~I run to you~

9

I woke up and Stef was still next to me. She was awake, but she didn't leave me.

"Hey Love." She smiled.

I tried to sit up but fell back down, gasping.

"Easy Love, easy." Stef said, sitting up immediately to make sure I was okay.

All I could think of was Liam, and what he did...again. I shuddered, and began to cry again. Quietly.

Stef stood up, helped me up. I fell to the floor. Both my legs were swollen more than they were at first. I cried out in pain.

Stef tried to help me up, and I screamed out in pain, falling backwards.

"Mom," I cried, "Everything hurts."

"Oh baby, I know." Stef knelt down beside me, I looked up at her.

"The first time, he didn't hit me as much. This is the worst I've ever been hit." I cried.

Stef gently sat me up, pulling me in for a hug, "Baby I'm so sorry, I wanna kill him. For hurting my baby." She cried.

We cried together, and eventually she gently pulled me up, and sat me back onto the bed.

"Why did he do it?" I asked.

"Baby I don't know. He has issues, but he's going to jail." She said, rubbing my shoulder.

"Am I that bad? Is there a reason all of this happens? It feels like everything goes agains't me." I whispered.

"Hey," Stef put her arm around me, "It's not you love. You're not bad. The people who hurt you are bad, you're stronger than them. And it may feel like everything is going agains't you at times... But I'm not, your family's not, and we never will. We love you, Callie." I sniffled, and she gave me a hug.

"I'm so sorry all of this happened to you. I wish i could fix everything. It kills me to see you like this. We're a lot alike, Callie. Always trying to be strong and brave, and we keep everything bottled inside. And we hurt ourselves keeping it in, I think that's why we connect. Because we're so much alike." I smiled at her, my lips we're getting used to my smiling after a painful few trial runs.

"I love you so much Callie. I was so scared, so scared I was going to lose you." She murmured.

"I love you to Mom." I hugged her as hard as I could without my body shattering from pain.