Kidnap My Heart

Chapter Twenty-Four: Emma and Will

Another one of my favorite chapters to write! I love my characters a little too much. :')

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Kidnap My Heart

Chapter 24: Emma and Will  

Emma

The next day, I spent a good portion of my time watching Eric and Taylor through narrowed eyes, even when we were all eating at the dinner table. I hadn’t had a chance to continue observing them until then. We kept going downstairs to eat at different times, and they’d chosen to watch TV in Eric’s room instead of the living room, so that also contributed to the separation.

I tried to be more discreet about my staring, but I couldn’t help the way I was reacting. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. Gaining Eric’s trust was a good thing. Developing a stupid crush on him wasn’t. I just hoped Taylor would have enough sense to separate fantasy from reality before she dug a hole she couldn’t climb out of.

I was so busy staring at those two that I didn’t even notice Will had tampered with my drink until it was too late. I picked my soda can up and brought it to my mouth, and it dripped onto my t-shirt. Luckily, my shorts were spared. I sighed and shot Will a look. He’d poked a hole in my drink. “Seriously?”

Will snickered and let out a horse-like laugh while Eric and Taylor just shook their heads in amusement, Taylor’s eyes constantly glancing towards Eric’s to gauge his reaction.

Ugh!  

I abruptly stood up, nearly knocking my chair down as I did so, partly because I needed to go change and partly because I couldn’t look at them any longer. Now that I’d finally noticed their behavior—however small their gestures may have been—it was all I saw. Eighteen days. I’d made a mental calendar of our time spent here, and that was how long we’d been here. Only eighteen days and Taylor was already crushing on this guy. Openly crushing on him.

Halfway up the stairs, I noticed Will was following me. He didn’t even trust me enough to let me go upstairs and change. Once I got to the top of the stairs, I pivoted around and placed a hand on my hip. “Do you really have to follow me everywhere?”

“I’m just following orders,” he repeated, slowly scaling the last few steps. That seemed to be the only answer he was capable of giving. “I’m just following orders, I’m just doing things Eric’s way, I’m just doing what my dad said, ner, ner, ner.”

“Do you really think I’d be dumb enough to try to escape right now?” I asked.

He took a moment to ponder this. “I don’t know. You’re kind of unpredictable. I’m just being careful.”

Oh, please. “What you’re being is idiotic.”

“I don’t trust you, Rage. Why is this such a surprise?”

I fought a wave of annoyance and kept a calm façade. “Oh, it’s not a surprise. Your idiocy is the one thing I can always count on.”

He rolled his eyes. “Shut up.” A look crossed his face—a look of recognition, almost. “Why haven’t you tried to escape, anyway?”

I paused. I actually wasn’t sure how to respond to him. I couldn’t tell him the truth. I wanted to gain his trust, not lose it by saying the wrong thing, but at the same time, I didn’t want to pull a Taylor and gain his trust by making googly-eyes at him all day and giggling at all of his lame jokes. That wasn’t me. That would never be me.

Before I could think of a proper reply, Will continued. “Don’t tell me you’re starting to like it here.”

I shot him a disgusted look. Did I need to remind him of what he had taken me away from? The money, the clothes, the traveling, the cars, the notability? And here? There was nothing here. I had nothing. He had nothing.