Love Game

Chap Five: Sweet Escape

I was still pressed against the wall while Neal banged and banged at the lift door. He shouted and then some but nothing happened. His voice echoed in the lift and everytime his voice rose, I flinched inwardly because no one was replying. And it was getting blacker and blacker, it felt like the lift doors were closing in on me, and I was getting dizzier. There was no way we could escape now, we were going to be stuck here, forever.

"JAVIER! JAVIER!" Neal shouted again, nausea filled my stomach. I was going to faint. I knew I was going to faint.

"Neal?" I whispered but his voice was cracking through the box and he couldn't hear me. I wanted light, I needed light! I started fishing in my bag for anything that would give me even a small flicker of light but I had nothing!

"Neal!" I said loudly and he stopped shouting. My head was literally going round and round now.

"Look you've been shouting for a long time, now. I'll do it." I said, I was behaving like such a loser, he had done all the work and I hadn't even stopped to think how he was feeling.

"No, it's okay, I'll do .." He started saying but I managed to cross the small space and stand beside him.

"No, I'm sorry. I was behaving like such a jerk, but I'm fine. I'll do it." I said and then I shouted through the door. I heard Neal whistle.

"Wow, some voice you have there." He commented and my heart thumped a little. He was trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"Yeah, it's genetic." I said and when I shouted again, I felt Neal's hand slip through mine and he held on tight.

"We'll make it." His words made me hope. We will make it, if I shouted loud enough. I squeezed his hand and then my screams were loud enough to wake the dead.

Neal slid down to the floor and his grip on my hand went lax.

"Neal? You okay?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah, just dead beat." He muttered.

"Are you going to faint on me?" I squealed and I heard his light chuckle.

"Men don't faint, baby." Was his reply but it reassured me, he wasn't going to faint.

"Oh that is the biggest lie in the world." I replied back and continued screaming.

After fifteen minutes of screaming, I was agitated and irritated and hellishly scared. No one was coming and it was nine, already!

"Javier? JAVIER?" I shouted.

"Who is it?" I heard a faint voice call and I froze in place. Neal stood up beside me and started beating on the door.

"JAVIER? We're stuck in the lift!" Neal shouted.

"Neal? Is that you, man?" I heard the voice again and relief washed through me in waves.

"Oh my God, Neal." I whispered but he was busy instructing Javier.

"Okay, you hang in there." I heard the Javier person say .. and then there was silence again.

"We did it." Neal said and his voice sounded faint, I couldn't speak! My voice was clogged back but Oh my God, we freaking did it.

After ten minutes, the light of the elevator came on and the doors opened, the first thing I saw was Neal's face and at that moment I realised just how unbelievably lucky we were.

"See I told you, we'll make it!" Neal said, he looked tired but happy and tears filled my eyes.

I crossed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around him, tightly and just then the tears over-flooded me.

"Whoa, easy there." He said and then his arms closed around me as well.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" I repeated again and again but Neal didn't say a thing, he just held me and stroked my hair.

"Oh thank God, you're out." I heard a voice say and I turned around.

I let go off Neal and walked over to Javier and hugged him tight as well.

"You saved our lives!" I all but shouted at him.

"Yeah, I did." He said and a smile broke around his face.

"Thanks, buddy. I owe you one." Neal said and Javier winked at him.

"I'll keep that in mind, my man." He said teasingly and I cried and laughed at the same time.

Neal took me outside in the darkness of the night and I flinched.

"How are you gonna go back?" Neal asked me and I was lost for an answer.

"Um, I go by bus but I guess I can take a cab." I muttered.

"Oh no, missy. Come on, I'll give you a ride home." He said and again he took my hand.

A warm feeling spread through me. His hand went awfully nice in mine as he tagged me along to the parking lot.

"Neal, no it's okay. I'll take a cab." I said but he just tugged me harder.

"I know what happened in the damned elevator and I know just how tired and scared you were. I'm not leaving you in the dark like that." He said and then opened the door to his car and pushed me in. Ironically I smiled, he was so caring and sweet.

When he were outside my place, he came around and opened the door for me.

A gentleman, I was a sucker for them.

He walked with me to the door and then gave me a small smile.

"Sweet escape, huh." He said and I smiled back.

"Neal, thanks seriously. You were the one who kept me sane, if I was in there alone I would have fainted and lost all hope but you were really really supportive towards me and you were there always reassuring me and that made me hope. Thanks." I said in a rush and then blushed.

"Wow, that's the biggest sentence you have ever said to me." Neal chimed teasingly and I laughed.

"It's okay, baby. You were there for me too." He said and then he bent down and kissed me lightly on the cheek.

"Take my advice and use the stairs next time." He whispered near my ear and then he was crossing the space to his car. While I stood there, transfixed and my heart beating like a wild thing.

"Bye, Miss Summer." He shouted as he slid in his seat and then drove away.

Oh my God, what the heck had happened just now?!