My Ruthless Kidnapper

Survival

Steph POV

I tried brushing my hair to at least look moderate human. I even tried applying blush and face powder, for I seemed extremely miserable due to the unstoppable tears finding their escape from my eyes.

I knew my life wouldn't be the same because I had lost a massive part of it.

"Steph."

"A minute," I responded from my bedroom.

The mirror still showed a melancholy terrible-looking reflection. I wasn't ready to go downstairs. I needed some more time, only I've been asking for that, and it never helped. Time didn't heal the pain, neither did it bring back my guardian angel.

I had to accept Finn was gone; he really was gone. And moments we spent together were going to be distant memories only they won't fade, for Finn was everything in my life. Forgetting him was like forgetting who I was.

"Darling, the ice cream's gonna melt," Mom called again. She had been trying to support me through my grief and mostly that it was my birthday, and I had no glee in it.

With a deep breath, I descended the steps to where my mom and some Guardian Angel's workers were surrounding a cake.

Everyone had a smile, something that was missing on my face.

That was how it happened real fast, from blowing the candles and cutting the cake and receiving tons of hugs from everyone before opening the gifts that I wasn't a bit thrilled about. I only wanted to make my worried mom happy.

I wished I could be happy again, but I wasn't, I doubted I would ever be, so when Liam came through the door, I ran to him and held him tight.

"Happy birthday. I'm sorry I missed the blowing of candles." He said, and I shook my head. Actually, he came at the right time. I was losing it.

"Please take me somewhere far from this place," I begged him, and he obliged.

***

"I almost got him a dog."

"Really?" I asked Liam.

"I didn't get him a birthday present, and you know how he felt about April 20th, so I thought he would prefer it on some different occasion," Liam muttered.

"Like Fourth of July or something."

"Yes, like Fourth of July or something," Liam repeated as we strolled down my street.

"Do you think we could've stopped it?"

"I think it was meant to happen no matter what we do. We can't prevent it." He replied quietly.

Exhaling a shaky breath, I asked, "Oh... how's Sharon and Denny holding up?"

When the news broke after Finn got shot, the world picked up. I think Liam told me Sharon spent three days in the hospital.