Maybe this is where I belong...

Chapter 7.

hi guys! sorry it has taken so long for me to update :( ! ive been writing more chapters and i like to get a couple done before i update! Please leave some comments with opinions and possibly what you would like to see in this story! thanks so so much for reading :)

GENERAL POV:
"Wh-What do you mean Amelia has to go to trial? Didn't the police break in the house right as it was happening?" Stef questioned, looking concerned.
"Yes, but the detective on sight at that time said when they caught him.." Lena gulped, "on top of her, she wasn't fighting him off. He also said that she never said no."
"That's complete bull." Stef scoffed, completely baffled at what Lena told her.
"I know, I don't agree with it either, love. But we need to be there for her. She is already going through hell right now, me and you need to act strong for her." Lena crept towards her partner, pulling her into a passionate, loving kiss.
"I love you." Stef said, rubbing noses with Lena.
"I love you." Lena replied.
It was almost dinnertime and Lena was preparing the salad while Stef was reading a magazine next to Lena. Footsteps approached the two moms and in walked Amelia, who had just awoken from her nap.
"Well hello sleepyhead!" Stef said, looking up from her magazine.
"Hi." said Amelia, trying to control her yawning.
"How was your nap lovebug?" Lena asked.
"Much needed. Do you guys know where Mariana is?"
Stef and Lena exchanged puzzled looks.
"I just want to talk to her about what happened today." Amelia explained, it was clear she saw the confused looks on her foster moms' faces.
"Well that's uh very mature of you honey." Stef said.
"Yeah sweets that's very nice of you." Lena agreed. "Mariana should be in her room."
"Okay. Thank you guys."
"No problem" "You're welcome" Stef said and Lena quickly followed, almost in unison.

AMELIA'S POV:
I knocked on Mariana's door, waiting for approval to come in.
"Come in." She mumbled, I could barely hear her words. She had her head buried in a pillow and when I walked in, and when she saw that it was me, she quickly collected herself, sweeping the used tissues off of her bed and wiping her tears from her cheeks.
"Can I sit?" I asked, pointing to the edge of her bed.
She nodded.
"Okay before you say anythin--" She started.
"No." I interrupted. "I think its best that I start."
"O-Okay." Mariana stuttered.
I took a deep breath before I told her everything.
"That day was the worst day of my life. The first day. The first day he raped me was the absolute worst day of my life. He said we were going downstairs in the basement to watch a movie, and that's what we did at first. We were under a big blanket because his basement didn't have heat, which I didn't think much of at the time." Before I could continue, I took a deep breath. I collected my thoughts once again. "We were half way into the movie, and I felt his hand. I felt his hand in a place where no one should have their hand. I froze like ice. I didn't know what to do. I let out a small 'no' to try and stop him, but he just ignored that. My whole body was numb. I felt like my life was ending at that very moment. Things started getting worse, that hand turned into him pushing himself onto me, and punching me as I cried."

I took another deep breath and wiped the single tear off my cheek.
"Thankfully, the first time was the quickest. But this went on for a year. Almost every single day, this man was raping me, and beating me, up until about two weeks ago." At this point in my story, Mariana was uncontrollably sobbing. I didn't blame her for crying. My life is one sad story. "The last time he raped me. I was able to fight back. I was able to push him off of me and get to the phone to call 911. But that just meant that he got angrier. The last time he raped me was the worst one of them all. I had internal bruising on my ribs and bruising all over my thighs. My black eye just started to go away. Even though this past year has been the worst year imaginable, it has made me stronger. It has made me think about what truly matters in my life. You don't get to tell my story, Mariana. It didn't happen to you. You didn't know all of the details. It's my story to tell and I can choose to tell it if I want to."
At this point, all Mariana could get out was "I'm so so sorry Amelia. I'm just so sorry that I told people. I don't know how I'll ever make it up to you. I'm so so sorry."
I pulled her into a hug and she was crying into my shoulder.
"Hey, hey look at me." Mariana met my gaze. I wiped the tears off of her face.
"I'm okay. I'm not great but I'm doing as well as I can be right now." I admitted.
"I just can't imagine what it must have been like." She whimpered.
"It was horrible. But it has made me stronger. Yeah I am still very scared and I think I always will be, but I'm not going to let what he did to me define me."
Mariana opened her arms, signaling for another hug.

We were mid-hug when Jesus bursted in.
"Yo uh hate to break up the girl talk but Moms just called for dinner."
"Haha thanks Jesus, we'll be right down." Mariana said.
"Thank you Amelia."
"For what?"
"For being a really good person."
I smiled and we headed downstairs for dinner.

Dinner ended and I stayed back and offered to help Stef and Lena with the dishes.
"I think were okay, love." Lena smiled.
"Okay! Just thought I'd offer." I grinned.
I started out the kitchen until Stef stopped me.
"Actually Amelia, we'd like to talk to you about something if that's alright, come sit sweets."
"Okay.." I said suspiciously.
Lena took a deep breath and sighed.
"I got a call from Beth today." Before she could continue, she grabbed Stef's hand for support.
"Since Patrick was held in holding at the police station until you were in a safe home so they knew that he couldn't try to hurt you again,"
My heart raced a thousand times, I haven't heard his name out loud in so long. I don't say it out loud.
"They questioned him at the police station, and he said that he..uh never raped you and it was consensual. He has a lawyer and uhh..they are forming a case against you." Lena finished, still holding Stef's hand. I didn't respond. I just stared straight and felt my eyes well up with tears.
"Amelia, baby please talk to us." Stef said, trying to meet my gaze. I stood up, wiped the tears falling down my face. I walked out of the kitchen and Stef and Lena had saddened, concerned looks on their faces. Lena tried to follow me, but Stef stopped her.
"Let her go." I heard Stef say to Lena.
Once I got upstairs, I shut my door, grabbed my duffle bag from the closet, and started to pack up my things. Once I was finished, it was around 10:30pm. I realized I haad a lot of things to pack away so it took a while. Everyone in the house was sound asleep. I opened my door a crack, just to check if everyone was in their rooms. The coast was clear. I grabbed my duffle bag and tip toed downstairs, walking towards the front door. "I can't stay here anymore." I thought to myself. I was right about me being too much to handle. Maybe this isn't where I belong.

LENA'S POV:
I have been tossing and turning all night. I couldn't sleep knowing that Amelia was heartbroken and scared about what is going to happen. I turned over to the other side to face my clock on the bedside table. It read 2:48am. Ugh, I thought to myself. I am gonna be a bear in the morning. With all this thinking going on in my mind, I decided a cup of tea could put me to sleep. I quietly walked downstairs, hoping I wouldn't wake the kids, got into the kitchen and turned the tea kettle on. After a few minutes, the kettle whistled so I turned it off, poured some into my mug, and walked slowly and quietly back up to my bedroom. As I passed Amelia's bedroom, her door was open just a crack to find a piece of paper on the edge of the bed. I walked into her room, realizing that she wasn't in there and immediately started to panic. I took a deep breath and began to read the letter. It read:

Dear Stef and Lena,
I'm so sorry to do this in a letter, but I can't stay here anymore. Soon you would have realized that I am too much to handle and you don't have it in you to care for a messed up girl like me. Well, I don't blame you. I am messed up. I don't expect you to go through this trial with my rape and everything. I started to get attached here. Attached to you guys. It felt so safe and comforting. But I have learned that once I get attached, everything and everyone that I love has been ripped from me. And I am trying to protect myself, so I don't get attached. I'm so sorry to do this. This family is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me and I thank you guys so much for giving me a home.

I'm so sorry.
Ami

My cup of tea fell from my hand, spilling everywhere. The shards of glass all over the wooden floor. Stef came running to the room, in a complete panic.
"Lena! Lena love whats wrong?" Stef asked, out of breath.
"Sh-sh-she's gone." I whimpered. "St-Stef. Amelia ran away." I sobbed, collapsing into her arms.
"Oh my love.." Stef sighed. "We're gonna find her."