The Knight in Leather Armor

ch.61 Red dress

“Bring the defendant back to the stands please” the judge called.

“Harold, have you ever laid a hand on Angela Lorenzo and hurt her, regardless of whether it was purposeful or accidental?” the judge asked.

“I would rather slit my own-” Harry tugged at the collar of his jumpsuit. I cursed his words. The last time he had spoken about offering his life for mine, it came back to haunt him and now look where he is.

“Mr. Styles, please answer with either a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’” the judge sighed in annoyance.

“No. Never” he stated with a controlled vigor, as if the mere question of hurting me pained him more than anything else.

Tomlinson opened up a brown paper bag and pulled out something I hadn’t seen since that night. His sly grin plastered on his face as he glared from Harry to me.

“This dress was found in your apartment this morning. Who does this red dress belong to?” Tomlinson asked, even though he very well knew the answer. 

The court room listened as Harry shuffled his chained hands in his lap.

My mouth went dry as my veins thickened with a rush of images and emotions.

Tomlinson held up my tattered and ripped red dress from the night of Louis’ party from out of a zip lock bag. My heart beat erratically out of my chest as moments from that night flashed into my mind.

Harry was quiet. Then he looked up and stared Tomlinson right in his blue-black eyes.

“Angela” he sighed.

The court room burst into upheaval.  

I looked at Danny in the row behind me. He jolted up and jumped over the stands, toward Harry.

“YOU LYING BASTARD!” he growled with a lethal poison that shook the entire room.

The guard grabbed him, but he was fighting back. A third guard had to wrestle him back down to his seat.

The court room burst into chaos. This time, it took multiple “orders” until they grew quiet again.

The judge banged her mallet.

Danny stared at Harry with a burning contempt, like there was an infinite fire of wrath in his heart.

Everyone grew deathly silent as the judge stood up. She had a verdict. Oh, God, but all the evidence pointed in the wrong direction!

My heart fluttered in my chest.

“I hearby call" the judge started to announce. She lookedout onto the sea of eager faces. "A 30 minute recess to this case” she finished.

I jolted up and ran into Harry’s chest, grasping the collar of his orange jump suit as if I could make it disappear. Make everything disappear.

Harry wrapped his arms around me so tightly that it took me a moment to realize that I wasn’t breathing. But I didn’t care. You need air to live. I only need Harry.

“It’s ok, Angie. It’ll be alright” he reassured me as he held my face in his hands.

“Harry” I cried and a tear streamed down my face. He kissed the tear. His forest green marbles were glazed with longing and determination.

I ran my finger over his bruised face, wishing they could heal if I willed them to.

The guards yanked us apart.

It was then that I noticed the judge had been watching us curiously.

I wiped away another tear with my hand and stared at the judge and Tomlinson, with every ounce of contempt and hatred that was in my veins.