Tethered (Book Two of The Invisible String Series)

The Runaway: Part Two

After a few more moments Y/N pulls away, but keeps her hands on my shoulders and she fixes me with a glare. "What the hell, kid? Do you know how worried we've all been about you?"

I try to swallow against the lump that forms in my throat and fail, tearing my eyes away from hers and towards my shoe-clad feet as I force myself to keep my composure. Now that she's here, all I want is to beg her to take me home, to never leave me. But I know that's not going to happen. And knowing that I worried her only makes it worse, because that small part of me wants to believe that she really does care enough about me. "I'm sorry. My phone died, otherwise I would have called and let you all know I was okay earlier."

Okay, that's a total lie. I wasn't going to call anyone, but I didn't have another choice. And she doesn't need to know that.

Y/N lets out a sigh before dropping her hands from my shoulders. I miss the contact immediately, but force myself not to say anything as I watch as her face softens slightly. "Then you wanna explain why you left the group home in the middle of the night?"

I simply shrug, hoping that my inner turmoil doesn't give anything away. I really don't want to talk to Y/N about going to a new foster home. It would just be another harsh reminder that I won't be going with her. "Can we not talk about it and just go, please? My clothes are wet and I'm really tired."

The look on Y/N's face tells me that she wants to push it further, but thankfully she doesn't. Instead she just nods and wraps an arm around my shoulders to lead me out of the diner. I subconsciously clean into her warmth, giving Debbie a small wave as we pass by her.

Once I'm safely in the passenger seat, I turn my attention towards the window, watching as the raindrops slide down and disappear from sight. The air in the car is tense, and it reminds me of the day that started this whole train of bullshit, when Y/N first found out that my old foster parents had hit me. If I had just kept my mouth shut, if I hadn't gone to the school that afternoon, none of this would be happening. I could have possibly kept Y/N and Lizzie in my life. God, I was so fucking stupid.

"Olivia, can you look at me, please?"

Forcing myself to turn in the seat, I'm met with a concerned looking Y/N and feel myself almost break. Almost. But I somehow manage to keep my cool. "I said I didn't want to talk. Can you just take me back to the group home, please?"

My voice cracks slightly there at the end, and I curse myself for it. I don't want to go back to the group home. I don't want to go anywhere. I want to stay here, with Y/N, who's treated me like I'm her own kid since I met her. Her and Lizzie both have, and it's so fucking unfair.

"I'm not taking you back to the group home."

My head snaps up at her words, and I stare at the older woman sitting in the driver's seat confusingly. "What?"

Y/N sighs, glancing down at her lap before her gaze meets mine once more. "We'll talk about it later, just buckle up."

Confused, I do as she says, making sure my seatbelt is in place just as she starts the car. After a few minutes of fiddling with the heat, Y/N pulls out onto the empty streets and I let my head fall back against the seat's headrest as I mull over her words. If she's not taking me back to the group home, then where is she taking me? Maybe she's taking me back to her place. I mean, I wouldn't complain. At least I'd get one last night with them. That's better than nothing, I guess.

Thanks to the car's heat warming up my cold form, I can feel my exhaustion start to catch up with me. I've been up for almost twenty-four hours straight and I don't have it in me to try and fight against my eyelids slowly closing shut.

It feels like just seconds later that someone is gently shaking my shoulder, and I jump at the feeling, opening my eyes to see the familiar sight of Y/N and Lizzie's house through the car's windshield.

I let out a yawn as I unbuckle myself, letting my feet carry me up the walkway and into the house behind Y/N, attempting to try and wipe some of the sleep from my eyes. I only manage to take a few steps in before I'm wrapped up in another bone-crushing embrace.

In my sleepy state I instantly lean into it, inhaling some of Lizzie's perfume and absorbing as much comfort as I can. If this is my last night with them then I want to engrave this stuff into my memory.

The two women somehow manage to get me upstairs, even though I don't remember walking up them, and I force myself awake long enough to change into the dry clothes that I'm handed before I practically fall into the comfortable and warm bed.

I'm vaguely aware of someone brushing some of my hair away from my forehead, and the last coherent thing I think before sleep takes over me is the same thing I've been wishing for months now.

I wish they were my moms.

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I know, I left you all on a cliffhanger for like a week with that last chapter. Lol. I hope this one kind of makes up for it. Especially since it's written in Olivia's POV. I wanted to test hers out, and as much as I want to have a well-rounded story, I don't think I'll be writing much in hers. I know the 3rd book will be heavily centered around going back and fourth between the reader and Lizzie's POV, but I may throw in a few Olivia POVs here and there. I haven't decided that yet.

Next chapter will be mostly family fluff stuff. And then, after that, IT'S PROPOSAL TIME BITCHES!

I'm super fucking excited!

Let me know what you all thought! Remember to eat some food, drink some water, and just take care of yourselves!

-C