Reasons

Chapter Two

Dedicated to @PuffleBear for making the cover to this story. You are amazing girly:*

You guys check out her story Twisted Perfection as well.(:

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When I woke up again I was still on the couch and Asher was in the loveseat across from me on his phone. He noticed I had woken and put his phone away, “Hey, how’d you sleep?”

“Fine,” I noticed there was light shining through the window, I must’ve slept through the rest of the night, “Did you sleep?” I asked looking back at him.

“No, I usually don’t sleep too much.” He said while standing.

“Are you leaving?” I asked trying to hide the disappointment in my voice.

“No, but go get dressed, or stay in that, but I need to go get some coffee or something and I want you to get out of this house cause I know you are going to need it.” He grabbed my hand and helped me off the couch. His hand was warm and I wanted to latch on and not let go.

“One second.” I replied. Once again tears came to my eyes as I thought about Kerstan as I went to my room to change.

I was able to blink the tears away, despite how desperately I just wanted to cry for days. I looked in the mirror only to regret it. I looked like a monster, most of my hair had fallen out of the bun that had been sitting on the top of my head, my makeup was still smeared across my face, I was still wearing my blouse and jeans from the day before and they were completely wrinkled. I must’ve lost my glasses while I was sleeping because I was no longer wearing those, leaving no barrier in front of my bright red eyes.

I washed my face really fast and put in new contacts, not bothering to put makeup on. I re-secured my hair back into another bun. I grabbed a t-shirt and jean shorts and slid into them and I put some socks on. It took me basically no time to get ready. I was used to being on a time crunch. I went back downstairs and met Asher by the door. I grabbed my vans from the pile of shoes by the door and slid my feet into them.

“Ready?” Asher questioned standing in the doorway. I nodded in response and we made our way down to his cop car.

Well this is weird. I have never been in a cop car. He moved everything that was in the passenger seat and allowed me to sit down. “Starbucks sound good?”

Despite the huge hole in my gut and heart I needed food and something to drink and Starbucks was delicious, so I nodded my head again.

So we began driving to Starbucks. “So Shawn, I need to ask you something.” That never means anything good. “We can’t contact your parents. We checked every number, we looked up any other residents that they might possibly own, we talked to everyone we can get ahold of at their last known work places. Nothing. Do you know where they are?”

I haven’t heard from my parents in two years. But I knew what would happen if they didn’t show up for this occurrence, one of the biggest fears I have. Foster care. I let out a cough, trying to procrastinate. Think Shawn. Think. There has to be something you can say!

Exasperated, I let out a breath. “If I tell you the truth, something bad will happen.”

We stopped at a red light and he gently turned my head so I was looking straight into his eyes, I melted a little from his radiating blue eyes staring at me, “I promise that whatever it is, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

I was still extremely unsure but there was no point in lying. “I haven’t seen my parents in a couple years, I’ve watched out after AJ and Kerstan for that time. I make enough money from working to pay for food and pay for the bills that need to be paid for. I planned on legally adopting them when I was eighteen but I am still a minor and I can’t do that yet. My parents began gradually leaving for longer and longer periods of time, it started when I was in ninth grade. The left in the middle of my tenth grade year and never came back.” It felt good to finally tell someone. I never have.

We were moving again but he grabbed my hand off my lap and held onto it, “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“I never wanted Kerstan and AJ to be put in foster care. They couldn’t lose more family. I couldn’t lose more family. The only people I had left.” I said, tears building in my eyes. I cannot lose AJ and I know once they put us in the system it will be hell trying to find him. He’ll start going by a different last names and will get moved from house to house. He needs to be with me. With his family.

Asher gripped my hand tighter, “Well, we are going to have to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

We were there and for now we both dropped the subject.

Asher paid for my drink and I also got a sandwich from the cooler. We went outside to the tables because it was alot less crowded. He looked at me and appeared to be deep in thought, “I have an idea.”

A small ounce of hope resided in me, “That is?”

“Have you ever heard of a teenager getting emancipated?”

I had an idea of what it was but wasn’t sure, “No, I am not exactly sure what it means.” I told him honestly.

“Basically you get all the rights of an adult despite the fact that you are under the age of 18. It’s not a very popular thing and you have to prove a lot of things in the court but I would vouch for you and you have been financially and emotionally supporting two younger siblings. You would then maybe be able to take care of AJ.  But until then he will be put in the system, but you’ll be able to get him out quicker than waiting until you turn 18.”

The first smile that I had in a long time grew on my face, “Could that really work?!” I asked excitedly.

He smiled back at me, “Yes. But it won’t be e-“ I cut him off before he could finish and wrapped my arms around his neck, engulfing him in a hug.

He laughed against me. I was basically straddling him since he was still sitting down and I was literally on his lap. His arms were wrapped around my hips, hugging me back. I pulled away but was still sitting on his lap, the grin was wiped off my face and I began to feel tingles throughout my body. One of his hands moved from my back to the side of my check. I closed my eyes and unintentionally moved toward him, already feeling fireworks, despite the fact that I knew I shouldn’t be doing this I began to lean closer and closer into him. He did the same. We were only centimeters away when his radio crackled and a deep voice came out of it, “Asher, what’s your 10-20?”

We both pulled back and I quickly got off his lap turning a deep shade of red and excusing myself to the bathroom. I wanted to kick myself the entire way there for getting myself into that situation. But part of me couldn’t shake the tingles that he left surging through my body.

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Hey y’all, update just like I promised I would tonight.

I am so sorry it’s taken so long, I have a lot going on and it preoccupies my mind. I try to make writing a large priority but I do have school as well along with other things.

I am continuing with this story so tell your friends, vote, comment and all that fun stuff.

Guys, I have had some people message me this week and I have enjoyed each conversation a lot. I love hearing about your different cultures or different things in your life. Please keep talking to me guys, I want to know my readers. Love each and every one of you guys.

Xx, Emily

*Info on teenage emancipation involvement in the story*

So I did a lot of research on teenage emancipation and some of the stuff in this story is not going to be accurate but I like this story line so oh well, but teenage emancipation is real. In some states you can be 14, in most though you have to be 16. The process is going to be quite accurate but there will be changes. But just because you go through the process doesn’t mean it’s going to get approved. So the big question is Shawn going to be able to get emancipated?