The song for this Chapter is "Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne

Steph's P.O.V

Today was the day. Today I would come face to face once again with the man who took over a year of my life away. I hadn't seen Tara since our fight, but I really do hope she's doing alright. I've called, texted, e-mailed. Any form of communication out there I've tried, yet, I got no response.

It hurts, you know. Having someone so close to you one day and the next they just...vanish. Will she come back to me? I don't know. Maybe she will, maybe she won't. Will we ever talk again? I hope so. But I'm not the type of person who's going to force her to do something she doesn't want to do. If she wants to go her own way without me, then who am I to stop her. Everything happens for a reason, right? So even though it's going to be painful at first, what's meant to be will be.

If and when she's ready to talk like a rational human being, I'll be here. Patiently waiting. Today I would be facing Joe and my fake mother. It's insane what my life has turned to.

"Baby, are you feeling alright?" Carter asks.

"Mhm," I say.

"No. Don't 'mhm' me. You look like you're about to cry. What's wrong? Talk to me," he pleads. I couldn't keep what I was thinking and feeling inside any longer. It was too much to bear. Sitting on our bed, I finally breakdown in front of him.

"I'm lost, Carter. I feel like I don't even know who I am anymore. Do you know what it's like to find out that the people you called 'mom' and 'dad' your whole life, aren't even your real parents? That a woman was so fucked up in the head she kidnapped a newborn baby from the hospital and decided to call it her own? Do you know what it's like to be kidnapped by your boyfriend's rivals, ex-fiance, and your best friend's fiance who turned out to be related to my fake mother? To lose more than a year of your life and only think it was maybe a month or two? To be starved and repeatedly beaten for no reason at all, other than your kidnapper's entertainment. Carter, I'm not me anymore. I feel like the life I'm living isn't even my own. I feel like I'm drowning on the inside, and I know, I know you want to be here for me and help me, but I don't think there is any helping me. My best friend doesn't even talk to me anymore. And I try, I really do try to tell myself that everything happens for a reason and that somehow, this is all going to work out for the better. But is it? Is it really ever going to be better? I'm never going to be the same girl that I was a year ago. I'm scared to step outside the doors of our house because I don't want something like this to happen again. Carter, I'm afraid to go to sleep at night because I fear that once I close my eyes and open them again, you're not going to be there anymore. And I'll be back in that basement, tied to a chair. Carter, I don't know what to do anymore," I say, tears running down my face.

"Baby. I know. I know that you're hurting. I know that you're never going to be the same. I know you feel like you're not you anymore. But I love you. And I promise you, Steph, I'm not going anywhere. If I could back in time and make you stay at the office I would. If I could change things I would let it be me that they took. I know you're hurt because Tara isn't speaking to you anymore. I can't imagine what you went through. Sure they took me, but only for a few days. You spent more than a year with those monsters, so I'm not going to pretend I know exactly what you're going through and how you feel. But I am going to be here for you no matter what. I'm not leaving. I'm not going anywhere. So we're going to walk into that courthouse and we're going to face this head-on. Together," he says, holding my hand and pressing our foreheads together while a tear runs down his cheek.

It was here that I realized he loved me. He truly loved me. I was missing for a year and he didn't stop loving me. For the first time, I found a guy that's going to be my ride or die. And even though there were endless possibilities as to what could happen from here, I know that he's always going to be by my side through it all.

"I love you," I say, looking into his eyes. Even though we've said those three little words to each other so many times, this time it had a new meaning. There was something different about those words now. But it was a good kind of different.

"I love you too, Steph. I love you so fucking much," he says, giving me a kiss.

"Boss, are you ready to go?" Carter's driver, Alex, says through the door.

"Yes, we'll be right out," Carter replies.

"I'll be in the car," Alex says. The sound of receding footsteps lets us know that he has left.

"Are you ready to go?" Carter asks me.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I say, taking his hand and walking out the house with him. Getting in the car, we drive to the courthouse to see Brad and Carter's parents already there waiting for us. I really hoped that Tara would be here, but of course, she isn't.

As if he could read my mind, Carter says, "Hey, she chose to walk away. That's on her,"

Walking inside the courthouse, Carter and I sit beside each other with our lawyer while Brad and Carter's parents sit behind us. To our right, we see both Joe and Teresa sitting next to their lawyer, a sickening smile on both of their faces.

"Order in the court!" the judge says, hitting his gavel three times and making the room go silent.

"Everything is going to be ok," Carter says kissing my hand.

(Author's Note: I have no idea how a court case works, so if this wrong please let me know)

"We would like to call Carter Drew Mason to the stand please," the judge says.

After taking an oath to tell nothing but the truth, Carter sits down in the witness box.

"Can you please tell us the events that led up to your girlfriend Stephanie getting kidnapped?" our lawyer says.

"Sure. It was a Friday night. Steph had finished up all of the work she needed to do for me, but I was working on something, so I told her I'd come home once I got a decent amount done. I figured she would've taken a shower and relaxed herself a bit. So she left the office. I told our driver, Alex, to take her home," he says.

"And what happened when you finished work and went home?" Our lawyer asked.

"Once I got home, I was calling out for her, but I didn't get a reply. I ran to our bedroom, thinking she was asleep or something, but that's when I noticed that our lamp was knocked over and the mirror was broken. Blood on some of the shards of glass on the floor. It was soon after I noticed the note left on our bed," Carter says.

"It's good you brought up the note. Is this the note that you first received?" our lawyer asks, holding up a piece of paper.

"Yes, it is," Carter replies.

"Could you read it for us?" our lawyer asks.

"Sure. It says, Carter, Carter, Carter. I'm afraid that you lose my friend. If you ever want to see your beloved girlfriend again, meet me at this address: 1042 Bridgeview Road. Stephanie is a very pretty girl and I can see that she means a lot to you. It'd be a shame if something were to...happen to her now, wouldn't it? Come alone and quickly. I don't know if I'll be able to keep my hands off of her much longer. Remember, time is running out. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock" Carter says.

"After reading this note, what was going through your mind?" our lawyer asks.

"I knew I had to go get my girl back, but I also knew it was a trap. I sent multiple people to scope out the place and they even went inside but there was no one there. When I was informed that there was some movement at the address, I quickly got down there. But it was too late, they had already moved her. That's when I got knocked over the head and when I woke up, my ex-fiance was there," Carter says.

"That's all for now. Thank you, your honor," our lawyer says. Now it was time for Joe and Teresa's lawyer to question Carter.

"Mr. Mason. You and Steph have been dating for quite a while now, is that correct?" their lawyer asks.

"Yes, that is correct," Carter replies.

"So, it's safe to say that you guys trust each other and tell each other everything. There's no secrets in your relationship whatsoever?" their lawyer asks.

"Nope. None. We have a very open communication system. In fact, just this morning we had a good heart-to-heart conversation," Carter replies.

"Very good, that's essential in any relationship. Now, earlier when you were running us through what happened the night Steph was taken, you said you were working on something. Can you please tell us what that something was?" the lawyer asks.

"It was work-related stuff. Nothing special," Carter replies.

"Really? I may not have superpowers, but it seems like you're lying, Mr. Mason. It seems I have made you uncomfortable with this question. So, I'm going to ask once more. What is it that you were working on the night your beloved girlfriend was taken?" their lawyer responds. It was true, Carter did seem a little nervous once their lawyer asked him what he was working on.

"Objection!" our lawyer shouts.

"Over-ruled," the judge says.

"Mr. Mason? We're waiting on an answer here," Joe and Teresa's lawyer says.

"Mr. Eifman, what's happening?" I ask our lawyer.

"I fear that there is something Carter hasn't told us that might screw this case up," our lawyer replies.

"Mr. Mason? I think you're hiding something. As they say, 'the truth will set you free'. So please, tell us. What were you working on?" their lawyer says.

"I was looking into some information that I was told," Carter says finally.

"Information about what? Nuclear Missles? Have you found a way to stop Global Warming? Did you recently discover that unicorns are real? What information were you looking into?" their lawyer asks.

"I received information a few weeks before Steph was taken that she was kidnapped as a child. Looking over that information, I was able to get a location on her birth parents," Carter says, causing the whole courtroom to gasp. Wait...he knew?

"Is that so? You said that you and Steph had open communication, right?" their lawyer asks.

"Yes, that is true," Carter replies.

"Now, as I said before, I might not have superpowers, but by the look on Stephanie's face, I don't think she knew about this," their lawyer says. I was trying my hardest not to cry. How could he not tell me? How could he know for weeks and not say anything? What is it about the people I'm surrounding myself with? Because it seems like everyone, just wants to hurt me.

"I-I," Carter starts, only to be cut off by Joe and Teresa's lawyer.

"If Mr. Mason claims to have an open relationship with his girlfriend, but she didn't know about this, how can we rule Mr. Mason out as a suspect? As the coordinator of this whole ordeal? What else is Mr. Mason not telling us about?" their lawyer asks. Looking at the questionable looks on the jury's face, Joe and Teresa's lawyer says, "That's all for now,". Leaving the witness box, Carter comes and sits down next to me, attempting to take my hand.

"Don't touch me," I say, taking my hand away from him.

"Baby, I-," he starts.

"Don't," I reply cutting him off. I was angry. I was hurt. I just wanted this whole thing to be over. I needed it to be over. Because in all honesty, I think I'm going insane. But I needed to keep holding on till it was all over.

"Just keep holding on," I tell myself.

Keep holding on