I walk up the stairs, quietly. I really just want to relax a bit for the rest of the day, but I don't know if that'll be possible.

I end up making it into my room with no disruptions, and I sit on my bed then log onto my laptop then look over my social media.

My Twitter is blowing up, and when I look at my Instagram, my DM's are almost at 200 messages.

I look at my messages on my Twitter and scroll through them quickly.

A lot of them are warning, or hate comments. Only a few of them are comments saying I'm pretty, that they're glad Jordan found someone that he's in love with, etcetera.

But then realization hits me and I burst into tears.

I don't love Jordan. I'm keeping it a secret that I have a crush on Red - who has a girlfriend, and I made the person I look up to the most in this world mad at me.

Way to go, TJ. You really outdid yourself this time.

I curl up in my bed, letting my laptop just sit at the edge of it, wide open.

The salty tears roll down my cheeks or over my nose then to my pillow, a few of them rolling over my lips.

I hear footsteps approaching my bedroom and I quickly wipe my tears away then squeeze my eyes shut.

A few gentle knocks on my door are heard, and not even half a second later, the person standing at the door says my name.

"Tee?" He whispers.

I feel my heart flutter in my chest for a split second, but I completely ignore him.

He sighs softly.

"Look.. I know you're probably upset with me. And I know why.. I know I had no right to get mad. You're a grown woman, and you can make your own decisions. Like you could have decided to move into your own place down in LA, but you stayed there. In hope someone would come get you. I'm glad that I was that person who got to adopt you, an 18 year old girl who may never be ready to leave the nest. But that's fine, because you've spent most of your life being neglected. But your days of being neglected are over, and now I'm here. Stay annoyed as long as you want, but know this.." He pauses for a couple of seconds. "I'm not mad anymore. And I love you."

I hear his footsteps walk off, but my body is completely still.

I love you.

Those words keep echoing in my mind.

It's been so long since I've heard that three word sentence.

I wipe my tears away then get up and walk over to my door.

I peek out and see Adam only about halfway down the hall.

I run up and hug him from behind tightly, making him stumble forwards a bit.

"Wha-"

He looks over his shoulder, clearly shocked.

"Tee?"

I look up at him and smile a bit, tears still evident in my eyes. But this time not upset tears.. More like happy tears.

He turns around and gently wraps his arms around me, where I then rest my cheek on his chest.

"What's this about?" He asks softly, coming to realization a few seconds later.

"Is it because I told you I love you-?" He practically whispers.

I nod a bit and sigh softly.

But he'll probably never know why those three words meant so freaking much to me.

I stand with him, in his arms for almost two minutes.

"I really care about you, Tee. I just don't want to see you get hurt." He says softly.

I nod and smile a bit.

Every encouraging word he says makes my heart swell. For most of my life I've only been talked down. Told I wasn't worth it. Told I should kill myself, shit like that.

But now here I am.

Living with the man I look up to so much.

Having my self esteem being built back up.

"Tee?" His eyebrows furrow a bit.

I look up at him and see a look of concern on his face.

Oh no..

"How much do you weigh..?" He asks, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Well, shit. That's a question I would hope to never come up but..

God dammit. That's what I get for hugging someone when I'm so thin.

I shrug a bit and look at the floor.

He stares at me for a few seconds, and I struggle to keep eye contact with him.

He sighs a bit and folds his arms over his chest.

"Take off your sweater." He says, staring at me.

Considering that he's my adoptive father, I have to do what he says. And I am wearing a black tank top underneath, so..

I sigh and hesitantly remove my sweater from my torso, revealing my thin waist, and my chest where the collarbones are super visible, and my ribs are very clearly visible.

Adam stares, in shock for a few seconds.

"Was this intentional?" He practically whispers.

I look down and shake my head slowly.

It wasn't. I had to starve every night in that craphole, only eating when the other girls got their share, so I ended up having to eat the bottom of the barrel.

Even worse, I had to cook the food, making it almost impossible for me not to eat any of it.

"Well were you wearing sweaters to.. Hide it?" He asks.

I nod slowly and play with the sweater in my hands.

"Alright uh- we're going to need to get you to the ER. I don't want you to be in any more danger that you're already in-- Alesa!" He calls as he goes to their bedroom to put his shoes on.

"Yeah?!" She calls back.

"I need to get Tee to the ER. Kind of an emergency!" He says as he slips his first shoe on.

"Why?! What happened?!" She sounds a bit panicked now.

"I think she may be anorexic." Adam says as he goes down the stairs quickly, grabs his keys, phone and wallet then pulls the front door open.

I follow him throughout the house before we both go to his car, get in and seconds later, he's speeding down the freeway.