Maybe this is where I belong...

Chapter 24.

hi guys! enjoy this chapter! thank you so much for all of the views, im so grateful!

warning: mature content in this chapter (mention of rape, drugs, alcohol)

AMELIA'S POV:
When I was living with Patrick, I got really good at tuning everyone in the world out and focusing on my breathing. I would count my inhales and count my exhales. I did that whenever he used to put his hands on me, sexually and physically, both hurting just as much. I would count those breaths and that is the only thing that I would focus on. I was never allowed to close my eyes, because he would slap me if he did. But I still counted my inhales and exhales. Because that was the only thing I could control. My breathing. And I did that whenever I was in that nightmare of a situation. And that is what I focused on when Patrick was abusing me in my own room, with my birth parents outside in the living room, partying their asses off. Not even realizing their daughter was in danger. Terrible danger.
"Look me in the eyes." He said as he was on top of me. I refused and focused on a spot on the wall. He grabbed my neck and squeezed it hard, causing me to choke up and quickly met his gaze.
"Good girl." He smirked and then continued abusing me.

Inhale, one. Exhale, one. Inhale, two. Exhale, two. Inhale, three. Exhale, three. I said those words in my head over and over again, counting my breaths.

Plenty of minutes passed and he got off of me and cleaned himself up. I laid still like a statue, feeling numb and my body felt a thousand pounds heavier.

"Thanks for that beautiful." He said, putting his pants back on. "You tell anyone about this, you'll get much worse than what just happened." And he walked out of the room. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't move. My body felt like it was shut off. My worst nightmare came true yet again and I felt completely hopeless. I didn't know if Patrick was coming back but I hoped he wouldn't. I slowly got up from my bed and crawled towards the door to my room. My thighs and stomach hurt so I clutched on to my stomach. I opened the door slowly and quietly and saw my parents and Patrick still partying, and it didn't seem that Patrick was coming back. I shut the door and crawled back onto my bed and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. 11:34 the clock on my phone read. Three hours of pure torture I endured and it seemed like an eternity. I pulled up my contacts and stared at Stef's contact, contemplating whether or not I should call her. Would she be mad? I knew that they hated me. I left them for people I barely knew. But something in my gut told me that they would help me, no matter what. I clicked the number and it rang and rang, but nobody picked up. I called four more times, truly panicking because my stomach started to hurt more and more. She finally picked up and before she could say anything I spoke.

STEF'S POV:
She uttered in the most innocent voice ever one I had not heard in forever, "Stef?"
My heart dropped from my chest and I wanted to speak but the words could not come out of my mouth. I shook Lena to wake her up and Amelia kept talking.
"S-Stef? A-are you t-there?" She asked, "Shit, I shouldn't have done this." I heard her mumble under her breath.
"I-I'm here! I'm here baby. What's going on, are you okay?" I asked in a panic.
"Uh..n-not really. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called. J-just forget I called."
"No! Amelia, my love. Please tell me what's wrong. Are you hurt?" I said with a terrified tone to my voice, and Lena looking just as my voice had sounded.
"Yeah, yeah I'm hurt pretty bad. A-and I'm not safe. Pleas—" Amelia stopped talking as I heard background voices.
"Who are you talking to?!" The unknown voice screamed. My heart pounded and I started to truly panic.
"Nobody! It-its no one." Amelia replied to the unknown voice.
"Who the fuck is that?!" The voice screamed. And the call disconnected.

Tears started to stream down my face as I couldn't breathe. Lena rubbed my back and attempted to sooth me.
"Stef, honey. Breathe. Breathe." She soothed. "What did she say? What the hell happened?"
"We have to find her" I said with my voice trembling, "Sh-she's in trouble."
"What kind of trouble?" She asked.
"I don't know Lena! S-someone came in when she was talking to me, and wasn't happy. I'm terrified, Len." I said, breaking down yet again.
"Oh my poor baby." Lena started to cry.
"We need to find her." I said, getting up from our bed and pacing around the room.
"Well how are we going to do that?" Lena asked, getting up as well. She walked over to me and placed her hands on my shoulders to calm me down.
My eyes widened for I thought of something, "We have a tracker on her phone. The, the phone we gave her. We can track her." I pulled out my phone and opened the app to see where all of the kids.
"She-she's in Arizona." I said.
"Arizona?! T-they moved her there? Jesus." Lena scoffed. I walked into our closet and started getting dressed.
"Stef what are you doing?" Lena asked.
"Going to get our daughter."
"Babe, Arizona is like .. 5 hours away. It's almost midnight." She tried to stop me.
"I don't care Lena. My baby girl is in danger." I placed my gun in the holster and grabbed my phone to call Mike.
"Lena, wake the kids. We need to tell them." I said.
While Lena woke the kids, Mike answered the phone.
"Shit, Stef. You're really driving all the way there?" He said.
"I've got the address, what more do I need?"
"Back up. I'll call a few more guys and Arizona police department. We can get a helicopter there and be there within the hour."
"They'll do that for us?" I asked.
"It's your kid, Stef. We're gonna do anything." And he hung up the phone.