Chapter 53: She Runs Again II

**ALMOST A YEAR AGO...**

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"Hector! I'm so glad to see that you're okay. Where's Victoria?" Sharon said to him after she entered the building to get her things.

"She isn't here," was all he said and he continued cleaning up the mess that was made a few days ago by Addicus and his men.

"Is she...?" The word would not leave Sharon's mouth.

"Alive? Is that what you want to ask?" Hector said, his tone was a bit hostile and Sharon noticed.

"She's fine. I just didn't think it was time for her to come back here. I needed to make sure it was safe enough before I let her come back!"

***That was smart, Sharon thought.***

Addicus was a vengeful man and very unforgiving. There was a police detail watching over the place, making sure

the suspects wouldn't return and try to hurt them.

"I noticed the police car outside," Sharon said.

"Just a precaution. I told the police what happened here and they sent a car over to watch over us for a while," Hector answered.

"Did you tell them about me?" Sharon asked, worried that she might be arrested or at least, interrogated.

"No, I didn't. I told the police that they had chased a woman into the shop and I had to get involved but I didn't mention your name," Hector assured her.

"Thank you," Sharon said and was silent.

The silence was too awkward and intense so she had to break it.

"I'm sorry, Hector," she finally said with a shaky and remorseful voice, "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I know you're angry at me and probably hate me but I just want you to know that I'm so sorry."

Hector shut her up by enveloping himself around her in a comforting hug. Sharon was not expecting it so it took her by surprise.

"I'm not angry with you, Sharon. I just wish that things were different. It's easy to forget all the joy and good luck you brought to Vicky and me because of this incident, but I haven't forgotten. It's not your fault and what's happening to you is unfair. I really wish I could help you, really help you." Hector said sincerely.

"You have helped me, Hector. You have!"

It was a beautiful moment, but Sharon still had to leave. It was the only way to truly keep Hector and Victoria safe and even then, it might not be enough but she had to leave either way.

"I just came back to get some of my things. I'll be gone soon," Sharon said and started to walk up the stairs.

"Where will you go?" Hector asked.

"I don't know, Hector. I don't know!"

*And truly, she didn't!*

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And so, Sharon was once again on the run; a wanderer without a family, a nomadic creature without an abode to call home, a woman relieved of all possibilities of a normal life.

Sharon sought refuge in hostels and inns, never staying too long in one place, afraid to be found by a vengeful Addicus. She knew he had intended on doing terrible things to her because of the scar she made on his face but now, she tried not to imagine what he would do to her for making him handicapped.

She always laughed whenever she remembered cutting off his hand. It brought her great joy to remember how he screamed and begged for his life.

She had enough money to leave Costa Rica and hide away in another country, far from Addicus' reach but she didn't want to keep running anymore. She had spent so much time in Costa Rica and had grown to love the place, the culture and the people. This was her home now so she decided to stay. It would not be easy to evade Addicus' sniffing nose, but she would have to find a way.

"No more running, Sharon," she told herself, "This is your home now and you're going to find a way to make it work."

Months passed and within those months, Sharon had moved around all over Costa Rica, from city to city, never staying in one place for too long and never starting any sort of friendship or relationship with anyone, in case Addicus found her and tried to hurt another person that she cared for in order to get to her.

She spent a week in Santiago, interacted very little, and then relocated to Florencia, which she thought was her final destination, but ultimately, she didn't feel safe enough. A month later, she was in Naranjo and spent four months there. The place was a lot better than the others, but her anxiety was back again and it was stronger than ever.

She never saw Addicus or any of his men again, but for some reason, she felt like she was still being followed, so she kept moving, changing her location whenever her intuition told her it wasn't safe anymore.

She finally got to Puntarenas and decided to stay there for a long while. She paid for a room in a small hostel and stayed there for almost three months without ever socializing with any of her neighbors. A friendly "hi" and "hello" was all she ever said to anyone, that was until she met a handsome young man living across from her named **Sebastian**.

The first time she met him was when she had returned from buying some groceries and tried to put her key into the lock but dropped her bag filled with groceries. She bent to pick everything up and an extra pair of hands suddenly showed up to assist her.

"Hola," he said to her with a charming and bewitching smile that completely stunned her.

"Hola..," she managed to reply.

"Let me help you with that," he said nicely.

"No, I can do it mys..," she tried to stop him, but he was already picking up everything.

"I'm Sebastian by the way, your neighbor. I've seen you around for a few months now but you always seem to keep to yourself."

"I like my privacy," Sharon answered him dryly and finished putting everything back in the bag.

She picked up the key and tried to open her door again but was having some difficulty in doing so.

"Let me help you with that," Sebastian offered, and tried to take the key from her to open the door.

"I can do it myself," Sharon protested, and continued jamming the key into the hole but couldn't get it in.

"Just give it," Sebastian said, and she finally relinquished the key.

"Fine! Try it yourself," she said rudely, thinking he wouldn't be able to open it but he did so effortlessly.

"There you go!" He said.

She grabbed the key from him, walked into her room and rudely shut the door in his face. He was a bit offended but didn't take it too personally and left.

Later that evening, Sharon decided to apologize to Sebastian for being so rude to him. He did help her after all and the least she could do was say "thank you".

She knocked on his door and he opened it.

"Hi! Sebastian, right?" She asked, not sure if she remembered his name correctly.

"Si!"

"I wanted to say thank you for helping me earlier and also to apologize to you for being rude and not thanking you then,"

The words were hard to say for some reason she couldn't fathom.

"It's okay! I mean, you did hurt my feelings, but I'm fine. I'll heal," he said jokingly, trying to make her smile.

"Ok then! Since we have that straightened out, I guess I'll be going now," Sharon said and turned away to leave.

"Wait!" Sebastian called out to her.

"Will you at least tell me your name?" He asked politely, feeling that it was the least he deserved.

"I'm Sharon!"

"Sharon? That's a beautiful name. You're not from around here, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"Well Sharon, I just made some dinner and it smells wonderful. It's a bit too much and I can't eat it all by myself so if you'dlike to join me, that would be great," he politely invited her to dinner.

"No, thanks!" She said and went back inside her room.