Stalked

Twenty

"Tyler?" I asked in shock.

"Ariana?!" He shouted back.

I launched to my feet and ran at him. I jump hugged him and he caught me with just as much excitement. He hugged me so tight I saw dots but I don't really care. My best friend is back to me and I couldn't be happier.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Helping Steve rescue trafficked people, hoping to find you. I didn't think you were even alive anymore!" He said with his eyes filling with tears.

"I recognized her from the pictures" The first man said, who had fed us.

"Oh this is Adam and Steve" Tyler said.

Adam is the one who fed us and Steve is the man who he walked in with.

"This is Carson, Riley, and Eric" I said, pointing to everyone on the couch.

"You are all safe now, no one will hurt you anymore" Steve promised, looking at us with reassuring eyes.

"Thank you!" Riley cried as she ran towards Steve.

This girl is broken beyond repair, I could tell just by looking at her. But Eric looked like a statue, I couldn't read him.

"A little to late to save the important ones" Eric snapped before walking out of the room through the door we came in through.

Adam turned towards the door but I stopped him. He nodded, without needing a word, and I walked after Eric. I may not know him, but I do know he's lost someone close to him. I walked outside to see him curled up against the wall, I walked towards him and sat in front of him.

"You wanna talk?" I asked.

"You don't know me, you don't care" He said coldly.

"You're right" I shrugged.

He shot his eyes to meet mine and he looked confused and hurt.

"I don't know you, but I know something's wrong" I clarified.

"Why do you even care?" He asked.

"Because I want to help" I said.

"You can't, help can't bring Taylor back" He said as his eyes filled with tears.

"Who's Taylor?" I asked, trying to secretly get information from him.

"She was my girlfriend" He croaked.

"Did she come with you?" I asked.

"Yes" He said.

"What happened?" I asked.

"He killed her" He said with anger in his sad eyes.

"Who?" I asked.

"Martin" He said, I'm guessing his kidnapper.

"I'm so sorry" I said.

"Yeah right" He shrugged off.

"I know how you feel" I said, trying to comfort him.

"You can't! You don't know how it feels to lose someone you wanted to spend the rest of your life with" He snapped.

He didn't say it in an angry way, he said it in a broken way.

"Derrick killed my parents and my brother, trust me, I know how you feel" I said, putting my hand on his.

"He did?" He asked.

I nodded sadly and he moved so that he was not curled up but sitting Indian style. He patted the ground next to him and I shifted to be there. He hugged me and I just let him cry into my neck. It wasn't romantic at all like Carson, it was like if it were Tyler. Eric was just as broken as me and we both needed someone who understood. I will be that person even if he's not mine.