Adopted by Hamilton

Chapter 180 - Seb's Sick

I woke up at 5:00 in the morning, sweating and shaking, I was tangled in my blankets, most of my pillows on the ground. I tried to get out of bed, then stumbled and fell face down on the floor. I picked myself up, wrapped my arms around my shivering body, and walked into the kitchen, I grabbed a glass of water, then went back into my room, where I saw my mom sitting on my bed.

"Mija?" She asked, concerned. "You okay sweetie?"

"Mmhm." I nodded, taking a sip of water, "I'm sorry I woke you up." I whispered.

"No, sweet pea, it's totally fine, come here." She motioned, I set my drink down and went over to my mom, she gave me a hug, "okay, do you want to talk about it?" She asked.

"No. it's, it's so so stupid." I sighed.

"It can't be stupid."

"Yes it can be. It's not logical, it's pathetic." I groaned.

"You don't have to tell me, but just know it's not stupid." She gently brushed my hair.

"It was, it was about Lin." I admitted.

"What?" Vanessa asked, looking at me oddly.

"I told you it was stupid." I groaned.

"Okay, uh, Mija, what about your dad?"

"He... uh, he, he hit me." I mumbled.

"In your dream?" She asked, immediately concerned, and confused.

"Yeah." I bit my lip nervously.

"Oh. Oh honey, he'd never, he would never hit you okay? Ever." She pulled me close, hugging me to her, "do you understand that?" She asked, gently rubbing my arm.

"Yeah." I sighed.

"Do you realize why though? He's so overprotective of all three of us, he's protective of me, and definitely of Sebastian, and of course of you. There's a reason he holds our hands when we leave the house." She looked at me seriously, and I looked back confused.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He's afraid someone's going to hurt us to get at him." She sighed. "That someone's going to take you for ransom, or for fame, or even to meet him."

"Oh." I breathed.

"Mmhm. Darling, every time you get hurt he blames himself."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He, well, he doesn't want who he is to affect us. He wants our family to be as normal as possible. That's why we only show the back of Sebastian's head on social media. That's why I don't participate in his interviews. Baby he still beats himself up over the fact that it's affected you." She looked at me sadly, "it's why he got so angry over the cyber bullying with you, he blamed himself."

"But, that's not his fault, it's mine, I let it go too far." I sighed.

"No, baby, it's no ones fault but the people who did it." She gently stroked my hair.

"I know." I sighed.

•••

"Abigail?" My dad asked, later in the day, I looked up from my book to see him on the phone, making eye contact with me, "can you watch Sebastian today?" He asked.

"Oh, sure." I shrugged a bit.

"Yes, thank God, you're a lifesaver." He said something into the mouthpiece of the phone, then hung up. "The day care center had minor flooding. It's closed today."