Abandoned

Chapter 29

Madeline POV

I woke up with a groan.

My head hurt a lot. My body felt like I'd been hit by a train.

My stomach rumbled, making me groan.

I was hungry.

But I wasn’t going to ask for food. I couldn't ask for food. Everything I knew went against asking for it. Food was a reward. I haven’t done anything to deserve it.

I could go ask them for a glass of water. That wasn’t such a big deal. Water wasn’t a reward, it was a necessity. Even my foster parents knew that.

I removed the blanket and stood up.

My body was sore. My stomach was hurting.

I couldn't even remember the last time I ate.

I walked to the door and opened it. I peered into the hallway.

Where were they?

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the room. I closed the door behind me, and started walking down the hall slowly.

Were their parents still here? Did they come back?

I stopped walking and felt fear wash over me. I didn’t think of that earlier. Why didn’t I think of that?!

What if they were here? What if they came back to hurt me?

My heart raced.

I walked closer to the stairs, trying to hear if anyone was in the house.

I heard soft voices, and I immediately recognized them all.

I could hear my brothers and my cousins. I couldn't hear anyone else.

I took a deep breath and started walking down the stairs. I walked slowly so I could run back upstairs if I heard new voices. I kept glancing around, trying to see if anyone else was in the house.

"Maddie!" someone exclaimed as I descended the stairs.

Milo rushed toward me and pulled me into a hug.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, rubbing my back gently.

I relaxed into his arms and took a deep breath.

"I am a little thirsty." I mumbled quietly.

"Are you hungry?" Sam asked. "You haven’t eaten anything since you woke up."

I froze.

"Oh, shit, we didn’t even feed her." Max mumbled.

My heart raced.

I didn’t want food. I didn’t deserve food.

"What would you like to eat, love?" Milo asked as he let me go. "We can make anything."

My palms started sweating.

"I am not hungry." I mumbled, trying to stop my voice from shaking.

My brothers and cousins furrowed their eyebrows. I could feel their eyes on me. I could tell that they were studying me carefully.

What did I do wrong? What did I say?

"Does your stomach hurt, love?" Sam asked. "Is that why you aren’t hungry?"

I looked at him, and my eyes widened a little.

My stomach did hurt. It hurt because I was hungry.

"When was the last time you ate, Addie?" Ryan asked me.