The Elemental

Chapter 6: Escape

Alyssa took a deep breath in to calm herself.

Think about something else. Anything. Anything besides the fact that I'm helping the son of my mother's killer... Oh god, I kissed him.

She covered her mouth with her hand as her thoughts fixated on how soft his lips felt against hers. She could almost still feel—

The bathroom door opened and she looked up with a start.

Johnny glanced at her as he crossed the room to the dresser with nothing but a towel held around his waist. She could see his collar bones and a section of his ribs on both sides, with a small bruise forming on the right. His lean torso wasn't defined enough to show off a full six pack, but he wasn't all skin and bones as she'd thought.

I have to get out of here.

"Forgot my clothes," he muttered, quickly sifting through the drawer.

She watched him disappear back into the bathroom and bolted for the dresser, grabbing Tommy's phone and turning to the front door. It was molded flat into the wall where there should have been a handle. There was no way to open it without Johnny's powers.

Her fingers shook as she dialed her father's number into the phone's keypad. The bathroom doorknob turned and she quickly slipped the phone into her back pocket. Johnny stepped out in a loose white t-shirt and pair of sweats.

"Can I at least get some clothes?" she asked. He looked at her in surprise. "I've been in this damp swimsuit for hours. If I don't change soon, I'll get an infection."

He grimaced at her in disgust and crossed to the dresser, opening it. "Here." Without looking, he tossed a light gray thermal and another pair of sweatpants over his shoulder.

"No underwear?" she asked, collecting the clothes from the floor. "What are you, some kind of pervert?"

He shot her a glare. "You think I keep girls' underwear in my dresser? Or did you want to wear mine? Now who's the pervert."

She rolled her eyes and walked into the bathroom to change. After rinsing her swimsuit in the sink, she hung it and her jeans over the shower curtain to dry and put on Johnny's clothes.

Then she took the phone, staring at the phone number in the dial pad. Her heart pounded in her chest as she weighed the consequences. She couldn't deny that he had treated her well, despite having kidnapped her.

Despite being the child of her mother's killer.

She winced. I'm sorry, she thought, pressing the call button.

It chirped once, then immediately ended the call; it was then she noticed the tiny No Service symbol at the top. She cursed under her breath, opening the Wi-Fi connections.

No connections available.

She cursed again, and then there was a knock at the door.

"You know that phone doesn't work, right?" Johnny asked in a tired voice.

She sighed in defeat and opened the door, glaring at him.

"You seriously think I'm stupid enough to give Tommy a working smartphone? What was your plan, hop on social media and update your status to 'kidnapped'?" He held out his hand and she reluctantly handed the phone back.

I can't believe I thought I liked him.

She scowled in disgust as she realized she would have to sleep on the questionable couch. A few miles away, a clean and comfortable hotel bed with crisp cotton sheets sat empty while she was expected to sleep on that monstrosity.