*Long.
Charlie's POV
"You're kidding..." I chuckle humorlessly. There's no way. She just can't get out after less than a month...not when she hit that baby. I mean, there were pictures...we made it a point to take pictures and give them to the police just so something like this would not happen.
"I wish..." he mutters, running a hand over his head. "Even my lawyer seemed speechless as to how this could have happened. And I'm freaking the fuck out because he's freaking the fuck out, and we barely have a case put together aside from what my private investigator found out and fucking mother fucking-"
"Baby, breathe." I grab a hold of his shoulders and squeeze-a little roughly, I presume, since he winces. Cycling, ya know?
Though now, given my current situation, I guess I'll be putting cycling off for quite some time. Lazy me is jumping for joy.
But more importantly, what did he find out from the investigator? And why didn't he tell me that he heard back from him? Sigh.
"We're good," I reassure him and myself, nonetheless. But he only shakes his head. "Listen. You've got a really good lawyer- the best. You know I don't like to be like this, but I highly doubt her lawyer is going to be as good as yours because you have the financial means. And you have proof- like physical, proof. You can't argue pictures...you just can't."
"But they always side with the mum. I've read up on too many cases like this where the people in our position get screwed because like, how can I argue that I'm a better fit when she gave birth to him..."
"Zayn, you and I both know that it takes more than a biological connection to be a good parent. There's so much more to it, and you..." I hold his cheeks between my palms. "You're truly...remarkable. You stepped up to the plate when I thought for sure I was gonna be alone raising Marley, and how many guys in your position would have given up everything and done that? Not to mention you're raising three kids with one more on the way now and...and there's not a doubt in my mind that you could do it by yourself if you had to...not that you will, because I'll be here, but like...if the courts can't see how truly amazing you are, then...well. Fuck me," I blurt, taking a page out of his book. He smirks, basking in my compliments. "Now come. Let's get our babies...all three of them."
"Four," he says as I lean into him. But he grips my hands in his and holds me at arms length before looking at my belly, as if there's a huge difference between me a few weeks ago and pregnant me now. "Which means...we're halfway to the goal."
Oh sweet Jesus.
*
Zayn carries Adrian and Marley inside, insisting that I don't even dare try to bring Li in yet...he thinks I'm gonna get hurt or something. But I remind him that the baby is the size of a sesame seed and Liyana weighs like, twenty pounds.
...He in turn, told me not to argue with him tonight unless I'd like him to break out the red furry handcuffs I totally made him buy after we saw the first Fifty Shades movie (and let me tell you, I was hella embarrassed even bringing the topic up to him, but he was more than willing to make the purchase.) We never used them, in case you're wondering, but like...I don't think I'd be opposed to trying them out. Okay, I'll stop.
Anyway, being stubborn is one of my many selling points, so I toss Liyana over my shoulder and trudge up the front steps. Except as I open the door, Zayn happens to be opening it at the same time. "What the hell am I gonna do with you," he grins, taking Li from me as I bat my lashes at him and bite my lip. He rolls his eyes and turns around, so I pinch his butt as he walks into the foyer because us.
I don't even bother changing out of my work clothes as I collapse onto the couch. I briefly close my eyes and turn so my legs are extended on the couch in front of me. My fingers comb through my shoulder length waves. I kinda wanna dye my hair...maybe I'll go darker. Like black. Hmm...
I feel the couch dip next to me, but I don't open my eyes. "I'm glad you're still down here."
"Hmm...and why would that be..." He doesn't answer, so I open one eye, surprised to find him in my face considering he didn't respond to me.
"Come on...the kids are sleeping, so it's my turn. I'm a bit of an attention whore, you know this."
"Really Zee," I laugh, bringing my knees up to my chest as he tries to crawl between them.
He pecks my lips. I'm just glad he's managed to calm down... I think. "What? I am. Especially when it comes to my whale."
I mean, there could worse things than Zayn Malik wanting your attention.
He sits down on my legs, leaning all in my bubble. "Babe, can you do that thing. You know, when you rub my-"
"Woah there buddy!" I say, knowing pretty well where that was headed. I try to wriggle my legs from out under him, but he's not budging.
"If you'd let me finish," he says. His cheeks pinken a little. My oh my, have I managed to embarrass him? How the tables have turned. "Can you do that thing where you rub my head-pervert," he grins once more while snorting. "Like, I'll lay my head in your lap and you can like, dunno, massage my temples? It relaxes me." He purses his lips to the side. Cutie.
"Mhmm..." I relax into the couch and part my legs, clasping my fingers together and stretching out my hands as if I'm a professional masseuse. "Come to mommy."
"Oh god. That's fucking disturbing. And definitely does not have the same effect as daddy." I laugh upon seeing his weirded out face because Marley makes the same one. "Mummy kink...what the fuck even...do people do that?"
"Ew." I agree with him there. He moves so that his back is laying between my legs and his head rests low on my belly. "But I'm sure they do." Though daddy kink gets the juices flowing for him, no? And when you actually think about it, that's also pretty...interesting.
I begin kneading his temples with my fingers, and I think he just purred. "I think the first time you did this for me was when mum and dad died."
I look down at his gently closed eyelids, and when he doesn't elaborate, I know he's caught up in his head, in his thoughts. "Get outta there," I tell him softly, thumping on his head. It's a dangerous place for him to be, especially know with this pending case.
He opens those big hazel eyes that make me weak in the knees. I search them, deciding to focus on the freckle just against his left iris. His hand comes up to my cheek as he runs his thumb under my eye. "You're pretty wicked."
"You're pretty...buzzin." It totally doesn't work. And I know it doesn't when he scrunches up his nose and shakes his head. Hey, I'm slowly but surely learning the slang. I'll get there.
"I'm buzzin and I feel laced...I'm comin from a different phase, when I'm with you," he sings. "Run away now-"
"What's that...actually, do I even wanna know..." I have an idea. His obsession.
"New single," he beams (A/N: one can only hope). "AKA, my new shit."
I raise a brow at him, working my thumbs near the back of his head. "Are you always this invested in your new artists?"
"Fuck no. Do you see me this invested in 5 Seconds of Assholes? Or that Alex fucker?"
"Well...that's different," I sputter through a laugh. Even he grins at that one. "You've got history." He hums, closing his eyes and going back to singing random lyrics as I massage away.
He flutters his eyes open after a while, though. "You know, but if you took your top off. I wouldn't complain."
"Yeah, I bet." I stick my tongue out at him and he chuckles. Though the laughter dies down and he's left staring at me. I blush because his gaze is so intense and attention always did make me uncomfortable. "Stop staring, crazy." I try to play it off, but I think he knows it makes me uncomfortable.
"You're just...you're fucking beautiful, jaan."
"Ugh, fave," I say through a smile, scratching at his scalp. "You're just earning all sorts of brownie points tonight." And just when I think he's gonna have some pervy, witty comeback because that's pretty much Zayn, he surprises me.
He grabs the remote. To think, he actually listened to what I said the other day. "Cool, so that means you'll spend your Friday night watching Deadpool with me again because I love the fuck outta that movie and it's on demand."
"I can't think of a better way to spend my evening." I love when his geeky side comes out. It makes me feel things.
Five days later
Zayn's POV
"Don't get anything on that suit babe. It cost us a lot of money." I glare at Harry. "And by us, I mean you."
"Fuck off."
"Hey, I'm just saying...you look like you're gonna shit your pants. Now why are you nervous?"
"Because." I rub between my eyebrows. "This is it, man. I find out if Charlie and I get to keep Adrian for good."
"Listen, the two of you are going to be fine. Your lawyer pulled a case together that's fairly good considering the time crunch. Gene-ho sucks ass as a parent and that counts for something. Plus, I'm going to be speaking on your behalf. What more do you need?"
"A fucking miracle, Haz," I tell him honestly. So yeah, today's the day...the custody battle for Adrian. And not to mention, it'll be the first time I'm seeing Genevieve in several weeks. There are a mix of emotions coursing through me, but I think I'm even more nervous than when I went in front of the judge for those bogus kidnapping charges.
Now that I think about it- like really think about it, she's put me through a lot of shit. And in a way, it all boils down to this.
Oh, and the best part? Genevieve's going to be exposed. But I'm not sure at what cost...
"So is this open to the public since you're technically a celebrity and whatnot , or..." Harry trails off, as we round the corner. I see a couple of reporters up ahead in front of the courthouse where my lawyer's supposed to be meeting us. I'm not interested in answering any questions, which I'm sure everyone knows.
"No. I only want the people who are directly involved in the case in the courtroom."
"And the kids aren't going to be here, right?"
"No. I wouldn't subject them to this shit." We reach the front of the courthouse and weave our way up the steps to the top, where my lawyer is standing with Charlie and Laura, who's also speaking on our behalf.
"Good to see you Zayn," my lawyer greets, placing a hand on my shoulder. I nod, raising my eyebrows at Charlie and Laura. We begin to walk inside since the trial is set to start in about fifteen minutes. "You stopped smoking weed, right? Because I can guarantee her lawyer's going to bring that up," he whispers, slowing into step with me.
"Yeah, I did that rapid detox thing just in case they drug test me." And let me tell you, it was fucking tough to not roll up a blunt, but somehow, I managed.
"Good. Then we're good." He stops me again though, before we head into the actual courtroom. "Just one more thing. I just...I don't think we should use what the Private Investigator found. I don't think it's going to he-"
"What? And why the fuck not?"
"Look, I know it seems like it could, but trust me on this. It's going to cause some damage...and I think it's only going to result in Adrian ending up in foster care." I close my eyes. Un-fucking-believable. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"
And as much as I hate to admit it, I nod. If my lawyer thinks this isn't going to help, then maybe he's right. I just hope so.
I head into the courtroom behind the other four, and Genevieve would be the first person I see. Her eyes are already trained on mine, and she's grinning from ear to ear. I dare someone to try and tell me she's not fucking nuts. I don't break my stare until I feel a smaller hand slipping into mine. I look over at Charlie as she gives my hand an encouraging squeeze. I unlink our hands only to bring a hand to the small of her back and slide it around her waist as she leads us to the table at which we're to be seated.
"We've got this," she whispers in my ear after I take my seat next to her. SHe plants a tiny kiss behind my earlobe, something that helps calm me.
"So this is how this is going to work," the judge starts. "Both lawyers will present the side of their respective party, including any evidence that they have supporting why their party should have custody of Adrian Sello. Following the opening arguments, each side will have the chance to call up anyone who wishes to speak on behalf of either Mr. Malik and Ms. Dunn, as well as Ms. Sello, attesting to their ability to be an adequate parent. The other side will have the chance to examine the parties from the opposing side. Now, are all parties present?" The lawyers respond that we are, so the judge tells us that we can get started. "Alright Mr. Adams, present your side to the court explaining why Adrian Sello is not to remain in the custody of Genevieve Sello."
*A/N: I've never witnessed a custody battle, but for the purposes of this story, it's going to be similar to a criminal case in which you can call people up to speak on the stand*
"Thank you, your honor," Carl (Mr. Adams) says. "Simply put, Genevieve Sello is an unfit parent. Ms. Sello conceived Adrian out of wedlock, which is no crime, of course. But she does not have the means to take care of this adorable little boy. She is unemployed, lives in a one bedroom studio in someone else's home, and Adrian's father is not in the picture to help support them. In fact, she tried to convince my client that he was the father of Adrian, when she knew he was not! She lied, trespassed, falsified documents-"
"Objection! There is no evidence that my client falsified anything!" Genevieve's lawyer blurts out.
"Sustained. Mr. Adams, please abstain from stating that Ms. Sello committed any crime until you bring in the evidence to prove it."
My lawyer nods. "Fair enough. But nonetheless, she led Mr. Malik to believe that he was Adrian's father- something that broke him, when he found out he was not. He and Ms. Dunn quickly became attached to Adrian, treating him as if he were their own. The couple has two children of their own, both of which bonded with Adrian and treated him like a brother. So to find out everything was a lie? Well, it took quite a toll on the family." He pauses. "Ms. Sello is unstable, your honor. She repeatedly calls my clients, at times severely intoxicated, and if I may present it, she even wrote him a letter from jail, dated less than a week ago." The judge nods, taking the letter from Carl. He quickly reads over it before telling Genevieve's lawyer that she'll have the chance to read it and defend her client against it. "She even left that little boy on Mr. Malik and Ms. Dunn's doorstep on a chilly evening in nothing but a t-shirt and a pair of shorts! He was in tears, your honor. Tears because how could his mother just leave him? A two year old? That little boy was left out there to freeze and Ms. Sello could care less about what happened to him." THe courtroom is completely silent, and I want nothing more than to steal a glance at Genevieve, but I don't. "And let's not forget the kidnapping charges Mr. Malik faced after Ms. Sello abandoned Adrian for several days without so much as a phone call to check in. My clients simply went on vacation with friends and family, and what were they supposed to do? Just leave Adrian by himself? Because Ms. Sello was not answering the phone, nor did she return to pick him up. They were simply doing what any responsible, logical adults would do."
My lawyer paces in front of the judge's podium. And hearing all of this-everything at once...it's suffocating. She really fucked me up over the past couple of months. "And lest we not forget the most disgusting part of this story." My lawyer's voice is quiet. "She abused that baby. She beat him with an object-"
"Objection!"
"I have the pictures to show!" My lawyer bellows. "According to a highly experienced physician, Adrian Sello was beat with some sort of blunt object, resulting in three golf ball-sized bruises on his abdomen, a larger bruise and much smaller black, blue and purple bruises on his back. Who could do that to a two year old? A toddler?" My lawyer pauses once more. "A monster. Only a monster puts their hands on a child like that...someone who does not deserve to be a parent."
"Objection!"
"Overruled, Ms. Dunlevy."
My lawyer continues. "Someone once said: each day of our lives, we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. Adrian Sello's memory bank is filled with hurt, neglect, resentment, sadness, anger...all at the hands of his mother. His mother. Think about this for a second. A mother should be there for her child, she should be a role model; be someone to love and trust in. Genevieve Sello is not a mother to Adrian. If he remains with her, Adrian will grow up thinking that it is suitable to treat people in the manner in which his mother treats him. And then he will pass that down to his children. And the cycle will keep going...because we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. But Mr. Malik and Ms. Dunn can help make positive, more loving deposits in Adrian's memory bank to help drive out the negative ones. They can serve as role models, they can provide that loving, nurturing environment that children need. And that is something to be passed down. They can be the parents that Adrian needs. They can give him a life that he can be proud of...because we make deposits in the memories of our children." He turns to face the judge. "That's all, your honor."
And with that, he comes and takes a seat next to me.
"Ms. Dunlevy, are you prepared for your statement?
Genevieve's lawyer stands and completely shocks us all. "We have no opening statements. We are going to let our parties that come to the stand, speak for themselves."
*
"I've reviewed all physical evidence- pictures, letters, documents, statements from both parties. So we've now reached the time in which both parties may call people to speak on their behalf, as well as take the stand themselves. Are all parties prepared?"
I nod and so does Charlie, but our lawyer speaks for us. The judge saw the pictures, both lawyers saw the abuse pictures and her lawyer tried to say that there's no way to prove that Genevieve hit him because you can't take the word of a two year old. But my lawyer pointed out that even if this was the case, this 'accident' that she claims happened still occurred in her presence, and that speaks by itself. So all in all, I think it's clear as day that she doesn't deserve to have this child. I'm feeling pretty good about this, given the morning we've had.
"We'd like to call Harry Styles up to the stage to speak on the behalf of Mr. Malik and Ms. Dunn." Harry comes in through the double doors, wearing, of course, a goofy smirk. My God. I don't know how anyone's going to take him seriously in a brown, patterned suit that looks like fucking hideous seventies curtains.
But we'll see.
"State your name for the court please."
Harry places his hand on the bible. "Harry Edward Styles."
"Okay, thank you. Mr. Adams, you may begin questioning."
My lawyer walks up in front of Harry. "So, Mr. Styles. How long have you known Mr. Malik and Ms. Dunn?"
"I've known Mr. Malik for a little over four years, and Ms. Dunn just shy of four years."
"You went to university together correct? New York University?"
"Yes. Zayn and I have been best friends since freshman year. We had an apartment together with three other friends, and then moved into a frat house together." I'm praying that he says nothing about me being his boyfriend, because he totally fucking would. But he does turn to me and wink...Charlie snorts.
"And when did Ms. Dunn come into the picture?" My lawyer asks, and I stiffen.
"Her and Zayn met at a party freshman year. They hit it off."
"And this resulted in pregnancy?"
Harry smirks. "Sure did. It helped bring them together."
"And do you think Ms. Dunn and Mr. Malik would have ended up together had she not gotten pregnant?"
"I do. Anyone who's around them knows that they're meant to be. They complete each other; they make each other better people."
"Mmhm, and would you say they bring this loving relationship into parenting?"
"I can't think of two people who love their children more. Those kids are more than taken care of. They're respectful, happy, kids who adore their mom and dad. They have everything they can want or need, and Charlie and Zayn put those children above all else."
Carl smiles, telling the court that he has no further questions.
And then Genevieve's lawyer comes up. If I know my best mate, I know he can handle questioning, but who the fuck knows what she'll ask him.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Styles." Harry gives her a smile and a head nod. "Is that a new suit?" Harry furrows his brows, as my lawyer calls objection and something about relevance, to which the judge sustains. "No need," Ms. Dunlevy says. "You said that Mr. Malik and Ms. Dunn met at a frat party?"
"Yes."
"Uh huh, and is it safe to say that both Mr. Malik and Ms. Dunn, both eighteen years of age, may I remind the court, were both under the influence of alcohol? Perhaps even intoxicated?"
"There was alcohol, but I can't speak to how much either of them drank," Harry states casually.
"You sure about that, Mr. Styles?" Genevieve's lawyer asks, with her hands on the stand in front of Harry. "Are you sure that both Mr. Malik and Ms. Dunn were not so intoxicated that they had reckless, meaningless, unprotected sexual intercourse with one another resulting in pregnancy? That they barely even knew each other's names?"
My blood boils.
"Objection!" My lawyer calls out.
"Overruled, councilman. Answer the question, Mr. Styles."
Harry looks to the judge, before looking back at the lawyer. "Again, I can't speak to that. Yes, they had sexual intercourse with one another, obviously because Charlie became pregnant. But I wasn't with them that night, I didn't go upstairs with them, I wasn't in the room, in the bed with them, so I can't speak to how much they were drinking."
"But you admit that they were drinking and that this was the first party Ms. Dunn had been too, yes? This is the first time you had seen her around?"
Harry leans further into the front of the stand. "Let me explain something to you, Ms. Dunlevy, if I may. They may not have known each other according to whatever standards you think are acceptable before people have sex. They're not perfect, but neither are you and neither am I. Hell, neither is Ms. Sello."
"Mr. Styles, language," the judge warns.
Harry nods. "But they took responsibility for their actions that night. No one knows what happened that night for certain, except the two of them. But what I can say, is that that child is doing perfectly fine today, and is the light of Charlie and Zayn's lives."
Harry gives her that 'take that, bitch' look, but the lawyer only fucking smirks. She turns to face the court. "I have no further questions."
*
Laura faces the same line of questioning as Harry for the most part, but speaks more to Charlie, especially in regards to her work ethic and strong-willed personality. She even talked about how she met her on that first interview and one of the main reasons she hired her was because of how much determination and responsibility she exuded when talking about the struggles of being a college student and raising a newborn with little support. I'd say it went well.
But now we've come to the point where it's time for both Charlie and I to take the stand and defend ourselves. I can feel how nervous Charlie is, if her biting at her freshly manicured nails is any indication.
"Charlotte Dunn, would you please take the stand." Charlie swallows and stands up. I give her hand a squeeze, letting her know that I'm here and won't be going anywhere.
She sits down, facing the court before swearing to tell the truth and giving her name. "Ms. Dunn, can you tell the court a little bit about your personal struggle of raising a newborn whilst in school."
She nods. "I um, I was eighteen when I got pregnant, so I know a little bit about what it's like to conceive out of wedlock. I had Ma- my son at nineteen. I worked throughout school and throughout a large chunk of my pregnancy, saving up so I could buy him diapers, clothes, everything that a newborn would need. I stayed with a friend, who I'm so grateful for; she was a tremendous help. I went back to work shortly after his birth, and found it difficult to balance school, work and watching my son. So..." She takes a breath. "I had a sitter who would watch him sometimes, Zayn would keep him a lot and a I had a few friends to help out as well. It was hard, but with the help of my friends and Zayn, I got through it."
"And you and Zayn were not together at the time?" Carl asks Charlie.
"No, we weren't. We figured we'd try to co-parent."
"And do you think that worked?"
"I do. And it even developed into a relationship, eventually."
"Indeed it did. You two are getting married, correct?"
Charlie smiles. "Yeah, we are. This winter."
"Congratulations, Ms. Dunn." Charlie expresses her gratitude with a nod. "And you have two children together, correct?"
"Yes." She doesn't tell them that she's currently pregnant, which my lawyer said we shouldn't, because he knows exactly where Genevieve's lawyer would run with that.
"Do you think," Carl pauses, "if it ever came down to it, you could raise three children on your own?"
Charlie takes a second to think about this. "I do. Yeah, I think it'll be challenging, but I'm much more financially stable now than I was three years ago, and I raised one then, so. I could do it."
"But having Mr. Malik around makes it easier."
'Yeah," she smiles. "It does. The love that he has for those babies is unmatched. And they love him just the same. It's inspiring to watch, honestly. He makes me continuously want to be a better parent each and every day."
"Thank you, Charlotte. I have not more questions." Carl walks back to the table, brushing shoulders with Genevieve's lawyer.
"So you raised your son with some help, it sounds like. Where were your parents, if I may ask?"
Charlie sighs. "They didn't want to help."
"And why was that?" the lawyer pushes.
"Because they thought I was making a mistake by keeping the baby."
"And how do they feel today? What's your relationship like with your mom and dad?"
It takes Charlie a minute to answer. This fucking lady. "My dad p-passed earlier this summer. And my mom and I...we don't really talk."
"Because you were irresponsible and had a child out of wedlock..."
"Objection!" I feel the anger radiating off of me as my lawyer calls for an objection.
"Sustained. On with your questioning, councilwoman."
The lawyer nods. "Is it true that you brought your child to numerous frat parties as a newborn? And left him with whoever would watch him while you enjoyed the party?"
You can hear a fucking pin drop, I swear to it. "I've grown up a lot since then."
"Answer the question, Ms. Dunn."
"Yes," Charlie says. Shit.
"And did your son suffer an accident at the hands of your so called "sitter" while you were out celebrating one evening?"
Charlie swallows and blinks. I really wish this lady wouldn't bring up Blake. "Y-yes."
"And would you mind explaining what happened?"
"He fell off of the couch and hit his head. We had to bring him to the hospital, but there wasn't any serious damage."
The lawyer nods, leaning on the stand. "Because you left him with an incompetent sitter who you claimed was a "friend"..."
"It wasn't-"
"Because you were irresponsible..."
"Objection!"
"Sustained...questions, councilwoman."
Dunlevy nods once more. "You say you have two children with Mr. Malik?"
"Yes," Charlie answers. I can see that a little bit of her spark is gone.
"Are you planning on having anymore anytime soon?"
"We want more, yes."
"Indeed you do." The lawyer smirks. "Are you currently pregnant Ms. Dunn?"
Charlie's face falls. My lawyer tries for an objection, but it doesn't work. "Answer the question, Ms. Dunn."
"Yes. Yes I am," she whispers. The lawyer asks her to repeat herself louder, so Charlie looks up sharply. "I said, yes I am."
"You two keep pretty busy, don't you. And how far along are you?"
"About six weeks."
"So let me do the math here. You're twenty-two, yes? So that makes...three children before your twenty-third birthday. And that's not including Adrian." Charlie doesn't answer, but frankly, I'm not sure the lawyer is looking for one. "Don't you think it's going to get...a little... crowded? Perhaps, frustrating at times with three toddlers and one newborn? You may have a lot of patience and determination, Ms. Dunn, but not that much patience."
"Objection!" My lawyer nearly shouts. This time, the judge doesn't overrule it. "Is that a question, Ms. Dunlevy?"
"Well, in fact, it is. Do you think...that perhaps your patience will run out?"
"N-"
"That you'll just have had enough one day...and just snap? And take it out on Adrian? He's not yours, after all..."
"No," Charlie grits.
"Was it Mr. Malik's idea to have more children, Charlotte? Did he pressure you to have a second, even your third? Is he pressuring you to keep Adrian?"
"No." Charlie's patience are wearing thin. Keep it together, babe. Just keep it together.
The lawyer gets right in Charlie's face. "Do you want four kids at the age of twenty two, Charlotte?"
"Yes!" Charlie shouts, jumping up. I can tell she's on the verge of crying. "Yes, I love those kids. I'm not going to sit around and watch her beat on him." She points to Genevieve. "That's disgusting. She's disgusting and doesn't deserve that precious baby! And I hope she fucking rots in the pit of hell!" The judge is banging his gavel, but Charlie's enraged. And fucking Genevieve- because I do look at her this time around- cocks her head at Charlie and grins.
"Ms. Dunn, you will sit down this instant!" The judge bellows.
Ms. Dunlevy backs off. "No further questions, your honor."
The tears spring into Charlie's eyes as she looks at me. She tries to compose herself, and Carl has to go up there and assist her down from the stand as she breaks down. She doesn't sit down next to me, but instead shakes Carl off and walks towards the back of the court and out through the double doors, shaking with sobs.
"We'll proceed. Mr. Malik, to the stand, please."
I try to get myself together before I go up there. "How are you, Mr. Malik?" My lawyer asks.
"Good, thanks."
"Good to hear." He smiles at me. "How did you feel after you learned you were going to become a father at the age of eighteen?"
I sigh. "I guess like any normal teenager would. I was shocked and a bit upset. Obviously, I hadn't planned to be a father so soon."
"Understandable. And would you say that you stepped up to the plate and took responsibility?"
"I would say yes. I definitely made some mistakes along the way and I wasn't perfect by a long shot, but I learned, and that's what parenting is all about. And I knew from day one that I loved my son. I love both of my children; I love the one on the way. And I love Adrian as if he were one of my own."
"And do you think that you and Ms. Dunn could provide a better life for Adrian than Ms. Sello?"
"Most definitely. I inherited my parents' business and Charlie has a good job, so we definitely have the means financially. We have plenty of space in our home, despite what Ms. Dunlevy implied."
"Objection."
"Sustained. Mr. Malik, simply answer the question."
"Like I was saying, we have plenty of space. Adrian gets along great with both of my children and he seems so happy when he's with us. He doesn't even want to leave."
"Happy? How so?"
I think back to when I found bruises on his body. "When I went to check on Adrian after Charlie showed me the bruises on his body, he was laying in bed, so peaceful." I smile to myself. "The covers were pulled up to his chin and he seemed like nothing could get to him. And I thought..." I start to get a little choked up. "And I didn't even know the type of demons he was facing. I didn't know that he was having nightmares, until he told me that he had a bad dream about how his mum hit him." I quickly clear my throat. "And then...and then he never even had toys. I bought him toys because he told me his mum wouldn't let him have any. Who refuses to buy a toddler toys? And from that first train I bought him, to when I promised him a few nights ago that he was safe and that his mum wouldn't be able to get him anymore, I knew he was much happier with us."
My lawyer nods his head in satisfaction. "Thank you, Mr. Malik."
But of course, the fucking devil known as Genevieve's lawyer just has to question me. "Is it true that you used to deal drugs?"
Breathe Zayn. "Yes."
"And is it true that you didn't stop dealing drugs until your sophomore year of college, which would be...after your son was born?"
"Yes."
"And is it true that you have a drinking problem?"
I'm getting fucking pissed now. "No," I spit. "I choose not to drink because I don't like the person I become."
"And who might that person be?"
"I'm angry, and I say hurtful things to everyone around me."
"And you're abusive."
"No, I don't hit my kids or my wife."
"But you fight, no?"
I lean forward. "I defend myself, yes."
"In fact, you "defending" yourself got you a little jail time back home in Bradford? And even here in New York City, right?"
"I was young, and didn't know any better. And I didn't have the same level of responsibility that I have now."
"But you still had a child at the time, correct? At least when you got in trouble in New York. So you had some responsibility."
"Like I said, I was young and stupid."
She cocks her head to the side. "But you're not that much older now."
"Are you implying that I'm still stupid?" I fire. I really just want to flip shit over, but my lawyer and I talked about keeping my anger at bay.
She takes a step back. "Not implying anything. So your parents shipped you out here to get your act together when you were eighteen?"
"Objection-relevance."
"Sustained."
"I'd rather not talk about my parents," I answer anyway. I notice Charlie slip back into the courtroom, and take her seat next to my chair.
"And why is that?"
"Because they're dead. And I don't see why I need to talk about them."
"And how did they die, Mr. Malik?"
I see fucking red. "None of your fu-"
"Objection!" My lawyer shouts, which is probably a good thing. Because I was most definitely about to tell her off.
"No need," Ms. Dunlevy says. "I'd like to talk about something else, anyway." And the look on her face lets me know that whatever it is she's about to bring up, I'm not gonna like. She leans in close. "Actually, I just have one final question for you, Mr. Malik." I just want to get off this stand, since today seems to have taken a turn for the worst.
"Are you aware of the relationship between Ms. Sello and your fiance?"
A/N: Sorry for the wait. To be honest, it's the end of my semester. Plus, I was taking some time off to read. And I had a bit of writer's block.
I hope you like it. This is the first part of the custody hearing. Tell me what you think!
Please vote, comment, message, follow! And enjoy :)