The Stølen Girl

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Her head was in the stars all afternoon.

It had been weeks since returning home, where she belonged. And it had been the best weeks of her entire life. It was so great that Mary still believed it was all a dream, and that she would wake up in the cold basement, wondering how her life had become so messed up.

Theodore assured her it wasn't.

He tightened his hold on her hand, looking down at her with absolute adoration. It pleased him to see her so happy and full of life. After all, that was what he wanted for Mary from the start. Happiness.

And now, she had it.

Theodore couldn't complain that Don was her father. He knew the hardships that man had to suffer for years on end. Theodore knew that Don took his job to find Mary, and that was what saved her.

But, Don was another problem. Theodore and Don were close. Close enough that Don knew all of Theodore's secrets, and that made Don dislike Theodore being close to Mary. But, it was inevitable, especially since Mary had grown attached to him.

All because he'd shown her human decency the first time they met. He wasn't a hero for what he did. He wasn't a hero for letting her take a shower, or giving her lunch. Those were normal, human interactions. Ones that should be no brainers.

Mary thought he was her hero.

She put him on an impossibly high pedestal. And while Theodore was flattered, he was also nervous. Nervous that his past would find him once again. Nervous that his father would get out of jail.

Theodore and Keith were wanted men.

Mary didn't care. When she looked up at Theodore, she felt safe. And for her, that meant everything. She hadn't felt safety in a long time, so for her, it was the kind of feeling she never wanted to lose.

She didn't want to lose Theodore.

She tightened the hold on his hand as they entered a store. There was a summer dress in the display window that caught her gaze, and immediately drew her towards it.

Kacey snorted. She had tagged along for the ride, mostly because Don didn't trust Theodore alone with Mary. It hadn't been her idea in the slightest, and she was peeved she was even there.

Though, Theodore's company wasn't too bad. He was good looking in the way that the boys in her school would never look. He had that manly air about him, with maturity written all over him.

It drew Kacey towards him without her even realizing.

She was jealous.

"That dress is ridiculous," Kacey rolled her eyes, watching as Mary grabbed the hem of the white and navy blue summer dress. Even though Kacey found the dress cute and fashionable, she would never admit that to Mary.

The girl who stole her life.

Kacey was tired of always being in the shadow of her kidnapped sister. And now that Mary was back, Kacey hated it even more. No one cared about her; they only cared about Mary. Family reunions were thick these past few weeks, and none of her relatives even acknowledged her.

Kacey knew she would be forever in the shadow of her sister. Always.

For once, she wanted attention. She wanted the limelight, and the love. She wanted it all.

First, she had to get rid of Mary's hotshot boyfriend.

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