Find me

Chapter 13

Aria POV

It was impossible.

As much as I wanted it to be true, I knew it was impossible.

I wasn’t the girl they were looking for. I wasn’t his daughter. I wasn’t his sister. My real parents were in the room next door, thinking of a way to punish me after the police let us go.

I would die this time. I knew it. I wouldn’t survive the punishment this time. My parents would be furious. It was my fault that we were here, and they would never forgive me for this.

I should have never looked up. I should have never let Gabriel see my face.

I wished I was the girl in the picture. I’ve never wished for anything like I wished to be the girl in that picture.

Gabriel and his dad seemed like great people. They were the first ones to hug me in my life. I would never forget them. I would always wish to be a part of their family.

But I wasn’t. It wasn’t theirs.

The DNA results will come back negative, and they won’t want anything to do with me after that. I will have to go back to my parents, and they will kill me this time.

I started picturing the punishment as I sobbed on Gabriel’s shoulder. I knew it would start with tying me up in the basement. I knew that they would punch me, kick me, and put out cigarettes on my skin. I knew that they would use knives. I knew that they would cut me and stab me. I knew everything that would happen to me once we went back home. But the one thing I was certain would kill me was my father touching me. I wouldn’t survive that.

Gabriel’s arms around me tightened, making me flinch again. He was pressing on the bruises and the cuts, and it was hard not to whimper in pain.

I thought that I would have a problem with him and his dad holding me. I didn’t like when people touched me. It scared me. But I was not afraid of them. They made me feel safe.

It was probably because they were the first ones to be nice to me. They were the first ones who didn’t touch me with the intention of hurting me.

I didn’t want Gabriel to let go of me.

But he would.

Because I wasn’t his sister.

No matter how much I wanted to be.

"I’m not letting anyone take her away from me!" Gabriel exclaimed, placing his hand on my head and pressing me closer to him. "She is coming home with us!"

What happened?

I was so lost in thought that I wasn’t even listening to what was going on around me.

"The social worker can decide to let her go with you." the deputy said. "But she needs to talk to her, Gabriel."

"No." Gabriel said this stubbornly, digging his fingers into my hair. "She is coming home with me. End of story."

A moment later, I felt Gabriel’s dad’s hand on my back.

"We need to cooperate with the social worker, bud." his dad told him softly. "That is the surest way to show the social worker that it would be best for her to come home with us."

Gabriel took a deep breath, and I felt him nod.

"Okay." Gabriel spoke quietly. "You are right, dad."

My heart shattered in my chest. I didn’t want to go with them.

Not because I was scared of them or because I wanted to go with my parents. I didn’t want to go because it would kill me to have to go back to my parents. I would see what it was like when a parent actually loved their child. I would see what it was like when a parent actually cared about their child. I would see what it was like to have a brother who cared.

How would I just leave all that behind me when it was all I ever wanted?

It was better if I never experienced it.

This hug was enough to shatter me. This hug was enough to show me what I was missing.

I didn’t even want to leave Gabriel’s arms.

How would I leave their house then?

I would have to tell the social worker to take me somewhere else until my parents are released.

"She is here." the deputy said, making Gabriel tighten his arms around me.

"Okay, Aria." Gabriel mumbled, kissing the top of my head. "I will be right outside, okay? Don’t worry. It will be over soon, and then we can go home."

I had to bite my lower lip to stop myself from sobbing.

Gabriel let me go, and I felt cold like never before.

His dad bent down, cupped my cheeks, and kissed my forehead.

"I love you, baby." his dad said softly.

The tears were hard to stop.

They were the first ones with whom I felt safe. They were the first ones to hug me. They were the first ones to tell me that they loved me.

"Don’t cry, baby." Gabriel’s dad spoke softly, wiping the tears from my cheeks. "It will be over soon."

"Hello, doctor Sanders." I heard a female voice say.

Gabriel's dad let me go and turned around.

"Oh, hello, Miss Martinez." he said politely. "You are working on my daughter’s case?"

Gabriel came to stand behind me. He placed his hands on my shoulders and bent down to kiss the top of my head.

"Your daughter?" Miss Martinez asked, surprised.

"Yes." Gabriel’s dad nodded. "I would like to take her home with me."

Miss Martinez approached us and set her briefcase on the table. She gave me a warm smile.

"I will have to talk to Aria a little bit before I decide what to do." she said, looking back at Gabriel’s dad. "Can you please give us a little time alone?"

Gabriel squeezed my shoulders tightly.

"I’m just outside the door, okay?" he mumbled quietly, leaning down and kissing my temple.

I nodded. I was too scared and nervous to speak.

Gabriel let me go and followed his dad out of the room. Both of them kept their eyes on me until the deputy closed the door.

I was left alone with the social worker.

"Hi, Aria.” she said softly, taking out a bunch of papers from her briefcase. "My name is Gabriela Martinez, and I am your social worker."

"Hello." I said quietly, gulping down the lump in my throat.

What should I tell her? What should I do?

Maybe if I told her what my parents were doing to me, I wouldn’t have to go back to them. Maybe then I could stay with Gabriel and his dad forever.

But they wouldn’t want me once the DNA result came back negative.

What would happen to me then?

I was so scared, and I just wanted Gabriel to come back and hug me again.