Home (Lady Gaga Fanfiction)

Chapter 7

Laney's POV
I was afraid I might have done something wrong. Stefani hadn't seemed to be that happy that night and I haven't really seen her smile in a little while. Was it me? Or was it something else? I really hoped I wasn't the cause of this, I didn't do it on purpose if it was me. I would never want to hurt her because she was the sweetest person I'd met. She took time out of her own life to pay attention and care for me. The only way that I could've possibly repaid her would be to ensure that she's happy. I didn't have money so I couldn't buy her anything, I couldn't even buy anything to make her something. I just had to keep her happy.

So with that thought, I had been spending as much time as possible with her and helping out with anything I could. I talked more than usual because I knew she loved hearing me talk. I even tried to read my book on my own instead of having her read it for me. It was difficult and some of it didn't make sense, but it was fine. I listened to my sister's voice in my head as I read through it. Lyla would always read to me, every night before we went to sleep. Well, we tried to get to sleep.

There were so many nights where she would creep into my room and climb under my covers. Most times, I would pretend not to notice as she lied awake there for the whole night. I knew why she was there, she was looking out for me. Our father was nothing like a father and he always went for Lyla at night when he got home from drinking with his buddies. He would go into her room and start putting his hands on her. That's all that Lyla would tell me but I unfortunately got to experience it for myself after she moved out. I understood then why she would stay awake till morning, beside me in my bed. She was trying to protect me from him.

My heart ached as I thought about her. I missed her. I wasn't even angry at her anymore for leaving because I understand now why she wanted to get away so badly. It wasn't me, it was him.

I sighed and closed my book, placing it back on my night table. I sunk under the covers right as Stefani came in the room. She smiled at me and I smiled back.

"You didn't have to read all that on your own, you could've changed your mind and asked me to read it with you." She said, sitting down at the end of the bed. Yeah, I could've, but I was trying to make things easier on her.

"I know." I nodded.

"You can't make everyone happy all the time, honey. You know that, right?" She asked. I was surprised that she had caught on to what I was trying to do.

I nodded again.

"I'm fine, but thanks anyways. You have such a big heart." Stefani told me, making me smile again. A small blush crossed my cheeks.

"Lyla always said that."

"She wasn't lying."

We sat there in a comfortable silence, thinking to ourselves. She seemed to be lost in thought again and it was making my curiosity grow. What was she thinking about and did it have anything to do with me? We were going to talk to my aunt tomorrow and I think she didn't want to. That would mean that I needed to get adopted by somebody who was family if I wasn't going back to my father. She didn't want me to leave, I could tell by the way she was acting. But I didn't think there was anyway that I would be able to be adopted by her. Maybe I could ask her.

"Stefani? Can I ask a question?" I asked, getting her attention. She looked back over at me and nodded.

"Is it- can I be a-adopted by you?" The look on her face was all I needed to see to know that I had just asked a really stupid question. I shouldn't have said anything. I dropped my gaze. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay, sweetheart." She shook her head and forced a smile on her face. I still felt like it was too much to have asked that question so I avoided eye contact temporarily with her. I felt the bed move and looked up to see her crawling across my mattress and plopping down next to me. A small smile tugged at my lips. She could be such a child sometimes in the time I've gotten to know her.