During the recess, I picked up Alfie and hugged him close to me.
“You’re squishing me,” he said, tapping me lightly on the shoulder.
“I need to make sure you don’t run off,” I told him.
“I won’t do that again,” he promised.
Keep it together. Keep it together!
“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” I said, my voice catching.
“It’s okay. Maybe we can get sushi after this,” Alfie said.
“Sure,” I promised. “Yeah, we totally can.”
“Court is back in session,” the bailiff said when we walked into the chamber ten minutes later.
My stomach flip-flopped.
Surely, the judge would see reason. Surely.
“In the case of Rawlings versus Rawlings over the custody of Alfred Rawlings, we, the court, say that Sebastian Rawlings has not made a valid case for custody. Alfie will be remanded back into his father’s and future stepmother’s custody immediately.”
The gavel went down. Hunter grabbed me by the arm before I could slump to the floor.
“It’s okay,” Alfie said over and over, patting me on the hand. “We can still visit.”
“As if I’m going to be driving you to Harrogate for visits,” my father said nastily, coming over to grab Alfie by the arm. “Let’s go.”
“Bye, Sebastian!”
“Keep it together,” Hunter said, shaking me. “It’s not over. We will appeal. All it takes is Alfie reporting neglect, which we know your father and Tatiana will commit.”
“I’m not going to survive,” I groaned as Hunter and Meg dragged me out of the courtroom.
“Sebastian!” Amy ran up to me.
I jerked back from her. “Don’t touch me,” I said hoarsely. “Don’t even look at me. This is your fault. All of this. I will never, ever forgive you.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to,” she cried. “I love you. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m going to fix it. I promise.”
“Don’t bother,” I spat at her. “I hate you. I will always hate you. Stay out of my life.”
“Please, I’m so sorry.” Amy sobbed.
I was unmoved. I shook off Hunter and walked out of the building.
What was I going to do? What could I do?
“We’ll have one of Hunter’s brothers take your car back to Harrogate,” Meg told me, shoving me into the back seat of Hunter’s car.
“And I’ll call Parker and have him bring you a horse tranquilizer,” Hunter said as he started the car.
As we drove down the highway back to Harrogate, the two of them chatted in the front seat, but their words sounded fuzzy.
The only thing I could hear was Alfie’s last words and Amy—fucking Amy—and her stupid testimony. Why was she even there? Was she part of a conspiracy against me?
“I don’t think I can go to your wedding,” I admitted to Meg when we had arrived at the Svensson estate. I’m sorry. I just can’t see Amy.”
