You Make It Real (A Harry Styles Fan Fiction) {EDITING}

Chapter 52

KAREN’S P.O.V.

I paced the small area of tile behind the table in the courtroom. Where the hell was Fletcher? He promised me he’d meet me there in the morning. Dammit. I should have known better. I glanced over and saw Piper and Anne walk through the double doors. They were both dressed in skirts, Anne wearing a matching jacket as well. As soon as I saw the hurt on her face, my heart sank. I loved Anne; I always had. In the past three years, I had forgotten about the sixteen I spent around her and her kids. It seemed like another lifetime.

“Order in the court!”

The small room became silent. The only people besides court workers were me and my lawyer, Harry and his representative lawyer, Piper and Anne. It was a private case, so no one else was allowed to be there.

“Today we are presented with the battle over custody of Andrea Madeleine Styles-Taylor. Will the parents stand, please?”

I lifted myself off of the seat with shaky legs. I looked to my right and saw Harry. I had avoided looking at him until that point. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair a mess. He hardly looked like himself; pale in the face and holding his hands behind his back nervously. I turned to look at the judge.

“Please respond to your name if present. Harry Edward Styles.”

“Present.”

His voice was weak and forced.

“Karen Marlene Taylor.”

“Present.”

“You may both be seated.”

The judge started to ramble on about our rights as citizens, as well as other things pertaining to the law. Every time I dared to look to my right, Harry was fidgeting. Just as soon as Piper rested her hand on his thigh, his entire body calmed. He was at ease just from her touch. She had such an effect on him. Harry’s words to me from the day before rang in my head.

“I’d bet a lot of money that’s what this whole lawsuit is about! You have some new bum who wants to move in and live off my money.”

Why did he have to be so goddamn right all the time? There I was, fighting to take my daughter away from her father whom she loved more than anything, and Fletcher wasn’t even there. That asshole who convinced me to even do this! I would have never thought of this on my own. Why was I even trying to make him happy. It’s not like he ever really made me happy. I was just so afraid of being alone.

The way Piper cares about Harry; that was what I was searching for and I never found it.

“Ms. Taylor, you have your daughter the majority of the time now, correct?”

“Yes, her father travels a lot, so I usually have her.”

I couldn’t even bring myself to say his name. It was Piper’s turn to intrude my thoughts.

“...stop worrying about someone tearing you guys apart and start worrying about the resentment she’ll have down the road when she understands that you tried to take her away from her dad.”

“And Mr. Styles, you only see Andrea in the privacy of a home, correct?”

Harry cleared his throat and I looked over to see him bite his lip before responding.

“Per management’s request, yes.”

“Mr. Styles, how would you describe your relationship with your daughter?”

I continued to watch Harry as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table he sat at. He ran his long fingers through his disheveled hair and sat up straight.