Gone || ✔

XXV

"I'm so glad you're back home." Mom says, squeezing my guts out. I squeeze my eyes shut in pain. She must've forgot about my ribs, but I don't care. A welcome home banner is hung up for me and Jamison. Jamison and his parents are in tears, hugging each other tightly, afraid that he'll slip away through their finger tips again. I do feel like it was my fault that Jamison and I got kidnapped. I wasn't careful and look where that got us. Mom and I hug for quite sometime until dad says, "When do I get a hug?" He smiles. Mom holds my face, looking into my eyes and says, "What did that awful man do to you?" I don't have time to answer.

Tears run down my face as I weakly smile and dad brings me in for a big, warm hug. I feel so safe in their arms. We soon break apart and I go over to Jamison's parents, but I'm a little shaky. What if they blame me for Jamison's close death? I shake the thought away. Don't be stupid. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor." I greet them. They both give me warm, gentle smiles as Jamison hugs my parents. Mrs. Taylor hugs me tightly and I can feel my shoulder become wet from her tears. "Please don't cry." She says, laughing a little. She feels like my second mother, she acts like it too. Maybe because she technically is. 

"Lainna, I've told you before to call us mom and dad. You don't need to call us that." Mr. Tayl- I mean my other dad says. The police detectives interviewed me and Jamison. Asked me about what happened at the place Kyle -and/or Alexx and Jason - took us. I told him about Nick, Alexx and Jason. They told me that they'll send a team out and find them if it makes me feel any safer. I told him yes, but I know they'll never be such a thing called safe again. Not after all that has happen the past seven to eight months. He told me that they honestly didn't think they'd find us alive. I told him the Kyle and the 'crew' were taking us somewhere different to kill us. He told me he's going to interview Kyle and the rest of them once they find them. 

Everybody starts to ask us questions but luckily mom interrupts them all by saying, "Who wants cake?" I look over at Jamison who looks more worse than me. The bruises around his wrists are starting to clear up and so are his other bruises. His cuts are healing too. He catches me staring and he smiles at me, finally coming to me. He hugs me tightly and kisses me all over. I forgot we're in a room full of people, but I don't care anymore. "I missed this. I missed us." He says after awhile. Everyone clears out to give us some space. I nod, agreeing. 

"Me too."