Foster Daughter {Adopted By Calum Hood}

Let Me Think

   "What is going on?" Luke asks as I hop into his car. I hand him my phone, showing him the messages.

   "Dude, you need to go to the police. You have to at least try to stay with Calum. If you left without even saying anything, he'd be heartbroken. He really loves you." Luke says.

   "They're going to hurt me! Or worse, him. I'd rather have him heartbroken for a couple days than hospitalized. Who knows what this person is capable of." I retort. Maybe this is the perfect opportunity to leave before he can hurt me. "Why is this shit happening to me? All this shit with James, and now with a fucking stalker. What did I do to deserve it?"

   "Tell Calum and go to the police. Or I will." He threatens.

   "Do it, you won't." I challenge.

   "Get out of my car in five seconds and tell him or I'm marching in there and doing it myself."

   "Five." He starts counting down.

   "You don't scare me."

   "Four."

   "I'm not a child, those antics won't work on m—"

   "Three." He continues, cutting me off.

   "Oh my god, Luke, chill!" I start to panic a little bit.

   "Two."

   "Lucas!"

   "One." He opens his door and gets out, walking to the door. I squeal in panic and run out after him, grabbing his arm.

   "No! Luke, please!"

   "I'm not letting you go back to that hell hole! Autumn and Summer have told me stories about it, and I don't want any niece of mine back there if I have anything to do with it." He reaches the door.

   "What if they hurt him!? What then? You're gonna blame yourself and beat yourself up for telling him, that's what!" I argue, trying to convince him.

   "I'll take the risk." He rolls his eyes, bursting through the door. "Calum! Get your ass down here!"

   "Luke! Just please," I breathe heavily, everything happening so quickly, "shut the fuck up and let me think!" I scream.

   "What is going on down here?" Calum asks from the doorway.

   "What's the real reason you want to go back?" Luke asks, seeing through my cover.

   "You want to go back to the orphanage?" Calum asks, disbelief and hurt in his voice. The look on his face breaks my heart. I take deep breaths and place my hands on my head, trying to gather my thoughts.

   Everything is overwhelming me.

   "I'm scared, okay?!" I gasp out. "If I leave now, he won't have the chance to hurt me when he decides he doesn't want me anymore!"

   "Emily, what are you talking about? I wouldn't decide that. You're the perfect daughter. I actually just filed for adoption yesterday." He explains.

   "What?" I whisper, thinking I misheard him.

   "It was going to be a surprise for your birthday, but I guess the truth slipped out a little earlier than expected." He smiles sheepishly.

   For a second, I forget everything else that's happening. The messages, Luke telling Calum, me attempting to run away from my insecurities. I forget about everything but the man in front of me that I might get to call Dad.

   I rush towards him and crush him in a hug, to which he graciously accepts with a laugh.

   Once reality hits, my heart sinks.

   Get out of Calum's life.

   "So, what are you doing here, Luke?" Calum asks. Luke hands him my phone.

   "Someone's stalking your daughter and she refuses to tell you." He reveals.

   "What!?" His eyes widen in shock as he reads the messages. Anger can be seen clearly on his face. Is he mad at me?

His face quickly softens into confusion. "Why didn't you want to tell me?"

   "I don't want them to hurt you." I look at the ground with a blush.

   "Bug, we could go to the police. They won't hurt me." He assures.

   "You don't know that! I don't know who they are or what they've done or can do."

   "Em, it's fine. We'll both be fine." He says softly, grabbing his phone to call the police.

[A/N]

hi....

i'm so fucking sorry for the delay in updates. tbh i completely forgot that i write these books and that some people actually read them so i just never got around to it.