Find me

Chapter 16

Aria POV

I felt so safe in Gabriel’s dad's arms. I’ve never been held like that. No one spoke to me as softly as he did.

I wished that he was my dad. I wished that Gabriel was my brother. I wished that they were my family.

But how could that be true? How could I be that lucky? I was no one. I wasn’t important. I was just an invisible girl who was trying to survive. I wasn’t lucky. The test would come back negative. I was sure of it.

My similarities with Gabriel and his mom were a coincidence. They had to be. How would I continue knowing that I could have had a life where I was loved and wanted? How would I accept the truth?

A huge part of me wanted it to be true. A huge part of me wanted to know what it felt like to be loved and wanted. That is why I accepted their invitation to go to their home. I wanted to experience it, even if it was just for a few days.

Gabriel’s dad kept kissing the top of my head. He kept mumbling how much he missed me. He kept telling me how much he loved me.

My heart was breaking for him. He would be broken when the DNA results came back negative. He loved his daughter so much. I was a little bit jealous of her. I wanted a father like him.

Suddenly, I felt so selfish.

I agreed to go home with them without even thinking about him and Gabriel. I did it so I would feel a little bit better for a few days. I wasn’t thinking about them or what they would feel like once the DNA results came back.

A wave of guilt hit me so hard that I almost sobbed.

I wanted to speak up and tell them that I’ve changed my mind, but the fear blocked me completely.

I heard the door open and footsteps walking closer to us.

"Send the DNA samples to my hospital." Gabriel’s dad said, placing his hand on the back of my head and pressing me closer to him. "I will call and tell them to get them done as soon as possible. I want them done yesterday."

"Okay." I heard a male voice reply. "Could I talk to Aria?"

Gabriel’s dad nodded and put me down. I turned around and saw the sheriff smiling at me. I lowered my eyes immediately.

Gabriel came to stand behind me. He pulled me to his chest and kissed the top of my head.

"How are you, Aria?" the sheriff asked me. "You’ve found out a lot today. It can’t be easy to deal with everything."

"I am okay." I said quietly, keeping my eyes on the floor.

There were a few moments of silence until the sheriff spoke again.

"Your supposed father and mother asked to see you before you leave." the sheriff said, making my heart stop beating. "Do you want to see them?"

"No." Gabriel and his dad said at the same time.

I didn’t want to see them. But what would they do to me if I refused? I would be back with my parents in a few days. They would be so mad at me if I said no. Their punishment would be even worse if I refused.

"I asked Aria.” the sheriff said sternly. "I know that you two hate them, but until we get the DNA results, Aria is their daughter."

Gabriel’s arms around me tightened, and he pulled me even closer to him.

"Do you want to see them, Aria?" the sheriff asked again.

I was so scared. I really didn’t want to see them. But my fear of the punishment was worse than my fear of seeing them right now.

"I do." I said quietly, trying to stop my voice from shaking.

"Aria, love, you don’t have to do this." Gabriel’s dad said, placing a finger under my chin and lifting my head gently so I could look at him. "You don’t have to see them, baby."

"I know." I said quietly, trying to resist the urge to look back down.

Gabriel’s dad studied my face for a few seconds.

The amount of love I saw in his eyes almost made me cry.

I wish that my parents looked at me like that. I wished that he was really my dad. I wished that Gabriel was really my brother.

"Okay, love." he said before turning his head and looking at the sheriff. "I am going with her."

"Are you serious, dad?" Gabriel exclaimed. "We can’t let them see her!"

"It won’t be for long." Gabriel’s dad said. "I will allow them to say goodbye to her, and that will be it."

I looked back down at my feet.

"Okay, Aria." I heard the sheriff’s voice. "I will take you to see them now."

Gabriel moved his arms away from my shoulders and took my hand in his.

I followed the sheriff out of the room. My legs were shaking, and if Gabriel wasn’t holding my hand in his, I would surely fall down.

It wasn’t just because I was afraid. It was also because my whole body hurt from recent hits and cuts.

"I will be right outside, okay?" Gabriel said as we stopped in front of the room my parents were in.

I nodded, and Gabriel kissed my forehead. He let my hand go, and Gabriel’s dad pulled me to him.

The sheriff opened the door, and I stepped inside the room. Gabriel’s dad was right behind me. His hands were on my shoulders, and he pressed me against him as soon as I stopped walking.

The door closed behind us. I never looked up. I knew better than to look at my parents.

"Who is he?" my dad asked angrily.

The anger in his voice made me shiver.

I realized that walking in here with Gabriel’s dad was a huge mistake. My dad would punish me for this.

I should have thought of it sooner. I should have told Gabriel's dad to wait for me outside.

"I am her real father." Gabriel’s dad said. "I am the man you two took her from."

"How can you say that?!" my mom yelled. "She is our daughter!"

Gabriel’s dad’s arms around me tightened.

"We will see that after the DNA results come back." the sheriff said coldly.

"Come here, Aria." my dad said, making my stomach turn.

"No." Gabriel’s dad said "You are not touching her."

My dad ignored him completely.

"Aria." he called me, using the voice that always made me move.

It was the voice that he would use to warn me that the pain was coming if I didn’t behave.

I stepped away from Gabriel’s dad, but he pulled me back.

"No, love.” he said softly. "You don’t have to go."

"Don’t you see that she wants to go to her parents?!" my mom yelled again. "Let her come to us!"

I stepped away from Gabriel’s dad, and this time he let me go. I walked to my parents, and they both pulled me into a hug.

I was shocked for a second, but then my dad dug his fingers into my back. He knew that there was a huge bruise there. He knew that it would hurt.

To Gabriel’s dad and the sheriff, it looked like a hug, but it wasn’t. It was torture. It was a warning.

"We love you, honey." my dad said. "Don’t worry. You will be back with us soon."

The threat in his voice almost made me sob. I had to stop myself from screaming.

"That’s enough." the sheriff said sternly.

My parents let me go, and a second later I felt Gabriel’s dad pulling me out of the room.

As soon as I stepped out of the room, Gabriel and his dad were hugging me.

This hug didn’t hurt. This hug wasn’t a warning. This hug I wanted.

"Let’s go home, baby." Gabriel’s dad said, kissing the top of my head.

Home.

That sounded really nice.

Too bad their home wasn’t mine.