me down, but I knew that nothing was going to calm me down.

"She can. You can get two to twenty years in prison. And with the way that she looks in these pictures, even if she didn't want to press chargers, you are still going to jail Mr. Peters Officer, take him in. Iris Sage is only under custody of Rylee Sage, and Rylee Sage only. Case Closed."

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