It All Started With A Deal

Chapter 24.3

Chapter 24.3
Chase and I sat anxiously on the couch as Ms. Harding gave us some tea, her attempt to calm our nerves. But there was nothing that could calm the raging pit building in my stomach as I questioned if they would take Chase away from me.

We had only been home for a few moments, long enough to drop the bags in the guest room and sit on the couch, before deciding we finally needed to talk. I needed to know.

It was only the three of us in the house. I wasn't sure where everyone else was, just that we were alone.

Chase and I held on to each other, our legs bouncing up and down in a rhythmic pattern.

Ms. Harding took a seat before us.

She cleared her throat.

Crossed her legs.

Pour us a cup of tea.

Smoothed down her skirt.

And finally, she spoke. "I would like to adopt you." She tumbled out the words, almost seemingly... scared, as to what our reaction would be.

Chase froze entirely.

My mouth fell open.

Adopt us? Adopt us. She wanted to adopt two strangers with three kids of her own.

Never in a million years did I think that would be her response. Adopt us? She barely knew us, and after what I had done to Liam, how could she not hate me?

Hundreds of questions raced through my head. I couldn't even begin to file them in order.

What would happen to Chase?
Could he handle this?
Was she just doing this to be polite?
Why was she doing this?
What would make her want to adopt us before even fostering us?
Could she adopt me even though I was eighteen?
What would this mean for Liam and I?
Would I technically be his sister?
Would that mean Liam and I were over... forever?
Could I refuse even though that would mean Chase and I being separated?
Would they still let me see Chase?

I couldn't gather my thoughts, my head getting foggier by the second to the point where her words almost seemed as though they were spoken in a foreign language.

"What?" I croaked, my mouth as dry as the Sahara desert.

Ms. Harding took a deep breath, collecting herself. "I would like to adopt you." She repeated before going into detail, "Well, I would like to adopt Chase."

A knife to the heart.

We were being separated. Of course we were. What other solution would there be?

Chase squeezed my hand harder, his thoughts mirroring mine.

She turned to me, "If you so choose, I would be happy to adopt you as well, Sapphire. I would love for you to be apart of our family, you're a very sweet girl but-"

I wasn't sure if I was relieved or upset.

I had come to find that buts were never a good thing.

"If I adopted you, you would not be able to continue having relations with my son. The decision is yours, but I have a feeling you'll end up being a part of our family either way." She gave me a subtle wink.

I wasn't sure what she meant by that. Did that mean Liam didn't hate me? That I still had a chance with him?

"Whether or not we adopted you, you are welcomed to stay in this home as long as you'd like, we'll treat you as if you were our own daughter: pay for your college, provide moral support, invite you to family gatherings. It would be just like adopting you but this way you can continue to date my son if you both choose to."