Promises - l.h

Chapter 18

"I'm sorry I let her go."

Luke's P.O.V

"Running away?" I repeated back to Thomas on the phone. "What?"

"Yea. She has ran away from foster homes a few times in her past. She never told you that, did she?"

"No. What do we do?"

"I'll try to get a hold of her, you try too." Thomas said. "Uhm unfortunately we wait it out though. She hadn't run in years so hopefully it isn't for long."

"I'm sorry I let her go. If I would have known, I wouldn't have let her go this morning."

"No, it's not your fault Luke. Don't blame yourself. Just let me know if you hear anything. I'm gonna call some of her friends & see if they know anything."

"Let me know as soon as you hear anything. Thanks Thomas."

-

"Charlie didn't go home." I said as I sunk into the couch after hanging up.

"What do you mean?" Calum asked me.

"I just got off the phone with Thomas & he said Charlie hasn't come home."

"Maybe she just went out somewhere." Michael suggested. "Like maybe she went to a friend's or something."

"I thought the same thing but then Thomas told me something else."

"What is it?" Ashton looked concerned now.

"Uhm so yesterday Amy & Thomas asked Charlie if they could adopt her."

"That's amazing!" Calum smiled. "She loves that family."

"I know. I thought the same thing but Thomas said Charlie wanted some time to think it over which is when she called me & said she decided she wanted to party instead. She only drank to forget about everything. That's where that breakdown came from too."

"So wait, she hasn't gone home yet? She left like almost twelve hours ago..." Michael spoke up again.

"I know, that's why we're worried. But the worst part is Thomas said Charlie has a past of running away."

Their jaws dropped, just as mine did.

"Oh no." Ashton sighed. "So Thomas thinks she did?"

"Yea. It isn't like her to not answer her phone, to leave without telling me & just with the idea that they asked to adopt her, I can see why should would. She hasn't been home in twelve hours, just like Michael said."

"What do we do?" Calum then asked.

"I don't know." I could feel tears in my eyes. as I shook my head.

My baby girl ran away.

Ashton came over to sit by me & he patted my back. "We'll figure it out. We will."

"I don't like not knowing where my baby is." I said, looking up to try to push back the tears but it was no use. "Where is she? Where's my baby?"

Calum tried calling & texting her, since maybe she just didn't want to speak to me or her family but there was no response.

It was now midnight & there was no word from Charlie still.

For all I know, she could have left at any hour this morning, she was literally gone the entire day.

She could be anywhere by now.

None of us could sleep, the four of us stayed up by the couch the entire night.