Cheryl POV

To be completely honest, everything that happened after dad practically lifted me into the house was a blur. I heard him call my mom. I felt arms around me just as lips kissing every inch of
my face nonstop.

I heard cries and whimpers, thanks and prayers, I heard several phones go off and knock by the door, I heard sirens and horning, voices and smell of breakfast but I was barely responding.

My heart wasn't there. My soul was far gone. I thought I could handle it, but I was just never strong.

I heard my dad saying. "Not now. She needs to rest." Almost every time, either the door opened or the phone went off.

I was in the living room that once blanketed and illuminated my heart by only sitting on the couch and staring at the tv screen, the place that I used to treasure after every bite I received from outside, every punch, and hardship. It was that living room that brought me solace because it was enveloped and seeped with trust, but at that moment, the house had not the enthusiasm it used to. If anything, it was apathy.

And it has nothing to do with my disappearance and my parents grieving over my kidnap.

"Hey darling, you'll be fine... it's okay." I heard mom said and pulled my head to her chest, stroking my hair and pecking me every two-three seconds.

"I think she needs a doctor. We will get her to the hospital for a check-up." Mom must be talking to dad, the other living human in the house.

"No, I've talked with the sheriff. He would call Kimberly. Cheryl shouldn't leave this house." I think that's what dad response was.

Well nevertheless, I just wanted to escape from there.

"Can I go to my room?" That was the first time I had spoken since I stepped foot into the house.

"Yes, darling."

"Of course, honey."

Mom and dad unison like they were really giving me space until I realized they were actually walking me to my bedroom.

"Alone?" I asked flatly.

They shared glances between them, and mom's hand flew to her mouth while she blinked at me as sadness etched into her face.

"Alright, have some rest. I will make your pasta just the way you like it." Dad managed a smile.

I know I shouldn't treat them that way, for someone who spent approximately two months, alarmed, worried, and afflicted with the fear of possibly getting their daughter back in pieces, but in my double defense, I was utterly overwhelmed with the sorrow of missing Finn, and for two, I couldn't find the love and sight my parents from the mentoring aspect, like I used to.

Being alone was the only option I had for not losing it totally.

I tried to smile back before I nodded and swirled to the staircase that was decorated with tens of picture frames of great memories, days I thought those two were superheroes. All were lined-up hanged on the wall, and it only reminded me how much deceiving my parents succeeded all those past years.

I pushed the door to my room, and my actual smell invaded me.

It was just like I left it, though it was neatly arranged and cleaned, than I'd do it myself. I was sure my parents had been there often.

My bedding was accordingly, and my books and clothes were for once kept in their storage.

Since I wasn't interested in anything the universe was offering at that moment, I curled myself on the comforter, squeezing my legs to my chest. I hoped for sleep to take me out of my melancholy state.

Finn POV

"This is nonsense. What are you literally insane? Do you realize you're finished? Like done done, Finn?" Denny blurted, paranoid or rather annoyed.

"That's the dumbest thing, Finn. Why would you do that?" Liam looked me in the eyes, trying to find the reason for my stupid decision.

"That's because he has lost his mind over the daughter of those who killed his parents. What do you expect she would do? Keep you a secret? Oh-no, you do expect her to kill her parents and pack her luggage back to you. This isn't a movie Finn, this is your life, and you have ruined it." Denny violently slammed the wall with his palm, like he wasn't the person who vocalized killing her right straight into her hearing.

"Well, we could stop the over exaggerating. I trust Cheryl. She's not going to talk." I believed her and trusted her with all my heart. I knew I sounded crazy, but I wanted to believe I knew her.

Denny exhaled a laugh, and Liam sunk into the armchair and heaved a sigh. "If anything happened to you, I'm gonna kill her." Denny sputtered and walked out of the wooden house.

It took a while before Liam stood to follow him. He had his head down and hands in his pockets. There was a creased on his forehead. "If anything happened to me, keep her safe."

Liam looked up to me with a frown on his face when he shook his head. "I hope you understand the risk you've taken." It was more like a statement than a question, for he turned and left before I could give him an answer.

It was two days since Cheryl left me, and it was all over the news about her return to Eureka Springs. Although she wasn't facing the cameras and answering broadcasters interrogation, but her parents had confirmed it, and I was sure she was answering private queries.

But that did nothing to bother me. If anything, I held on to the vow I took and never left the lake house. I vowed to wait for her, for all I wanted was to hold her in my arms.

I was missing her terribly.

Ignoring what just happened, I grabbed my keys and drove to the supermarket to get some food and, more immediately, air.

When I've picked up groceries, I head to the cashier where Maggie was on her shift.

"Good day, Mr young man." She playfully called.

"Good day to you too, Maggie."

"Let's see what you got." She started counting my stuff. "Have you gotten the bed and fridge yet?" She asked.

"What?" I confusedly questioned.

"Oh, of course, Cheryl had left. Days back, she was complaining about the fridge and bed. I thought you'd gotten the replacements. She really loved the house that way though, I saw it on her face." Maggie smiled at me, and I smiled back, but what was definitely going in my head was thinking over what she said.

Cheryl was coming back. She wanted a new bed and a fridge. It warmed my heart knowing she really hath the intention of coming back to me.

Cheryl POV

"Okay, I've given you enough time for yourself. I even managed to not breathe on your face. I now order you to tell me what it is like being kidnapped?" Her cheeks are in her palms as she bats her long lashes just like she used to.

"Kidnapped. It felt like Kidnapped." Trying not to think about what it really felt like being kidnapped, what it felt like getting to know Finn, making new friends, and falling in love. What it felt like knowing you're a corpse in your parent's house even after all the medication you've received from the doctors because been kidnapped turned out the brightest door to your happiness.

"Come on. You're being dull. What do you want to do? Maybe we could go out to the courtyard? Or shopping? We could grab some ice cream?" Mal suggested. She has been trying to make me smile just like the best friend she was.

Mal was the only person my parents had allowed in since after I came back, though, by the only person, I meant-civilian since I've seen doctor Kimberly and not to mention the different detectives from different state departments. All that kept asking the same thing, they wanted him, and I managed to resist and maintained on a neutral or at least my soulless face all the time.

My dad had begun to get pissed and impatient. I knew he knew I was lying. I mean, why wouldn't he? He was the man who had lived with me since my first breath. He knows when I was lying and when I was being honest, and he also knew when I was been stubborn, for I've been stubborn for two days.

"You know that's not gonna happen." I reminded her.

Just like no one was allowed into the house to see me, I myself wasn't ready to meet the outside world. I wasn't prepared for the rumors and questions, the looks and the pity. So I kept myself intact in my bedroom with the tormenting fire in my heart when I knew confronting my parents were the only cure, and I also knew doing that was the biggest risk for it could lead to exposure of Finn to them.

"I wished I hadn't asked you to get me water." She said to herself, but since I heard, I confessed. "I wasn't bringing you the water anyway. I couldn't get the bottles... I think I drank from the faucet and went to pee for my own good." I smiled small.

Mal kept blaming herself for what happened even though it wasn't her fault. Finn finding me was meant to happen no matter what and where. It could've happened even in my own bedroom at that exact time. However, I didn't regret it anymore.

"Here, darling." Mom came in with a plate in her hand, a plate of my favorite, peanut butter and jelly.

I've been sick this morning, and I couldn't eat anything without throwing up thirty seconds later.

Doctor Kimberly had to come back to check me up this morning.

"I don't want to eat that," I whined, and sincerely I had no appetite for it.

"What do you suggest? I can make you anything." Mom assured me, with worried plastered on her face.

I found out she had been in town since I was announced missing, and my stepfather had visited her when his job allowed.
Staying with dad, mom had given him a hand working on the case. Yes! Just like the criminals they were.

Teamwork; that's what divorced parents do when their daughter goes missing, I couldn't blame them, though.

"I need to rest. Can I have some time alone?" That was what I needed. I needed space. I wanted to lay on my bed and let myself dream of him, his touch, his smile, his peaceful sleeping face. I was feeling alone, and those memories were all I've got.
I knew I had to leave there. I had to go back to him.

Mal heaved a sad sigh. "Alright, I will see you tomorrow." She grabbed her backpack and hugged me before she followed behind my exhausted mom.

That night I wasted no effort going through old boxes in dad's office like every other night since I stepped foot back into that house.

All the files I kept finding were cases that weren't my concern.

The annoying thing when you desperately needed to find something was, you could get to flip over it without realizing it because the brain was overworking and the eyes were greedily searching.

I was setting everything back in place when I found an envelope, and 'April 22nd' was highlighted on it.

April was a familiar month. 22nd was a hint. So with trembling fingers, I opened it to find some sort of agreement or contract signed.

I was agape as I took in what was written in there.

It was a contract to build the only cinema in my town. It was a private cinema, and my dad's signature was on it just below the town's former mayor, Dean Richards.

My blood ran cold.

No! I was just imagining.

***

Just when I thought I was going through hell, the universe added gas to it.

With my head inclined while I chew on the tiny piece of avocado I've shoved in my mouth for over five minutes since mom, instead, I eat breakfast, Doctor Kimberly returned. However, she was more interested in talking with my parents than she was with me since they've been friends since I knew myself.
I was preoccupied with Finn when mom called my name silently yet with terror in her tone.

I tilted to her, and my eyes tried to search for the reason behind the panicked on the three faces studying me carefully.

It was like they were afraid to speak because whatever they were about to spill was going to take the life out of me.

"What?" I asked them, nervous myself.

"Darling? What really happened back there?" Mom swallowed when she asked. Her voice was just like she used to talk to me when I was little and sad.

Confusion clouded me. "What?" I repeated.

"What did he do to you because you're God damn pregnant." Dad sputtered.