Here To Stay

Chapter Eighteen

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- Sam <3

Leah

Eleven Months Ago

A loud thumping on the door woke me right when I was about to slip away into a world without problems and a pounding headache. The beige walls, different from the light green ones in my room in front of me, continued to remind me of what went down two days ago.

Thump. Thump.

I moved my legs to the edge of the bed to get up. Descending the stairs, I heard the noise get louder.

"I am coming!" I shouted to get the person to stop before my head exploded with the piercing pain. And before they knocked down the door of the empty Martins house. Why can't people have patience?

With a click, I opened the door to find the only person who could get me some comfort. Not thinking twice, I wrapped my arms around his torso as my eyes closed automatically. A weight in my chest lifted slightly. Jason held me tightly while the tears that had stopped flowing only a few minutes ago returned.

"How could they do this to me, Jason?"

"What is the problem, Lee?" I stepped back to look at my brother. "The problem? I don't want to be adopted! Especially given the circumstances."

"You don't even want to live with the Martins. Why not with us?"

"It's not about who I want to live with. I need time to think." I pleaded. The constant push and pull between my biological and foster parents had been brewing for months, but no hard decisions were being discussed. Until now.

Jason's eyes travelled to my hair. Consciously, I raised my hand to the back of my head to feel the newly short hair. I swallowed, looking away from his knowing eyes. Without looking at his hands, I knew they were curled in fists.

"Did Trevor do this?"

"I do not want to talk about it. Please."

With a defeated look, Jason pushed his fingers through his hair. "I am just worried for you, Lee. I know things are not good at either school or home, but that doesn't mean you run away from home."

"I had to go anyway; I have aged out of the system. I can't be a burden on mom and dad anymore."

"Are you serious?" He looked almost offended. "They wouldn't have prepared the adoption papers if they thought you a burden!" My brother exclaimed incredulously. He held my shoulders to make me look at him. "We love you."

I choked on another burst of tears. "Please leave. I really can't talk right now, but I'll call you. Charlie is going to be back in a few minutes."

He nodded like it took a lot of effort to make that one movement. "Take care."

And with that, he left. I rested my back on the then closed door and slid to sit on the floor before allowing another wave of turmoil to take me away with it.

Flashback ended.

"Coward."

"Jerk."

"Selfish."

"Plus one."

"What?" I turned to look at Sandra, who shrugged innocently before throwing another dart to the board. "It applied to Zach, too."