They were all seated in the living room. The atmosphere was suffocating, it made everyone tense and uncomfortable as every tick of the clock passes.
But that's to be expected, right?
It's something that they all have felt before. The tense atmosphere, those burning feelings that they've kept for who knows how long, these familiar faces that brings a painful throb in Samantha's chest everytime she looks at them.
"Look... " Samantha started, her voice was soft and careful as she look at her family with a little bit of fear and a little bit of determination. "I will never ever forget what Lydia did to me. Ever."
She just wants this to be over. Samantha's so desperate to find an outlet for all of this, but she knew, she definitely knew, that no matter what, it will always lead to this suffocating room where she'll have to be with the people who made her feel like she was unloved and unsecured.
"What she did to me... It's still replaying like some clips from a movie and everytime I see it, it's always the same result. It always feels real. Too real." Samantha hugged herself as she tries to ignore the images of it as she explain.
But it's true though.
Her nightmares were still there. It's still in there.
Waiting for her to break.
It's still so eerie and a part of her is shouting bloody hell about her decision in forgiving Lydia but a big part of her is now trying to be at peace.
'Well... Still tying to find peace, I guess.' Samantha thought.
"But... " Sam paused and took a deep breath as she tries to held back the tears. "What she did to me? She was also hurting a-and I just feel like I was unfair, you know?"
A long endless highway, you're silent beside me.
Samantha softly cursed when she stuttered, she feels more emotional as she slowly open her feelings to them. She wants them to know how she felt.
And maybe, hopefully, they could do the same. She hope that they could be more open because that was one of the mistakes they have made before all of this came
Drivin' a nightmare I can't escape from.
"Samantha, sweetheart." Mom started, her eyes were glassy and full of guilt.
Samantha laughed, a watery and it almost sounded like a sob kind of laugh, came out of her before she could even stop herself.
They all stared.
No one spoke.
Helplessly praying, the light isn't fadin'
She took this opportunity to continue. "So I felt the need to..." Samantha swallowed the lump in her throat as she clamp her hands together in nervousness. "Talk to her because she was in so much pain, she was always there to bully me and pull some lies out of her bag just for her to release some anger on me but she did that because she was hurting. She was hurting. If you could have seen the way she looks at me. It looked like someone was killing her on the inside. She was hurting and I didn't do anything. It made me feel so lucky to have you guys now... To have a family that's nothing like hers."
Hiding in the shock and the chill in my bones.
Samantha looked at her family with a smile. A smile that made her feel afflicted. A smile that's full of emotions that no one will ever see or understand, a smile that even her family has never thought of seeing.
Hold on, I still want you.
"Samantha." Dad called out to her. "You're... You're one of the bestest thing that has ever come into our lives and we know that we don't deserve a daughter like you. Ever. You've been through so much and look at you now, you've done well without us helping you. You're one of the bravest kid I've ever seen. We're so thankful to have you as our littlest sweetheart, we're so lucky to have you as their sister, as our daughter."
Come back, I still need you.
Dad's eyes watered as he smiled a little at Sam and Samantha saw how much he meant it. He may not be the the perfect father and he made some mistakes too. Mistakes that made her drown with disappointment but he's still her father, right? He's still the one who taught her how to ride a bike without training wheels, he's still the one who taught her that life is something that's full of unexpected things and that was why it's so mysteriously beautiful, he's the one who taught her how to do pranks on her family.
He's still her father. Period.
Let me take your hand, I'll make it right.
"But dad..." Samantha whispered tiredly. "You loved Lydia and--"
"I do." Dad answered soberly, he looked at his hands and sighed. "We all do. Look, you can't just throw away a person who you treasured before and I know that she gave you so much pain that I myself wouldn't feel but know this. I love you. I still love you so so much. You're also my treasure. My first baby girl, okay?"
I swear to love you all my life.
Samantha was still doubtful. She couldn't help it and no one could blame her for it. What if they're lying? What if he's lying? Would that finally break her? But they look sincere, honest and completely full of nothing but genuine. Surely, they're not lying to her in the face, right?
"How can I tell that you're not lying?"
Hold on I still need you...
Everyone noticed the way she asked that question. Her tone felt distant, it made everyone's chest feel pain, even Xendrix's and Daniel's. It throbbed painfully against their chest and it was painful. So painful.
I don't wanna let go.
"You don't trust us?" That one question that Jayden had the courage to ask sent them all to the depths of raw and pure fear. That single question made everyone feel like they're about to shed tears.
I know I'm not that strong.
Is it yes or no?
Jayden and the others held their breath as Samantha widened her eyes in response and hesitated, her eyes avoided theirs, she began to fiddle with the hem of her jacket.
She was hesitating. She was nervous. She didn't want to meet their eyes. Which means that the answer was already simple. It's already a...
"No."
Plain and simple, right?
I just wanna hear you.
Their hearts shattered.
Saying baby, let's go home.
Their hope wavered.
After everything that has happened, her trust on them disappeared because she felt betrayed. By her own family nonetheless.
"Then we'll earn that... " Mom said firmly. Her tears were already falling but there was a fiery determination set in her eyes as she look at Samantha, making Sam look at her in sadness.
Let's go home.
"We'll start with that." Mom continued. "We would never understand the pain you went through, we don't understand what you've felt, but now, we'll be here. We'll be here for you. This time, we'll be right here for you."
"Isn't it too late already?" Samantha exclaimed in bitterness, tears were threatening to fall as she glared weakly at her.
Surprisingly, Xendrix answered. "Too late to save you? Are you kidding me? You brat, here I thought you've gotten smarter."
Okay.
Well, that's really a surprise.
Yeah, I just wanna take you home.
Samantha's eyes widened in surprise. Everyone stared at Xendrix in disbelief and in shock.
How could he say that like he's joking? Is he going bonkers? Can't he read the atmosphere?
Is he truly that stupid?
"It's never too late because I still want us to be okay, okay? Your family still wants you to be back to your old self. They still want you to be okay. We've made mistakes in the past but we can change the future and by doing that, we'll need to fix the present."
"Huh... " Isaac mumbled, staring at him in pure awe.
Heck, maybe Samantha's also staring at him in awe.
Hold on, I still want you.
"He's right, we want to prove it to you that we're sorry. That we're truly sorry, Sam." Tyler said with the same tone as Xendrix.
Samantha stared at them in disbelief. Was she really that scared to be left alone? She thought that they'll leave her. She thought that they'll be ignoring about their problems like they did in the past. But look at them. Look at her family. They're promising her so many things. It made Samantha feel almost guilty about everything.
Almost.
Her heart feels so warm for the first time in quite a while.
Then Samantha smiled. A tired smile but it was genuine. It was sincere. It was something that her family hasn't seen in quite a while as well.
"I'm looking forward to it."
And that means that she's willing to give them a chance. It's a start of forgiveness.
Come back, I still need you.
______________________________________
I was rushing to write this so I'm sorry if there's any errors.
So here it is! Forgiveness, can you imagine? Yeah I know, some of you guys think that they don't deserve her forgiveness but they're still her family. You can't stay mad forever at the people that you closely carry in your heart, right?
Well, anyways, I'm working on a new book! I hope you guys will read it and give it lots of love like this one have. I'll be telling you guys when I'll publish it! ♥♥
Leave a vote, darlings, and tell me what you guys think about this chapter! (♡˙︶˙♡)