Chapter 72: Chapter Twenty Three - Oliver Twist ... In The Flesh!-4

"Just do it!" Keegan finally groaned, exasperated. He grabbed the jackets of Evan and Shane and before Theodore could do anything back, they disappeared out the door. Theodore slowly turned to face me once again and bit his lip. "So," I started, looking up at him through my lashes. He looked everywhere but at me and to tell the truth, it kind of saddened me. I felt like I knew him forwards and backwards, thinking he felt the same way. He had made my day so many times and as embarrassing as it was to be a little misguided and think someone else wrote the letters, I knew the truth. All I wanted was to hug him and tell him thank you for being there for me in a way nobody else could be. But he had a hard time to even make eye contact. "You're the infamous Oliver?" Theo nodded a little, finally looking up at me. "If you're angry with me for my deceit, I understand. I know that what I did wasn't exactly the most clever of ways to get to become an associate of yours, but ... actually talking to someone like you just terrified me," He confessed, fiddling with his hands. I cocked my head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?" For some reason, the way he said that had my defenses up in arms. His eyes widened, as if he realized exactly what he had said and wanted to retract it. "No! I didn't mean it ... you know, in a bad way! It's just ..." He let out a heavy sigh and took off his glasses for a moment, rubbing his eyes, "You're just so amazing, you know? You're pretty and smart and I can't tell you how many times I laughed when I read your letters. You have this perfectly witty sense of humor that just makes me want to be happy all the time. It actually feels like you understand me where no one else can." Looking at me sadly, Theodore slipped his thick black frames back onto his face. "I just wish that me being me didn't change anything." Theodore rocked back and forth on his heels, staring at the ugly hospital linoleum. "Make way! Best friend coming through!" I couldn't help but grin when Shelby's anxious and loud voice pushed through the halls of the hospital. Theo's eyes widened a little and he started to back away. "She terrifies me, so I'm gonna go and let you two talk. But ..." He hesitated slightly before smiling and nodding. "But I'll be back later, once everything dies down a little." And on that note, he walked out, just as Shelby came running in, nearly knocking the boy over. She apologized quickly before running over to my bed and falling down on it, making sure she avoided any tubes or needles before pulling me into a bone crushing hug. "I was so worried about you!" she shrieked. I could hear the way her voice sounded tight, like she had been crying or near tears at the moment. I hugged her back with the same ferocity. "God, I was scared. I tried to keep my cool, cause what good would freaking out have done, but it was terrifying, Shell," I admitted quietly. We sat there for a good five minutes, just holding onto each other. With a huge sigh, Shelby finally released me, but just snuggled into the bed next to me, our arms linked. "So I've gotten to know lover boy a little better," she grinned. I groaned and tried to bury my face in the pillow, but failing. "Gabrielle, he's perfect." Peeking up at her, I cocked an eyebrow, urging her to continue. She shrugged her shoulder before saying, "He's just so ... he's just so Oliver. I mean, now that I see Theodore and I've spoken to him, I don't know how either of us ever thought Keegan or Shane fit the profile." "Don't forget you put your squeeze on the first draft of the search," I teased with a poke, making her blush. She swatted my hand away and stuck her tongue out. "So you know the story of what happened, right?" she asked me, her eyes focused in on my face. I shook my head in response. "You probably realize that you missed your Q and A with Keegan, right? Well, when you didn't show, Keegan got suspicious. You're one of those people that tries to be on time. So when about forty five minutes passed and still no Gabby, he decided to head to your house. He called Theodore on the way, asking if he'd seen you around town at all. Of course, Theodore didn't, so Keegan went down the list on his way to your house. He called Shane, Evan, me and by the time he stood outside your door, Keegan was having a full on freak-out," she recalled, her face reflecting the feelings she spoke of in her story. "It was crazy, really. Everyone showed up at your house at the same time. Evan and I pulled up just as Shane and Theodore started knocking on the door. We called the police and told them you were missing." Out of nowhere, she punched me in the arm, making me let out a yelp. "What was that for?" I demanded. Glaring at me, Shelby replied, "That was for not telling anyone about those notes, Gabrielle. When we found those, we started to completely lose it. We showed them to the police and that's when they started taking the case seriously. Then ... then we had to wait. Two days of silence and nerves. It was awful," she whispered, leaning her head on my shoulder. I gulped, feeling sick to my stomach. I should have told them about the notes. I knew it, but actually getting the words out was harder than you would think. I thought that the entire mess would just blow over at the time. "What then?" "Well, then we got a call from the station. Adam received an email with your picture attached and suddenly, the entire station was in a frenzy. They immediately knew who had you and Adam promised that he would return you safe and sound." She smiled and looked at me again, pausing the story for a moment. "I like Adam. He's like a replica of you."