That Girl (A Derek Hale Love Story)

Chapter 30

EDITED

"Look guys, I wish I could stay but..."

Stiles cut their father off when they walked in the front door with a quick shake of his head. "Dad, we're fine. Go."

The sheriff turned to his daughter but she could only force a smile. She was the reason he couldn't just stay here with them. In his mind, a man had tried to hurt his little girl. A man had attacked his children because he couldn't take no for an answer when it came to his daughter. He didn't think he would be able to sleep until he had Derek Hale behind bars.

So, he left the twins stood in silence in the hallway. "Are you alright?" Stiles finally asked as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

Haylie looked at him. How innocent he looked. She shook her head. "No. You?"

Stiles managed a small smile but still shook his head. One thing both of them were grateful for, they were in it together. They had each other no matter what. "I'm sorry." He said like it was hard for him. "About Derek. I know you cared about him."

"You're saying it like he's dead." She said quickly but for some reason her voice barely had any sound.

"Is the alternative any better?"

"He wouldn't have left me." She said again, quickly.

"How can you be sure about that?" She opened her mouth but then closed it again when a response didn't immediately come. "What do you even really know about the guy? You spend all that time together but do you know anything about who he is?"

This time a response was waiting. "He cares about me. He..." She took a breath, holding her brothers' eyes. "I know how he feels about me."

Stiles looked almost worried by the words. "Haylie do you hear yourself?" She just continued to stare at him. Because she did. She heard it the second she had to force the words out.

A stupid little girl. Convincing everyone, even herself that a man cared about her.

But she still nodded. "I'm going to go to bed." Stiles didn't stop her as she moved to the stairs and made her way up, one step at a time. One breath at a time. Holding it all in. Keeping it together.

She opened her bedroom door quickly and let it fall shut behind her, her body a barricade against her brother in case he tried to follow.

However, when her room was empty. When Derek hadn't come here. Wasn't waiting for her. She crumbled.

She let herself fall to the fall with her back against the wall as she quietly cried. She cried because she had hoped he was alive and here with an explanation. But he wasn't. So he was either dead or really had abandoned her. When she needed him. When he said he would protect her. When he dragged her into this and now she was alone.

Alone.

Something about that thought triggered her mind. A memory long forgotten.

Haylie moved to her feet and reached under the bed for the old converse shoebox she hadn't looked in for years.

She used to look in this box at least once a week, but time had moved on and it became something that was hard instead of comforting. It became something that made her more sad to remember then happy she had the memories.

The memories of her mother.

This time, she couldn't help but smiling when she caught the picture of her mom twirling her around the dance studio. She had only just bought Haylie her first pair of point shoes. Haylies first shoes was written in her mother's handwriting.