Stockholm Syndrome // sm

Chapter Eleven

"I feel ridiculous." I muttered to Shawn as I pushed up my fake reading glasses. It was supposed to help mask my identity, I wasn't sure how.

Handing me fake glasses, clip on bangs, and a fake nose ring wasn't going to hide much of my identity. All it hides is half of my eyesight.

"Not my rules." He told me sadly as we walked into a supermarket. "What do you want to do for Thanksgiving?" He asked me and I hummed.

"I get to choose?"

"Indeed." He answered and I dragged him to the meat aisle. He laughed and I looked at all of the meats "Remember, it's just us two. We don't need a lot."

"I know." I mumbled, trying to hide how upset I was that I wouldn't be able to go home and see my family. Holidays are supposed to be spent with your loved ones, not in a house with a guy you're forced to be with.

"Your parents aren't upset that you won't be going over there?" I asked, my fingers reaching for a small turkey. He laughed as I put it in his basket as he began shaking his head.

"They were upset, but they're fine with it." He told me and I just nodded as I thought about what else we would need.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just thinking." I replied and he nodded, telling me to take all the time I needed.

I was kind of stalling aswell. Out of the two weeks I've been here, this was the first time I was really allowed to leave the house. The banquet didn't exactly count because the room was rented out by his father. So to be out of his house was extremely relieving.

I took my bottom lip between my teeth gently and then looked around slightly. It was extremely early, so hardly anyone was here besides for the employees. I suppose it was to help keep people from seeing me.

"I have an idea on something I want to cook." He told me and I nodded, following him around the store as I rubbed my arms.

"Good morning Shawn," an employee said and he smiled at me. "Girlfriend?"

"Friend." Shawn corrected and I nodded as the employee apologized, restocking some of the vegetables.

I stood awkwardly by his side, my eyes glancing ever so gently over the barren aisles. There was an itch to take off running, to taste freedom once more. No one would stop me - no one really could.

But then again... would I really be free? If someone found me before, they could find me again.

The beat of my heart raced, the organ slamming against my ribcage. I felt cold, almost as if everyone in the world could tell what I was thinking. A wave of paranoia crashed through me, and when asked what's wrong, I brushed it off as being cold.

"Did you hear about that girl from New York?" The employee spoke after and Shawn just hummed as he picked different vegetables up.

"I haven't been watching the news. What happened over there?" He asked as I pulled my green coat around me tighter.

"There was a kidnapping after school." He recalled and my blood turned to ice. I tried to act unfazed, but the employee noticed easily. "Disgusting right? It was a little girl, right after grade school. She was walking to where her parents pick her up and some people just picked her up like it ain't anybody's business."

Shawn seemed unfazed, almost as if the same situation didn't just happen a month ago with us. "Are they putting a search out for her?"

"Yeah, searching all over the country. These kidnappings keep happening! I feel so bad! She was a little thing too, thirteen years old! I wish I could help." He sighed and I could feel my finger twitch as the two words rested on my tongue.