Abandoned

Chapter 22

Max POV

My heart was pounding in my chest.

She looked so scared. She was terrified.

Would she tell us? God, please, let her tell us. We needed to know. I needed to know.

“Maddie, baby, please.” Sam told her. “Put an end to it. Tell us what they did so we can stop them from doing it ever again.”

Maddie looked up at Ryan.

“Can I tell my social worker only?” Maddie asked him.

My heart stopped. Didn’t she trust us?

Milo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Ryan tightened his jaw and looked at Sam, who was staring at Maddie with a worried look on his face.

“No, Addie.” Ryan said as he looked back at Maddie. “You will have to tell the police as well.”

“If there was physical abuse, you will have to talk to a doctor as well.” Sam added. “I will become your guardian, and they will have to tell me about it.”

I could feel Maddie tense up.

Was there physical abuse? Did they hit her? What did they do to her?

I needed to know! I needed to fucking know!

“Maddie, love, what are you afraid of?” Milo asked her softly.

She looked at him. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears.

“They won’t be able to hurt you again.” Milo said as he caressed her cheek. “You are safe with us. What else are you afraid of?”

Maddie let out a small sob, and tears fell on her cheeks.

I pulled her to me. She buried her head in my chest and wrapped her arms around me. I kissed the top of her head and took a deep breath.

“What are you afraid of, Mads?” I asked her.

“I can’t…” Maddie mumbled.

Her voice was muffled by my hoodie.

Sam placed a hand on her back, and she flinched. I looked at him murderously.

“It’s just me, baby.” Sam said softly. “Please look at me.”

She lifted her head slowly and turned around to look at Sam.

He gave her a small smile and wiped her cheeks.

“You are very brave, you know that?” he asked her.

She shook her head. “I’m not brave. I ran away.”

She was brave. She was so brave. I wouldn't be brave enough to live in a fucking tent.

“No, baby.” Sam said softly. “You are brave. You are so brave. You were in a bad situation, but you found a way out. You were living in a tent all by yourself. I wouldn’t be able to do that. None of us would.”

He was right.

“How long were you living in a tent, Addie?” Ryan asked her, making us look up at him.

She never told us, but I guessed that it was just a few days. She came to our school just a few days ago.

“Six months.” Maddie mumbled.

Six…?

What?!

WHAT?!

The room was silent. I could see that Milo and my cousins were as shocked as I was.

“What?” Sam finally spoke.

Maddie looked at him and furrowed her eyebrows.

“Six months.” she repeated. “I ran away from my foster parents six months ago.”

She was living in a fucking tent for six fucking months?!

“What?” Sam repeated his question. “How?”

He was staring at her like she was an alien. We were all staring at her like she was an alien.

“I'd find an abandoned place, like the storm shelter at school, and pitch my tent there.” she shrugged like it was nothing. “I would find a job to buy necessities.”

She was talking about it like it was normal. She was talking about it like we all had done it before.

“It was better than at my foster home.” she mumbled quietly.

“I thought it was just a few days.” Milo mumbled. “I thought that you ran away and came here.”

I thought that as well.

Maddie looked at him and shook her head.

“You’ve been living in that small, cold tent for six months?!” Milo asked in disbelief.

Maddie nodded.

“In which cities did you live?” Ryan asked her.

He was standing close to the bed. His fists were clenched tight. His posture was rigid.

“Two small towns that are close by.” Maddie mumbled. “I left the first town after two months. I stayed in the second town for four months. I came here after that.”

“Did your foster parents report you missing?” Ryan asked.

“I don’t think so.” Maddie said, shaking her head. “They wouldn't receive money for me anymore if they did.”

Fucking bastards.

Ryan tightened his jaw and nodded.

“What did you eat while you were living in a tent?” Sam asked her.

She looked at him and took a deep breath.

“I didn’t eat much.” she mumbled. “I couldn't afford much. I mostly ate some power bars or a little bit of bread. I bought fruit a couple of times when I had a little bit more money.”

My heart was breaking. Milo sobbed. Ryan started pacing around, clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly.

“Oh, God.” Sam mumbled, running his hand over his face.

I couldn't move. I was frozen.

She would eat everything from now on. I would make sure that she had everything. She would have food and water at all times. She would be warm at all times. She would be happy at all times.

I absentmindedly grabbed a blanket from the bed and wrapped her up in it.

She needed to be warm. I needed her to be warm.

We needed to make her some food. She needed to eat.

“Maddie, baby, listen to me.” Sam said and interrupted my thoughts.

I didn’t even notice that Maddie was looking up at me with a confused expression on her face.

She looked at Sam.

“I need to take you to the hospital, baby.” Sam said. “We need to do a complete bloodwork. I need to know what to give you so you will be healthy again. You are severely malnourished.”

Maddie froze again.

“No.” she said, shaking her head. “I can’t go to the hospital.”

“Why, Maddie?” Sam asked.

She just shook her head and leaned more into me.

“No.” she repeated. “Just give me some multivitamins. I will be fine.”

“I can’t do that, baby.” Sam said. “I need to know exactly what to give you.”

Maddie just kept shaking her head.

“Do you have any injuries, Maddie?” Ryan asked her, his voice laced with anger. “Is that why you don’t want to go to the hospital. Do you have injuries on your body right now?”

I froze.

Was Ryan right? Was she injured?