I woke up to a new day, ready to get my point. The thoughts of my parents and the forced marriage were not bothering me as much anymore. I guess my new goal in life made me focus more on Jones, and somehow it made me happier. He is funny but scary at the same time, so I have to be careful from now on.

 I went downstairs with my spongebob pyjama with a plan in mind. I walked towards the kitchen table and I saw lots of food on it. Breakfast. Jones was sitting there, eating breakfast with a phone in one hand.

"Is that Lucy again?" I asked him while taking a seat.

"None of your business Mariana." He told me without looking up, it's starting to make me crazy.

"Hey Jane" I told her as I saw her entering the kitchen.

"Hey Mariah, did you sleep well?" She asked me with a smile on her face.

"Yes I did, what about you?" I asked her, retuning the smile.

"I was sleeping just fine. What are you going to do today?" She asked me, still standing up.

"What I did yesterday." I told her.

"And what was that?" She asked me, her eyes curios.

"Nothing." I said with a wide smile, trying not to laugh at my own joke, at least Jane was laughing.

Sudden pain came to my stomach and I flinch.

It's today isn't it? 

Fuck

I ran to the bathroom in the first floor and closed the door behind me. I am screwed. I didn't see any blood on my yellow pyjama so I decided not to look somewhere else. I needed to get pads before it's too late. I walked out of the bathroom and went to my room. I changed to black shorts and a simple red t'shirt. Even if I had blood, you wouldn't notice. I went downstairs again, back to the kitchen. Jones was still there, now looking up at me. I couldn't see Jane anywhere.

"Where is Jane?" I asked Jones. He ignore.

"I am going out." I told him before I left the kitchen. I heard heavy foot steps behind me and I got kind of mad. He is unbelievable.

"To where exactly?" He asked in his low voice as he blocked the door.

"None of you business." I told him as I tried to walk past him. Tried was the key word.

"To where?" He asked and looked bothered.

"To the mall, now get out go my way Jones." I told him and tried to walk past him again.

"I told you you should laugh more, at least laugh until you are not as fat as the door!" I told him, now more mad than before.

"You are not going out Mariana and that's final. If I see you leave this house, you will sleep outside today. The choice is yours." He said and walked past me, not blocking the door anymore.

"It's important Kevin." I told him, my voice sounded a little sad.

He turned around.

"What's so important about going to the mall?" He asked and rolled his eyes.

"I need to get something." I told him and looked down on the floor, too afraid to answer his next question.

"What is so important that you need to get Mariana?" He asked, his eyes full of confusion.

"Stop calling me Mariana! You know it's not my real name, so just stop! I hate it when you do it, it's like I am no one, it's like you are too good to even remember my name so just stop it! And about the mall, forget it! I don't need to explain myself to you! I don't care if I will have to sleep outside today, I am going to the mall whether you like it or not!" I was yelling at him with all of the energy that I had left.

I hate him! I hate him! 

I opened the door and walked outside, to the hot day. I had some money from the other day at Logan's house so I decided to take a taxi to the closest mall and just buy the freaking pads. I found a taxi after 10 long minutes of looking. 

After a ride of 25 minutes I finally got to the mall.

 It was ok. 

I was tired. 

I was furious.

 I was hungry. 

I wanted to go back to the house and slap him. He is so rude, and annoying, and mean, and scary. He acts like I am no one while I am trying to give him a chance. Even though it doesn't look like it, I am really trying to get to know him. 

He doesn't care. 

He ignores me.

 I should just st... shootings. That's all I could hear. I saw people ran away, I saw fear in their eyes. But I couldn't hear anything but the shootings. Each one brought more tears into my eyes. I needed to get out of there.

I needed to ran, I couldn't. 

The next thing I heard was crying. It was close to me. I felt it under me. I looked down. The next thing I heard was the little girl hugging my legs, calling me 'mommy'. I got out of the shock that I was in for too long and I wiped the tears from my eyes. 

The little blond girl was still there. I bent down, still listening to the awful shootings and how they are fading away. I looked to the girl in the eyes, she was still crying. She saw that I was not her mother so she backed away. Fear in her sad brown eyes.

"Hey blondie what's your name?" I asked her, trying to sound the most calm that I can sound like in this situation.

"Mommy told me not to talk to strangers." She whispered, and I could her the fear in her voice.

"I am not a stranger blondie, tell me where your mom is and we will find her together." I told her as I came closer to her.

Suddenly the shootings became louder. They are close. I picked the girl in my hands and started to run with her towards the exit. The shootings became louder and louder, the next thing I heard was someone screaming. Someone that was next to me. Someone who is dead by now. 

 I had to save this girl I told myself as I ran as fast as I could towards the exit. She was still crying, but now it was even louder. Now, I could clearly hear the sadness in her voice. 

The tears were about to come out but I didn't let them, I have to be strong, for her. I ran, and ran, and ran. It felt like forever. When I was finally outside I ran to the line of taxies and got in without looking back. 

The driver looked stressed, he knew what was going on inside. He asked me for the address but at this point I just couldn't think. My brain was empty. I didn't even know what address means. It took me a couple of seconds to get back to myself, and I told him the address without even feeling like something was just coming out of my mouth. I was still in shock. 

I looked at the little blond girl that was sitting on my lap. She was staring at me, deep in the eyes. Her deep brown eyes were analysing me, looking for information, seeing if they can trust me or not. I didn't know what to say. What if she just lost her mother?

"What's your name pretty girl?" I asked her and wiped away her tears.

She came close to my hear

"Ellie." She whispered and then showed me 3 little fingers.

"You are 3 years old?" I asked her quietly and she nodded. 

At that moment I wanted to cry. She is a human, just like all of us. She has a name, a family. Without thinking I hugged her tightly. I wanted her to feel safe. I didn't let go and she fell asleep in my arms after a couple of minutes. 

I took deep breaths so calm myself down. The man died, he was right next to me. I could die too. The car came to a stop and dropped the both of us in the house. I paid the driver and I woke up Ellie. I couldn't carry her more, I felt like I was about to faint. When she saw the house, her eyes widen.

"I know, it's a huge house right?" I said with a smile and she nodded again.

Just stay strong Mariah, only for a couple of minutes. I opened the unlocked door with her holding my hand. As I went inside the house I heard fast and heavy footsteps coming towards my way. I can't face him now. He ran towards me and then stopped, looking at Ellie. He then was looking at me. Concern was all I could see in his eyes and I wondered why. I broke the stare and bent down, facing Ellie.

"Hey Ellie look." I pointed at him.

"This is my husband, Kevin. He will give you whatever you want so all you have to do is ask. I will just go get the two of us a glass of water and I will be back, ok?" I asked her quietly.

She suddenly hugged me and I whispered in her ear.

"I will find your mommy, I promise." I stood up on my feet and turned around giving Kevin a tired smile.

I walked to the kitchen and took two glasses of water, I filled them up and I walked back to the living room. I was worried that Kevin will scare her away but I saw the two of them laughing on the couch when I came back.

"What are you laughing about?" I asked, my eyes are on Kevin.

"Nothing." They both said at the same time.

They were laughing at me, but I was happy to see Ellie smile. I was happy to see Kevin laugh, he has a nice laugh and all I wanted to do was listening to it over and over again. I gave her the glass of water and I took her in my arms to my room. 

After telling her that I will find her 'mommy' she fell asleep. I walked out of my room quietly just to meet Kevin outside.

"Are you ok?" He asked me, his eyes still full of concern.

I walked to the hallway, I didn't want to talk to him right now. I am too weak.

"Why do you care Kevin?" I asked him and he followed me.

Why did he follow me?

"I heard what happened at the mall, I just wanted to make sure if you were ok." He told me.

He doesn't care about you Mariah, he is only trying to mess with your head.

"Leave me alone." I told him and closed the bathroom door.

I needed to cry right now. Before I had the chance to lock it, he opened it and locked it behind him.

"Tell me what happened." He ordered but his voice was far away from that. His voice was not dangerous, not angry. His voice was weak, quiet, worried.

"No! Go away Kevin! Now!" I was slapping him on the chest but it was weak, it didn't affect him, he didn't even move.

He took my hands off his chest and pushed me into him. Into his body. His warm muscular arms were around me, and mine were around him. 

He hugged me. 

Kevin Jones hugged me, and I hugged him back. We were so close, our bodies pressed against each other. I never wanted that moment to end. He was letting me feel like I am safe, like I am not alone in this world. I knew I cried on his chest, but I didn't care. I needed it, I needed him. As my crying got louder he hugged me tighter and whispered:

"It's ok Mariah, I am here, it's all over now, you are safe, I promise I will protect you."

He called me Mariah, he said he will protect me. Is that the Kevin I know? I looked up at his eyes, trying to find truth in them. I did. His eyes were showing a different emotion in them, for the first time.

"I...I...I...was tr...try...ing to..sa..save her." I said, not only my voice shaky, but my whole body.

"You did the right thing Mariah, I am proud of you." He said and looked straight into my eyes.

"You are proud of me?" I asked and my head came back to his chest, to my safe place, and I found myself crying even louder now.

"I am proud of you." He whispered.

I cried on his chest for hours, or at least it felt like it. But he was there, playing with my hair and saying that he is proud of me. He is proud of me.

"What if we never find her mom?" I asked him and looked up again.

"We will, and it will all go back to being normal again." He said and returned the stare.

"I don't want anything to go back to being normal." I suddenly said. Fuck, that was a bad response

I first saw confusion in his eyes, but after a second I saw his eyes widen from realisation. He slowly released me from his hold and moved back a little.

"Umm.. I will go see what I can do about her mom." He said without looking at me in the eyes and got out of the bathroom quickly.