Fostered {h.s}

Chapter 16.

The officer pulled me through the double doors of the familiar juvenile detention center and I walked stiffly behind him. A few feet inside, I spotted Christy and Jon which made me immediately bust into tears. The officer walked me over to them and for a few seconds I couldn't quite think of anything to say to them.

"I'm sorry, guys, I'm so, so sorry. I know I shouldn't have done this. I know I destroyed everything that I have worked so hard for. I'm sorry I'm such a screw-up." I said through my sobs.

"Honey, calm down. Calm down." Christy said softly, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. I didn't understand why she was being so nice to me. Why was she even talking to me right now? Why wasn't she yelling at me and letting me know how worthless I was?

"Time to go," the officer said and pulled me to the back where he removed my handcuffs and led me into a small room with metal benches. He walked out and locked the door behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I watched through a tiny square window in the door as the officer and another woman who worked here talked with Christy and Jon. I wanted to know what they were saying but I obviously couldn't hear a thing through these sound proof walls. Eventually, I seen Christy and Jon exit the building and it was the last time I seen them for what seemed like years.

~

Two weeks later, I was still here, locked up in my tiny room with nothing to do except for think about my past actions. I didn't know how long I was going to be in this dreadful place and I missed my bedroom back at the Holbrooks' house. I wondered what would happen to me when I did get out and where I would go. I surely wouldn't go back into the foster system because I was nearly eighteen and I wouldn't go back to the Holbrooks because I was quite positive that they didn't want me anymore.

No one wanted me, not my biological parents, not any of my foster parents, not the Holbrooks, and not Harry. It was really kind of sad but I wasn't going to cry about it. I had made my life this way by my bad choices and actions. Maybe I didn't belong anywhere, maybe it just wasn't meant to be.

The thick metal door pushed open, breaking me out of my endless self loathing thoughts. A middle aged guard stood in front of me.

"You have a visitor." He said, walking further into the room and escorting me to the visiting area. He let go of me once we entered the decent sized room and backed away.

My eyes scanned the room for Christy or Jon but instead landed on Harry, who sat on a small couch near the far corner of the room. What was he doing here? Was he going to remind me how dumb I was for running away? Or tell me how pathetic I was for confessing my love for him while being taken away? I almost turned around to ask the guard to take me back to my room but I kind of wanted to hear Harry's voice one more time, no matter what harsh words he would say.

I approached him cautiously and sat down next to him, a little under a foot of space between us. "Harry, why did you come here?"

"You don't want to see me?" His tone was light and joking.

"Why did you come here?" I repeated.

Harry paused then, fumbling with his sleeves and running a hand through his hair. His tongue snaked out to wet his lips before he spoke. "What you said before getting into the police car, was it, uh, was it true? You love me?"

Out of everything Harry could have said, this was the farthest from what I had expected. His green eyes blazed into mine then as he waited for an answer, his hands clasped together in front of him.

I nodded and hid my face in my hands in attempt to keep the tears away. His words had opened up a wound that I thought was healed already. I thought these last two weeks had given me time to get over him, but apparently it hadn't. Harry pulled my hands away from my face and wiped the tears from my cheeks with his thumb.

"I stayed up night after night thinking about your words, wondering if they were true or not. I don't understand how you can love me, or how anyone could possibly love me."

My lips parted in shock at his words. "How can I not love you? How could anyone not love you, Harry? You're sweet and caring, and a hard worker. You're polite and gorgeous, and a genuinely good person with a good heart."

"Well, remember when I told you about me hooking with with all those girls and leaving them right after? It made me feel terrible that I hurt them like that so I try to make up for my actions by being as good to everyone as I possibly can. I know it won't matter to any of those girls, but it makes me feel a little bit less guilty. After doing that to them, it made me feel like I didn't deserve any kind of love from anyone. I still feel that way a lot." Harry explained.

I opened my mouth to speak but couldn't find the right words. I stretched my hand over and placed it on his thigh. "Why did you come here, Harry?

Harry started speaking again, this time pinching his bottom lip between his thumb and finger. "You're different than the girls who try to throw themselves at me. They just want me for the sex. You're funny, and you're sweet even though you would never admit it, and you're cute as hell. You have flaws, everyone does, but you don't try to hide them. You don't try to pretend you're perfect. You seem so much more real than any girl that I've met. I came here because. . . I love you, Sami."

My breath hitched in my throat, and I could hear my erratic heart beat. He loved me too. Harry loved me. I couldn't handle all the emotions flowing through me at the same time.

"Harry, get me out of here."

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