Kidnapped By The Prince ✔️

Chapter 15

"What the fuck happened down here?!" Haiden exclaims, glancing at me. I wipe away stray tears and shake my head. Parker stands and walks over to Haiden.

"It's all taken care of," Parker assures him. Haiden's face contorts into rage. He slams Parker against the wall.

"Haiden!" I exclaim, rushing over to Parker. Devin catches my wrist and swings me back to his lap. He wraps his arms around my waist and crushes me against him. I squirm under his grip.

"You." Haiden growls accusingly. "Everything's gone to hell since you showed up."

"I had nothing to do with Archer's arrival." Parker explains calmly. Haiden snorts.

"This is all your fault. You took her away and brainwashed her, now she's on your side." Haiden jabs a finger into Parker's chest.

"No he didn't, Haiden! I went on my own! Let him go!" I justify, squirming under Devin's grip. Devin's face saddens.

"I want to know who you are, and I want to know now." Haiden growls.

"My name is Parker Jackson." Parker lies.

"Why did you take my sister?" Haiden questions further. I break free from Devin and leap to Haiden, tackling him to the ground before he does something he'll regret later. I pin him down, panting.

"I'm going to tell you something, and you'd better get it through that big fucking skull of yours." I snap, my teeth gritted. "I went on my own fucking terms, and if you can't accept that, I'll leave again."

Haiden throws me off of him and races for Parker again. I snap out my leg, catching his ankle. He falls to the ground.

"This is ridiculous, Hadley." Haiden grunts. "He kidnapped you and you know it."

I stiffen, looking to Parker for help. Parker just stares at me wide-eyed, clearly in the same boat as I am.

"No, he didn't." I respond confidently, trying hard not to stutter. "I left because I needed to think about my life, and then I met Parker."

Haiden pushes himself off the floor with a grunt, eyes narrowed accusingly at Parker. I put myself in between them, forcing Haiden to look at me.

"Parker understood what I was going through, Haiden." I mumble. Haiden's eyes meet mine in pure anger and shock.

"And I wouldn't have?" he asks, hurt lacing the words like a woven basket.

"I needed to be alone." I choke back a sob. "Kind of like right now."

I make a dash for the stairs, avoiding the rickety step. They all call after me, but they're all smart enough to know not to follow. I bolt into my room, slamming the door shut.

God it's been too long since I've been in here. The bed is still unmade, as per usual. My closet door is still open, clothes strewn across the carpet for added effect. The T.V is paused on Criminal Minds, the show I was watching just before I fell asleep the night before Parker took me. On the bed is a small spot where Haiden obviously sat, waiting for my return. Tears flow freely down my already tear-stricken cheeks.

I did this. I did all of this. Haiden is so overwhelmed in grief that all he can understand is anger and betrayal, and who's to blame him? All of my friends thought I had died. They sat around, assuming I was never coming back. But deep down, I knew they still had a sliver of hope of my return.

I glance at the wall of pictures that had been taken over the years. Most of them are of me and my friends, but I have an entire side dedicated to Haiden. In the middle are four blank spots, just big enough to hold another four rectangular pictures. I took them down five years ago. That was the day I came home from the hospital, my mother's locket in hand, and my father's bible in the other. Those were their most prized possessions, and, if you look closely in the drawer of my vanity, you'll see an even smaller area hidden beneath the slab of wood. Inside, you'll find a bible, a locket, and four photographs. In the bible, there will be notes and annotations written by a rising writer who died in a building collapse along with his wife. On one side of the locket, you'll see a smiling woman, her long brown hair framing her face and flowing gracefully down her back. On the other, you'll see a small child, aged around six or seven. She's mirroring her mother's beam, smiling proudly to the camera. The photographs will catch your attention next, practically begging you to pick them up and caress your fingers along the edges gently. In the frozen moment on one of them, you'll find that same little girl with a man, each of them smiling happily towards the photographer. In another, you'll see the little girl with her mother. You pick up the third one, mesmerized by the two children hugging each other endlessly, filled with love. And in the last one, there's the entire family, consisting of the little girl, the mother, the father, and the preteen boy.

Those were the days before everything turned to shit. Those were the days where I had other people to lean on besides Haiden.

Those were the days where I didn't have to fake my smile.

~•~

HOLY SHIZNITS I JUST GOT ONTO MY PROFILE AND I SAW THE NUMBER OF READS BESIDE THIS BOOK. WE JUST HIT 1K AND I WAS ACTUALLY SMILING SO HARD THAT MY CHEEKBONES WERE HURTING. THANK YOU ALL SO SO SO SO MUCH FOR THE READS AND VOTES.