Because of Karson

Chapter 41

The palms of my hands were sweating as I continuously rubbed them against my pant leg. I took a deep breath as I stared at my reflection in the mirror from inside a bathroom I wasn't entirely familiar with. I leaned my palms against the counter, leaning forward. My palm was now completely healed after the last few stitches finally dissolved.

It's been a few days since the eventful morning with Nora, and my bruised knuckles weren't as noticeable as before. Wrapping them up really helped the healing process. The only thing visible now were a few scabs that formed after the cuts stopped bleeding. The bruises faded and I could actually move my fingers now.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts as I gently rolled my shoulders. "You got this, Dakota."

I whispered to myself as my eyes traveled down my appearance through the mirror. I was wearing a fancy blouse, a cream color to go with my black dress pants. I could feel the back of my feet already forming blisters as my heels dug deeper into my skin. On the outside, I looked put together, but on the inside, I was completely freaking out.

My naturally blonde hair fell in waves in front of my shoulders. My long hair covered my collarbone as the length rested just below my chest. My makeup was light, only wearing mascara and blush to give a more natural look. I didn't want to look too professional, but I needed to make a good impression for the judge. He knew I was taking care of my siblings for the time being, so I knew I had to look put together.

I shook my head as I turned away from the frightened gaze that stared at me through the mirror. My hands lightly shook at my sides as nerves had finally got the best of me.

My heels clicked against the tile floor as I gingerly pushed open the bathroom door to reveal everyone standing, waiting for me to come out.

My eyes darted around to see Karson, Colton, Braxton and my siblings all dressed nicely as I finally walked up to them. The boys wore a nice shirt and dress pants that made them look put together, but still like a teenager at the same time. At the end of the day, we were just teenagers.

My little sister wore a dress that I found hidden in her closet only a few days ago. I knew putting her in a dress would be fine since she was only five, so who cares? This whole situation stressed me out, because I was a teenager going to my mother's court hearing and I still didn't know entirely what to do.

Dawson texted me yesterday, giving me all the required details to let me know how today was going to go down. He kept reassuring me, telling me that he would be seated next to me, so I didn't have to worry about anything. All this was, was a court hearing to see how much time my mother would spend in jail. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Are you ready?" Karson asked as he was the first one to step in front of me. He knew how much I was freaking out, because last time I saw my mother, she attacked me. "It's going to be okay, I promise. I'll be right behind you the entire time and you don't have to worry about her trying to hurt you. She'll be handcuffed and there will be security guards surrounding the courtroom."

I took a deep breath as I nodded my head. I honestly don't know what I would've done if they weren't here with us. My siblings and I really didn't want to be alone. It was nice to have a shoulder to lean on, even for my siblings. Olivia was already holding onto Colton's hand for safety as her frightened gaze moved around the building.

Although we were dressed nicely, it didn't compare to the people around us. Lawyers, I assumed, walked by us dressed in expensive suits or expensive dresses. There was a mix of security guards, lawyers, and anyone else who worked here at the courthouse.

Luckily, the bathroom was right next to our courtroom we would be at, so we all stood by each other as we waited for the time to arrive. Dawson told me to wait outside the courtroom before we officially go inside so he can give us a rundown on what we will see in the room.