Chapter Twenty-Seven: Will and Emma

Kidnap My Heart

Chapter 27: Will and Emma

Will

Emma fell asleep an hour into the car ride.  I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn’t notice until she started snoring. I never thought I’d find something like snoring so endearing, but I did. It was just a part of her.

By the time we got back to the house, she was completely conked out, and it wasn’t even nine o’clock yet. I didn’t want to wake her up, so I picked her up and carried her inside. Just like the first time I’d carried her back when I was re-kidnapping her, I marveled at how tiny and light she was. How had she managed to knock me out? How had she managed to one-up me so many times?

Why was I even asking myself these questions? I knew how. It was because I didn’t dare hurt her, even if she hurt me. Not then, and definitely not now. It wouldn’t have been fair if I’d done anything to try to harm her. I was about a foot taller than her and what, sixty, sixty-five pounds heavier than her? I couldn’t. I may have gone through with this whole kidnapping thing to help my dad, but I didn’t want to become the stereotypical nightmarish kidnapper you saw in movies.

When I went inside, Taylor and Eric were in the living room. The TV was off for once, and I got the feeling I’d just interrupted something.

Sniffles jerked away from Eric. “What happened? Is she okay?”

“Oh, she’s just sleeping. She fell asleep on the way back.”

Her shoulders visibly sagged in relief. “You scared me.”

“Sorry,” I said. I headed up the stairs to my room and turned on the light with my elbow. I didn’t want to move too much and accidentally wake Emma up.

After carefully setting her down on the bed, I removed the hat, the wig, the sideburns, the eyebrows, and her shoes. I thought I would wake her up for sure when I took the eyebrows off, but she was completely out.

I’d just finished covering her with a blanket when she turned on her side and grabbed me by the hand, her soft fingers slowly intertwining with mine. I thought she’d woken up at first so I froze, but she was still fast asleep. She’d grabbed onto my hand subconsciously, and I didn’t want her to let go.

Sitting beside her sleeping figure on the bed, I looked down at her and at our joined hands. It was a nice way to end our day together; it was the best one we’d ever had. No pranks, no fighting—just me and her. All too soon, it was over. She shifted in position and laid on her back, letting go of me in the process.

Before I left, I leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. It seemed like the natural thing to do. This had never seemed like the natural thing to do. Not once in all of my twenty-one years. I shook my head, my face still hovering over hers. “God, what are you doing to me, Rage?” I whispered.

***

Emma

Something happened while Will and I were gone. Something big. I could see it written all over Taylor’s face, and I could see it in her eyes. I could see it in Eric’s eyes and actions, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it at all.

It took a few attempts to get Taylor alone to talk to her about it, but I finally did the next afternoon. “We probably only have two minutes to talk before those two come barreling in to make sure we’re being watched over, so I’ll be quick,” I said in a low voice, guiding her to the nearest corner of the living room.

Taylor frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“What happened while Will and I were gone?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you and Eric have sex?” So maybe it wasn’t the classiest way to ask her. I could’ve subtly hinted at it, but I wanted to get straight to the point before Will and Eric could interrupt us.

Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. “Of course not! Why would you ask me that?”

“You’ve got that hazy I-just-had-sex-with-a-cute-guy-oh-my-God-I’m-so-happy look on your face,” I said.

“I didn’t—I didn’t sleep with him,” she whispered, glancing around. “I mean, I like him, but I wouldn’t sleep with him like this.”

Oh, thank God. I felt like a three-ton weight was being lifted off of my shoulders. Things would’ve gotten a lot more complicated if Taylor had slept with Eric and gotten involved with him like that.

“Then what happened?”

She glanced over my shoulder and subtly shook her head. “I’ll tell you later,” she muttered. I had no idea when later would be. Getting some alone time in this house was turning out to be a lot tougher than I’d thought it would be.

“You better,” I whispered, giving her a meaningful look before walking away. This wasn’t the kind of conversation I wanted to have in front of Will and Eric, and they were close enough that I feared they would be able to hear us.

They made a surprisingly delicious lasagna for dinner while Taylor and I sat at the kitchen counter and watched them. Again, not the best time to have a serious conversation. While Will and Eric took the time to work out after having dinner, Taylor and I watched Mean Girls and The Breakfast Club—two teen cult classics that were constantly on TV. Sometimes I worked out with Will, but I was feeling lazy that day. I thought I’d be able to talk to Taylor during this time, or maybe when they went to go take a shower, but nope. One of them was always there, just lurking. Bastards.

It was almost midnight by the time we went back to our respective rooms.

“Are you going to get out so I can change?” I asked Will.

“I’ll turn around, but I’m not letting you lock me out of my own room again.”

I would’ve let him back in this time, but whatever. “Fair enough.”

I gestured for him to turn so I could change into some pajamas. I had my own clothes to wear during the day, but I still preferred sleeping in his clothes at night. They were baggy and comfortable and perfect to sleep in.

Once I’d changed out of my jeans and my graphic tee, I tucked myself into bed. Will turned off the lights and climbed into his own bed. There was silence for a little bit until Will broke through it. “Goodnight, Rage.”

I glanced over at him. He was already looking over at me. “Goodnight, Will.”

I slept like a baby that night. I was worried about Taylor, but apparently that wasn’t enough to stop me from sleeping through the night. I actually woke up before Will for once, probably because my snoring had kept him up, and I took a shower while he was asleep. I would’ve taken the time to talk to Taylor, but she was still fast asleep and I understood how much it sucked to be woken up, so I wasn’t going to do that to her.

When I got back to the room, Will was awake. He’d already changed into a plain white t-shirt and jeans and was putting on his shoes.

“Did my snoring keep you up?” I asked as I brushed through my hair. It was still a little wet, but I’d dried most of it.

“A little,” he admitted.

“Sorry. I think my snoring has gotten worse since I’ve been here…”

He shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed. “So… is it just me, or does my brother have a thing for Taylor?”

My spine stiffened at his words; my hand froze mid-brush. “What? Why? What did he tell you?” My attention was officially peaked. I wasn’t the only one who had noticed something sketchy.

I knew Taylor had a thing for Eric. I’d established that over a week ago. But I hadn’t been sure Eric felt the same way. I mean, there had been a bit of a change in him lately, sure, but I didn’t know him as well as I knew Taylor. I didn’t talk to Eric, after all, and he’d always been nice to her. I wasn’t the best at detecting a solid change when it came to something like this. I wasn’t sure what to make of him.

“Nothing in particular,” Will said. I slowly continued brushing my hair, hoping to appear nonchalant even though I was staring a hole into him through the mirror. “It’s just something. I don’t know. Something’s different.”

My exact thoughts, vagueness and cluelessness included. But I didn’t need a repeat of my thoughts. I needed his input. “Care to elaborate on that?”

He looked up at me. Avoiding his gaze, I combed a bit of mousse through my hair—one of the few hair products I now had.

He paused, and the silence was painful. “I can’t really explain it. It’s just the way he treats her. It’s not just nice anymore.”

No, no, no, no, no…

“Maybe he’s just a nice person,” I tried. I’d given up on my efforts to distract myself and turned around to face him. Screw my hair. I had bigger problems, and it looked fine.

“No, it’s more than that. I know my brother, Rage. I think he’s falling for her.”

“That’s ridiculous. He’s her kidnapper. This is just… reverse Stockholm syndrome.” I felt sick to my stomach. Taylor’s crush on Eric had been bad enough, but this? This was so much worse.

They couldn’t have a thing for each other. It wasn’t right. What was Taylor going to tell her parents when she finally went home and brought Eric with her? “Oh, hey, mom. Hey, dad. This is Eric Knight. He’s the guy who kidnapped me. Oh, but he’s not a bad guy! Please don’t imprison him.” There was no way a relationship would ever work out between them. They needed to walk away from this before it exploded in their faces. It was going to happen; I just knew it. Romances like theirs were like supernovas: bright, fiery and beautiful, but only for a short-lived moment. When that moment passed, it left behind debris and wreckage that lingered for years. This was going to break my best friend’s heart.

“I don’t think it is,” Will said, irritation entering his tone. “Why is this so hard to believe?”

Because I don’t want to see my best friend get hurt. “Because it’s absolutely ridiculous. It’s never going to go anywhere. They come from two different worlds.”

“So? This is the twenty-first century. Things have changed.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Have you ever dated someone with money, Will?”

“Yeah,” he said.

“I’m talking more than just a fling.”

An offended look crossed his face. “What, are you saying all I am is a good fling?”

Why was he so offended by this? From what I’d gathered, flings were his thing. Hell, he’d seen me as a fling right from the start. What was his problem?

I decided to be completely blunt. Flings were his thing; bluntness was mine. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. If you’d seriously dated a girl with money, you’d know it doesn’t matter what century it is. Money marries money. Rich girls don’t marry poor boys. It’s still like that. Deviating from that is still frowned upon and strongly discouraged.”

For once, Will was silent. He wasn’t even looking at me anymore. He was staring straight down, right at the floor.

Time to rip off the Band-Aid. Quick and painless. “Let’s be real here, Will. There’s a reason you kidnapped us, after all. You’re broke. Guys like you and Eric have nothing to offer a girl like Taylor.”

“Or a girl like you.”

The look on his face… it stung. I could feel the color leaving my cheeks, but I forced myself to nod and agree. “Or a girl like me.”

He went silent again, his jaw tightening as he nodded.

I should’ve kept quiet. I’d said enough. I’d made my point. But instead, I kept going, rubbing salt in the wound. “Don’t be such a baby. You knew this already. Even you aren’t that stupidly idealistic.”

Silence. I was met with more silence. Unable to stand there and look at him anymore, I slowly ambled over to the bed and sat down, making sure to keep a bit of space between us. Sitting next to him was better than standing right in front of him where I could see every emotion that passed through his face.

“That’s not why we kidnapped you guys,” he finally said.

I glanced over at him. “Oh? Please, enlighten me. What other reason could you possibly have?” I could already guess what he was going to say: “I’m following my dad’s orders, blah, blah, blah.”

“We did it because of our dad. He’s not just the one behind all of this. He’s the one who guilt-tripped us into helping him. I mean, yeah, having money would be nice, I guess, but Eric and I never would have resorted to this on our own. It’s not who we are. We grew up without money and turned out fine.”

I begged to differ, but whatever. “Sure didn’t seem that way when you made me live in a garage for two days. You seemed like exactly that kind of guy.”

He was looking over at me again, finally, but I didn’t want to make eye-contact. “Not my finest moment, I’ll admit… I’m sorry about that, by the way.”

My resolve to avoid eye-contact faded. “What?”

“I’m sorry I kept you in there and made you miss Taylor’s birthday.”

“Why would you say sorry?” What was wrong with him?

A look of confusion crossed his face. “Is there a problem with me saying sorry?”

“No, it’s just… it’s weird.”

He shrugged. “I was pissed off, but you were just fighting for your freedom.”

Was this real life? Was I seriously hearing these words come out of William Knight’s mouth? What happened to his resolve to keep me in that garage for all of eternity? “So if you could go back, you wouldn’t put me in there?”

“No, I’d probably still put you in there.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course.”

There was another moment of silence. These moments were starting to get to me.

“So you think Eric will just be a fling to Taylor?”

No. No, I didn’t think he would just be a fling to Taylor. Taylor was already too far in. She was falling for Eric the way Will claimed Eric was falling for her. But I couldn’t let Will know this. I couldn’t risk it. Taylor could do something crazy like try to stay if she knew Eric felt the same way, and this was no way to live. This was no place for a relationship.

I couldn’t tell the truth. I had to lie.

Technically, I wouldn’t be lying. Taylor would most likely be forced to let whatever this was be just a fling. It would never fly with her family.

“Let’s say a girl has two outfits,” I began, clasping my hands together.

Will’s eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

“Just wait. Let me finish. This has a point, I promise.” When he nodded, I tried it again. “Let’s say a girl has two outfits. The first outfit is comprised of a gorgeous new Versace dress that was designed just for her, a pair of Dolce and Gabbana heels, and a diamond necklace. The outfit is a gift from her parents. The heels aren’t very comfortable, and the rough material of the dress leaves something to be desired, but the diamond necklace is beautiful and enchanting. Everyone who sees her outfit comments on how perfect it is and how well it suits her.”

“What does this—”

I ignored him and cut him off. “The second outfit is just a cotton pajama onesie with a cat theme. Not just cats. Cats in space. It has no shoes and no accessories to go with it. The onesie is the most comfortable thing the girl has ever worn, and the weird cat theme never fails to make her laugh or at least smile. Her feet feel free for once, and she doesn’t even notice the lack of accessories because it’s just a cat onesie. But no one comments on the onesie because the girl never talks about it and never wears it outside, only when she’s alone in her room. The time comes to leave the house and go to a public event. It’s nothing big, but her parents and friends will be there. Which outfit is she going to pick? Which outfit is she going to go with? The one her parents picked out for her or the one she secretly picked out and never showed anyone?”

Will was speechless for a moment. In this moment, I worried he may not have understood the point I was trying to make. But he did. “You thought this out.”

I didn’t answer.

“Did you suspect something was going on between them?”

Yes. But I still didn’t want to answer.

“Or did you come up with this to talk yourself out of something?”

I let out an awkward chuckle and stared straight at the wall. “If you’re insinuating I came up with this because of you, you are sadly mistaken.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him shrug. “Just calling them as I see them.”

“And that’s why you’re wrong.”

He was being ridiculous. Why would I come up with something like that for him? Because of one tiny kiss he’d forced on me? Because I didn’t want to get him in trouble and ruin his life? The thought had never even crossed my mind before he brought this subject up.

I pointedly turned away from him even more. After a bit of silence, Will asked, “So have your parents picked out an outfit for you?”

At first, I was confused, confused enough to turn back around. “What?”

“Have your parents picked out an outfit for you?”

Oh. The metaphor. He was referring to my metaphor. That made more sense. “Oh. No, they haven’t. Not yet.”

“Yet?”

I shrugged. “It’s going to happen eventually. Just not in the way you’d think.”

He raised his eyebrows at me.

“It’s subtle. It’s not like, ‘Date this guy and in a few years, you’re marrying him.’”

“Then how is it?”

“It’s subtly suggested and encouraged. I saw it happen to my cousin. With her, it started off with family dinners. Their two families came together once in a while and just had dinner or something. Then they started suggesting activities for her and Grant to do. They invited her on their family vacation. They encouraged Grant to bring her to a friend’s wedding as his date. They continued doing this until it just… happened. My cousin and Grant started dating. And it just went from there. They’re getting married next year.”

Will chuckled, but it wasn’t his usual laughter. He didn’t sound amused. “No room for the cat onesie, then.”

I looked at him, but he was staring at the ground again. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were convinced you’re the cat onesie.”

He finally looked over, and the look in his gorgeous blue eyes made me stop. “Aren’t I?”

“No.”

“You grouped Eric and me into the same category. You said guys like us don’t belong with girls like Taylor. Or girls like you. If Eric is a cat onesie, then so am I, at least by default.”

Godammit. “Sometimes you make me think you’re not as dumb as you seem.”

“I have my moments.”

I sighed quietly. He wasn’t my cat onesie. He couldn’t be. “Maybe you’re a cat onesie. You’re just not my onesie.”

***

My one chance to weave some symbolism into this story and this is what I pick. A space cat pajama onesie. #swag #justkiddingIhateswag

Anyways, updates will be a little slower this month, probably an update every 3-4 days instead of 1-2 days like in January. Track is starting, and I'm seriously behind on my government modules. I won't have as much time to write, but I'll make sure to update regularly. :')