Chapter 36: Chapter 34

Sophia's POV

I was staring at Damien and I wasn’t sure if I was breathing.

I was an idiot. I should have kept my mouth shut. I didn’t even know why I said it. I didn’t mean to. It just slipped out. I didn’t even realize that he heard it.

Someone kissed my temple, but I had no idea who it was. I couldn't feel my body.

What would they do now that they knew? Would they lock me up in some hospital? Would they get rid of me?

Well, of course they would. Who the hell wanted to take care of a suicidal 16-year-old?

“Sophia, sweetie, can you tell me what happened the first time you tried to take your own life?” Damien asked and my ears started buzzing.

I felt someone wrap their arm around my waist and rest their head on my shoulder. I tried to figure out who it was, but I couldn't move my eyes from Damien.

“Baby,” Alex said as he cupped my cheek and turned my head toward him.

So Luke was the one who was holding me and resting his head on my shoulder.

Alex smiled and caressed my cheek.

“It’s okay,” he said. “We want to help. We want to make sure that you never feel like you need to hurt yourself again. We want to make sure that you know that you are safe and loved.”

“Oh, you are so loved, cutie,” Luke mumbled.

My heart skipped a beat.

Someone ran their fingers through my hair. I looked up and saw Will. He caressed my cheek.

“We just got you back,” Will said quietly. “We really don’t want to lose you.”

Will looked at Alex and sighed.

“You are the glue that holds us together, Sunshine,” Will said softly. “We looked over our differences so all of us could take care of you.”

Will looked back at me and smiled.

“I know it’s hard for you to believe when we tell you how much we love you,” Will continued. “But we do, Sophia. We love you so much and we don’t want to lose you.”

I felt tears burning the corners of my eyes. Will leaned in and kissed my forehead.

Damien squeezed my hand, making me look back at him.

“What happened the first time?” he asked softly.

Will placed his hands on my shoulders and squeezed them gently. I tried to take a deep breath.

“James saved me,” I mumbled quietly.

Well, I wasn’t sure if it could be called saving. He stopped me from dying so he could continue to torture me.

Damien took a deep breath and nodded.

“When did it happen?” he asked.

“About six months ago,” I answered quietly.

Luke tightened his arms around me. I saw Damien's jaw clench.

“What did you do?” Damien asked quietly.

I gulped and glanced at Alex. He caressed my cheek.

“It’s okay, baby,” he mumbled. “I am here.”

I reached out and took his hand in mine. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to tell the story without him. He offered comfort that no one else could. I never felt so safe with anyone. Being with Alex felt like being home. I didn’t know when I started feeling like that, but I did. He was the first one I ever felt safe with and I needed him.

He squeezed my hand tightly.

“I cut my wrists,” I said quietly, keeping my eyes on Damien.

Luke flinched. Will tightened his hold on me. Damien's jaw clenched again. He looked up and I could see immense pain in his eyes. I glanced behind Will and saw Eli wiping his cheeks. He was crying and my heart hurt.

I didn’t want him to cry.

“How did he save you?” Damien asked, his voice quiet and raspy.

I looked back at him and took a deep breath.

“He found me in the basement,” I said. “He and Elizabeth came home early that day. Elizabeth used to be a nurse so she stopped the bleeding.”

Damien took a deep breath and released it slowly.

“I never thought I would be grateful to those fuckers,” Luke mumbled, his voice quiet and raspy.

I glanced at him and gulped. I wasn’t sure if I was grateful to them. The things he did to me after…

“What were those markings on the basement wall?” Damien asked, making my heart race.

I took a deep breath and squeezed Alex’s hand. He leaned in and kissed my temple.

“It’s okay,” he mumbled quietly.

“I was counting the days until I would be able to try again,” I said, making Luke cry out loudly.

Damien closed his eyes and tightened his jaw.

Luke raised his head and pulled me to his chest. He hugged me tightly. I used my free arm to hug him back.

“You will never have to even think about doing something like that again,” Luke said as a quiet sob broke through his lips. “I promise, Sophia. I will kill everyone who even thinks about hurting you. I won’t let anything bad ever happen to you again.”

I rubbed his back gently.

“I know, Luke,” I mumbled. “It’s okay.”

Luke raised his head and looked at me. I wiped the tears from his cheeks. It was pointless, though. The tears kept falling on his cheeks.

“How are you so strong?” he mumbled as he caressed my cheek. “How are you so brave?”

I furrowed my eyebrows. I wasn’t brave and I definitely wasn’t strong.

“Strong people don’t try to take their own life,” I mumbled. “Twice.”

Luke shook his head and cupped my cheeks.

“But you are still here,” he said. “You fought even against yourself and you won. You are here and you are so brave. I can tell how scared you are, but you are still sitting here and talking to us. You are strong, Sophia, and you are so brave.”

This time Luke had to wipe the tears from my cheeks. He gave me a small smile and pulled me into a hug.

I felt Will’s fingers in my hair.

“Luke is right, Sunshine,” he said quietly. “You are so strong and we are all incredibly proud of you.”

I let Luke go and turned around. I threw myself into Alex’s arms. I was a crying mess and I needed him.

“Oh, baby,” he said as he pulled me onto his lap. “It’s okay. You did great.”

He kissed my temple and rubbed my back gently. I tightened my arms around him. I was overwhelmed and I needed his comfort.

“I am here,” he said softly. “I won’t let go.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled quietly.

I really, really needed him.

“There is no need to thank me, baby,” Alex said as he placed a hand on my head and pressed me closer to him. “I will always, always be here. I will never let go. I will never stop loving you. You will always have me in your life.”

“You will always have all of us, Sunshine,” Will said as he bent down and kissed the top of my head.

I glanced up at him and he gave me a small smile.

“I just hope that I will be your favorite soon,” he said, winking at me.

“Never,” Alex said, tightening his hold on me.

I chuckled a little. Alex kissed my cheek and leaned his head on mine.

I gulped and took a deep breath. I wanted to ask them something that had been on my mind for days.

“Alex?” I called him quietly.

“Yes, baby?” he mumbled, placing another kiss on my cheek.

I took another deep breath. I knew that my question would cause tension and I dreaded asking it.

But I had to know.

“What happened to my parents?”