❤ Stockholm Syndrome 🔫 | ✔

♧ Chapter 28 ♧

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           "Erica!" my little, 9-year-old brother exclaims while running over to the bed, on my left. He's wearing a blue and red chequered shirt and black jeans. His brown hair is combed to the right side of his head, with a few stray strands hanging down in front of his face. His blue eyes remind me so much of the ocean (and Mark). He gives me a big hug and a kiss.

           "Hey, Benny!"

           "How are you feeling?" he asks, pulling away. He's so compassionate.

           "I'm fine. I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to you much yesterday."

           "That's okay, " he says with a soft smile.

           "I hope you've been a good boy while I was away." I give him a side-look, and he just chuckles and sits in the chair.

           "Hey, knucklehead," my 23-year-old sister, Elisabeth, teases while ruffling my hair. She has her black hair in a high ponytail, and tons of make-up on her face - black eyeliner surrounds her silver-blue eyes, pink blush takes over her cheeks, and hot red lipstick stands out on her lips. She is clothed in a bright, pink dress, too. "You look better than when I saw you yesterday. You know...not fucked up."

           "Language, please!" Mom chides Elisa from her left. She wears a grey dress and a white, pearl necklace. Her black hair is hanging down, cutting sharply at her chin.

           "Yeah, yeah," she retorts, waving her hand at Mom. "So...who's that handsome looking nurse I just saw leaving your room?"

           "Elisabeth Teresa Smith, that's not why we're here," Dad says, pulling her away from the bed. He has on a red (ugh!) shirt and blue jeans, and his brown hair is slicked back. Elisa gives him a serious glare.

           "That's okay, Elisa. We can talk some other time," I say with a wink. She nods and smirks in response as she now stands at the foot of the bed. "Why are you here then, Dad?"

           Dad comes to stand on my right and Mom stands on the left, behind the chair Benny is in. "Honey," he starts, "We came to talk about where you've been for the past year."

           I gulp. I was not ready for this. It was too soon to talk about everything, especially with James here and all. The growing pain in my abdomen causes me to flinch, and my stomach growls.

           "Can't we talk about this some other time? It's too early, and frankly, I'm not in the mood," I tell him.

           "Sweetheart, the police wants a statement from you regarding your resurfacing, now that you're in a hospital," Mom says.